Thousands of homes have had their boiling water restrictions lifted after a water tank infected with cryptosporidium was drained and cleaned, South West Water has said.
About 17,000 households in the Brixham area of Devon were told to boil their drinking water following 46 confirmed cases of the disease.
On Saturday afternoon, South West Water lifted the boiling restrictions for 14,500 homes after water quality monitoring results found no traces of cryptosporidium in the Alston supply area.
However the water company said some 2,500 properties in Hillhead, upper parts of Brixham and Kingswear should continue to boil their supply before drinking it.
Cryptosporidiosis is caused by a tiny parasite and can lead to vomiting, stomach cramps and watery diarrhoea lasting about two weeks.
South West Water believes the parasite probably entered supplies through a damaged pipe in a field containing animal faeces.
A contaminated water tank at Hillhead reservoir, where cryptosporidium was detected, was drained overnight and "thoroughly cleaned" on Saturday, South West Water said.
One local resident said she knew of only four houses out of 21 in Raddicombe Close, on the outskirts of Brixham, which have not had at least one person fall ill with cryptosporidiosis.
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The local MP has warned "heads are going to roll" over the incident.
Tory MP Anthony Mangnall, whose constituency includes Brixham, told LBC: "This is such a serious matter that yes, I think heads are going to roll over this."
He claimed the supplier had been too slow to issue its safety alert.
Image:16,000 businesses and residents are affected by the boil water notice. Pic: South West Water
Mr Mangnall said: "From starting this week with a denial from South West Water that it was anything to do with them, delaying the fact that the boil water notice came in - meaning thousands of people used the water network - to then issuing it on Wednesday, and there are a lot of people who are very ill."
He called it an "absolutely disastrous week" and said locals were furious.
South West Water has said it's "deeply sorry" and that it's been "working tirelessly" to identify the source of the problem and fix it.
Image:Bottled water stations have been set up in the area.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused the government of not doing enough to hold water companies to account.
He told Sky News the firms were "putting profit over the environment, over public health" after multiple cases of sewage being released into rivers and seas.
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The number of people infected with a waterborne disease following a parasite outbreak in south Devon is likely to increase for up to two weeks, a public health boss has warned.
Around 16,000 households and businesses were told not to use their tap water for drinking without boiling and cooling it first, as more cases are anticipated.
Conservative MP Anthony Mangnall, whose Totnes constituency includes Brixham, vowed that “heads are going to roll” after “an absolutely disastrous week”, describing the anger as “palpable”.
Bottled water at Freshwater car park in Brixham (Ben Birchall/PA Wire)
Dr Lincoln Sargeant, Torbay’s director of public health, warned that while the initial contamination has been “more or less dealt with”, delays in symptoms developing may cause the number of cases to increase for “up to two weeks”.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday the waterborne disease was “unpleasant but self-limiting” for most people, while it was “vulnerable people who are at risk for more severe illness”.
Dr Sargeant added: “It’s important for listeners to recognise that in terms of the initial contamination that we think is more or less dealt with, so with the boiled water notice, with bottled water, we are pretty sure now that no one needs to continue to be affected by contaminated water.
“And we know that South West Water is now actively doing work to flush through the system to make sure that ongoing contamination does not occur.
Workers at Hill Head reservoir in Devon (Ben Birchall/PA Wire)
“However, it’s important to recognise that people may continue to develop symptoms from that initial contamination up to 10 days, some people may even up to two weeks, so the numbers may increase – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the situation is getting worse.”
SWW issued a “boil water notice” for Alston and the Hillhead area of Brixham after water tests showed “small traces” of the parasite.
SWW chief customer officer Laura Flowerdew said on Thursday a damaged air pipe in a field containing cattle was a potential source.
Speaking to LBC News on Saturday, Mr Mangnall said: “This is such a serious matter that yes, I think heads are going to roll over this, but it’s more important to get the system back up and running, make sure people have confidence in the network rather than pointing fingers.
Brixham Harbour in south Devon (Piers Mucklejohn/PA Wire)
“We do the investigation afterwards and we will make sure that those who are responsible are held to account.”
