Babak Belurs

Rabu, 10 Maret 2021

Sarah Everard disappearance: Met officer arrested on suspicion of murder - BBC News

A serving Met police officer has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the disappearance of Sarah Everard.

Ms Everard, 33, was last seen a week ago in Clapham, south London, on her way home from a friend's house.

The suspect, in his 40s, is an officer with the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, the Met said.

A woman, in her 30s, is also in custody after being arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

The Met said Ms Everard had not yet been found.

Officers are currently searching locations in London and Kent including a property in Deal and an area of woodland near Ashford.

The arrested officer, who was initially held on suspicion of kidnap, is also being questioned about a separate allegation of indecent exposure.

He was responsible for uniformed patrolling of diplomatic premises - including Downing Street, the Palace of Westminster, as well as foreign embassies in London.

Since last Wednesday, officers have visited more than 750 homes in the Clapham area and have received more than 120 phone calls from the public, the Met said.

Marketing executive Ms Everard vanished on 3 March and was last captured on a doorbell camera walking alone along the A205 Poynders Road towards Tulse Hill at around 21:30 GMT.

Ms Everard's family said it was out of character for her to disappear.

She is thought to have walked through Clapham Common towards her house in Brixton - a journey which should have taken about 50 minutes.

Speaking after the arrest on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave said: "The fact that the man who has been arrested is a serving Metropolitan Police officer is both shocking and deeply disturbing."

Ms Everard, who is originally from York and attended Durham University, was last seen wearing a green rain jacket, navy blue trousers with a white diamond pattern, and turquoise and orange trainers. She is thought to have been wearing green earphones and a white beanie hat.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his thoughts were with Ms Everard and her friends and family.

Analysis

BBC London's Home Affairs correspondent Katharine Carpenter

This morning Mr Ephgrave described the arrest of a serving Met Police officer as both shocking and disturbing.

That officer has now been further arrested on suspicion of murder.

It's unusual for such a senior officer to give a statement at this stage of an investigation and perhaps reflects the horror felt within the force - a profession where colleagues often describe themselves as family.

We have now learnt the arrested officer is in his 40s and works in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command where his primary role was to patrol diplomatic premises.

Understandably, Sarah's disappearance has made some people in and around Clapham nervous for their own safety.

Social media users have said the arrest of a police officer has heightened anxiety.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: "All women and girls should be able to feel safe on the streets of London at all times.

"I know how shocked and worried Londoners are by Sarah's disappearance and the developments in the case."

Disappearance timeline:

3 March: Sarah Everard vanishes after leaving a friend's house on Leathwaite Road, Clapham, around 21:00 GMT
5 March: Met Police says it is "increasingly concerned" for Ms Everard and make an appeal on Twitter at 11:30
6 March: Ms Everard's family say her disappearance is "totally out of character" as officers search Clapham Common's ponds
7 March: Footage taken from a doorbell camera shows Ms Everard walking alone along the A205 Poynder Road towards Tulse Hill at 21:30. Police say it is unclear whether or not she reached her house in Brixton
8 March: More than 120 calls are made from the public on the case and over 750 homes are visited as part of the investigation
9 March: A serving officer is arrested in Kent along with a woman who is held on suspicion of assisting an offender
10 March: Met Police Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave describes the arrest as "shocking and deeply disturbing". Extensive searches are carried out in parts of Kent

For more London news follow on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Analysis

BBC London's Home Affairs correspondent Katharine Carpenter

This morning Mr Ephgrave described the arrest of a serving Met Police officer as both shocking and disturbing.

That officer has now been further arrested on suspicion of murder.

We have now learnt the arrested officer is in his 40s and works in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command where his primary role was to patrol diplomatic premises.

Understandably, Sarah's disappearance has made some people in and around Clapham nervous for their own safety.

Social media users have said the arrest of a police officer has heightened anxiety.

