A 23-year-old man stabbed to death on the dance floor of a Birmingham nightclub has been described as a "best friend" by his family.
Cody Fisher, a non-league footballer and school sport coach, was fatally injured at The Crane nightclub, just before 23:45 GMT on 26 December.
Despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later, West Midlands Police said.
His family said: "They have broken our hearts; I have lost my best friend."
Police are appealing for witnesses.
The incident happened during a Boxing Day event at the club, on Adderley Street, Digbeth and featured well-known techno DJ Marco Carola.
Mr Fisher played left back in local non-league football around Birmingham.
His picture, released by West Midlands police, shows him in the colours of a Bromsgrove side, and he also played for Stratford Town and Stourbridge.
He had been in the Birmingham City FC Academy, and was also a trainee with Walsall, according to social media and local media posts.
Police believe Mr Fisher was approached by a group before being stabbed and are urging anyone in the club to get in touch.
"We know there were hundreds of people in the nightclub at the time," added Det Insp Thurgood.
"While we've spoken to a number of them already, we still need to hear from anyone who was there and who witnessed or even filmed what happened."
One clubber told the PA news agency there were "groups of lads" who were "looking to cause trouble".
"As soon as me and my friends walked in, we got a very weird vibe and the atmosphere wasn't good," said Sydnee Power, 23, from Birmingham.
Another attendee from Wolverhampton said the event was a "disaster waiting to happen".
"Me and the friend I was with, not once did we get asked to clear our pockets out even though mine were full. I had cargo trousers on with pockets full," he said.
"They didn't even touch me whilst searching me, they just followed the outline of my body with their hands then tapped me to say go on through.
"Obviously you want everyone to have a good time and enjoy themselves [but] when we got in I said to my friend: 'That's the worst search I've ever seen'. Anyone could have brought anything in."
'Friend to many'
Bromsgrove Sporting FC tweeted it was "deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Cody Fisher".
"Cody, was a friend to many at the club and we send our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones."
Stratford Town FC posted a tribute on its website that said: "Our sincere condolences go to the family and friends of Cody Fisher.
"Our thoughts are with the you at this very difficult time.
"Cody made 54 appearance for The Bards and having started with the club in 2018."
Woodrow First School, where Mr Fisher coached children, said: "Everyone is devastated today to hear of the tragic and needless death of this bright, friendly and talented young man.
"Many of the children at school know Cody as their sports coach and have enjoyed working with him."
No arrests have been made but the scene remains closed while officers gather evidence and review CCTV footage.
In a statement, the venue said its staff were "deeply shocked and saddened" by the incident, which happened shortly before the event was due to finish at midnight.
It said "our thoughts are with the victim, and his family and friends" and staff were working closely with investigators.
A 62-year-old man died after being hit by a police car in Livingston on Boxing Day, Scotland's police investigations commissioner has said.
The man was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and was pronounced dead a short time later.
He has not been formally identified; however his next of kin have been informed.
The male driver and sole occupant of the police car did not require medical treatment following the incident on Almond Link Road at around 10.15pm
Senior investigator Steven Carr, from the Police Investigation and Review Commissioner (PIRC), said: "Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the man who died.
"Our investigation into the circumstances of this incident is continuing, and I would urge any drivers with dash cam footage, or anyone who witnessed the collision, to please contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting reference 3422 of 26 December 2022 or alternatively the PIRC during office hours on 01698 542900."
A 23-year-old man stabbed to death on the dance floor of a Birmingham nightclub has been described as a "best friend" by his family.
Cody Fisher, a non-league footballer and school sport coach, was fatally injured at The Crane nightclub, just before 23:45 GMT on 26 December.
Despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later, West Midlands Police said.
His family said: "They have broken our hearts; I have lost my best friend."
Police are appealing for witnesses.
The incident happened during a Boxing Day event at the club, on Adderley Street, Digbeth and featured well-known techno DJ Marco Carola.
Mr Fisher played left back in local non-league football around Birmingham.
His picture, released by West Midlands police, shows him in the colours of a Bromsgrove side, and he also played for Stratford Town and Stourbridge.
He had been in the Birmingham City FC Academy, and was also a trainee with Walsall, according to social media and local media posts.