He added: “From starting this week with a denial from South West Water that it was anything to do with them, delaying the fact that the boil water notice came in, meaning thousands of people used the water network, to then issuing it on Wednesday, and there are a lot of people who are very ill.
“So, it’s been an absolutely disastrous week and the anger is palpable.”
Business owners in the fishing town have complained about the lack of contact from SWW.
Sally Dart, who runs homewares shop Flotsam 50 near Brixham Harbour, said business was “probably 30 to 40 per cent down” and described the water company as “appalling”.
Sally Dart, who runs Topsom 50 near Brixham Harbour, a shop that sells artwork, furniture, and flowers (Piers Mucklejohn/PA Wire)
Ms Dart said locals first felt symptoms after a busy pirate festival held in the fishing town between 4 and 6 May.
On SWW, she added: “They knew they had this problem – obviously the reservoir couldn’t cope for some reason or another, it was getting all the stuff off the field into it. No one was checking the quality of the water and we’ve all got sick and it’s stupid, really.”
A guest house manager said the disease has caused cancellations totalling “up to £1,000” and he had heard “nothing direct at all” from SWW.
Steve Price, who runs The Station Guesthouse in Brixham, told Today: “So for us at the moment, we are seeing guests actually cancelling.”
He said his business was “following all the guidance” to ensure visitors’ safety, adding: “So we’re trying everything we can to make sure that when guests do come that they feel comfortable and they feel safe. We’re also e-mailing all our guests at the moment to let them know we’re doing all this to try and put them at ease, to encourage them still to come and visit us because of course it’s a lovely area.”
Asked about what contact his business had with SWW, Mr Price said there had been “nothing direct at all”.
“We’ve had to instigate any contact, there has been notifications coming from Torbay Council about numbers to contact but it’s a shame for commercial businesses because we’ve had no one come round,” he added.
Asked how much his business had lost, he said: “So far, probably anywhere from up to £1,000 in cancellations so far, which is fairly substantial.”
Residents are being urged to boil water and let it cool before drinking it, preparing or cooking food or cleaning their teeth, although the company said water can continue to be used as normal for washing, bathing and flushing the toilet.
The disease can be picked up directly from the faeces of another person or animal, from swimming in or drinking contaminated water, or by eating contaminated food such as unwashed vegetables.
David Harris, Drought and Resilience Director at South West Water, told The Independent: "Our overriding priority must be the health and safety of our customers. Over the past four days, we have been working tirelessly to identify and resolve this issue. We are deeply sorry for the impact this disruption is having on daily lives.”
He said there are two water collection points set up over the weekend, with over 386,000 bottles of water delivered so far, while a compensation payment of £115 is being issued to customers.
He continued: “As part of our ongoing investigation, a damaged valve on private land has been identified as the possible cause, which has since been isolated from the network and repaired. As you would expect, we are urgently investigating how this happened, while working to rule out any other possible sources of contamination elsewhere in the network.
“The water tank at Hillhead reservoir, where tests confirmed the presence of cryptosporidium earlier this week, was drained overnight and will be thoroughly cleaned today. Once complete, we will start refilling the water tank later today. Officials from the Drinking Water Inspectorate are also on site to monitor progress, and daily testing continues to take place at points throughout our network.”
The picturesque seaside of town of Brixham had, up until this week, been most famous for being a tourist mecca and beautiful place to live due to its quaint harbour and renowned hospitality. However, this week it has found itself at the epicentre of a huge outbreak of parasite infection cryptosporidium.
For the past few weeks, residents have reported feeling unwell with symptoms of stomach cramps, sickness, diarrhoea, fever and headaches. Initially, they put it down to a bug or food poisoning but it was only when numbers began to increase so rapidly that speculation began mounting on social media about the cause.
With claims that whole streets had been affected, speculation began mounting that the cause of the problem could be due to a drinking quality water issue. However, at the beginning of this week and up until Wednesday, May 15, South West Water (SWW) remained adamant its tests were clear and that the water was safe to drink.
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SWW then confirmed 'small traces' of the waterborne parasite were detected Alston and the Hillhead area of Brixham with customers advised to boil their drinking water. The infected supply area increased to other areas including Boohay, Kingswear, Roseland and North West Paignton.
The latest figures published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on May 17 confirmed cases had risen to 46 with more than a further 100 having reported similar symptoms.
