Pair charged with murder of Gateshead man in suspected ammonia attack - The Guardian

Two men have been charged with the murder of a 26-year-old man who died after a suspected ammonia spray attack on his front doorstep.

Andy Foster, 26, was attacked at a property in Wrekenton, Gateshead, at 11pm on 20 August.

Northumbria police said there were reports that two people knocked on Foster’s front door and, when he opened it, sprayed him with what is believed to be ammonia.

They fled and Foster was taken to hospital, where he later died.

Police said two men – Kenneth Fawcett, 32, of North Shields, and John Wandless, 32, of no fixed abode – had been charged with murder and were to appear at Newcastle crown court on Monday.

Three other people – two women and a man – who were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, and another man who was arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, had been released under investigation.

DI Tomasz Fowler, of Northumbria police, said: “Our thoughts remain firmly with Andy’s loved ones at this extremely difficult time and we will continue to offer them all the support that they need.”

He thanked members of the public for their cooperation and support.

“Whilst these charges are a big step forward, it’s important to remember this investigation is far from over and we are still keen to hear from anyone with information which could help us in our inquiries.”

He asked that people refrain from speculating or commenting on the investigation, either in the community or online, to avoid jeopardising the live legal proceedings.

Foster’s family said in a statement released through police: “Andy was such a kind and funny boy who was so loved by his family and many friends.

“He was our only son – as well as a loving and supportive partner, grandson and cousin – and was particularly close with his grandad, who was very special to him.

“We are absolutely devastated and heartbroken beyond words that we have sadly lost our boy. Andy still had his whole life left ahead of him – and we are struggling to come to terms with the fact that he is no longer here with us.”

They thanked the community for their support over the past week, and asked for “the time and privacy we need to grieve, as we attempt to process what has happened”.

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2023-08-28 08:08:00Z
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Liverpool flood deaths: Two dead after driving car into floodwater - BBC

Jason Roberts Photography

By Nathan Williams

BBC News

Two people have died after becoming trapped in their car in a flooded road in Liverpool.

Police said they were called to Queens Drive in the Mossley Hill area at 21:00 BST on Saturday night.

Passers-by fought to help the man and woman who were stuck inside a black Mercedes in deep floodwater.

Emergency workers took them to hospital, but they were pronounced dead.

Amateur footage filmed in the area appears to show water gushing onto the road - which dips under a bridge.

Met Office data shows heavy rainfall at over 32mm (1.25 inches) an hour near where the incident happened.

Flood alerts and warnings remain in place for areas of Merseyside due to the heavy rainfall.

Det Ch Insp Mike Dalton said: "Our thoughts go out to the family of the man and woman who sadly lost their lives in this tragic incident, despite the best efforts of passing members of the public, our officers and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Services at the scene. 

"We are at the early stages of an ongoing investigation on Queens Drive to establish the circumstances of this tragic incident.

"Road closures remain in the area as we continue with this investigation and motorists are advised to avoid the road."

Jason Roberts photography

People living in the area told the Liverpool Echo that the road has been problematic for some time. They said that several cars have become stuck in deep water in the area over the last few months.

Liverpool's deputy lord mayor Richard Kemp said he had repeatedly raised the alarm about flooding at the spot for about 20 years.

In a letter to the council, he said short term measures had been carried out, such as flushing out the drains, but "this has never been enough".

"The major problem is that the core of the drainage system is more than 150 years old and is clearly inadequate," he said.

He called for action including a better drainage system, better lighting and an electric warning system for drivers.

Rebecca Wilson, who was in a taxi on Queens Drive around 21:00 BST, told the Echo she thought the flooding might have been caused by a burst pipe.

She described her experience as "terrifying", saying the water was "gushing down like waterfall" and that it looked like a burst dam.

Police are appealing to anyone who was on Queens Drive at around 21:00 BST and saw the incident or stopped to try and help.

A file has been passed to the coroner who has asked Merseyside Police to further investigate the incident.

