West Midlands Police force has been put under special measures after the official inspectorate judged it was failing.

It is accused of carrying out poor investigations into crimes particularly those of sex offenders, leading to poor results for victims.

The handling of suspected online child abusers by the force is criticised as well as failures to protect vulnerable people.

The force has been put in the ‘Engage’ category by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), colloquially known as special measures.

But West Midlands Police believes it is improving following the appointment of a new chief constable, Craig Guildford, in December 2022.

Wendy Williams, from HMIC, said: ‘We move police forces into our enhanced level of monitoring, known as Engage, when a force is not responding to our concerns, or if it is not managing, mitigating or eradicating these concerns.

‘The Engage process provides additional scrutiny and support from the inspectorate and other external organisations in the policing sector to help the police force improve and provide a better service for the public.

‘West Midlands police has been asked to urgently produce an improvement plan and will meet regularly with our inspectors. We will work closely with the force to monitor its progress against these important and necessary changes.’

But Mr Guildford has aired his public disagreement over the inspection and said: ‘Although I remain respectful of [the inspectorate] I completely disagree with their decision-making to move West Midlands police into ‘Engage’ now despite providing them with recent evidence that should inform a much more comprehensive and fair assessment of the force.

‘When I joined WMP … I recognised there needed to be a significant improvement in the force’s performance, the number of offenders brought to justice and the service we provide to local communities.

‘It was for this reason that I implemented a rapid overhaul of the operating model and in April 2023 we created seven new local policing areas … Since implementing this new model, changing Force Contact and opening two more custody suites, our arrest rate has increased by a third, as has the number of offenders brought to justice. This continues to improve each month.

‘We have gone from being one of the worst call-handling forces to one of the best in 11 months. We answer 70,000 999 calls each month in an average of 5 seconds; and have improved the proportion of emergency incidents attended within our specified targets by 25%.’

HMIC said ‘it was assured West Midlands police is taking steps to address these concerns, but significant and sustained improvements are required and the inspectorate will be closely monitoring the force’s progress’.

It joins four other forces in special measures, including the the country’s biggest, the Metropolitan police.

The other forces judged to be failing and of concern are Devon and Cornwall, Wiltshire and Staffordshire.

Greater Manchester Police was also placed in the ‘Engage’ category for two years but has since turned itself around.

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.

Heart-melting footage has revealed how an adorable puppy learned how to walk and wag his tail again after becoming paraplegic in a freak accident.

Sussex spaniel Elton has proved new dogs can learn old tricks by making a remarkable recovery after he fell off a 50cm wall and landed on his back.

Eleven-week-old Elton was rushed to the vets who told distraught owner, Philippa Gascoyne, that he had severely bruised his spinal cord and may never walk again.

But the plucky puppy defied expectations and is now back on his paws again.

Elton was admitted to Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service in Solihull, West Midlands, for intensive physiotherapy sessions.

He underwent daily physiotherapy sessions and laser therapy to stimulate the muscles in his back and tail.

After just two weeks, he was well enough to return home to Philippa – and take on a starring role in Channel 5 show, The Dog Hospital, alongside master dog trainer, Graeme Hall, known as the ‘Dogfather’.

Recalling the moment he plunged off the wall, Philippa, from Ashbourne in Derbyshire, said: ‘It was awful, especially as I was only two metres from him when it happened.

‘Elton just jumped off a small wall that borders the garden path and you can’t understand how such a small fall can cause such horrific injuries.

‘It destroyed me inside to know I had not been able to prevent it happening.

‘He was squealing on the floor. I tried to get him to stand up but there was nothing in his back legs, no movement at all and not even a wag of his tail.’

Veterinary physiotherapist Holly Finelli said: ‘Elton was completely paraplegic when he came to us.

‘He had no movement of his back legs or tail and we were not sure whether he would regain movement again.

The fact he was a such a young puppy added to the challenge as he was very playful and couldn’t concentrate on a particular activity for long.

‘We soon found food was the way to his heart! This enabled a slightly longer concentration time to perform the physiotherapy.’

Elton has now regained full mobility and was discharged from the care of Willows after six months.

Philippa added: ‘To have him back on his legs means more than you can imagine. I’m so happy and I can’t thank Holly and Willows enough.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

The UK is set to see its coldest night of the year this week, with some areas dipping as low as -5°C in an arctic blast.

The Met Office temperatures will drop to -5°C in Scotland and -4°C in the midlands on Saturday night, with day time figures to say in the single digits.

The south coast will also see low temperatures, with some areas reaching lows of -3°C.

They added a widespread frost is likely on Friday and Saturday as arctic air sweeps across the country.

‘Nagging winds’ will hit the North East of the UK, which are forecast to whip up high waves and pose challenged to lorries over the weekend.

A yellow warning has been posted for the Shetland archipelago, where gusts could reach 60mph between 10pm and 6am over the next 24 hours.

A Met Office spokesman said the cold and variable weather is to be expected at this time of year, though the UK has historically had the first frosts in October.

He said: ‘We can see there’s big swings in temperatures, all it takes is a quick change from a southern wind into a north wind to have that change.

‘It’s not unusual to see these changes.’

The Met Office said sleet and snow may fall in the north of Scotland and on peaks above 400 metres (1,312ft) high.

But Saturday is set to be dry – although with a ‘cold feeling’.

The Met Office said: ‘After a cold frosty start, it will be a mainly dry day with light winds and plenty of sunny spells.’

On Sunday, temperatures are set to begin to rise again with some showers possible.

‘A frosty start, then turning cloudier and less cold on Sunday with some rain possible,’ forecasters said.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

A couple say they are exhausted and feel miserable after spending the last eight years receiving incorrect Boots deliveries.

Martin and Brenda Tizzard, from Walton, Liverpool, share a similar address with a local Boots store and say they have lost count of how many parcels are wrongfully delivered to their home.

The frequent deliveries have made it a routine for the husband and wife to walk up the road to drop off deliveries.

Martin said: ‘The amount of times we have to go over to that Boots we might as well be unpaid workers.

‘These boxes are big and god knows what’s in them. I think some of these deliveries could be worth a lot of money.’

The couple’s torture began when new shopping units opened in 2015 on their street.

‘It was a big event when the Boots opened. The Mayor at the time came over to open them,’ Martin said.

‘We’ve lived here for 16 years this situation with deliveries from Boots has made it a nightmare.’

The 68-year-old believes the issue is due to Boots having a similar address to his own and the close proximity of the store and his home.

Google Maps also says the Boots store is Martin and Brenda’s home.

Delivery drivers go ‘name blind’ and just see the address rather than who it is addressed to.

Martin said: ‘I tell the drivers they’ve got the wrong address and they just say “all I see is the number”.’

The mix-up isn’t isolated to just one particular delivery company either.

He said: ‘I think there’s about five or six delivery companies that have wrongly delivered it could be more it’s hard tell when they deliver in white vans.’

While Martin can see the funny side of the couple’s predicament it still causes a lot of trouble for them.

He said: ‘My wife has got arthritis and it does her no good to keep hobbling over the road to drop stuff off. I’m really at my wits end now.’

He also acknowledges the seriousness associated with the wrongful delivery of these parcels.

‘I don’t know how people sleep at night knowing these parcels could end up in the wrong hands,’ he said.

Martin has attempted to solve the issue with Boots but has so far been unsuccessful.

He said: ‘When I go into the shop they just shrug their shoulders. I feel like we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.

‘I’ve never been in touch with the delivery companies because there’s no way of contacting them and a lot of them drive white vans. I’m often never sure where the deliveries are coming from.’

Boots have been contacted for comment.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

A blast of cold arctic air is likely to sweep the UK this week, bringing the possibility of snow in some areas, weather forecasters say.

But the potential of snowy weather has many wondering if we’re likely to see London covered in snow around the festive season.

When was the last white Christmas in London?

When did London last have a white Christmas?

