Priti Patel calls for ‘balance of rights’ between protesters and individuals as she introduces protest crackdown March 15, 2021 Priti Patel has told MPs that “there is a balance to be struck” between the rights of protesters and individuals as she today introduced new legislation that will crackdown on some form of protesting. The new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, if passed into law, will give the police powers to set start and [...]
Women sentenced after faking husband’s death for £400,000 insurance claim March 15, 2021 A woman from London faces two years imprisonment after she reported her husband dead in an attempt to defraud her insurer £397,153. Thuile Bhebhe, 51, reported that her husband had died in Zimbabwe in August 2016, submitting false documents to her insurer, Aviva, in order to substantiate her claim. But discrepancies in the paperwork submitted [...]
Met chief Cressida Dick fighting for job as criticism grows March 15, 2021 Met Police commissioner Cressida Dick said she will not quit after a Sarah Everard vigil ended in arrests and accusations of police manhandling. Dick defended officers, saying they were in an “invidious” position when crowds grew at Clapham Common on Saturday evening. “They moved to try to explain to people, to engage with people, to [...]
Cressida Dick and the Metropolitan Police lost the communications war after Sarah Everard disappearance March 15, 2021 The disappearance and alleged murder of Sarah Everard touched already frayed nerves. Many have spoken or written of their powerful feeling of “It could have been me”, because Ms Everard was doing what thousands of women do all the time, walking back to her house through streets she knew with, presumably, every expectation of reaching [...]
Sadiq Khan calls for watchdog inquiry into police action at Sarah Everard vigil March 14, 2021 Sadiq Khan has said he is “not satisfied” by Met commissioner Cressida Dick’s explanation of heavy-handed police actions at Sarah Everard’s Clapham vigil last night, calling for a full investigation by two police watchdogs. The mayor of London, who has oversight of the Metropolitan Police, said he had “received assurances” from the police that the [...]
A week which started with International Women’s day was one of the worst for women March 13, 2021 Friday afternoon, usually a moment of jubilant celebration. The working week is nearly over, soon the celebratory glass of wine will be poured, and the animated discussion about which takeaway order will start. Then the TV will be on and the living room will be filled with laughter, courtesy of, in my case, The Last [...]
Sarah Everard vigil in south London cancelled over fears of £10,000 fine March 13, 2021 A vigil for Sarah Everard set to take place in south London this evening has been cancelled over fears that going ahead with the plans could result in a £10,000 fine. Reclaim These Streets had planned to hold a gathering on Clapham Common later today, near to where the 33-year-old was last seen alive. Organisers [...]
Human remains found in search for Sarah Everard March 10, 2021 Police searching for the missing Sarah Everard have found what appear to be human remains, Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick has said. Officers are not yet able to confirm the identity of the remains, she added. Police made the discovery in a bunch of woodland in Kent, Dick said, in a statement issued from Scotland [...]
Search for missing Sarah Everard becomes murder investigation March 10, 2021 The search for Sarah Everard, who went missing from South London last Wednesday, has become a murder investigation, after a Metropolitan Police officer was arrested over her disappearance. Everard was last seen at 9:30pm on Wednesday 3 March, when she walked home from a friend’s house in Clapham, South London. A policeman and a woman [...]
Serving Met Police officer arrested over disappearance of London woman March 10, 2021 A serving Metropolitan Police officer has been arrested over the disappearance of Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old woman who was last seen a week ago. Everard was last seen at 9:30pm on Wednesday 3 March, when she walked home from a friend’s house in Clapham, South London. In a statement, Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave called the [...]