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Kamis, 27 Mei 2021

Fred West: No human remains found in Mary Bastholm search - BBC News

Fred West and suspected victim Mary Bastholm

No human remains have been found by police searching a cafe in Gloucester for a suspected victim of the serial killer Fred West.

Officers have been searching for Mary Bastholm, 15, who worked at the Pop-In Cafe - now called The Clean Plate. She was last seen in 1968.

Gloucestershire Police began excavating the cafe cellar in Southgate Street on 19 May and said it had finished.

Miss Bastholm's family said they were sad but hoped she would yet be found.

They said: "We were hoping to get a final closure on her disappearance so that we could put her to rest.

"We have been opened minded throughout this process and we now know that the cafe can be ruled out.

"Mary was a strong willed and happy-go-lucky teenager dearly loved by her parents and two brothers.

"She enjoyed life and was just coming into her own when her life was tragically cut short."

Police started excavations after a TV production company filming at the site said it had found blue material in the cellar, suggesting Miss Bastholm might possibly be buried there.

She was last seen wearing a blue jacket with a blue and white dress and was carrying a blue bag.

However, police have confirmed no blue material was found in the cellar and what the production team saw was likely to have been part of a pipe.

It said it was "appropriate and proportionate" to investigate and forensic archaeologists and anthropologists had been focusing on six voids beneath a toilet floor.

Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden and Family Liaison Officer Detective Sergeant Faye Satchwell-Bennett

"Everyone working on this is disappointed that we didn't find Mary," Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden said.

"Allowing her family to finally lay Mary to rest after over 50 years was always the most important reason for our excavation.

"I hope that eliminating this location will bring some comfort, however small to her family.

"We have always been clear that we may not find Mary's remains. Sadly that proved to be the case, but it does not mean we were wrong to look - the new information made it the right thing to do."

The force said the anomalies were identified by experts who concluded the remaining areas of the cellar had been undisturbed since before Miss Bastholm disappeared.

"Each area was carefully examined by the forensics team with support from officers from the constabulary," a spokesperson said.

"The team worked each day, everything that was dug up was analysed on site and all activity was meticulously logged and photographed."

Police at the Clean Plate cafe in the centre of Gloucester

Miss Bastholm went missing in January 1968 on her way to catch a bus to visit her then boyfriend Tim Merrett.

He said when the excavations began he thought it was unlikely police would find Miss Bastholm in the cafe because she had no reason to return there.

In a statement her relatives said:"[Mary's] parents and two brothers were never the same after she went missing. They have now sadly passed away without ever knowing what happened to their loving daughter and sister."

West, who was a regular at the Pop-In Cafe, took his own life in 1995 while in prison awaiting trial, accused of the murders of 12 women and girls.

The cafe is due to be handed back to its owners once reparation work has been completed.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk

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The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an inquiry after the officers were accused of taking selfies by the dead bodies.

In November, the IOPC referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The watchdog is also carrying out a separate inquiry into how the Met handled calls from worried relatives and friends of missing Ms Smallman and Ms Henry before their bodies were discovered on 7 June.

Danyal Hussein, 19, of Blackheath, is facing trial at the Old Bailey on 9 June accused of the sisters' murders.

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2021-05-27 14:02:46Z
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Fred West: No human remains or 'items of significance' found under cafe linked to serial killer and Mary Bastholm - Sky News

No human remains have been found under a cafe in Gloucester believed to have links to serial killer Fred West and missing girl Mary Bastholm, police have said.

Gloucestershire Police said no other "items of significance" were discovered at the Clean Plate Cafe, which sits on the same site as an old cafe - the Pop-In - where Mary worked as a waitress.

She was last seen alive in January 1968.

The Bastholm family said in a statement: "We are still very sad that Mary has not been found. We were hoping to get a final closure on her disappearance that we could put her to rest."

They described her as a "strong willed, happy-go-lucky teenager, dearly loved by her parents and two brothers".

Her life was "tragically cut short" when she disappeared and her family "were never the same after she went missing", they said.

Gloucestershire Police said in their statement: "Excavation work at the Clean Plate café has now been completed and we can confirm no human remains or items of significance to the investigation have been found.

"Digging to access and examine six areas of interest or 'anomalies' in the cellar area began last Wednesday, 19 May.

"The anomalies were identified by a team of expert forensic archaeologists and anthropologists ahead of the excavation work, with the experts able to determine that the remaining areas of the cellar had been undisturbed since prior to 1968, when Mary Bastholm disappeared.

"Each area was carefully examined by the forensics team with support from officers from the constabulary.

"The team worked each day, everything that was dug up was analysed on site and all activity was meticulously logged and photographed."

Police added that the cafe will be handed back to its owners once reparation work is complete.

Owners The Nelson Trust said their "support of the police" has "always been driven by what we thought were in the best interests of the family".

Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden said at a news conference on Thursday: "Everyone working on this is disappointed we didn't find Mary."

But he said the investigation was "appropriate and proportionate" and "it does not mean we were wrong to look".

The force's thoughts are with her family "whose dignity has been humbling", he added.