Police believe Mr Fisher was approached by a group before being stabbed and are urging anyone in the club to get in touch.
"We know there were hundreds of people in the nightclub at the time," added Det Insp Thurgood.
"While we've spoken to a number of them already, we still need to hear from anyone who was there and who witnessed or even filmed what happened."
One clubber told the PA news agency there were "groups of lads" who were "looking to cause trouble".
"As soon as me and my friends walked in, we got a very weird vibe and the atmosphere wasn't good," said Sydnee Power, 23, from Birmingham.
'Friend to many'
Bromsgrove Sporting FC tweeted it was "deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Cody Fisher".
"Cody, was a friend to many at the club and we send our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones."
Stratford Town FC posted a tribute on its website that said: "Our sincere condolences go to the family and friends of Cody Fisher.
"Our thoughts are with the you at this very difficult time.
"Cody made 54 appearance for The Bards and having started with the club in 2018."
Woodrow First School, where Mr Fisher coached children, said: "Everyone is devastated today to hear of the tragic and needless death of this bright, friendly and talented young man.
"Many of the children at school know Cody as their sports coach and have enjoyed working with him."
No arrests have been made but the scene remains closed while officers gather evidence and review CCTV footage.
In a statement, the venue said its staff were "deeply shocked and saddened" by the incident, which happened shortly before the event was due to finish at midnight.
It said "our thoughts are with the victim, and his family and friends" and staff were working closely with investigators.
Three people have died following a two-vehicle crash on the Dungannon Road near Cookstown, County Tyrone.
Police confirmed that the drivers of the vehicles - a woman in her 80s and a man in his 20s - and a woman in her 50s, who was a passenger in one of the cars, were killed.
It happened shortly after 15:30 GMT on Monday.
Four children and a woman in her 20s were also taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital where they remain.
The road between Killycolp Road and Annagh Road was closed for several hours but has since reopened.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said it dispatched two rapid response paramedics, four emergency crews, one non-emergency crew, a hazardous area response team and an ambulance officer to the scene.
The Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Air Ambulance was tasked to the scene and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) also attended.
"I offer my heartfelt sympathies to the families of those tragically killed and every best wish to those injured for a full and speedy recovery," she added.
Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) MLA Patsy McGlone said it is "the worst possible news any family could receive but particularly at this time of year".
"My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected at this incredibly difficult time."
In a tweet, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Doug Beattie said: "I just can't imagine the horror those who survived have endured and the scene faced by the emergency services.
"Life is so precious and so fragile."
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with all involved in this tragic incident and the families and communities impacted by such a devastating loss.
"We also think of the emergency services who attended the scene and the health service staff caring for those injured."
Elsewhere, the M1 motorway has reopened in both directions between junction 15 at Dungannon and junction 14 at Tamnamore following an earlier crash.
A man and a woman have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 26-year-old who was shot at a Merseyside pub on Christmas Eve.
Beautician Elle Edwards died in hospital after being shot in the head at the Lighthouse in Wallasey Village.
Police said a 30-year-old man has been arrested in Tranmere on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
A 19-year-old woman from Rock Ferry has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, they added.
Both suspects have been taken into custody and will be questioned by detectives.
Four other people who were at the pub were also injured - one of those, a 28-year-old man from Beechwood in Wirral, is still receiving medical treatment, police said.
Flowers and other tributes have been laid at the scene, including a note signed "mum and dad" which read: "To my beautiful Elle, you are the light of my life, you will never be gone."
A heart-shaped plaque bearing a pink and green floral design read: "Special Daughter, the happiness you brought in your own special way, will be remembered with love each and every day."
Merseyside Police believe Ms Edwards, who was also known as Ellie, was not the target of the attack.
Detective Superintendent Sue Coombs described her death as a "cold-blooded shooting".
"Elle's family are still having to come to terms with her tragic loss, and our specially trained family liaison officers are supporting them," she said on Monday evening.
"We will not rest until we bring those responsible to justice."
"Heaven gained the most beautiful angel, we are all heartbroken, thinking of your family right now Elle," they wrote on Instagram.
