Jumat, 19 November 2021

Colin Pitchfork: Double child killer arrested and recalled to prison after 'breaching licence conditions' - Sky News

Double child killer Colin Pitchfork has been arrested and recalled to prison, the Ministry of Justice has said.

It comes two months after he was released from jail.

Pitchfork was returned to custody on Friday over a breach of his licence conditions, and his re-release will be a matter for the Parole Board, it is understood.

Dawn Ashworth and Lynda Mann
Image: Dawn Ashworth (left) and Lynda Mann were killed when they were 15

A Probation Service spokesperson said: "Protecting the public is our number one priority so when offenders breach the conditions of their release and potentially pose an increased risk, we don't hesitate to return them to custody."

Now in his early 60s, Pitchfork was jailed for life after raping and strangling 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth in Leicestershire in 1983 and 1986 respectively.

At the time he committed his first crime, Pitchfork was a 22-year-old, married father-of-two.

He was eventually caught after the world's first mass screening for DNA - where 5,000 men in three villages were asked to volunteer blood or saliva samples - and admitted two murders, two rapes, two indecent assaults and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

More on Ministry Of Justice

Pitchfork became the first man convicted of murder on the basis of DNA evidence in 1988.

His 30-year minimum term was cut by two years in 2009, and he was moved to open prison HMP Leyhill in Gloucestershire three years ago.

Following a hearing in March, the Parole Board ruled Pitchfork was "suitable for release", despite this being denied in 2016 and 2018.

At the time of his release in September, the then justice secretary, Robert Buckland, told Sky News that Pitchfork would be "subject to the most stringent licence conditions" seen in the UK - including a GPS tag and a lie detector test.

Previously, Mr Buckland had written to the Parole Board - which is independent of government - and asked them to re-examine their decision. This was rejected by the board.

In all there were more than 40 conditions place on him - 36 more than most former inmates.

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September: Double child killer walks free from prison

Pitchfork was placed on the sex offenders register and had to live at a designated address, be supervised by probation, wear an electronic tag, take part in polygraph - lie detector - tests, and disclose what vehicles he uses and who he speaks to, while also facing particular limits on contact with children.

He was subjected to a curfew, had restrictions on using technology, and faced limitations on where he can go.

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2021-11-19 18:13:04Z
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Bexleyheath fire: Four dead including two children after horrific blaze - MyLondon

Two women, a four-year-old boy and 18-month-old girl have died in a house fire in South East London.

Fire crews rushed to the scene on Hamilton Road in Bexleyheath at just before 8.30pm last night (Thursday, November 18).

Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters attended. Crews in breathing apparatus rescued two women and two children from the first floor using a nine-metre ladder but all four died at the scene.

READ MORE: Heartbroken family in tears at scene of house fire that killed 4

One man, believed to be a 'brother-in-law' managed to escape by jumping from a window. It's reported he broke both legs, before the London Fire Brigade arrived and was rushed to hospital by London Ambulance Service.

He remains there but his condition is not thought to be life-threatening.

A neighbour saw a 'distraught' man collapsed against a wall as fire engulfed the house. The blaze was out by 9.45pm.

Mourners have been leaving flowers at the end of Hamilton Road this morning in memory of those who lost their lives.

Stay-at-home mum Ling, 36, says she heard the children screaming in the house, and that paramedics performed CPR on the two children.

Fighting back tears, the neighbour, who lives 10 metres away from the house where the fire struck, told MyLondon: "We saw a fire fighter carry two kids and the ambulance tried to do CPR for them.

"They tried really hard, they didn’t give up. They tried to keep doing CPR and then they stopped and I saw that the baby had passed away."

Fire scene investigators were at the scene last night and will return again later today, according to LFB Bexley borough commander James Morford, who confirmed that two infant children and two adult women had died.

Metropolitan Police forensic teams have been on scene this morning. The cause of the fire has not yet been established, though the Metropolitan Police has released a statement to say it is not thought to be have been started deliberately.

Fire crews from Bexley, Erith, Plumstead, Lee Green and Sidcup were all called out.

For the latest updates on this developing story follow our live blog below.

