A look back at the biggest stories of this week 20, 40 and 60 years ago.

1956: An Ilford bakery was cleared of baking mice into its bread but was still charged for selling loaves unfit for human consumption.

Sanray Bakeries of Ilford Lane were taken to court after a customer claimed to have found mouse claws in some bread he had bought from the shop.

An independent inspector, sent to the premises by Stratford Crown Court, found no trace of rats or mice on the premises.

He concluded that, as a result of a mechanical malfunction, hard lumps of grease had made their way into dough about to be baked.

The bakery owner pleaded guilty to selling a loaf unfit for human consumption and paid a £10 fine and £2 in compensation to the customer.

1976: A newly-opened Barkingside charity shop was forced to shut after the premises suffered at the hands of a flash flood.

When Maxine Orr, manager of the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals in Barkingside High Street, returned to work after the weekend she discovered more than two inches of water covering the shop floor.

It had cascaded through the ceiling from an empty apartment upstairs, where cold weather had caused pipes to burst.

The shop was forced to close for two weeks for repairs, and Maxine also launched an appeal for members of the public to volunteer their time to fix the place up or offer goods to replace the shop’s flood-damaged stock.

1996: The congregation of a South Woodford church had had enough of taking their life into their own hands every time they worship.

The road outside Holy Trinity church in Hermon Hill was deemed so dangerous the reverend had spent months campaigning for a crossing and improved lighting.

He also wrote to Redbridge Council in a bid to have the safety measures implemented immediately.

The move came after one elderly church-goer was hospitalised for seven weeks after an accident on the road.

Rev Peter Beech said he was detemined to do something before someone died.