Disappearance timeline:

3 March: Sarah Everard vanishes after leaving a friend's house on Leathwaite Road, Clapham, around 21:00 GMT
5 March: Met Police says it is "increasingly concerned" for Ms Everard and make an appeal on Twitter at 11:30
6 March: Ms Everard's family say her disappearance is "totally out of character" as officers search Clapham Common's ponds
7 March: Footage taken from a doorbell camera shows Ms Everard walking alone along the A205 Poynder Road towards Tulse Hill at 21:30. Police say it is unclear whether or not she reached her house in Brixton
8 March: More than 120 calls are made from the public on the case and over 750 homes are visited as part of the investigation
9 March: A serving officer is arrested in Kent along with a woman who is held on suspicion of assisting an offender
10 March: Met Police Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave describes the arrest as "shocking and deeply disturbing". Extensive searches are carried out in parts of Kent

For more London news follow on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Disappearance timeline:

3 March: Sarah Everard vanishes after leaving a friend's house on Leathwaite Road, Clapham, around 21:00 GMT
5 March: Met Police says it is "increasingly concerned" for Ms Everard and make an appeal on Twitter at 11:30
6 March: Ms Everard's family say her disappearance is "totally out of character" as officers search Clapham Common's ponds
7 March: Footage taken from a doorbell camera shows Ms Everard walking alone along the A205 Poynder Road towards Tulse Hill at 21:30. Police say it is unclear whether or not she reached her house in Brixton
8 March: More than 120 calls are made from the public on the case and over 750 homes are visited as part of the investigation
9 March: A serving officer is arrested in Kent along with a woman who is held on suspicion of assisting an offender
10 March: Met Police Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave describes the arrest as "shocking and deeply disturbing". Extensive searches are carried out in parts of Kent

For more London news follow on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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PMQs: Boris Johnson urged to justify TV studio millions and Dominic Cummings' 40% pay hike against 1% rise for NHS staff - Sky News

Boris Johnson has been urged to explain how he could afford to give a 40% pay hike to his ex-aide Dominic Cummings and also spend millions on a new TV studio - but only give nurses a 1% salary increase.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the prime minister of overseeing a real-terms pay cut for hospital staff following the government's submission to an NHS pay review body.

Ministers have previously said a 1% rise for NHS staff is "the most" the government can afford due to the economic cost of the COVID-19 crisis.

But the row has prompted the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to set up a £35m strike fund in a warning of industrial action.

Sir Keir claimed the prime minister had "clapped for carers" during the pandemic and then "shut the door in their face at the first opportunity".

Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, the Labour leader told Mr Johnson that nurses' pay had fallen in real terms by more than £800 since 2010.

"He could afford to give Dominic Cummings a 40% pay rise, he could afford that, now he is asking NHS nurses to take a real-terms pay cut," he said.

"How on Earth does he justify that?"

Sir Keir also highlighted the government's investment in a new TV studio in Downing Street, as well as reports of Mr Johnson's spend on refurbishing the flat he shares with his fiancée Carrie Symonds above Number 11.

He added: "There are currently 40,000 nursing vacancies and 7,000 doctors vacancies. How on Earth does he think a pay cut will solve that?

"Frankly, I'd take the prime minister a bit more seriously if he hadn't spent £2.6m of taxpayers' money on a Downing Street TV studio or £200,000 on new wallpaper for his flat.

"They say charity starts at home but I think the prime minister is taking it a bit too literally."

The Labour leader accused the prime minister of having broken a promise that the "NHS wouldn't pay the price for this pandemic".

And he challenged Mr Johnson to "show some courage" and put the issue of NHS pay to a vote in the House of Commons.

In response, the prime minister noted both he personally - following his spell in intensive care last year with coronavirus - and the wider public "owe a massive debt" to NHS nurses.

He said: "What the public knows is that we're increasing starting pay for nurses by 12.8% over the last three years.

"They know that this government in the last year has put another £5,000 bursary into the pockets of nurses because we support them and as well as the £3,000 extra for training."

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Suggesting that a 1% pay offer to nurses wasn't a settled issue, Mr Johnson added: "And, of course, it's very important that the public sector pay review body should come back with its proposals and we will of course study them.

"It is thanks to the investment made by this government that there are 49,000 more people in the NHS this year than last year, 10,600 more nurses helping to relieve the burden on our hard-pressed nurses.

"That is what this government is investing in."

In response to suggestions the government was backtracking on previous promises of a 2.1% pay rise for NHS staff, Mr Johnson claimed Labour MPs had voted against NHS funding commitments in January last year.