Did you know the victims and would like to pay tribute? If so, please email sam.ormiston@reachplc.com

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2021-11-19 16:30:00Z
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HS2: Grant Shapps balks at betrayal claims over scrapped rail plan - BBC News

HS2 map

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has hit back at criticism of a rail upgrade plan that will scrap the high-speed rail HS2 link to Leeds.

Grant Shapps told BBC Breakfast that "betrayal is a strong word" following claims of broken promises by northern leaders and some MPs.

The £96bn rail package will see some existing trains lines upgraded rather than high-speed track being built.

Thursday's announcement won support from some firms and anti-HS2 groups.

However, the decision to scrap much of the eastern leg of HS2 - between East Midlands Parkway in Nottingham and Leeds - was condemned.

The government was also criticised for its scaled-back plans for the Northern Powerhouse Rail rail project between Leeds and Manchester.

Mr Shapps insisted that the "vast majority" of journeys would be faster as a result of the new Integrated Rail Plan after reacting to the front pages of some newspapers that described the rail plans as a "betrayal".

Grant Shapps

"These are plans we will be able to deliver in this decade," said Mr Shapps. "People can actually see those journey improvements now."

But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that the "anger on the ground was palpable" in Yorkshire on Thursday after people learned about the scaled-back scheme.

"[The prime minister] has then ripped up that promise, betrayed the North and exposed something... that's that the levelling up agenda is just a slogan."

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He added that the Labour party would build the line in full, saying the scrapped sections included in its previous manifesto would be "its commitment" going forward.

HS2 was originally meant to connect London with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds but it has run over time and budget.

Work has already started on the first phase of HS2, linking London and the West Midlands. The next section will extend the line to Crewe.

The final phase was to take HS2 to Manchester and Leeds. As recently as May this year, Mr Shapps said the Birmingham to Leeds link would go ahead and would be delivered earlier than planned.

2px presentational grey line

What does the Integrated Rail Plan include?

  • The completion of HS2 from Crewe to Manchester, with new stations at Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly
  • A new high-speed line between Birmingham and East Midlands Parkway
  • The delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail via a new high-speed line between Warrington, Manchester and Marsden in Yorkshire
  • The upgrading or electrification of the existing Midland Main Line, East Coast Main Line and Transpennine Main Line
  • A new mass transit system for Leeds and West Yorkshire
  • Money for a programme of fares and ticketing reform, including contactless pay-as-you-go ticketing in the North and Midlands
  • A study to look at the best way to take HS2 trains to Leeds, including capacity at Leeds Station
2px presentational grey line

Some senior Conservative MPs and other members of the opposition hit out at the plans.

Huw Merriman, who chairs the Commons transport select committee, suggested prime minister Boris Johnson was "selling perpetual sunlight and then leaving it to others to explain the arrival of moonlight".

And Tory MP Robbie Moore, whose Keighley seat sits close to Bradford, said he was "deeply disappointed" by the package, which had "completely short-changed" his constituents.

The city had expected to be included on the proposed Leeds to Manchester route and to see a station built to accommodate new trains.

A report out earlier this week found that Bradford had the worst connections of any city in the UK, despite being the UK's seventh largest city and being centrally located.

Some industry groups, such as the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, representing councils and businesses, said that not including Bradford in the east-west upgrade would be "disastrous" in economic terms.

Labour's Hilary Benn, who represents Leeds Central, alsosaid thatMr Johnson had "repeatedly promised" the new high-speed Leeds-Manchester line would be "built in full", adding: "Leeds and the North have been betrayed".

There was also criticism that a significant portion of the £96bn pledged as new investment has already been announced, such as £360m to improve ticketing.

Some campaigners against the HS2 line, however, said they were pleased, describing the project as wasteful.

Sandra Haith, from an anti-HS2 group in Bramley, Rotherham, said she was pleased, "not only as a resident of Bramley, but as a taxpayer. It's a complete waste of money".

She said: "The eastern leg costs a lot of money and it basically connects two cities. We can't get on it. We've got all the pain and no gain."