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2023-08-28 06:17:07Z
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Theo Porteous named as Nine Elms stabbing victim - BBC

Metropolitan Police

A man who was stabbed to death in on a street in south-west London has been named by police as Theo Porteous.

Officers were called to Thessaly Road in Nine Elms at about 12:30 BST on Thursday where they found a 32-year-old with a number of knife wounds.

Paramedics and London's Air Ambulance were deployed to the area but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

An image of a man police want to identify and speak to has also been released by the force.

Metropolitan Police

No arrests have been made but enquiries are ongoing.

Det Ch Insp Wayne Jolley, leading the investigation, said: "My thoughts are with Theo's family and friends, at what is an unimaginable time for them.

"I have assured them that I and my team will do everything we can to bring those responsible for Theo's murder to justice.

"Our investigation is progressing at pace and I want to ask for the public's help in identifying the man in the CCTV image.

"I would ask anyone who recognises him to get in touch without delay. Likewise, anyone with any information about Theo's murder should get in touch - even details that may seem irrelevant could be important to our investigation."

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2023-08-28 08:35:12Z
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Nadine Dorries’ departure is relief for Sunak but byelection holds danger - The Guardian

Rishi Sunak’s relief that Nadine Dorries is finally standing down as an MP has been tempered by fears of a difficult byelection ahead and anger among Conservative backbenchers that her angry outbursts will end up on Labour’s general election leaflets.

The former cabinet minister and Boris Johnson loyalist resigned her Commons seat of Mid Bedfordshire on Saturday, accusing the prime minister of betraying Tory principles and telling him: “History will not judge you kindly.”

Her resignation means the government faces yet another challenging contest this autumn in what should be an ultra-safe seat. If Labour can overturn the 24,664 majority, it would represent the largest collapse in support for the Conservatives in byelection history.

The explosive manner of Dorries’ departure has angered soon-to-be former colleagues, with the senior Tory MP Tobias Ellwood describing it as an “undignified chapter” and “an episode of colleagues throwing their teddies in the corner, in this case for simply not getting a peerage”.

He told GB News: “It has been messy, it has been embarrassing for both the parliament and specifically to our party. Delaying this resignation was designed to maximise harm to the prime minister. I’m pleased that this sort of selfish charade is now over.”

One Tory backbencher told the Guardian: “Nadine has done the party a great disservice by attacking Rishi in such a way. Her words will end up on every Labour party leaflet at the next election.”

The defence minister Johnny Mercer said people were not interested in hearing Dorries’ latest “personal attack” on Sunak, and the party needed to move forward having “raked over the coals of the Boris Johnson premiership a number of times”.

Government insiders said Sunak was determined to press ahead with plans for the autumn attempting to show people struggling with the cost of living that a better future lies ahead.

However, with inflation expected to tilt upwards again next month as the Tories gather for their party conference, Sunak could struggle to convince voters that the economy is back on track.

The prime minister faces continued grumbles from backbench MPs who want the government to cut taxes. Meanwhile, in the government’s final themed policy week before parliament returns next Monday, ministers are making a series of announcements on policing and the criminal justice system.

The Conservatives are still reeling from the loss to Labour of Selby and Ainsty, in North Yorkshire, in a byelection this summer when Keir Starmer’s party overturned a majority of just over 20,000.

Labour believes it is best placed to gain Dorries’ traditionally safe Tory seat, having come second in 2019. The party’s chair, Anneliese Dodds, has conceded it would “take an absolutely enormous change” for Labour to win.

The Lib Dems, who came third in 2019, have also said they could win, having achieved massive swings to take similar rural so-called “blue wall” seats where Conservative support has traditionally been strong.

The Tories’ challenge in defending Mid Bedfordshire could be compounded by local voters’ evident frustration over Dorries’ absenteeism in representing the constituency. She had not spoken in the Commons since June 2022 and last voted in April.

The divisive circumstances of her exit, after she delayed her departure to investigate why she had been refused a seat in the Lords, may also not help.