The handling of the outbreak by SWW has been widely criticised and it has since issued an apology. Other reported cases of diarrhoea and vomiting in residents and visitors to Brixham are also under investigation and more confirmed cases are anticipated.
South West Water at the reservoir at Hillhead, Brixham, as a Cryptosporidium outbreak impacts local drinking water (Image: Chris Slack)
SWW is yet to release specific details about the source of the outbreak other than stating it is 'currently focused on the water network in the Hillhead area' reservoir. On May 16, Totnes MP Anthony Mangnall publicly announced on Facebook that the source of the outbreak had been identified by SWW.
The cause was said to be a damaged air valve in the Hillhead area. He added the valve 'may have allowed animal waste or contaminated groundwater to enter the local supply'.
SWW has been severely criticised for its handling of the outbreak and MPs are calling for an investigation to be launched.
Here is a timeline of events of how the outbreak evolved, how it has been responded to by SWW and the UKHSA, the huge impact on local residents and further afield, the financial losses being suffered by local businesses and the grave uncertantly that remains in the town while SWW seen to fix the problem.
Monday, May 15
Brixham residents take to social media to share concerns about health outbreak
Brixham Fish Town Facebook becomes awash with people in the town complaining of feeling unwell and sharing having the same symptoms of stomach cramps, diarrhoea and sickness. Tanya Matthews feels so poorly that she puts a post on the page to see how many other people have also been affected.
It receives more than 1,000 comments with hundreds of people reporting they are also unwell.
Brixham Harbour (Image: English Riviera BID Company)
Tuesday, May 15
SWW assures customers it is safe to drink their tap water
SWW confirms it is investigating reports of huge numbers of people becoming unwell in Brixham. It assures tests it has carried out on the quality of drinking water in Brixham have all come back clear and it is continuing to review water supplies.
The UKHSA is named as leading the investigation.
A South West Water spokesperson said: “We are aware of posts on social media regarding the quality of drinking water in the Brixham area and we would like to reassure customers that the water supply is fine to continue to use as normal. We have carried out sampling and tests for cryptosporidium and all results have come back clear.
“We always carefully monitor our drinking water supplies and we are supporting the UK Health Security Agency with their investigations.”
Tanya Matthews is being tested for cryptosporidium (Image: Tanya Matthews)
She said: "I started having stomach cramps and explosive diarrhoea nine days ago and it has been the same every day since. I started to feel a little bit better yesterday then today [May 14] it hit me again.
"I rang SWW yesterday [May 13] and I was told there had been 15 confirmed cases of cryptosporidium and that UKHSA are looking into it as they don't believe it's to do with the water.
"They wouldn't expect this many cases over a whole year for all of Devon and Cornwall so something is amiss. SWW asked if I had been in the sea or a river but I have not. I also think the water tastes funny and it has been leaving a horrid taste in my mouth."
She added: "When SWW came out today they told me they don't think it's the water. I don't know how that's possible when every house in our street has someone who is ill. So many people are sick in the area."
A resident who lives in Hillhead, Brixham and asked not to be named, has told how she has been bed-bound for over a week and has tested positive for cryptosporidium by her doctor.
She said: "I phoned SWW who said it was the first they had heard of it even though everyone has been phoning. Public health have told me I’ll be getting a phone call from environmental health but we are still waiting."
Totnes MP Anthony Mangnall reissues advice from SWW
He said: "South West Water have reassured me that they are supporting the UK Health Security Agency with their investigations, and have stated that constituents can continue to use their water supply as normal.
"SWW carefully monitors drinking water supplies, and cryptosporidium is monitored continuously in the final drinking water from the supplying treatment facility. To confirm, all recent test results for cryptosporidium have come back clear. I will provide further updates when possible."
UKHSA statement Tuesday evening confirms 16 cases of cryptosporidium and around 70 reported cases of diarrhoea and vomiting in Brixham
An outbreak of cryptosporidium is confirmed by the UKHSA in its first official response since the outbreak was reported
(UKHSA) announces 16 confirmed cases and says its investigation into the source is ongoing. Sarah Bird, consultant in health protection at UKHSA South West said: "At this stage, a source has not been identified, and more information will be shared as soon as it is available. For most people, cryptosporidium symptoms can be managed at home without medical advice."