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2021-11-19 11:49:11Z
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Liverpool terror attack: Bomb contained ball bearings and could have caused 'significant injury or death', counter-terror police say - Sky News

The bomb which exploded outside Liverpool Women's Hospital contained ball bearings and could have caused "significant injury or death", counter-terror police have said.

It has also emerged that the bomber, Emad al Swealmeen, spent many months buying ingredients for the device and used a series of aliases.

His brother has been interviewed to gain an "insight" into the 32-year-old's state of mind.

Al Swealmeen
Image: Police have spoken to bomber Emad al Swealmeen's brother

In an update, officers from Counter Terrorism Police North West said the bomb was made using "homemade explosive" and the ball bearings "attached to it would have acted as shrapnel".

"Had it detonated in different circumstances we believe it would have caused significant injury or death," said Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson.

How or why the device exploded when it did are still being determined, and officers are "not discounting it being completely unintentional".

Mr Jackson added: "It is a possibility that the movement of the vehicle or its stopping caused the ignition."

More on Liverpool Terror Attack

Detectives are spending "considerable time" trying to understand the approach al Swealmeen used as he purchased the ingredients for his device.

"This is complicated because purchases have spanned many months and al Swealmeen has used many aliases," Mr Jackson said.

"We are confident, however, that in time we will get a full picture of what purchases were made and how, and if anyone else was involved or knew what al Swealmeen was up to."

Liverpool Hospital  explosion - Taxi driver David Perry
Image: Taxi driver David Perry ran from the car moments after the explosion

Police spoke to al Swealmeen's brother on Thursday evening.

The conversation has "given us an insight into (al Swealmeen's) early years and an understanding of (his) life and his recent state of mind, which is an important line of investigation", Mr Jackson said.

"We are grateful for members of the public who knew him and have contacted us."

He continued: "Although there is much scientific work to do on the device to determine what made it up, we have learned a great deal over the past five days.

"We have found no connection between this incident and the terrible events of Manchester in May 2017. The device was also different to the one used in the Manchester Arena attack."

Al Swealmeen is understood to have arrived in the UK from the Middle East in 2014 and had an application for asylum rejected the following year, but was still in the country.

He is believed to have converted from Islam to Christianity in Liverpool's Anglican cathedral in 2017.

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2021-11-19 11:03:45Z
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Birmingham: Teenage boy shot in the back while walking down street - Sky News

A teenage boy is in hospital with "life-changing" injuries after being shot in the back as he walked down a street in Birmingham, police have said.

The victim, 13, was walking down Hockley Circus just before 7pm on Thursday when he was targeted, West Midlands Police said.

"He remains in hospital in a critical condition with injuries believed to be life-changing," the force added in a statement.

Detectives have launched an investigation, which they say is still in its "very early stages", and are appealing for witnesses.

The Hockley Circus area of Birmingham will be closed for "most of Friday morning" for forensic enquiries to take place.

"We are urgently appealing to anyone in the area with any information," a police spokesperson said.

"This is a busy area with lots of motorists, so we're asking anyone with dashcams to check their footage as this may help us identify the people responsible.

More on Birmingham

"Also if you witnessed anything, please contact us as this information could provide integral to our investigation."

Police at the scene in Hockley Circus, Birmingham, after a 13-year-old is in a critical condition after being shot in the back. Picture date: Friday November 19, 2021.
Image: Police are 'urgently appealing' for information

Anyone with any information can contact West Midlands Police via their live chat, by calling 101 with the reference 3589 of 18/11, or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111.

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2021-11-19 09:45:03Z
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Cricket's 18 first-class counties to meet and discuss racism within sport following Azeem Rafiq testimony - Sky News

Cricket's 18 first-class counties will meet with representatives from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today to discuss equality, diversity, and inclusion within the sport.

Teams are being asked to sign up to a 12-point action plan after former cricketer Azeem Rafiq gave evidence on Tuesday about the racism he experienced when playing for Yorkshire.

Counties who do not meet certain expectations within the plan risk having their ECB funding revoked.

Azeem Rafiq  sky news grab
Image: Azeem Rafiq gave evidence to the DCMS earlier this week

It is understood the role of the ECB chair and the position of Tom Harrison, the chief executive, are not on the one-point agenda for the meeting at the Oval - although the members may decide it needs to be discussed.