According to the Met Office, a white Christmas is officially recorded whenever a snowflake falls on Christmas day.

The most recent times London had a snowy holiday was in 2022, with 2021, 2020 and 2017 also being classed white Christmases.

But most of us think of a white Christmas as blankets of snow covering the UK – yet London hasn’t seen a true white Christmas for 20 years.

London has technically had six white Christmases since 1960: 1964, 1968, 1970, 1976, 1996 and 1999.

However, white Christmases in London have not always been so rare.

According to the Met Office  “winters were particularly persistent and severe” from 1550-1850, as Britain (and the entire Northern hemisphere) was going through what is now known as the Little Ice Age.

This is why we see such harsh descriptions of winter in the novels of Charles Dickens, such as in A Christmas Carol.

During this time snowfall was common and the river Thames would even completely freeze over, meaning that people could ice skate on it.

Football pitches, bowling matches, fruit-sellers, shoemakers and even barbers were also set up on the ice, in what was known as Frost Fairs – can you imagine that happening now?

The Met office added: ‘Since 1960, around half of the years have seen at least 5% of the network record snow falling on Christmas Day.

‘This means we can probably expect more than half of all Christmas Days to be a white Christmas.’

Will we have a white Christmas this year?

It’s too early to truly tell if we’ll have a white Christmas this year, but in the next few weeks a cold snap will hit the UK.

A ‘reasonably strong signal’ has been detected for a downturn on Friday, bringing yet more showers in Scotland and north-east England that could fall as sleet and snow over hills.

‘There is a 70 per cent chance that areas as far south as southern England could experience overnight frosts and a general reduction in temperature,’ Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Helen Caughey said.

MORE : Edinburgh Christmas market visitor slams extortionate price of chips

MORE : Martin Lewis issues bleak energy cost warning with average bill rising £94 a year

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

A Brazilian Deliveroo driver is being hailed as a hero after he stopped a knife attack outside a school in Dublin by smashing the attacker with his helmet.

An unprecedented wave of riots swept through Dublin last night after a knifeman injured three children and two adults in a terrifying attack outside Coláiste Mhuire on Parnell Square on Thursday afternoon.

But before the assailant could do further damage, he was stopped by Caio Benicio, 43, who stepped in to subdue the attacker after watching things unfold from his motorcycle.

Follow the latest on the Dublin stabbings and riots on our live blog.

‘I saw the guy pulling the teacher, picking up the child. I stopped to see what was happening. I thought it was a normal fight,’ he said in a WhatsApp audio message which has since gone viral.

‘Then the teacher pulled the child, the guy pulled another child and pulled a knife. A five-year-old child!’

‘Man, I threw the bike on the ground and went after the guy,’’ he added. ‘The guy stabbing the girl… I didn’t even think about it. I took my helmet off and hit… which knocked the guy down.

‘I think I managed to knock the guy down with the helmet, I hit him in the head.’

Following Mr Benicio’s intervention, a number of onlookers stepped in to restrain the attacker until the police arrived.

Speaking to The Journal after the attack, the 43-year-old Brazilian said: ‘I have two kids myself, so I had to do something. I did what anyone would do. People were there but they couldn’t step in because he was armed, but I knew I could use my helmet as a weapon.’

But despite the heroics, his thoughts are focused firmly on the five-year-old victim currently in critical condition.

‘I am praying, it’s all I am thinking of. I saw her in the ambulance, she looked so vulnerable, I had to go with gardaí then. I am waiting for news about her. I am hoping,’ he said.

‘If a child didn’t survive, I would always think, I could have been faster. I chose to have surgery on my knee recently, it made me slow to get off the bike, could I have been faster?

‘If all the victims survive, I will be thankful that I was in the right place, at the right time,’ he added.

Mr Benicio came to work in Ireland after his restaurant in Brazil burned down. He hopes his children can one day come over and join him.

He said he was saddened by the chaos which took place on the streets of Dublin last night, which appeared to be driven by an anti-immigrant sentiment.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris last night blamed a ‘lunatic hooligan faction’ for the destruction in the city which saw vehicles torched, shops looted and police attacked as the city became ‘under siege’.

A police source later told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘We have to say fair play to those people who stepped in. They gave that man a good hiding to make sure he wasn’t going to get up and hurt more people, but I can tell you now that they saved lives.’

Responding to last night’s violence, Ireland’s Justice Minister Helen McEntee said: ‘This afternoon innocent young children were brutally attacked with their carer and I want to be very clear the person responsible will be held accountable and brought to justice.’

She continued: ‘I also want to be very clear there’s a group of people, thugs, criminals, who are using this appalling attack to sow division and wreak havoc in our city centre. I’ve spoken with the Garda Commissioner and every force possible is being used by the gardaí to restore order to this city.

‘There will be arrests, people will be put in prison and order will be restored in this city.

‘This will not be tolerated.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

A man has been shot dead after a stand-off with armed police in east London.

Officers rushed to a property in Dagenham on Thursday night after the man called the police and said he wanted to take his own life.

During the phone call shortly before 8pm, he also told cops he had a loaded gun at his home in Weston Green.

Armed police and a specialist negotiator were involved in a back and forth with the man, believed to be aged 40, for around one hour.

Despite attempts to bring the incident to a safe conclusion, officers fired shots at around 9pm.

The Met said a non-police issue gun was found at the property and a search suggests no one else was there at the time of the incident.

Emergency first aid, including CPR, was carried out by paramedics but the man was pronounced dead at the scene at 9.30pm.

An investigation has now been launched.

Pictures show forensics investigating and a white tent has been erected directly outside the front of the house.

Commander Kyle Gordon, frontline policing commander for north and east London, said: ‘My thoughts are with the loved ones of the man who has died, with the local community in Dagenham and the officers involved in this incident.

‘While formal identification has yet to take place, officers believe he was aged 40.

‘His next of kin has been informed.

‘They will receive our full support.’

The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards was made aware immediately after the incident and the Independent Office for Police Conduct has been informed.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

The UK could see its coldest night of the year this weekend, with an arctic blast set to bring snow and sub-zero temperatures.

The Met Office said sleet and snow may fall in the north of Scotland and on peaks above 400 metres (1,312ft) high.

Meteorologists believe Saturday night will see thermometers hitting minus 4C in Wales and minus 5C in the rural South West.

Daytime temperatures are not expected to reach double digits during the day on Saturday but will be returning to above 10C by Sunday and into the following week.

A Met Office spokesman said the cold and variable weather is to be expected at this time of year, though the UK has historically had the first frosts in October.

He said: ‘We can see there’s big swings in temperatures, all it takes is a quick change from a southern wind into a north wind to have that change.

‘It’s not unusual to see these changes.’

A yellow warning has been posted for the Shetland archipelago, where gusts could reach 60mph between 10pm and 6am over the next 24 hours.

The north of the archipelago is forecast to face the coldest temperatures in the country.

‘Nagging winds’ are hitting the north-east of the UK and are forecasted to whip up high waves and pose challenges to lorries over the weekend.

The strong winds are affecting the east of the country down to Norfolk but are calmer in more southernly regions.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

A ‘lawless’ estate made of £1,560-a-month shipping containers is set to be torn down, but families are worried they could be left homeless.

Marston Court estate in west London is made up of makeshift homes created from metal shipping containers, and has reportedly become a magnet for drug dealers and knife-wielding thugs.

Ealing Council officials sent letters ordering residents to leave their homes by December 12 or to take temporary accommodation offered to them.

The council will make a final decision on whether to decommission the homes on December 6.

Two families revealed they were offered ‘unsuitable’ accommodation fifteen miles away in Slough.

One mum told MailOnline she was moving from one nightmare scenario to another.

‘The council have told us they will make only one offer of putting us up in temporary accommodation somewhere else,’ she said.

‘The council have said if we don’t accept their offer they will no longer have a legal responsibility to provide housing for us and we will be on our own.