A South West Water spokesperson added: "We have reviewed the operation of our water treatment works and the water quality data from those sites which show us there have been no issues with the treated water.
"As agreed today with public health partners, we are carrying out further monitoring of the local supply area and we’ll continue working closely with them on their investigation. We are advising customers to continue to use their water as normal. We will keep this under review."
Anthony Mangnall (Image: Official Parliamentary Photo)
Wednesday, May 15
SWW confirm it has detected 'small traces' of the organism in Alston and the Hillhead area of the coastal town
A South West Water spokesperson said: “Customers in Alston and the Hillhead area of Brixham are advised to boil their drinking water before consuming following new test results for cryptosporidium. We are issuing this notice following small traces of the organism identified overnight and this morning.
"We are working with the UK Health Security Agency and other public health partners to urgently investigate and eliminate the source. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and will continue to keep customers and businesses updated. Bottled water stations will be set up in the affected areas as soon as possible.”
Health and safety advice is issued and a warning map is published in SWW's website. It later assures it is contacting affected customers by door drops, SMS text messages, email, social media and voice messages.
Totnes MP Anthony Mangnall urges SWW to sort the problem out 'once and for all'
He said: I will continue to make sure South West Water cleans up their act, provides support for residents and sorts this out once and for all.”
Bottled water arrived in Brixham after a cryptosporidium outbreak in the town (Image: Chris Slack)
Bottled water supplies arrive at Broadsands Car Park in Paignton
Water supplies are seen arriving in the morning, but SWW is criticised for locating the station four miles outside of Brixham. SWW confirms in the afternoon it is up and running and will be open until 10pm tonight and open the next day from 6am to 9pm. It assures it is delivering bottled water to vulnerable customers.
SWW offers affected customers £15 compensation
Huge outrage is sparked when SWW announces on X, formerly Twitter, that all customers issued with a boil water notice will receive an automatic payment amounting to just £15.
UKHSA confirms 22 cases of cryptosporidium
It adds other reported cases of diarrhoea and vomiting in residents and visitors to Brixham are also said to be under investigation and more confirmed cases are anticipated.
People are advised most symptoms can be managed at home without medical advice and that those affected should stay off school and work for 48 hours since the last episode of illness and away from swimming pools for 14 days.
New SWW map shows bigger cryptosporidium outbreak area
New SWW map shows bigger cryptosporidium outbreak area
In the afternoon, SWW updates the cryptosporidium outbreak area which is much larger than what was indicated earlier in the morning. Customers are advised to check its website to see if their postcode is an affected area.
Its map expands again in the evening, but is soon retracted back to the previous one with SWW confirming to DevonLive that amended map on their website was not accurate.
Demand for bottled water surges
Residents in Brixham reports struggling to buy bottled water from local shops since the day before. The Spar shop in Drew Street is among those that have suddenly seen a huge increase in demand.
A Spar spokesperson said: "Following the outbreak of cryptosporidium in Brixham, Spar stores in the area have arranged for extra supplies of water and other essential products to be delivered today to help support the community."
Woman crippled with painful Cryptosporidium symptoms speaks about ordeal
Brixham resident Jenna, who lives in Raddicombe Close, near Hillhead, with her partner and their 18-month-old Cocker Spaniel Mirri, tells how they have all suffered from diarrhoea and vomiting recently, as have their neighbours.
She said: "I had the most horrific stomach pains and woke up screaming in agony. I had never experienced anything like it before; it was just awful. I then had terrible diarrhoea, vomiting and headaches and couldn't do anything so I had to take time off work."
MP Kevin Foster says SWW could face 'full investigation' involving government
In a post on X, the MP states the 'necessity of a full investigation by the Drinking Water Inspectorate into the causes and reaction by SWW'.
The new bottled water station at Freshwater Quarry Car Park (Image: Chris Slack)
Eden Park Primary School is closed as after notifying parents the previous evening that it could not safely open for students without clean drinking water. Torbay Council says it is not aware of any other school closures and is working with SWW to ensure early years settings receive bottled water.