Rafiq, who has been involved in cricket since the age of 11, said he felt "isolated, humiliated at times" due to the bombardment of racism and "constant uses of the word p***" during his time at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

More on Azeem Rafiq

The 30-year-old whistleblower talked candidly about the "inhuman" treatment he suffered when his son was stillborn.

He told MPs during a meeting of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee: "There were comments such as 'you'll sit over there near the toilets', 'elephant washers'... and there seemed to be an acceptance in the institution.

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"No one really stamped it out."

Rafiq's ex-Yorkshire team-mate Jack Brooks has been reprimanded by Somerset, his current club, and will be required to undergo training on diversity over historical tweets that included racist language.

Meanwhile, Alex Hales has denied he named his dog after a racial slur, and former England captain Michael Vaughan said he "completely and categorically" denied the allegations.

England's Alex Hales during an England net session in 2018 (file pic)
Image: Alex Hales has denied naming his dog after a racial slur. (file pic)

It comes as Rafiq himself apologised for making antisemitic comments in a message exchange with another cricketer in 2011.

Rafiq said he was "ashamed of this exchange" while saying sorry to the Jewish community "and everyone who is rightly offended by this" but insisted he is a different person today.

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2021-11-19 02:40:01Z
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Kamis, 18 November 2021

HS2 rail extension to Leeds scrapped amid promise to transform rail - BBC News

HS2 map

The government has scrapped the Leeds leg of the HS2 high-speed rail line as part of a package that ministers promise will transform services.

The prime minister said the overhaul would mean faster travel up to 10 years earlier than planned, and said claims of broken promises are "total rubbish".

The package won support from some business leaders, and anti-HS2 groups.

But Boris Johnson faced criticism that he had reneged on investment promises to the Midlands and north of England.

The axing of a new East Midlands-Leeds high-speed line, with HS2 trains now to run on existing upgraded routes, and a scaling back of the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) project, drew strong condemnation.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Johnson had "ripped up" promises he made that HS2 would go all the way to Leeds and that there would be a new NPR line from Manchester to Leeds.

"This was the first test of 'levelling up' and the government has completely failed and let down everybody in the North. You can't believe a word the Prime Minister says," he said.

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There was also criticism that a significant portion of the £96bn pledged as new investment has already been announced, such as £360m to improve ticketing.

On a visit to a Network Rail logistics hub near Selby, Mr Johnson dismissed the charges of broken promises as "total rubbish", insisting the government would deliver on them "eventually".

"Of course there are going to be people who always want everything at once. And there are lots of people who are [going to] say, look, what we should do is carve huge new railways through virgin territory, smashing through unspoilt countryside and villages and do it all at once," he said.

And in a BBC interview later the prime minister said that laying new track through countryside would take decades to complete.

Mr Johnson said: "You can wait decades and dig up virgin countryside and plough through villages, but you have to wait an awful lot longer and it costs an awful lot more.

"I'm afraid that we are going to be building a huge amount of new line but what we're doing is doing it in the most efficient possible way and to bring the maximum possible commuter benefits."

Presentational grey line

The new Integrated Rail Plan includes:

  • The completion of HS2 from Crewe to Manchester, with new stations at Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly
  • A new high-speed line between Birmingham and East Midlands Parkway
  • The delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail via a new high-speed line between Warrington, Manchester and Marsden in Yorkshire
  • The upgrading or electrification of the existing Midland Main Line, East Coast Main Line and Transpennine Main Line
  • A new mass transit system for Leeds and West Yorkshire
  • Money for a programme of fares and ticketing reform, including contactless pay-as-you-go ticketing in the North and Midlands
  • A study to look at the best way to take HS2 trains to Leeds, including capacity at Leeds Station
Presentational grey line

In addition to the HS2 changes, there is also a scaling back of a new Trans-Pennine rail route between Manchester and Leeds as part of the NPR project to improve links between major northern cities.

The route between Leeds and Manchester will now be a combination of new track and enhancements to existing infrastructure.