‘It couldn’t have happened at a worse time. We don’t know if we will have a roof over our heads this Christmas.’

The residents previously told MyLondon how their homes were infested with mould and rodents.

Resident Erin Martin said at the time: ‘When we moved in here, our shower didn’t have any hot water and neither did the kitchen sink.

‘It took them two years to come and fix it. Me and my kids were bathing using a bucket and a kettle for two years, just so they could come in 20 minutes and fix it, my sink still isn’t giving me hot water.

‘They don’t make it easy to know who to talk to, who to ring, who to speak to, there is no information.

‘Eight years, I have been waiting for Ealing Council to house me, for eight years. Everywhere I have been put is “temporary”. Eight years isn’t temporary.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

A couple living in the Cotswolds were gobsmacked when a cup in their garage turned out to be an antique Chinese treasure from the Qing Dynasty worth thousands of pounds.

The centuries-old rhinoceros horn libation cup was found by an antiques expert during a routine house visit to the area.

The ‘mystical antique’ is thought to have detected poison and may have held aphrodisiac qualities around 350 years ago.

The late 17th or early 18th century cup is now estimated to fetch between £3,000-£5,000 when it goes up for auction at Hansons Auctioneers on November 30.

Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons and star of TV’s Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip, said: ‘I regularly visit clients’ homes to assess antiques for potential consignment to auction.

‘I’d completed my visit and was sitting in my car, about to drive off with a wave, when the couple asked if they could show me one more thing.

‘They disappeared into the garage. Usually I don’t expect too much but this was very different.

‘What was placed into my hands was a magical find – a rare Chinese object dating back to the late 17th or early 18th century. I instantly recognised it as a libation cup. It was beautifully carved out of rhinoceros horn and displayed intricate detail.

‘The honey-caramel object is from the Kangxi Period (1662-1723) of the Qing Dynasty. It would have been crafted just after the Ming period.

‘Rhinoceros horn libation cups were used for communal drinking at important ceremonial occasions in Chinese scholarly circles.’

Mr Hanson explained the cups were considered to be magical objects, as the rhinoceros horns were thought to contain aphrodisiac properties.

He added: ‘It was believed the horn would change colours to alert a drinker to the presence of poison.

‘It represents victory. Its special place in Chinese culture enhances its importance and value.

‘Though called libation cups, these vessels would have been primarily used for display, accompanied by beautifully crafted hardwood stands.’

It remains to be known exactly how much the unique cup will fetch when it goes up to auction.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

A little boy has been reunited with his lost plush monkey after it went on a 600-mile train adventure.

Kayna Tay, 43, and her three-year-old son misplaced the beloved toy, which the tot had since birth, while changing carriages from Oakham, East Midlands, to Bristol Temple Meads.

After finally arriving to Birmingham New Street, they realised they left the boy’s favourite monkey behind – so they rushed to the station reception to report it.

Customer service assistants Leon Allen and Vinny Murphy arranged for a search to take place, and the toy was found after the train arrived in Edinburgh.

The cuddly primate travelled back down to Birmingham New Street on Network Rail that same day.

While being stored overnight at the station’s reception, staff dressed it in a tiny, hand-knitted jumper made as a Christmas decoration, featuring a sparkly double arrow rail logo.

The toy was then placed on a train to Bristol Temple Meads on Tuesday, from where Ms Tay collected it.

Network Rail said it clocked up an extra 619 miles on top of its planned trip, with journeys on CrossCountry, Avanti West Coast and Great Western Railway services.

Ms Tay said: ‘My little boy was inconsolable when we realised we’d lost Monkey on the train and we arrived at Birmingham New Street.

‘But the treatment we received from the customer services team there, who mounted a miracle mission to find the monkey again, was above and beyond what I could have expected.

‘I can’t thank everyone involved enough, across all the train companies, for not only making my little boy smile again, but he loves Monkey’s new jumper and is full of questions, fascinated by the adventure he’s been on.’

Mr Murphy said: ‘It was heartbreaking to see Kayna’s little lad so upset that he’d left his best friend on the train, so it was the least we could do to get straight on the phone to try and track him down.

‘Spotting a tiny Christmas jumper in our station reception for him to wear was then the icing on the cake.

‘We’re so pleased we could have helped. Monkey is back home for cuddles where he belongs.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Locals in a village ‘dying’ due to traffic gridlock said are stunned as a bypass is finally going ahead – after a 100-year wait.

Banwell, Somerset, has suffered from severe congestion for decades, making the centre essentially a ‘no go’ zone for its 3,200 residents.

The once-thriving community has lost dozens of shops with health studies also showing higher rates of breathing-related health issues among its school pupils.

But planning permission and funding has now been secured for the long-awaited bypass – with hopes that it will be fully open to traffic by March 2026.

Some life-long residents in Banwell said it was a day they never thought they’d see – with many saying their relatives were involved in initial proposals as far back as 1927.

Local historian Roy Rice, 79, who has lived his whole life in the village, said: ‘My uncle, Wally Richards, when he was 11, helped the survey and put the pegs in of the original bypass plan.

‘It was a different variation in 1927. It will be 99 years since then when it finally opens. He is no longer with us but I am sure he would be very surprised we are still talking about it nearly 100 years later.

‘It will make a huge difference to the village and we will certainly have a big party when the bypass opens. We are fully aware it is not being built for us, but it can not be a bad thing for Banwell.’

The final approval for the two mile bypass came when North Somerset council voted unanimously in favour of the £56.5 million contract at a meeting last week.

A total of £89.2 million funding has been approved for the scheme and includes costs such as consultants, utilities, and contingency money.

And studies showed the proposed bypass could reduce traffic through the village by up to 78%.

Mr Roy added: ‘There has been three or four different routes proposed over the years. The original route was a lot closer to the village.

‘What we have going ahead is the lesser of two evils.

‘Banwell has lost a lot of shops as you can not stop there, maybe around 30-40 shops in the centre.

‘There was a lot of industry and a lot of businesses, a brewery, mill, blacksmith. It was once a thriving area.

‘As they shut, no one wants to take them on. Hopefully the bypass will bring life back to the centre of the village.’

Paul Harding, 58, who is vice chairman of Banwell parish council, said there have been a number of barriers to the bypass, including lack of political will, funding issues and initial opposition from farmers.

Mr Harding added: ‘The process started in 1927. Why it has taken so long is a very good question.

‘The authorities initially did not want a bypass. In the 1960s they knocked houses down and pushed the railway bridge down, opening it up for lorries.

‘Traffic has got so much worse. For some time they did not want it as they did not want the houses that go with it.’

MORE : UK’s most unhealthy neighbourhoods revealed

Wally Rice, 85, who was also a former councillor and has lived in Banwell his entire life, said: ‘I am surprised that this has happened in my lifetime.

‘I remember first started discussing it when I was a schoolboy, about 17. I was also a councillor and it was touched on regularly. People talked about it, but those running the council did not really want it at the time.

‘It is not a perfect solution but is a damn sight better than what we have at the moment.’

Despite the majority being in favour of the scheme, some residents expressed doubts it would make a big difference.

Eric Small, 82, of Banwell, added: ‘I have the minority view in the village and doubt it will do very much. A bigger issue for me is that weight and size restrictions are not enforced.

‘All heavy traffic comes through on the road to Banwell. If they are not driving through small villages, they are going to cut straight through small farms. It is going to destroy and split farms and make them unviable.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

A mum-of-four who was held at gunpoint by her stalker ex-boyfriend has slammed his upcoming release from jail in February – despite a parole panel finding he would not be safe in the community.

Gareth Wyn Jones, 59, is serving a four-and-a-half year jail term for holding Rhianon Bragg hostage overnight after she ended their relationship in 2019, stalking her and making threats to kill.

The parole board found it would not be safe to release him and he had never accepted culpability for his crimes – but despite this he is still due for automatic release in February.

The former mechanic will spend five years on licence when he is released from prison, meaning he will be jailed again if he commits further crimes.