When and how to test for cryptosporidium
Testing advice issued by the UKHSA states that people should wait to be tested until they are still symptomatic between seven to 10 days of becoming unwell.
South West Water at the reservoir at Hillhead, Brixham, as a Cryptosporidium outbreak impacts local drinking water (Image: Chris Slack)
MP says source of Brixham cryptosporidium contamination has been found
He adds the valve 'may have allowed animal waste or contaminated groundwater to enter the local supply'. He criticises SWW's response and handling of the situation and is calling for it to be held to account.
He said: "I am very concerned about SWW's response to this situation, as they have been slow to act and communication with customers has been very poor. This has certainly undermined trust in our water network, and I will certainly keep working with colleagues at DEFRA to ensure SWW are held to account over this issue."
He also warns the boil water notice is therefore likely to be in place for at least a further six or seven days.
Torbay Hospital confirms it is not under increased pressure
The hospital reassures it is not under increased pressure following the outbreak and that all its services are continuing to run.
SWW gives source of outbreak update
SWW says it is 'currently focused on the water network in the Hillhead area' but does not divulge any further information about the source of the outbreak when questioned by DevonLive. It confirms it has issued a boil water notice to around 16,000 households and businesses in the area, but won't give a list of affected postcodes.
When asked how the water became infected,a SWW spokesperson said: "We are working hard to establish the cause and are currently focused on our water network in the Hillhead area based on the water quality monitoring data and the pattern of illnesses reported by UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)."
Pensioner is rushed to hospital
The story emerges of how Brixham pensioner, Elaine Hollier, 80, was rushed to hospital following a severe bout of dehydration and vomiting after drinking water contaminated with cryptosporidium.
Her husband Dennis said: "I phoned up South West Water to tell them what happened but they said you can carry on drinking the water. I know 10 people at least who have come down with it."
Free bottled water packs outside Torbay Fruit and Vegetables in Brixham (Image: Mary Allwood)
Brixham rallies together in face of Cryptosporidium outbreak
With vulnerable people reporting they are struggling to get hold of bottled water, Brixham resident Mary Allwood and a local businessman join forces to buy £750 worth of bottled water to give free to those most in need.
SWW boss makes first statement and issues an apology
In the evening, SWW CEO Susan Davy says said she is 'sorry' about an outbreak of cryptosporidium and admitted the company has 'fallen significantly short' of expectations. She adds technicians have been working 'around the clock' to find the source of the contamination and fix it so the water supply can return to normal.
She said: "I know on this occasion we have fallen significantly short of what you expect of us. All of us at South West Water live and work in the region, just like you. It is our home and a place we love. I am sorry this has happened."
Susan Davy, Chief Executive Officer of South West Water (Image: Pennon Group)
Friday, May 17
Tourists cancel Devon holidays last minute over cryptosporidium outbreak
A manager at Brookside Guest House in Brixham said: "It's knocked people's confidence about coming down here. I have had a lot of people call and message asking if it is safe to come and I have assured them we have all the necessary precautions in place and plenty of bottled water.
"What is frustrating is South West Water saying it isn't a problem and then suddenly they have found it in the water. It's not helped people's confidence and they need to earn people's trust back."
Warning that tap water issues could last another week
Affected residents are warned that issues with their water could continue for at least a week. Totnes MP Anthony Mangnall, whose constituency also includes Brixham, said he expected the boil notice to be in place for at least the next six or seven days.
Fears outbreak could last two more weeks
An expert warns the disease could continue for two more weeks. Paul Hunter, professor in medicine and infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia (UEA), said residents should 'expect to see further cases for at least 10 days to two weeks' and that the parasite could 'absolutely' still be in the incubation period for lots of residents.
Confirmed number of Cryptosporidium cases in Devon rises to 46
The latest figures published by the UKHSA confirm cases have risen to 46 with more than a further 100 having reported similar symptoms. More are anticipated.
Cryptosporidium update issued by Torbay Council
Council declares that Torbay is still "open for business" despite the outbreak.
Unpaid carers must repay more than £250 million after many were unknowingly overpaid their allowance, new figures show.
The government is seeking to recover money from more than 134,000 carers.
Carer's Allowance must be repaid in full if a strict earnings limit is exceeded by even a few pence.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said it was "progressing an enhanced notification strategy" to alert carers to overpayments.