In her scathing resignation letter to Sunak, Dorries wrote: “Your actions have left some 200 or more of my MP colleagues to face an electoral tsunami and the loss of their livelihoods, because in your impatience to become prime minister you put your personal ambition above the stability of the country and our economy.

“Bewildered, we look in vain for the grand political vision for the people of this great country to hold on to, that would make all this disruption and subsequent inertia worthwhile, and we find absolutely nothing.”

A byelection writ cannot be moved until parliament returns next month, so the contest will not be held until October at the earliest.

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2023-08-28 01:31:00Z
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Two men held on suspicion of murder after ‘ammonia’ attack in Gateshead - The Guardian

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder by police investigating the death of a man who was sprayed with a substance thought to be ammonia after he answered his front door.

Andy Foster, 26, was attacked at his home in Wrekenton, Gateshead, at 11pm on Sunday 20 August.

Northumbria police said there were reports that two people knocked on Foster’s front door and, when he opened it, sprayed him with what is believed to be ammonia.

They fled and Foster was taken to hospital, where he later died.

On Saturday evening, police said two men, both 32, had been arrested on suspicion of murder.

A 34-year-old man and two women – 37 and 30 – have also been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. All five are in police custody.

In total, six people have been arrested, after a 26-year-old man was detained on Monday on suspicion of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He has been released pending further inquiries, police said.

Foster’s family described their heartbreak at losing someone who they said was kind, funny and loving.

In a statement released through police, they said: “Andy was such a kind and funny boy who was so loved by his family and many friends.

“He was our only son – as well as a loving and supportive partner, grandson and cousin – and was particularly close with his grandad, who was very special to him.

“We are absolutely devastated and heartbroken beyond words that we have sadly lost our boy. Andy still had his whole life left ahead of him – and we are struggling to come to terms with the fact that he is no longer here with us.

“As a family, we would like to thank everyone in the community for their continued support and kind words over the past week.

“We now respectfully ask that we are given the time and privacy we need to grieve, as we attempt to process what has happened.”

Police said the family would continue to be supported by specially trained family liaison officers.

They asked people to avoid speculation about the case, including on social media, and urged anyone with information to get in touch.

“Your information, no matter how small, could prove vital to our inquiries,” a spokesperson said.

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2023-08-27 09:52:00Z
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Rail services across England hit as 20,000 staff begin strike - BBC

Getty Images

By Christy Cooney

BBC News

Passengers across England are facing Bank Holiday weekend disruption as 20,000 rail staff begin their latest strike.

Mick Lynch, head of the RMT union, said strikes would continue until a new pay settlement for workers is reached.

The transport department said rail staff have received "fair and reasonable" pay offers.

Events including the Notting Hill Carnival and Reading and Leeds festivals will be impacted on Saturday.

Workers from 14 train operators are taking part in Saturday's strike, which is its 24th since last summer.

The action will see a reduced timetable in place in much of England, with some journeys into Scotland and Wales also affected.

• See a list of the train companies affected here

Around half the usual train services will run and in many areas they will start late and finish much earlier than usual.

Further action is planned for 2 September, while member of the train drivers union, Aslef, are set to walk out on 1 September.

As well as a new pay deal, the RMT is demanding an end to job losses resulting from the closure of hundreds of ticket offices.

Getty Images

Getty Images

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Lynch said the union would not accept a pay offer which requires job cuts, adding that ticket office closures would make the railways inaccessible to vulnerable people.

Despite the disruption caused by the strike campaign, he said the RMT has support among passengers, adding: "The public don't want to go where this Conservative government is taking them in terms of the railway."

Mr Lynch said 2,300 staff members would face redundancy under the pay offers it has received so far.

"We want a decent pay rise, we're not greedy, we haven't had an offer of a clean pay rise without strings attached," he said.

"And we're not willing to fund these very modest pay rises through jobs cuts, and cuts to the services, that will affect our members and also the travelling public."