Ms Bragg, 51, from Snowdownia, north Wales, is still living in fear: ‘I cannot conceive how anything other than a completely blinkered, unjoined up, broken justice system, would release an offender that it had just classed as too high risk to release.

‘It’s mind-blowing, absolute madness – what will they say to his next victims? It’s not like they’re pretending he won’t reoffend.

‘We’re hoping for a workable, sustainably funded Victims Bill. I think there’s no hope of that, when the system can’t even contain known offenders. We are just guinea pigs.’

A summary of the parole board panel’s decision on Jones said that he had held ‘traditional beliefs around gender roles in relationships and evidenced jealousy and a sense of entitlement’, while struggling to manage conflict.

It found that he saw asking for help as a sign of weakness, and noted there were emotional and mental health difficulties in this case.

A release plan where Jones would live in designated accommodation with strict limits on his contacts, movements and activities was not deemed ‘robust’ enough.

The panel said: ‘After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and the evidence presented in the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public.’

Ms Bragg said while she’s relieved the parole board recognise how unsafe Jones is, she feels she’s not been listened to.

She said: ‘I have always said that he was mentally unwell and that he wouldn’t think he had done anything wrong. I don’t think that’s really been taken into account, at least now that’s been stated.

‘The night he held me hostage and was threatening to murder me, he even said that I had made his life harder because I hadn’t started a new relationship. He tried to use jealousy as an excuse, when there had never been anyone else to be jealous of.’

Despite Ms Bragg reporting Jones to the police a number of times, and his previous three arrests, no further action was taken and Jones’ previously confiscated firearms were returned.

Prosecutors later admitted they could have charged Jones three months earlier with harassment and spared Ms Bragg her gunpoint ordeal.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

In today’s MetroTalk, a reader shares what they think to be the British view on white privilege and political correctness. Could it be that some of us find PC-ness challenging because it dares to prioritise the minority?

Meanwhile, readers are also discussing: the ways the wealthy and the lets say: less well off, game the system, whether to keep monuments to barbaric philanthropists, immigration and their memories of a Labour government.

And do you agree with the reader who says we should respect politicians as much as we respect scientists?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

Tax avoidance isn’t just for the wealthy

In response to comments about the wealthy manipulating tax systems (MetroTalk, Wed), I don’t believe they are the only ones who do this. I knew someone years back who claimed the dole but ‘worked’ on the side. And how many tradespeople charge less (VAT-free) and trouser their earnings? Do those who get tips declare it all? Bob, Hayes

‘Not every immigrant becomes a Mo Farah’

Ryan Cooper (MetroTalk, Tues) lectures us on the benefits of immigration and sums up with a command that, ‘It’s time to open our minds, open our hearts and open our borders.’

Could open-borders fanatics like him declare what scale of immigration they would prefer and what, if any, control over our borders there should be?

Has Ryan ‘opened his heart’ for the people who have lived in this country all of their lives, paid taxes and then found they can’t get a place at their local school, an appointment with the dentist, GP or hospital, or a place on the housing list, all because of the unprecedented growth in the UK population due to immigration?

Perhaps these things don’t affect open-border fanatics because they can afford to go private, or if they do, they are outweighed by the benefits of cheap labour from around the world, ransacking undeveloped countries for workers in something akin to latter-day imperialism.

Mr Cooper cherry picks the immigrants into this country that demonstrate his ‘net benefit’ analysis while ignoring the reality that for every Mo Farah there is also a Yaqub Ahmed (the Somalian rapist it took five years and a million pounds to deport). David, Durham

Does a slave-trader’s philanthropy mean we should ignore his atrocities?

In response to Mark Taha (MetroTalk, Tue) regarding statues.

I accept that we all have our own heroes, and there will be edge cases, where a controversial figure was admired by a number of people – in those instances, I’d be willing to give the benefit of the doubt and leave any monuments as they are.

Bristol slave trader Sir Edward Colston was absolutely not an ‘edge case’. He remorselessly subjected thousands of people to lifetimes of disgusting abuse.

Yes, it was legal at the time but so was burning ‘witches’ – does that legitimise it?

We should be celebrating the fact that we have moved on from this barbarity and now live in a fairer, safer, happier world.

I don’t care how Colston or anyone else used their ill-gotten gains. Heck, even Jimmy Savile raised cash for charity.Rob Slater, Norfolk

It’s not free speech people hate

Ben (MetroTalk, Wed) defends Nigel Farage, saying people just don’t like free speech. He is mixing up free speech with hate speech and lies, against which we have laws in this country. Kara, London

‘I fear the economical damage of another Tory government’

Kay (MetroTalk, Wed) says she is ‘horrified’ by the thought of a Labour government as she knows how ‘disastrous’ that has proved for working people.

Kay says she is in her 50s, so the only Labour government during her working life would be the New Labour government, led by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

I was working throughout the same period and my recollection is different.

There were certainly mistakes made but up until the credit crunch – a global phenomenon the UK entered with a AAA+ economic rating from all the recognised international credit rating agencies – the UK economy was growing much faster, and the GDP-to-debt ratio was far lower than it has been since 2010.

My fear is there would be even more damage done to the economy if we were to elect yet another Tory government. David, Eltham

Politicians have to consider more than just ‘the science’

Many people in Wednesday’s MetroTalk condemned politicians’ approach towards the pandemic after hearing scientists’ testimonies at the Covid Inquiry.

They all had sympathy towards scientists and hatred towards politicians.
The readers claim politicians must follow science. But what does science say about pandemics?

The scientists in Sweden did not recommend lockdown, whereas in many countries they did. Which recommendations should a politician follow? And in the end, Sweden did not perform any worse at all.

The fact is that politicians should collect scientific facts, get recommendations from scientists but ultimately it is the politicians who must decide.

Because a scientific adviser can only know their part while a politician has to take into account many factors – the cost of the lockdown, compensations for the affected people, economic results like shrinking of GDP, etc.

We must respect science but we must respect politicians, too. Murat Yildirimoglu, Bedford

MORE : UK pandemic plan was ‘woefully deficient’ even for flu pandemic

MORE : When is the next UK general election and could it be brought forward?

MORE : I’m A Celebrity’s Nella Rose tells Nigel Farage ‘Black people don’t like you’ in huge clash

A visitor to Edinburgh’s Christmas Market has slammed the measly portion of salt and pepper chicken and chips she received – for a whopping £12.

Edinburgh local Natalie posted her meagre portion on TikTok, where others found the portion size outrageous compared to the price.

She said: ‘When they say go to hell but it’s £12 for some salt and pepper chicken and chips at Winter Wonderland.’

The prices of Christmas market foods and drinks have long been a point of scrutiny of many visitors.

But Europe’s best value Christmas market has been named as Riga, in Latvia.

The research, by the Post Office, factored in the cost of things like flights, transfers, meals and those all important Christmas market must-haves such as mulled wine and cakes.

Two people can head to Riga for two nights for just £506. A glass of mulled wine, punch or gluhwein there is a bargain at just £3.50 and a seasonal treat like a gingerbread or stollen is just £3.12.

Even a caffeine hit is great value – a cup of coffee is just £1.96.

If you don’t quite fancy Riga, there are still some other cheap Christmas market hotspots to visit.

Stockholm, Sweden, was a perhaps surprising runner up, thanks to cheaper flight costs – overall, costs were down 25% compared to last year. Here, a glass of mulled win costs £3.88. Overall, a two day break for two will cost £559.50.

Rounding out the top three was the Croatian capital of Zagreb, where costs are just 10p higher than Stockholm. A festive mini break here will set you back just £559.60.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

A baby boy died just 24 hours after a doctor misdiagnosed him with tonsillitis – after they missed the signs of bacterial meningitis.

Nine-month-old Lucas Thomas Munslow from Flint, Wales, died due to ‘avoidable circumstances’, his family said.

