H&F Council Responding to 'Serious Cybersecurity Incident'
One of several boroughs across London reporting issues with IT
Some key council services may be affected
November 25, 2025
Multiple London councils including Hammersmith & Fulham have reported IT problems and precautionary shutdowns after suspected cyber incidents. While Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea have publicly acknowledged serious IT issues, the local borough has reported persistent connectivity problems and internal warnings that have directly affected staff operations and resident-facing services.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council has confirmed it responded to a “serious cybersecurity incident” and that a small number of connectivity issues remain unresolved. The council’s internal guidance to staff has been explicit: do not click links from colleagues in Westminster or Kensington and Chelsea via Outlook or Teams until those networks are declared safe. That instruction has constrained routine workflows and delayed casework across multiple teams.
Residents in Hammersmith and Fulham might experience delays when contacting the council by phone or online and may find some services temporarily limited. Emergency and statutory services are being prioritised, but non-urgent enquiries and routine admNovember 25, 2025
The council’s reliance on shared systems with neighbouring boroughs has amplified the disruption. Staff have reported difficulties accessing databases and internal systems needed to process referrals, manage social care cases and respond to housing enquiries. The knock-on effect has been longer response times for residents seeking help, postponed assessments and extra pressure on teams trying to maintain statutory services with reduced digital access.
Hammersmith and Fulham’s memo also flagged a dependency on confirmation from RBKC that its networks are secure before certain services can be fully restored. That interdependence means some fixes cannot be completed locally and could take several days, prolonging uncertainty for families and vulnerable residents who rely on timely council support.
Westminster City Council said it shut down all networks as a precaution after a cyber security incident and warned that affected systems were unlikely to be fully restored until the end of the week. The council said Microsoft Teams and Outlook remained available and that adult and children’s social care and the Emergency Duty Team were operating, but it warned of longer waiting times for residents and partners.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has described a “serious IT issue” that has affected phone lines and some online tools. Sources indicate parts of RBKC’s systems were down for two to three days before partial email access was restored. RBKC and Westminster work closely together on a number of services, and that operational link has complicated recovery efforts across borough boundaries.
Hackney Council circulated an urgent warning to staff about phishing and social engineering methods after intelligence suggested multiple councils were being targeted. Hackney itself is understood not to have been directly hit in this round of incidents, but the warning underlines the scale of the threat facing London local authorities.
Kumail Jaffer speaks to the Mayor of London
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said City Hall is supporting councils through the London Office of Technology and Innovation and is coordinating with national cyber agencies to improve resilience. He emphasised the need for stronger safeguards and for councils to learn best practice from previous incidents.
Hammersmith & Fulham Council, the Metropolitan Police, the National Crime Agency and the Information Commissioner’s Office have been contacted for comment as investigations continue.
Written with contributions from Adrian Zorzut, Callum Cuddeford and Kumail Jaffer – Local Democracy Reporters