In a separate interview with the BBC, Mr Lynch said that "there will be more strikes if there's no change".

Earlier this year, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the train operators, made an offer that would have seen rail workers receive a backdated pay rise of 5% for 2022.

A further pay rise for 2023 would then have been conditional on reforms to services.

On 5 May, RMT members voted to extend the strike mandate for another six months.

The rail industry was badly impacted by the pandemic, and industry figures have argued changes to ways of working will be necessary in order to finance any pay rise.

Ahead of Saturday's strike, the RDG said the action had been "designed to deliberately target passengers who want to enjoy various sporting events, festivals, and the end of the summer holidays".

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "The government has played its part to try and end these disputes by facilitating fair and reasonable pay offers, but union leaders refuse to allow their members to vote on them.

"By cynically targeting the bank holiday weekend, and driving more passengers away from train travel when our railways are already losing £10m a day even without industrial action, the RMT's strikes are damaging its own industry's future."

Additional reporting by Sean Seddon

Are you a striking rail worker? Or a passenger whose journey is 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:

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2023-08-26 10:10:02Z
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Recovery of British Museum artefacts under way, says George Osborne - The Guardian

The recovery of missing British Museum artefacts is under way, George Osborne, the institution’s chair of trustees, has said as he apologised over the scandal that has engulfed the museum, and admitted that its reputation had been damaged.

About 2,000 items are believed to be missing, Osborne told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the day after the organisation’s head resigned and his deputy stepped back.

Hartwig Fischer said on Friday he accepted responsibility for the museum’s failure to properly respond to warnings about the suspected thefts of thousands of objects in 2021. A police investigation has been launched.

Osborne said he doubted a “cover-up” had taken place over the suspected thefts, but acknowledged that an inquiry might still reach that conclusion. “I don’t myself believe there was a deliberate cover-up, although the review may find that to be the case,” he said. “But was there some potential groupthink in the museum at the time, at the very top of the museum, that couldn’t believe an insider was stealing things, couldn’t believe a member of staff was doing this? Yes, that’s very possible, and we won’t be the only institution that has fallen foul to that.”

Admitting that the museum did not have a complete catalogue of its collection, he said that a new storage facility in the Thames Valley was planned, but acknowledged this issue put the museum’s security at risk. “Someone with knowledge has an advantage in removing some of those items,” he said.

After Fischer’s resignation, Osborne said the director had “acted honourably” and that “no one has ever doubted Hartwig’s integrity, his dedication to his job, or his love for the museum”.

The museum said Fischer would step down “with immediate effect”, but later clarified he would step down once an interim leadership arrangement was in place. It was then announced that the museum’s deputy director, Jonathan Williams, had agreed to voluntarily step back until the independent review into the suspected thefts had concluded.

The chair of trustees defended the British Museum after the scandal led to an outcry from nations that have been campaigning for the institution to return its artefacts. The development has led Greek officials to renew their demands for the return of the Parthenon marbles, while Nigerian officials have also called for the return of looted treasures.

Asked about whether the suspected thefts, and the museum’s response to them, invalidated its argument that other countries’ institutions could not be trusted to care for their treasures properly, Osborne said it was a “statement of the obvious” that the saga had been damaging to the institution’s reputation.

But he added that many large museums were “potential victims to this kind of theft”. “Our responsibility now is to make sure we really have learned the lessons so that this kind of thing is much harder, much less likely to happen in the future,” he said.

He defended its collection of ancient artefacts from around the world, describing the museum as a “source of great national pride” despite the scandal. The museum has long faced criticism for refusing to return looted objects, including the Rosetta Stone, the Benin bronzes and the Gweagal shield. “It’s a place where you can see all the civilisations together, and there are very few places like that in the world.

“Just because it would have been impossible to assemble that collection today, doesn’t make it illegitimate – I would say it makes it invaluable. In an age where we’re always being reminded of what divides us, it’s a place that reminds us of what we have in common.”

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2023-08-26 10:05:00Z
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