"We're cutting journey times from Manchester in half from 2 hours 9 min to 1 hour 11 min," said Mr Johnson.

"We're also cutting times from Manchester to Leeds from 55 min to 33 min and [creating] a crossrail for the Midlands for the first time."

He added that there would also be a new high-speed line taking the time needed to travel from the West Midlands to East Midlands, from 1 hour 14 min down to 26 min.

"What that means is you will be able to have HS2 trains all the way up to Sheffield, taking half an hour off the time up to Sheffield," Mr Johnson stressed.

"You will have a crossrail for the north, a crossrail for the Midlands and then the HS2."

Rail journey times

Tory MP Robbie Moore, whose Keighley seat sits close to Bradford, said he was "deeply disappointed" by the plan, which had "completely short-changed" his constituents.

Bradford had expected to be included on the proposed Leeds to Manchester route and to see a station built to accommodate new trains.

"We are one of the most socially deprived parts of the UK and we must get better transport connectivity," Mr Moore said.

Delivering the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) in the Commons, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told MPs it was an "ambitious and unparalleled programme" to overhaul inter-city links across the north and Midlands, and "speed up the benefits for local areas and serves destinations people most want to reach".

Work has already started on the first phase of HS2, linking London and the West Midlands. The next section will extend the line to Crewe.

The final phase was to take HS2 to Manchester and Leeds.

HS2 train
Siemens

Commenting on plans for rail links between the East Midlands to Leeds, Mr Shapps said: "We'll study how best to take HS2 trains into Leeds as well".

However, that is likely to be via upgrades to existing rail network, a move condemned by MPs and regional business leaders who said a high-speed line was vital to the economic growth of the Midlands and north England.

Labour MP Hilary Benn, who represents Leeds Central, said: "Today that promise has been broken, and Leeds and the North have been betrayed."

Andy Bagnall, director general of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, said: "While millions of people will benefit from this major investment in boosting connectivity between major cities in the North of England and the Midlands, leaving out key pieces of the jigsaw will inevitably hold back the ability for the railways to power the levelling up agenda and the drive to net zero."

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Analysis

by Katy Austin, BBC transport correspondent

The government's argument is that faster delivery at lower cost is now the best approach. It also makes the case for putting cash towards better local services, not just high speed inter-city connections.

That won't wash with those who will accept nothing but the original proposals for both HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail - with their full capacity benefits, as well as journey times. They feel a promise is being broken.

Bradford is one example of this; a city whose leaders view a new, full high-speed link to both Manchester and Leeds as essential to regeneration.

Opponents of HS2 - a controversial project - will see today's news as a relief. Although the door has not been fully closed to the eastern leg being completed at some future date.

However, businesses in Yorkshire who hoped HS2 would bring jobs, investment and confidence, albeit not for a while, feel that opportunity has just been diminished.

Labour also point out that despite the £96bn label, much of this money had already been earmarked for HS2.

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'Waste of money'

News that part of HS2 was being scrapped was met with "elation" by campaigners against the line.

Sandra Haith, from an anti-HS2 group in Bramley, Rotherham, said she was pleased, "not only as a resident of Bramley, but as a taxpayer. It's a complete waste of money".

Anti-HS campaigners

She said: "The eastern leg costs a lot of money and it basically connects two cities. We can't get on it. We've got all the pain and no gain."

However, business people warned about the economic loss from scrapping the HS2 line. James Greenhalgh, who runs the Flamingos Coffee House, in Leeds, told the BBC it would deter investment in the city.

"We want to encourage other businesses to move up from London, up to Leeds, get people moving around and coming to our city centre. It is really tough, it is stopping businesses from expanding," he said.

There was praise, though, from business leaders at regional trade body Midlands Connect.

Chairman Sir John Peace said: "Although these plans are different in some respects to what we'd expected, there are a lot of positives in here and lots of things to be excited about - a new high-speed connection between Birmingham and East Midlands Parkway, direct links onto HS2 for Derby, Nottingham, and Chesterfield and a commitment to the Midlands Rail Hub."

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Do you live or work in the East Midlands, Bradford or Leeds? How will you or your business be affected? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

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2021-11-18 22:47:30Z
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