Wren Seaward, a full-time carer for her husband John who relies on a wheelchair because of severe osteoarthritis, must pay back £245 a month after unwittingly receiving £5,000 in overpayments.
This has brought a "considerable financial strain" and "makes many of the things we could do in the home to make John's life easier... very difficult to access", she told the BBC.
The couple admit missing DWP letters reminding them to report any changes in circumstances, but say they became overwhelmed with correspondence following the death of their daughter in a car crash.
Unpaid carers who provide care for someone for more than 35 hours a week are entitled to receive the Carer's Allowance.
However they are only eligible if they earn less than £151 per week after tax. If this is exceeded following a change in circumstances - such as working overtime or a modest pay rise - they are no longer eligible and have to repay any allowance received in full.
The latest figures were released by the DWP after a parliamentary question from Labour MP Sir Stephen Timms.
The datashows more than twice as many women are in debt because of overpayments, roughly in line with the proportion that receive Carer's Allowance.
The DWP has previously said that "claimants have a responsibility to inform DWP of any changes in their circumstances that could impact their award, and it is right that we recover taxpayers' money when this has not occurred".
In 2019, a report by the Work and Pensions Committee warned carers could be "heavily penalised for making honest mistakes", as errors in claims were not being spotted quickly enough by the DWP due to "problems with its systems" and "staff shortages".
At the time, the government said it believed it was "well on the way" to fixing those problems and limiting overpayments.
On Thursday, the Work and Pensions Committee warned there has "not been progress" in limiting the impact of the problems raised five years ago, and called on the DWP to "improve urgently" how it monitors and communicates allowance overpayments.
Sir Stephen, who chairs the committee, said the government "has known for years" about the issues, but had "just allowed many unpaid carers to unwittingly rack up unmanageable levels of debt".
"The DWP must now move without delay to get a grip of the problem and ensure carers are no longer subjected to the distress that such overpayments can cause," he said.
Last month two former DWP ministers - Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith and the Liberal Democrat pensions minister during the coalition government, Sir Steve Webb - called on the government to pause its demands for repayments of large sums of money.
Emily Holzhausen from Carers UK, said carers are often "shocked and horrified" when they find out they have been overpaid.
"It's devastating for their mental health, and feels really tough paying that back", she said.
Karina Moon, whose daughter Amber requires round-the-clock care, owes £11,000 after earning slightly over the claim limit at her part-time supermarket job.
She has been paying back £60 a month for the last four years, and will continue paying for another 11.
"It takes money out of our income", she said, "it's money that would help me run the car, help pay bills, put food on the table".
Meanwhile Gina Price, from Carmarthenshire in south-west Wales, cared for her dad while working part-time at a petrol station. She said she would sometimes agree to work an extra shift, but would do fewer other weeks. This way, she believed she would remain under the earnings threshold to qualify for the benefit.
She now owes the DWP around £7,000 in overpayments, and said the debt was a "huge blow".
It is "a big debt by anyone's standards", let alone someone working part time, she added.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, a carer himself, has called for these debts to be cancelled.
"It's just unbelievable" that carers are being forced to repay as a result of the "government's own incompetence", he told the BBC.
"People work hard, they pay their taxes, they look after their loved ones, the government should be incentivising work," he said.
The Department for Work and Pensions said the total amount of Carer's Allowance overpayments "includes historical debts which the department is seeking to recover".
"In comparison, Carer's Allowance expenditure is forecast to be £4.2 billion this year alone," it said.
"Carers across the UK are unsung heroes who make a huge difference to someone else's life, and we have increased Carer's Allowance by almost £1,500 since 2010," the department added.
Teacher Rebecca Joynes groomed the two teenage boys from the age of 15, the trial heard
A teacher has been found guilty of having sex with two schoolboys.
Rebecca Joynes, 30, groomed both boys from the age of 15, Manchester Crown Court was told.
Joynes was convicted of four counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of sexual activity with another child,
She was on bail for sexual activity with the first child, boy A, when she began sex with the second, boy B, who she went on to become pregnant by.
Neither teen must be identified.
Joynes closed her eyes and grimaced before beginning to shake as the guilty verdicts were returned by the jury foreman.