Police started investigating the site earlier this month after being alerted to possible evidence of human remains in the cellar by a documentary crew who were filming there.

ACC Holden said that "blue material" photographed by the production company was not found, but was likely to have been connected to a buried pipe.

Mary worked at the Pop-In cafe in Southgate Street before vanishing in 1968 at the age of 15, at a time when builder West was abducting girls in Gloucester.

West was suspected over her disappearance but took his own life in prison, aged 53, in 1995. He was said to have confessed to killing the teenager in conversation with his son, Stephen, but never admitted it to police.

Mary's body has never been found and was not discovered during an excavation of the Wests' home - known as the House of Horrors - in Cromwell Street in Gloucester in 1994.

West was charged with 12 murders but killed himself before his trial.

Rose West, his wife, was convicted of 10 murders in November 1995 and is serving a whole life sentence.

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2021-05-27 12:14:21Z
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Nicola Sturgeon cautious as decision looms on Glasgow Level Three lockdown - Daily Record

Nicola Sturgeon says coronavirus has the "capacity and potential" to take more lives in the future if tough decisions are not made.

The First Ministers comments come ahead of an announcement on the current Level Three lockdown situation in Glasgow.

Cases in Scotland's biggest city have increased over the last month which led the Scottish Government to take the decision to keep it at Level Three.

Although the cases rate is still high the SNP leader says there is some optimism that the level of infection in some areas is starting to fall.

The south side of the city, in particular the postal areas of G41 and G42, have seen portable testing units flood the area in an attempt to catch the spread of the virus. The vaccine programme has also been expanded in the area.

Earlier this week Sturgeon announced she would hold a government briefing on Friday to speak about the situation in Glasgow.

It's not expected the city will move down to Level Two like the rest of mainland Scotland. As of May 25 there were 144 cases per 100,000 in Glasgow.

Sturgeon issued a note of caution on the increase in cases in some parts of the country and the consequences of them.

Speaking at First Minister's Questions, she said: "This country like much of the world now is in the grip of a global pandemic and it has taken too many lives already.

"It has the capacity and potential, if we don't take the decisions, to take more lives in future.

Scottish politics

"This is very difficult for everybody, businesses and individuals. My responsibility is to try to take those decisions in the best way possible to get the country through this and as safely as possible.

"That's the responsibility I will continue to take with the upmost seriousness."

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2021-05-27 12:25:21Z
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Fred West: No human remains found in Mary Bastholm search - BBC News

No human remains have been found by police searching a cafe in Gloucester for a suspected victim of the serial killer Fred West.

Officers have been searching for Mary Bastholm, 15, who worked at the Pop-In Cafe - now called The Clean Plate. She was last seen in 1968.

Gloucestershire Police began excavating the cafe cellar in Southgate Street on 19 May and said it had now finished.

Miss Bastholm's family said they were sad but hoped she would yet be found.

They said: "We were hoping to get a final closure on her disappearance so that we could put her to rest.

"We have been opened minded throughout this process and we now know that the cafe can be ruled out.

"Mary was a strong willed and happy go lucky teenager dearly loved by her parents and two brothers.

"She enjoyed life and was just coming into her own when her life was tragically cut short."

Police started excavations after a TV production company filming at the site said it had found blue material in the cellar, suggesting Miss Bastholm might possibly be buried there.

She was last seen wearing a blue jacket with a blue and white dress and was carrying a blue bag.

However, police have confirmed no blue material was found in the cellar and what the production team saw was likely to have been part of a pipe.

It said it was appropriate to investigate and forensic archaeologists and anthropologists had been focusing on six "voids" beneath a toilet floor.

The force said the anomalies were identified by experts who concluded the remaining areas of the cellar had been undisturbed since before Miss Bastholm disappeared.

"Each area was carefully examined by the forensics team with support from officers from the constabulary," a spokesperson said.

"The team worked each day, everything that was dug up was analysed on site and all activity was meticulously logged and photographed."

Miss Bastholm went missing in January 1968 on her way to catch a bus to visit her then boyfriend Tim Merrett.

He said when the excavations began he thought it was unlikely police would find Miss Bastholm in the cafe because she had no reason to return there.

West, who was a regular at the Pop-In Cafe, took his own life in 1995 while in prison awaiting trial, accused of the murders of 12 women and girls.

The cafe is due to be handed back to its owners once reparation work has been completed.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk

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COVID-19: Hancock denies lying after Cummings claims health secretary should have been sacked for dishonesty - Sky News

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has denied claims he lied about the COVID pandemic after a scathing attack by Dominic Cummings, saying "we have been straight with people".

Mr Hancock said: "These allegations that were put yesterday… are serious allegations and I welcome the opportunity to come to the house to put formally on the record that these unsubstantiated allegations around honesty are not true.

"I've been straight with people in public and in private throughout."

Live coronavirus updates from the UK and around the world

One of the key claims made by Mr Cummings was that the health secretary lied about COVID-testing people before they returned to care homes.

Addressing that specific allegation, Mr Hancock said: "We followed the clinical advice on the appropriate way forward."