The little boy died at Bodelwyddan hospital in May 2019, where just hours earlier doctors told his parents he was safe to return home with a case of ‘viral tonsillitis’.

An inquest into baby Lucas’s death by John Gittins, senior coroner for North Wales East and Central, revealed staff at the hospital had shown ‘poor practice’.

The emergency department did not think Lucas was severely ill when his parents rushed him to hospital, and classified him as a yellow case, to be seen in an hour – rather than an orange case, which would have had him seen in ten minutes.

The nurse who saw Lucas said he was ‘stiff and vacant’ and had a squint, but the doctor who treated and discharged the lad said there were ‘no red flags’.

MORE : Cases of meningitis ‘more than doubled last year’ after lockdown was lifted

A statement from Lucas’s family said: ‘We lost Lucas, our first-born baby boy, in circumstances that could have been avoided.

‘We have been left deeply traumatised by the death of Lucas and continue to suffer as we try to come to terms with our loss.’

The family said they are considering whether to pursue a claim against the hospital for clinical negligence.

The bacterial infection mainly affects babies and children, and vaccinations are available for babies up to one year old.

Meningitis and septicaemia often happen together and usually begin with a fever, vomiting, a headache and generally feeling unwell.

For this reason it can be easy to brush the illness off as a common cold or flu – but there are some very easy steps to take to spot the illness early.

Limb pain, pale skin, and cold hands and feet often appear earlier than the rash.

These symptoms may coincide with neck stiffness, dislike of bright lights and confusion.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

A tech multi-millionaire who was awarded an MBE for services to the digital economy has been convicted of drugging and raping two women in the early 1990s.

Lawrence Jones has already been behind bars for 10 months after he was previously convicted of sexually assaulting an ex-employee in an separate trial.

The 55-year-old was remanded in custody after a jury at Manchester Crown Court found him guilty in January – but reporting restrictions were only lifted today following the conclusion of the latest trial.

Jones and his wife Gail created the web hosting provider UKFast from their spare bedroom in September 1999, and the company went on to work with clients including the NHS and the Ministry of Defence.

In January 2019, an ex-employee called police to accuse him of forcing himself on her to have sex in 2010, among a string of other allegations.

Afterwards, a second woman said she had been sexually assaulted by Jones at a hotel during a business trip in 2013.

Prosecutor Eloise Marshall KC told the jury at Jones’s first trial that the woman discovered her room was part of a penthouse suite that connected to the defendant’s bedroom.

The pair had drinks at the bar before returning to the room, Ms Marshall said, and Jones became ‘more persistent’ in his approaches ‘despite her clear resistance’.

She continued: ‘He put his arm around her and started dragging her in towards him. He ignored (the complainant) repeatedly who was clearly telling him that she did not want to engage in this sort of behaviour.

‘Things escalated and he started asking: “Let me see your knickers”. As he said that he placed his hands on her body, on her legs and became quite forceful trying to prise her legs apart, with his hands on the inside of her thighs.

‘This caused her dress to ride up and as she was trying to pull it down and get away, he was trying to get on top of her.’

She managed to escape into her own room and locked the door behind her, the prosecutor said.

The woman later left the company after Jones ‘paid for her silence’ with a £13,000 settlement that required her to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement), Ms Marshall added.

Giving evidence, Jones told the prosecutor: ‘I put my hands on people’s shoulders but only people I thought I had a really good relationship with. There’s nothing sexual about what I was doing.

‘I gave hugs to people, that’s the sort of person I am.’

He said the woman in question was ‘flirtatious’ as she ‘quickly became drunk’ at the bar.

Jones was cleared of the allegations made by the first complainant in January 2019: one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.

At the second trial this month, Jones denied attacking two women at the flat where he lived in Salford in the 1990s.

The women had come forward to the police separately in 2021 and 2022, and did not know each other.

One described being given something to sniff which had an ‘immediate impact’ on her, while the other said she had been overly affected by a glass of wine and what she thought was cannabis.

Ms Marshall told jurors: ‘Both women were stupefied and left partially conscious but unable to react.

‘Such was the effect of the drugs that the women, even then, were unclear about what drug had been used and exactly what had happened to them.’

Mrs Jones, who attended every day of the two trials to support her husband, held her hand over her mouth as the jury foreman delivered the unanimous verdict after four hours of deliberations.

Jones will be sentenced for all the cases on December 1.

Isla Chilton, senior district crown prosecutor for CPS North West’s rape and serious sexual offence unit, said: ‘Jones raped two women with no thought for how his actions would affect them.

‘By denying the offences, he compounded the harm to the women, attempting to evade responsibility for his actions. The jury saw through his lies and found him guilty.

‘I would like to thank the victims for supporting this prosecution and I hope this case will encourage others to seek justice. It’s never too late.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

A man who was hit with an incredible £703 fine after failing to pay for a £2.60 train ticket said he’d rather go to jail than pay up.

Terry Harrison, 45, says he hoped to avoid a large taxi fare by taking a Merseyrail train from Sandhills to Birkenhead in August.

But when he and his son got off at Moorfields to change trains, they were stopped by security guards and given an immediate £100 penalty notice for travelling without a ticket.

Mr Harrison explained: ‘My son had a meeting over in Hamilton Square. I got a taxi down to his, he said keep the taxi on and I said no chance, too expensive. So we just walked down to Sandhills.

‘We went to pay as you do, but there was nobody in the paying window. We were running late; we heard the train coming so we ran to the platform – we just expected to pay at the other side.’

Mr Harrison said he wasn’t worried as he used the service every day, and had never encountered issues when he paid after a journey.

He was shocked when he was handed a £100 penalty fare, which Merseyrail warned may be issued if a passenger travels without a valid ticket.

Mr Harrison said: ‘We said we’d run up to the desk and pay now but [the guard] said no, no. So I gave him my name and he came back with my address and my date of birth and started reading me my rights.

‘To be honest I got a bit on my high horse. I asked him where he got my information and he just kept telling me I had the right to remain silent. I took the slip and that was that. But it was just eating away at me. I was waiting to see what was going to come of it.’

After failing to pay the £100 fine, Mr Harrison was charged with failing to produce a ticket and was sent a letter from the HM Courts and Tribunals Service inviting him to plead guilty or not guilty.

Have your say on Metro!

Want to help us and have your say on what content we do and how it should look? Take part in our survey.

It's only ten minutes - you could probably do it on your commute and still have time to spare. Don't miss out on the opportunity to shape your favourite news publisher.

Mr Harrison ignored the second letter as well, and was charged £703.40 by the courts on October 14.

He received a further letter on November 7 from the courts warning him that, as he had not paid the hefty charge, a warrant could be issued for the seizure of his property, including his car.

It also warned deductions could be made from his income or benefits, and that his name could be added to the Registry of Judgments, Orders and Fines, affecting his ability to obtain credit.

It also warned the continued refusal to pay could result in the charge being bumped up to £1,055.10, and a warrant being issued for his arrest.

He said: ‘I’m willing to pay the fare, nothing else. I don’t want to be extorted, but I’m willing to pay the fare, which I said at the start.

‘I don’t dodge train tickets. I just feel it is wrong and that’s why I’m willing to fight it in court myself. Even if it puts me in jail, I’m fed up of it.’

Suzanne Grant, commercial director at Merseyrail, said: ‘Whilst we can’t discuss individual cases, anyone issued a penalty is provided with clear information about how to pay.

‘The fine is £100 but reduces to £50 if paid within the first 21 days. Anyone issued a penalty is also given clear information on how they can appeal the decision through an independent appeals service.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

The new Home Secretary has called an opposition MP ‘s**t’ rather than his constituency, it has been claimed.

A source close to James Cleverly says he was caught in a hot-mic moment calling Alex Cunningham a ‘s**t MP’, rather than using the derogatory term towards his constituency of Stockton.

During PMQs on Wednesday, Mr Cunningham asked Rishi Sunak why 34% of children in his constituency are living in poverty.