But, immediately after PMQs, Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth attempted a point of order to state that was "not the case" and to call on Mr Johnson to correct his claims.

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said: "It is certainly a point of clarification - that part has been achieved."

Downing Street indicated that Mr Johnson would not apologise or correct the record, but did not dispute that he was incorrect.

After the exchanges in the Commons, the prime minister's press secretary Allegra Stratton told reporters: "The key thing is that this was dealt with swiftly and the Speaker - who has enormous respect and authority in parliament - regards it as a point of clarification and it has now been dealt with."

She denied that Mr Johnson had a problem with facts.

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2021-03-10 15:11:15Z
52781427604540

Cousin remains 'hopeful' Sarah Everard will be found 'safe and well' - MyLondon

The cousin of Sarah Everard called on the public to keep helping police in their search for the missing 33-year-old.

Speaking to MyLondon, Tom Everard, said he wanted to reiterate previous messages issued by family and reaffirm the statement by Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave, in last night's press release, that investigators be given “time and space to continue their work."

“The police need space and time, support to complete their investigation and complete their inquiries, which we are really hopeful will lead to Sarah’s safe return, as quickly as possible.

“I can't really say any more than that because I really don't know any more than that.”

150 officers search a derelict site in Ashford, Kent in the hunt for Sarah Everard (Image: Phil Harris)

Sarah has been missing since Wednesday (March 3) evening when she left a friend's house in Leathwaite Road, near Clapham Common, to walk to her home in Brixton.

Late last night (March 9) a serving Metropolitan Police officer was arrested.

Today (March 10) officers have been searching his home in Deal, Kent.

The 36-year-old social worker from Greater Manchester thanked the public for their help with the investigation so far and asked that anyone with any information continue to come forward.

“The police still need support to help find her and bring her home safely," he said. "So we still need all that information.

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"They will need information and support from the community. No information is too small or insignificant.

“We're hopeful that these new developments will get us more information and will hopefully lead to Sarah being found brought back safe and well.”

A large police presence is in attendance at the former site of Great Chart Golf and Leisure, east of Ashford, Kent, which closed in April 2019.

Pictures from the scene on Wednesday (March 10) show police searching land around the derelict site, which is home to a number of vacant marquee tents and vast open green space.

The 48-year-old officer remains in police custody, though a Met Police spokesperson has refused to disclose the offence he is being held on suspicion of committing.

He was arrested alongside a woman, believed to be his partner, who is being held on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Their home in Freemen’s Way is currently being combed by forensic teams, while a car on the driveway of the property was also seized by police earlier today.

Officers are also said to be “digging up the garden” of the home.

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2021-03-10 14:58:35Z
52781425496647

Covid-19: PM says England's test-and-trace system is helping 'restart lives' - bbc.co.uk

The coronavirus variant first discovered in Kent may be up to twice as deadly as previous variants, new research suggests.

The more infectious variant, which swept across the UK at the end of last year before spreading across the world, is between 30% and 100% more deadly, a new study has found.

Epidemiologists from the Universities of Exeter and Bristol said the data suggested the variant was associated with a significantly higher mortality rate among adults diagnosed in the community, compared with previously circulating variants.

Robert Challen, from the University of Exeter, lead author of the study, said: "In the community, death from Covid-19 is still a rare event, but the B117 variant raises the risk.

"Coupled with its ability to spread rapidly, this makes B117 a threat that should be taken seriously."

Researchers looked at death rates among people infected with the new variant and those infected with other variants.

When the discovery of the Kent variant was first announced in December last year, officials said there was no evidence to suggest it caused a higher mortality rate.

In January, Prime Minister Boris Johnson referred to early research suggesting the variant was in fact associated with greater mortality - but this was then downplayed by scientists.

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2021-03-10 13:30:00Z
52781426596906

Sarah Everard disappearance: Family say 'things are utterly dire' - Sky News

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2021-03-10 13:21:58Z
52781425496647

Rabu, 10 Maret 2021

Analysis

Disappearance timeline:

Related Internet Links

Analysis

Disappearance timeline:

Related Internet Links

Disappearance timeline:

Related Internet Links

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