Several shots were fired at the entrance to the Lighthouse at about 23:50 GMT on Christmas Eve. The pub was packed with mainly young people.
Ms Edwards was rushed to Arrowe Park Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
One of Ms Edwards' friends, called Jess, said people initially thought they had heard fireworks when the shooting started.
"But automatically everything just stopped and we had a feeling that something wasn't right," she told Sky News on Monday.
She said she felt "numb" when she saw her friend on the floor, with people trying to help her.
Police are appealing for more information, especially from those who were in the pub at the time of the shooting.
"We are also appealing to motorists and residents in the area, who may have captured anything on Dashcam or CCTV to contact us and every bit of evidence is crucial to the investigation," Det Supt Coombs said.
PA Media
Merseyside Police earlier said it had stepped up its presence in the area after the shooting.
It follows other high-profile shootings on Merseyside in the past year including the deaths of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel and Knowsley Council worker Ashley Dale.
A convicted murderer who has been warned by police of "imminent" plots to kill him says he refuses to take more precautions to protect himself.
It comes as new figures show hundreds of people, including children, received official warnings about threats against their lives last year.
Kevin Lane said he has been given multiple "threat to life" notices - also known as Osman warnings - since he was found guilty of shooting dead Robert Magill in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, in 1994.
Police issue the letters when they have intelligence of a real and immediate threat to someone's life but not enough evidence to justify arresting the possible offender.
A Sky News investigation has found more than 2,900 threat-to-life warnings have been issued by police since 2018 - including at least 222 given to people under the age of 18.
The total number is likely to be much higher as most forces failed to provide details following freedom of information requests - including the Metropolitan Police, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the West Midlands and Merseyside forces.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has suggested scrapping threat-to-life notices, with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) telling Sky News they are disproportionately more likely to be given to criminals and are "using precious resources to protect murderous gangs from death threats against each other".
Image:Lane says he has received multiple 'threat to life' warnings
Lane - who was released from his murder sentence in 2015 and continues to protest his innocence - said he received his latest Osman warning from police after returning from a trip in Turkey about four months ago, and was told: "There's an imminent threat against your life."
"I was fuming," he told Sky News.
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"I'd just had one a month before that. And some before that as well. I said 'what are you doing?'
"You know where these are coming from… they have to have a source for them to receive the information.
"What are they doing about the source? Do they pull these culprits in to let them know they're aware someone has mentioned them?"
Image:Police issue threat-to-life warning notices when there is intelligence of a threat to someone's life. File pic
'An inevitable threat'
Lane said police did not divulge if they knew who was behind the threats, but he believes he knows who was responsible.
"I know who they're coming from," he said.
"These people are telling people they're going to shoot me and have me killed. It's common knowledge.
"It's gone up to £200,000 now to weigh me in.
"It's an inevitable threat I take seriously but I won't change my lifestyle."
Asked if he was worried about threats being made to kill him, he replied: "Look, I wish there weren't.
"I'm not worried about it. I lived in prison for 20 years with people walking around wanting to kill me, slash me."
Image:An example of a 'threat to life' warning letter issued by police
What are threat-to-life warning notices?
Threat-to-life warning notices were started after businessman Ali Osman was shot dead in east London in 1988 by a teacher who had previously said he was thinking of committing a massacre.
Paul Paget-Lewis also shot and wounded Mr Osman's son, Ahmet, after becoming obsessed with him while working at his school. He was later convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
In 1998, the Osman family successfully argued in the European Court of Human Rights that the Met Police had breached Mr Osman's right to life because it had all the information it needed to deal with the threat.
It was a significant ruling which led to the formal 'Osman warning' letters being introduced.
When issuing the warnings, officers will often visit the home of the threatened person and advise they change their schedule, be on the lookout for suspicious activity and potentially move home temporarily, according to the charity Pace (Parents Against Child Exploitation).
What does the data show?
A total of 2,941 threat-to-life warning notices were issued by police between 2018 and November 2022, according to data provided by 12 UK forces.
They included 765 warnings handed out in 2021, the figures showed.
Most forces failed to respond to Sky News' freedom of information requests or refused to provide the information, saying it was not easily retrievable.
