The bulldozers will be moving in shortly to demolish the former Japanese embassy on Ailesbury Road, which a company called Omnib plans to transform into a splendid family residence. The old two-storey house was sold last year for a record £2.95 million. Planning permission has been granted to replace it with a two-storey over basement redbrick more in keeping with the Victorian style houses nearby.

Residents, no doubt, will be probably be glad to see the end of a house that was left empty by the Japanese for some time, dragging down the smart appearance of the road.