He added that "so many of the allegations were unsubstantiated".

Boris Johnson, on a visit to a hospital on Thursday, avoided questions about whether he had confidence in Mr Hancock.

But he did deny Mr Cummings's claim that thousands of people needlessly died because of the prime minister.

Answering whether that was the case, he said: "No, I don't think so. But of course, this has been an incredibly difficult series of decisions, none of which we've taken lightly, and you've got to recognise, and I hope people do understand this, that when you go into a lockdown it's a very very painful, traumatic thing for people, for people's mental health, for their lives, their livelihoods, and of course you've got to set that against the horrors of the pandemic and of COVID."

Mr Hancock also told the Commons: "We've taken an approach of openness and transparency and spoke of what we do and don't know.

"Since last January I've attended this House over 60 times. With the prime minister we have together hosted 84 press conferences, I've answered 2,667 contributions to this House and answered questions from colleagues, the media and the public - and we'll keep on with this spirit of openness and transparency throughout.

"Sometimes what we've had to say hasn't been easy. We've had to level with people when it's been tough, when things have been going in the wrong direction.

"And also we've learned throughout. We've applied that learning both to tackling this pandemic and making sure that we're as well-prepared in the future as possible.

"Beyond all this, what matters remains the same - getting vaccinated, getting tested, delivering for our country, overcoming this disease and saving lives, and that is what matters to the British people."

Boris Johnson's former right-hand man gave a blistering account of how the government dealt with the pandemic, with the PM and Mr Hancock taking most of the flak.

During a marathon session lasting more than seven hours on Wednesday, Mr Cummings claimed he, the cabinet secretary and other senior officials continually called for the health secretary to be sacked for "15 to 20 things", including lying on multiple occasions.

Mr Cummings accused Mr Hancock of "criminal, disgraceful behaviour that caused serious harm".

Among the alleged lies were, Mr Cummings said, that there was a protective shield around care homes when in fact people with COVID-19 were being sent back to care homes without being tested.

Mr Cummings said the PM "was close" to firing Mr Hancock in April 2020 "but just fundamentally wouldn't do it".

He added that Mr Hancock took too long to get test and trace set up and told the PM: "If we don't fire the secretary of state and we don't get testing into someone's hands, we are going to kill lots of people."

Mr Johnson's former chief adviser also said he believes Mr Hancock used government medical advisers Sir Patrick Vallance and Prof Whitty "as shields for himself" so that if things went wrong, he could blame them and say it wasn't his fault.

Analysis: Government will continue to refute Cummings' claims unless evidence emerges

By Tamara Cohen, political correspondent

Matt Hancock was firefighting the multiple blazes started by Dominic Cummings yesterday.

To the many pointed questions about care home deaths, Mr Hancock said testing capacity at the start of the pandemic was limited and insisted the discharge of thousands of hospital patients to care homes - before COVID testing was required from mid-April - was in line with clinical advice.

Cold comfort to those sounding the alarm at the time, who were told by government ministers that there was a "protective ring" around care homes from the start and a "world-beating" testing system.

But as to whether he misled No10 about it, as his predecessor Jeremy Hunt pointed out, Mr Cummings' allegations about lying yesterday are just that at this stage - unproven allegations.

Unless that evidence emerges, the government is determined to refute them, trumpet the vaccination programme, and delay a fuller discussion of what went wrong into next year's public inquiry.

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2021-05-27 11:03:45Z
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Vaccine programme opens to all adults in Northern Ireland - Sky News

The vaccination programme in Northern Ireland is now open for everyone aged 18 and over, the Department of Health says.

More than 70% of the adult population of Northern Ireland have now had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 40% have had two doses.

On Wednesday, health minister Robin Swann said that the rollout would be extended to 18 to 24-year-olds "in the very near future.

Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world

But on Thursday he said: "I am delighted that our vaccination programme is now open to all adults in Northern Ireland. I know this will be very welcome news for young people who have been waiting patiently for their turn to get the jab.

"Today's announcement is another important milestone in the drive to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as we can, so that we can see a return to normality.

"The tremendous success of the vaccination programme has brought great hope and has helped to enable the recent further easing of restrictions.

"The expansion of the vaccination programme, well ahead of schedule, to everyone aged 18 and over is testament to the hard work and dedication of all those involved in delivering the vaccine throughout Northern Ireland."

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People aged 18 and over will be able to book their jabs from 8am, the Department of Health added.

On Wednesday, the vaccine rollout in England was extended to anyone over the age of 30.

In Scotland and Wales people over-18 can already book their jab.

In some areas of England where the Indian COVID-19 variant has spread rapidly, local health authorities are going against government guidance by offering doses to all over-18s.

This week in Northern Ireland waste water is now being tested to track COVID cases.

Sewage is being screened for the virus in a move which officials hope can track new outbreaks more effectively in light of the Indian variant.

An estimated 38% of the region's waste water is being tested at 13 different sites to indicate where the virus is present, including variants, which authorities plan to extend to 70% coverage at 40 sites in the coming weeks.

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2021-05-27 06:41:34Z
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Kamis, 27 Mei 2021

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