Among the forces to respond:
• Greater Manchester Police said 445 threat-to-life warnings were issued in 2021, up from 411 in 2020, 319 in 2019, and 251 in 2018. They included 193 warnings given to under-18s.
• North Yorkshire Police said55 threat-to-life warning notices were handed out in 2022 - a big rise on previous years when one was issued in 2021, six in 2020, two in 2019 and seven in 2018.
Asked why there had been a marked increase in threat-to-life notices this year, a force spokeswoman said it was possibly due to "increasing levels of policing regarding county lines and drug trafficking".
• Humberside Police said 144 threat-to-life warning notices were issued in 2021, up from 134 the previous year. A further 155 of the warnings were handed out in 2019 and 179 in 2018.
•Police Scotland said 20 threat-to-life warnings were issued in 2021, up from 18 in 2020, 17 in 2019 and 13 in 2018.
•South Wales Police said 70 threat-to-life notices were handed out in 2021, compared to 97 in 2020, 90 in 2019 and 78 in 2018. They included 15 notices given to under-18s.
At least 177 threat-to-life warning notices have been issued to women across the UK since 2018, although only seven forces broke down their data on the number given to men and women.
Image:Dominic Raab has voiced his opposition to threat-to-life notices
What has the government said?
Mr Raab has suggested scrapping threat-to-life notices required by the Osman ruling in his proposed Bill of Rights, although there are reports it could be shelved by the government.
The justice secretary has said the warnings have "added considerable complexity and expense to ongoing policing operations" and people involved in serious crime are disproportionately more likely to receive them.
One force reported that up to 75% of all threat-to-life notices may be issued to serious criminals or gangs, he added.
An MoJ spokesperson told Sky News: "The 'Osman ruling' has led to police using precious resources to protect murderous gangs from death threats against each other, at the expense of priorities like catching burglars and sending more rapists to prison.
"The Bill of Rights will give experienced police officers greater flexibility to allocate resources based on their professional judgement, rather than because of the threat of legal action."
It is understood the MoJ has concerns that "threat to life" operations take up a substantial amount of police time and deprive forces of the ability to take their own decisions about where to allocate resources.
The National Police Chiefs' Council did not respond when contacted by Sky News but has previously said threat-to-life warnings have proven "highly effective in the overwhelming majority of cases".
A man and a woman have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 26-year-old who was shot at a Merseyside pub on Christmas Eve.
Beautician Elle Edwards died in hospital after being shot in the head at The Lighthouse in Wallasey Village.
Police said a 30-year-old man has been arrested in Tranmere on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
A 19-year-old woman from Rock Ferry has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, they added.
Both suspects have been taken into custody and will be questioned by detectives.
Four other people who were at the pub were also injured - one of those, a 28-year-old man from Beechwood in Wirral, is still receiving medical treatment, according to police.
Merseyside Police believe Ms Edwards, who was also known as Ellie, was not the target of the attack.
Detective Superintendent Sue Coombs described her death as a "cold-blooded shooting".
"Elle's family are still having to come to terms with her tragic loss, and our specially trained family liaison officers are supporting them," she said on Monday evening.
"We will not rest until we bring those responsible to justice."
"Heaven gained the most beautiful angel, we are all heartbroken, thinking of your family right now Elle," they wrote on Instagram.
Several shots were fired at the entrance to The Lighthouse at about 23:50 GMT on Christmas Eve. The pub was packed with mainly young people.
Ms Edwards was rushed to Arrowe Park Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
One of Ms Edwards' friends, called Jess, said people initially thought they had heard fireworks when the shooting started.
"But automatically everything just stopped and we had a feeling that something wasn't right," she told Sky News on Monday.
She said she felt "numb" when she saw her friend on the floor, with people trying to help her.
Police are appealing for more information, especially from those who were in the pub at the time of the shooting.
"We are also appealing to motorists and residents in the area, who may have captured anything on Dashcam or CCTV to contact us and every bit of evidence is crucial to the investigation," Det Supt Coombs said.
PA Media
Merseyside Police earlier said it had stepped up its presence in the area after the shooting.
It follows other high-profile shootings on Merseyside in the past year including the deaths of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel and Knowsley Council worker Ashley Dale.