Mr Cleverly was then caught on a House of Commons microphone apparently saying ‘because it’s a s**thole’.

Mr Cunningham raised a point of order later in the day, saying: ‘Before the prime minister answered, the home secretary chose to add in his pennyworth.

‘He was seen and heard to say “because it’s a s**thole”.

‘Yes, I have contacted his office advising him I planned to name him, but sadly he has chosen not to be in the chamber.

‘I know he is denying being the culprit, but the audio is clear and has been checked, and checked, and checked again.

‘There is no doubt that these comments shame the home secretary, this rotten government, and the Tory Party. He is clearly unfit for his high office.’

Mr Cleverly has now apologised for using ‘unparliamentary language’ in the Commons.

The source close to the home secretary said: ‘James made a comment. He called Alex Cunningham a s**t MP. He apologises for unparliamentary language.

‘As was made clear yesterday, he would never criticise Stockton. He’s campaigned in Stockton and is clear that it is a great place.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Soldiers launched potatoes, plates and fruit at a sergeant major during an epic food fight.

Footage shows more than 100 troops from the Royal Tank Regiment firing their food at the Non-Commissioned Officer on Monday.

They were celebrating the anniversary of the Battle of Cambrai in 1917, which involved the first large-scale use of massed tanks in conflict.

British forces attacked German lines in northern France with 476 distinctive Mark IV tanks.

The regiment continues to commemorate the battle to this day.

It marked a turning point in military tactics, and fully revealed the attacking potential of tanks.

The soldiers were served ‘gunfire’ cocktails of black tea and rum by their commanders.

They were then later served lunch, when the food fight erupted.

It was filmed and put on social media site Fill Your Boots.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

A Class A drug dealer was caught by police after he posted a topless selfie of himself on a boat he lived on.

Darren Stirling, 58, supplied cocaine, MDMA, cannabis and ketamine in Basildon, Essex, and posted the cheeky snap to EncroChat, a platform used by criminals to buy and sell illicit products.

Police were able to identify Stirling from the photo because they were monitoring the encrypted network.

Stirling also listed the boat as his ‘primary address’ on the network which meant cops could find him easily moored in Penton Hook Marina, Chertsey, in Surrey, in July 2020.

Police seized cannabis, an encrypted mobile device, hundreds of tablets and a signal jammer device from the boat.

Previous chat logs revealed he was active in purchasing and supplying large quantities of illegal substances across Britain.

Photos he exchanged with others on EncroChat showed large amounts of cannabis, cocaine and suspected ketamine.

A vehicle of Stirling’s was traced to two self-storage units where officers found more than ten million tablets, initially suspected to be diazepam but later found to be an antihistamine.

He admitted charges of being concerned in the supply of cocaine, MDMA, amphetamines, cannabis and ketamine following his arrest.

Stirling appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday and was jailed for 18 years following two separate drug offences.

Yoni Adler from Essex Police’s serious and organised crime unit, said Stirling was caught as he’d ‘let his guard down’.

He said: ‘The cracking of the EncroChat network was a landmark moment in the fight against organised criminal activity across the UK.

‘Criminals like Stirling felt able to let their guard down when using this network, feeling they could operate with impunity as they moved large amounts of harmful substances into Essex.

‘This was a complex investigation which involved building an irrefutable case against Stirling, leaving him with no choice but to admit to his leading role in a sophisticated drug supply network.

‘The reality of illegal drug supply on the streets is the rampant exploitation of vulnerable people, often children, and violence.

‘Our work to dismantle drug supply networks is ceaseless. Our message to those supplying these substances is simple: It is a matter of when, not if, you are caught.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

This is the moment a construction worker was rescued from a huge fire with a crane.

Footage shows firefighters rescuing one person from a construction site in Station Hill near Napier Road in Reading, as the sky is covered in thick black smoke.

Three fire crews helped with the rescue as the man is seen being lifted into a crate before it is hoisted up into the air.

The crane operator who rescued a man from a burning high-rise in Reading has said it was a ‘close call’.

Glen Edwards, 65, from Egham, Surrey, said: ‘I was no more than 20 metres up in the air and I looked out my left-hand window and saw a guy standing on the corner of the building.

‘I’d only just seen him and someone said ‘can you get the cage on’, so that was it, I got the cage on and got it over to him the best I could. It was quite windy conditions.’

He added: ‘I would say it was a very close call, if you look at the video at the way the wind was swirling around there.

‘I tried to put the cage down between him and the flames, but I was hampered by the wind swirling around there.

‘But I got the cage down and I managed to get him in there.’

South Central Ambulance Service said two people had been taken to hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation.

They said: ‘I can confirm we’ve taken two people to the Royal Berkshire Hospital for further assessment and treatment for smoke inhalation, neither of whom were severe cases.

‘We are now on stand-by supporting the fire service (which is a standard operational procedure when they are working at height and at scale).

‘We have our hazardous area response team, an ambulance, the Thames Valley Air Ambulance critical care car, an operational commander, a tactical adviser and a tactical commander at the scene.’

Redwood Consulting, on behalf of Station Hill, said: ‘We activated our fire emergency plans immediately, the emergency services were notified and are currently on site.

‘The safety of those on site and the wider public is always our first priority, and the site has been evacuated as a result.

‘As soon as we have more information we will provide an update.’

The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue service said: ‘At 11:38am on Thursday, 23 November, we received reports of a fire near Napier Road in Reading.

‘A number of our crews are currently on the scene. While emergency services work, we ask that people avoid the area where possible and close windows and doors if you live or work nearby.

‘Thank you for your patience while we deal with this incident. Updates will continue to be provided through our website incident feed.’

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.

When you’re getting cosy at home in the run-up to Christmas, the threat of a burglary tends to be the furthest thing from your mind.

But there are certain malevolent forces out there who are out to disrupt the most wonderful time of the year, wrecking your peace of mind as well as your home.

Certain parts of England and Wales are more at risk from festive robberies than others, according to data collated by Howden Insurance.

The new study looked at police stats showing how many burglaries were committed in November and December between 2020 and 2022.

It found that South Yorkshire Police recorded the highest average number of burglaries per 100,000 population with 148.

The force, which covers places including Sheffield, Doncaster and Barnsley, had a total of 6,121 break-ins in the last two months of the year across the three-year period.

There was also a 12.31% increase in reported burglaries between 2020 and 2022 in South Yorkshire.

In fact, the north of England is heavily represented in the top five areas for Christmas burglaries.

Only London, in the third spot with 110 break-ins per 100,000 population, lies outside the north.

Cleveland, which includes the towns of Middlesbrough and Hartlepool, is in second place with an average of 128 burglaries per 100,000 people.

West Yorkshire and Humberside round off the five areas with the highest averages over the last three years with 107 and 97 respectively.

At the opposite end of the scale, Norfolk was found to be least at risk of burglaries, with police recording an average of 38 per 100,000 population.

If you’re concerned about thieves breaking into your house at Christmas – or any time of year – the Neighbourhood Watch recommends securing your house by following the acronym ‘WIDE’.

That’s window locks, indoor lights on a timer, doors double-locked and external lights on a sensor.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Residents forced to leave their tower block in Bristol are still having to pay rent.

Around 400 people from Barton House were told to pack a bag of clothes and leave their homes on November 14 without any warning.

Surveys conducted on three of the 98 flats found a risk to the structure of the block in the event of a ‘fire, explosion or large impact’.

Have you been impacted by the Barton House evacuation? Get in touch at webnews@metro.co.uk

This left residents scrambling to find friends to stay with, or relying on the council to put them up in hotel rooms, with families only being allocated one each.

Despite their being no prospect of a return until December at the earliest, residents are still being made to pay rent because ‘the council is providing accommodation’.

Mayor Marvin Rees, who described Bristol Council as ’empathetic’, said: ‘In terms of those in the hotels, they are (being charged rent) at the moment, but we’re being very empathetic about that

‘But at the same time we are providing accommodation, food and services for people.’

The number of households at the Holiday Inn in the city centre has risen to 67, with 13 remaining with friends and family, and 14 opting to defy the council’s evacuation order and return or remain at Barton House.

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council told Bristol Live more formal discussions with residents about the situation over rent had not yet taken place, as the council was prioritising emergency accommodation.

‘Talking to the residents who have fed back as well, on bills, we have done a bit of outreach to the utilities companies to say “if you have customers who are residents of Barton House, please reach out and offer some flexibility to them as well”, we’re obviously trying to wrap ourselves around people’s challenges,’ the Mayor added.

A rent pause is one of five demands set out by tenant’s union Acorn Bristol which has a number of residents of Barton House as members.

They are also calling for an independent investigation into what has happened at Barton House, the residents to be re-housed locally, compensation for residents and support for the mental health and childcare for all affected residents.

On Friday residents gathered at Bristol City Hall this morning to accuse the council of a lack of communication following their evacuation from their homes.

Shaban Ali, 36, a Barton House resident and Acorn member, said: ‘We were completely left in the dark, I didn’t have a clue.

‘The group chat started coming alive and rumours were flying all over the place about evacuations happening. There was a complete vacuum of information.

‘A lot of elderly people, a lot of vulnerable people with very young children. I have two children myself and I didn’t know where I was going to do.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Six men have been arrested in an investigation over a homophobic attack on a gay couple in north-east London last month.

One of the victims, 23-year-old Callum Griggs, was taken to hospital with cuts and bruises after being attacked with a plank of wood as he walked along High Road in Chadwell Heath on October 1.

Medics glued together a gash in his eye during a 13-hour stay in A&E.

His partner Brad Balueta, 24, was not injured, but police said both men were ‘understandably distressed’ by the incident.

An appeal was launched to track down the attackers around a month ago.

The Metropolitan Police said six men aged between 16 and 22 had been arrested in their homes this morning.

Chief Inspector Chris Nixon, from the Met’s East Area Command Unit, said: “This morning’s arrests are the culmination of our investigation into an unprovoked assault on two men, that left one requiring hospital treatment.

‘We are keeping the victims updated, and those arrested will be taken to police stations where they’ll be interviewed about their involvement in this attack.

‘We are aware of the corrosive effect of hate crime and remain determined to bring those responsible for such crimes to justice.

‘I hope that these arrests will send out a signal to those who think they can get away with homophobic abuse and violence that we will track you down.’

Speaking to Yahoo News last month, Mr Balueta recalled that a group of men had shouted abuse at the couple as they passed a fast food shop at around 5.30pm.

He said: ‘‘Callum calmly asked them what they said, and one told him he knew where he lived, then named the street, and told him, “I will kill you”.

‘I am out and proud but in all my life I have never felt so scared. He clearly knew where my boyfriend lived, and was very aggressive.’

He described a member of the group threatening Mr Griggs with a wooden panel which had nails in it, before they began ‘piling on to him’ with punches and kicks.

Mr Balueta wrote about his experience on X, formerly Twitter, and asked people to share his posts.

He said: ‘I [want] to show that this s**t has been happening to my community for a [long] time and is still happening in front of our very eyes today. Verbal or physical, homophobia/transphobia is a real thing.’

He also expressed his anger at the lack of help from bystanders, posting: ‘The fact so many people were watching on the high street and did nothing and just watched or ignored is appalling and just shows what society is like and has been like for so long.’

Officers are continuing the investigation, and anyone with information is asked to call 101 or get in touch over X using the handle @MetCC and quoting reference CAD 5640/01Oct.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

 
The widow of Alexander Litvinenko has said that Ukraine’s allies must stand firm to prevent his prophecy about Vladimir Putin unleashing war on the world from becoming reality.

Marina Litvinenko, speaking on the 17th anniversary of the former spy’s death, warned that Putin’s ‘mafia state’ must not be allowed to set an example for other authoritarian powers.   

She has adopted Ukraine’s plight in the face of the full-scale Russian invasion and is in the process of setting up a charity to help children in the country impacted by the war.   

Mr Litvinenko, who is known as Sasha by his wife, died on November 23, 2006 after being fatally poisoned at a London hotel by Russian agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun.  

In prescient words spoken almost two decades before the full-blown invasion, the former FSB and KGB officer predicted that Ukraine would suffer at the hands of ‘hooligan’ Putin, and other former Soviet countries would never be safe while he was in power.

Mrs Litvinenko told Metro.co.uk that the country’s Western allies must continue to stay the course in backing Kyiv’s grinding and resource-intensive fight against the Kremlin’s forces, before the war spills over the borders into NATO territories.   

‘Over 17 years, what Sasha said and tried to do has become very important.’ she said. ‘And now, after almost two years of the war in Ukraine, we can see his words coming true; that if Putin is not stopped there will be a war that will affect the whole world.  

‘To start a nuclear war would not be as simple as pushing the button, as the decision involves people and technology, and not everybody is as crazy as Putin. But a wider war that spreads into the Baltic countries would in Putin’s eyes reverse the “catastrophe” of the Soviet Union’s collapse and would be, for him, the best way to be remembered.’

Mr Litvinenko, an intelligence officer turned Kremlin opponent, died in a London hospital after being poisoned with radioactive isotope polonium-210. In 2016, a public inquiry concluded that the hit was probably carried out on Putin’s orders.  

As Ukraine slides out of the world’s glare amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, Kyiv’s fight remains a cause that Mrs Litvinenko, who lives in west London, continues to support.

She told Metro.co.uk that she is setting up a charity entitled Ukrainian Children in Need to support the victims of war who have been injured, displaced or deported since February 24 last year.  

‘If we give up on Ukraine, we give up on a place where people live freely and have the right to take part in democratic elections,’ Mrs Litvinenko said.

‘If we give up on Ukraine, it will be more difficult to defend democracy in other places.’  

While the war in Ukraine grinds on at huge cost to Russian life and economy, the conflict has exposed cracks in Putin’s grip on power, including through the Wagner group rebellion in June 2023.

In the meantime, Mr Litvinenko’s story continues to reach new ground as a powerful example of the Kremlin’s alleged murderous reach, including through the ITVX dramatisation starring David Tennant.  

The former intelligence officer’s wife remains unequivocal that Russia can have a better alternative to the current president.

Follow Metro on WhatsApp to be the first to get all the latest news

Want to be the first to hear the world’s top stories? Metro.co.uk is now on WhatsApp sending vital updates and top trending stories straight to your phone.

Join the Metro WhatsApp community now for breaking news, juicy showbiz stories and must-watch videos from across our website.

Simply click on this link and select ‘Join Chat’. Don’t forget to turn on notifications so you’ll always be the first to hear the latest!

‘We have to remember that Putin represents a concentration of the power in Russia,’ she said. ‘A corrupt system has been built over the last 23 years, which is like a mafia state.

‘But the full-scale invasion of Ukraine was Putin’s greatest mistake, it made people realise that he was not as strong as he appeared to be.   

‘It might collapse very quickly but people have to understand Russia won’t be better immediately after Putin’s death.

‘It might be worse, but it will get better.

‘There is the argument that it’s better to have Putin in place than risk something worse but without the system being destroyed there will never be anything different in Russia.’

Mrs Litvinenko, 61, has taken part in demonstrations against the Russian aggression and visited Ukraine, where she gave blood for soldiers wounded while resisting Moscow’s all-out attack. 

With Kyiv’s forces mired in exhausting conflict to the east and south of the country, the war continues to take a heavy toll on civilians. 

‘Setting up the charity is one of the most important things I feel I have to do,’ Mrs Litvinenko said. ‘War is not only about fighting on the frontline, it is damaging for all of humanity.

‘The children are the future of Ukraine and we need to think about them now; how they will survive, how they will be helped and how they will be educated. We are also talking about the stolen children in Russia as well as the children living in Europe.

‘We need to think about whether they are happy to come back to Ukraine and how we can keep the link between the children and their home country. This is something I will do a lot for in future.’

Mrs Litvinenko and son Anatoly plan to visit Alexander’s grave in Highgate Cemetery, north London, as they mark today’s anniversary in a low-key way.

‘This period takes me back to what happened and while some dates are difficult to recollect, I can still remember the day Sasha was poisoned and the day of his funeral,’ she said.

‘It is a very personal time, but I want people to remember Sasha and what he tried to say. Even when he was so ill in hospital, he told me to speak to the media, which I didn’t want to do, because he wanted people to know about what had happened to us.

‘He said it could even prevent war in the future. Even as he lay there in his hospital bed, he wanted to prevent worse things happening in the world.

‘He believed communication was a strong power and he was right. I’m not a politician or an activist, but through our story I am able to talk to people and spread the messages about what is happening in Russia and Ukraine.’  

Lugovoi has developed advanced prostate cancer, according to reports, following the death of Kovtun from Covid-19 last year.

Russia has always denied any involvement in Mr Litvinenko’s death.

Do you have a story you would like to share? Contact josh.layton@metro.co.uk

MORE : Alexander Litvinenko’s wife fears his warning Putin will kill millions is becoming prophecy

Police carried out the largest seizure of synthtic opioids in a series of raids which lead to 11 arrests.

Around 150,000 tablets of a drug called Nitazene were found in Waltham Forest, east London, in a factory set up to make the pills, police said.

Detectives believe the drug was being sold on the dark web.

They also found various other class A and B drugs, a gun, a pill pressing machine, more than £60,000 in cash and £8,000 in cryptocurrency stored on hard drives.

A series of raids were carried out in Enfield, north London, on October 24.

Some 11 people were arrested between August 21 and November 21 and all charged with conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs.

Detective Superintendent Helen Rance, leading the investigation, said: ‘Synthetic opioids have been detected in batches of heroin found in London and across the UK.

‘They substantially raise the risk of incredibly serious harm to the user and are believed to be linked to a number of deaths.

‘We are working closely with partners to monitor and proactively tackle this issue, provide advice and remove the availability of these dangerous drugs from our streets.’

Police say anyone who has taken synthetic opioids should get medical treatment urgently.

They have taken the unusual step of highlighting signs of someone who may have taken one of these drug.

These include having small, narrowed pupils; reduced or loss of consciousness; dizziness or drowsiness; difficulty breathing; nausea or vomiting; cold or clammy skin; blue or grey lips and fingernails; low blood pressure or decreased heart rate.

Ms Rance added: ‘The public health advice remains that illegal drugs should not be consumed.

‘There are support services available for people who need help. Anyone who has consumed synthetic opioids and experiences the symptoms described should seek urgent medical treatment.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Martin Lewis has said 20 million households will pay more for their energy bills this January than any winter before.

The energy price cap will increase by 5% in January which means energy bills will be more expensive for households in England, Scotland and Wales, according to Mr Lewis.

It will come as a worry for Brits up and down the UK who are still struggling with the cost of living crisis.

He tweeted: ‘Energy price cap is UP 5% ON 1 Jan (so every £100 you pay now will be £105 then) making energy more expensive for 20m+ homes in Eng, scot and wales.’

Mr Lewis went on to say that households will pay more this year because last winter every home got a £66 monthly government reduction.

While inflation dropped this October, this ignores the missing government support which means in reality people will pay more for their energy bills, according to Mr Lewis.

He continued: ‘In other words a typical home pays £28/mth more this winter, or factor in seasonal adjustments due to high winter use and as a back of envelope calculation it is more like £45more.’

The average household energy bill will rise by £94 a year from January after Ofgem increased its price cap in response to rising wholesale prices.

Ofgem announced its latest price cap this morning alongside energy consultancy Cornwall Insight.

They have predicted it will increase from the current £1,834 for a typical dual fuel household to £1,931, a 5% jump to take effect from January 1.

It suggests the typical bill will then fall to £1,853 from the start of April, but will not drop below today’s level until July next year.

But in better news Cornwall Insight said recent mild weather was helping to bring down gas prices which could help reduce bills next year.

Dr Craig Lowrey, principal consultant at Cornwall Insight, said: ‘An unstable wholesale energy market, coupled with the UK’s reliance on energy imports, makes it inevitable that energy bills will rise from current levels.

‘This leaves households facing yet another winter with bills hundreds of pounds higher than pre-pandemic levels, and affordable fixed deals few and far between.’

During yesterday’s autumn statement there was no mention of any further help to offset household energy bills.

Adam Scorer, chief executive of fuel poverty charity National Energy Action, said: ‘The gaps in this autumn statement are devastating, especially for the poorest households.

‘An ‘average household’ is now paying £800 more per year to heat and power their homes since the start of the energy crisis.

‘With a VAT windfall from higher energy bills and underspent money that was allocated to help vulnerable people keep warm last year, it is clear that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt had the headroom in the finances to act, but he has done nothing to help the most vulnerable people keep warm and safe at home.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Nigel Farage refused to rule out making a bid for the top job in government when asked by I’m A Celebrity campmates.

The former leader of the Ukip Party, 59, was quizzed on whether he would ever consider becoming prime minister.

He also called Boris Johnson ‘the most chaotic person he has ever met’.

Radio presenter and Made in Chelsea star Sam Thompson asked Nigel: ‘Who’s your favourite prime minister, ever, in your lifetime?’

Nigel replied: ‘Really, in my lifetime, two prime ministers who’ve been really strong, who have changed the country – one’s Thatcher and one’s Blair.

‘I didn’t like the way Blair changed the country at all, but I have to admit he was a strong leader. And Margaret was a very strong leader – they were tough times. But she changed the country completely. Completely.’

EastEnders actor Danielle Harold then asked: ‘Would you ever want to run?’

Nigel said: ‘I dunno – we’ll see. Depends how much mess the country gets in. I honestly don’t know, I mean it’s not an easy job.’

‘As for little me, there’s a lot of speculation. After they lose the next election, oh, maybe Nigel becomes leader of the Tory Party one day.

Speaking to the camera afterwards, Nigel said: ‘So, there’s a lot of chatter about it, whether it’s going to happen I have no idea.

‘The important thing though is to say this: never say never.’

His appearance on the reality television programme as a ‘GB News host and ex-politician’ has led viewers to question whether Nigel is attempting to relaunch his political career.

It comes after he claimed he could be Conservative Party leader ‘by 2026’ after attending this year’s Tory conference.

The Kent resident has already been involved in a few clashes in Australia after YouTuber Nella Rose challenged his views over immigration.

First Dates star Fred Sirieix also lost his cool with Nigel this week. The French dad-of-two called him ‘shameful’ following a discussion about Brexit.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

A vehicle crashed through a brick bridge in south London today, upending morning commutes for countless travellers.

Railway lines running through between Sutton (Surrey) and West Croydon are delayed or cancelled while engineers remove fallen debris, Network Rail Kent and Sussex said on X.

Photographs uploaded by the operator show chunks of brick lying on the tracks.

‘Please continue checking before you travel,’ Network Rail added.

Southern said no trains are able to run between the two stations ‘until further notice’ and called on riders to give themselves an extra hour to get to their destiation.

Rail replacement bus services are in place between Epson Downs and Sutton calling at Banstead and Belmont.

Southern said: ‘A road vehicle colliding with a bridge between Sutton and Selhurst/Norwood Junction means all lines are blocked. As a result trains may be cancelled.

‘This is expected until 2pm.’

The Transport for London (TfL) status update website says: ‘No service between Sydenham and West Croydon due to a vehicle striking a bridge in West Croydon area.

‘Good service on the rest of the route. Good service on all other London Overground routes.’

TfL, the British Transport Police and London Ambulance Service have been contacted for comment.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.