Her mother and father, sitting in the public gallery, made no reaction.
But yards away the parents of the boys stifled cheers as Joynes was convicted.
Judge Kate Cornell warned Joynes: "There's a baby in this case who has done nothing wrong and is entirely innocent of all wrongdoing, and you will obviously want to see her before the sentence is passed, I do understand that.
"But you must be under no illusion what's going to happen on the fourth of July."
Michael O'Brien, defending, successfully applied for bail.
'Flattered'
The court previously heard that Joynes was 28, had just come out of a nine-year relationship, and was "flattered" by the attention of teenage schoolboys.
Boy A worked out her mobile number after she gave him all but one digit, and the pair connected on Snapchat.
He sent her flirtatious texts and they agreed to meet secretly.
Boy A lied to his mother that he was staying over at a friend's house after school finished on Friday, but instead Joynes picked him up near his home in her Audi A1, took him to the Trafford Centre, and bought him a £350 Gucci belt.
Joynes was on bail when she got pregnant by one of the boys
Back at her flat they kissed and had sex twice.
The next day the boy's mother noticed a love-bite on her son's neck, which he dismissed as "nothing".
But police received a tip-off and visited the school along with boy A's "distraught" mother, who stormed into reception after being told her son had spent the night with a teacher.
Joynes was bailed on condition she have no unsupervised contact with anyone under 18.
She said she had a "breakdown" and moved back to her parents in Wirral.
She was at a low point when boy B messaged her on Snapchat asking how she was.
"I genuinely thought he cared," Joynes said.
Joynes moved back to Salford Quays, and Boy B visited and they had sex for the first time.
She was arrested for breaking bail conditions and spent five months in custody until she was bailed in November last year, giving birth in early 2024.
Jane Wilson, senior crown prosecutor for CPS North West, said: "Rebecca Joynes is a sexual predator.
"She abused her position to groom and ultimately sexually exploit schoolboys. Her behaviour has had a lasting impact on them."
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PC Perry Lathwood, 50, of Norman’s Bay, East Sussex, assaulted Jocelyn Agyemang and caused bruising injuries to her arm during the arrest on July 21 last year in Whitehorse Road, Croydon, south London. He was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday after a trial.
Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram said on Friday it was “not necessary to grab the woman’s arm, arrest her and handcuff her.
The woman was handcuffed at the scene (Mandu Reid/Twitter)
“There were not reasonable grounds to suggest arrest was necessary,” he continued. “The officer made an error of judgment and overreacted.”
While he had initially been investigated by the IOPC for racially aggravated assault, this was not pursued and he was instead charged with assault by beating.
The trial had previously heard police officers were helping ticket inspectors on a bus in Croydon at the time.
Paul Jarvis, prosecuting, said Ms Agyemang was dropping her son off at her mother’s house before heading to an appointment in Marylebone scheduled for 12.30pm.
After she and her son disembarked the bus at around 11am, she was asked to show she had paid her fare by a bus inspector.
“She does not hand it over and she walks off,” Mr Jarvis told the court. “It is at this moment that Pc Lathwood becomes involved.”
He said Lathwood put a hand on her, but she moved away, so he then grabbed her arm and arrested her for fare evasion.
Metropolitan Police constable Perry Lathwood was charged with assault by beating in relation to bruising injuries caused to a woman’s arm during during a wrongful fare evasion arrest (PA Wire)
A crowd gathered, with people filming the officer and asking him why he had arrested her.
Footage posted online shows the woman shouting “What the hell?” and “What the f*** is going on?” while handcuffed, as two male officers hold her arms.
She repeatedly asks one of the officers to let go and says “I haven’t done anything wrong”, while a member of the public films what is happening and asks why she is being arrested.
Mr Jarvis said Lathwood continued to hold her, demanding she tap her card. He also handcuffed her.
Another officer took her Oyster card from her hand and went away with it to see if she had paid.
It was confirmed that Ms Agyemang had paid her fare and she was de-arrested at the scene. In her evidence to the court, Ms Agyemang gave evidence to the court and said she felt “very violated” by the incident.
“I just felt like they did not care,” she said. “I just felt a bit degraded because I had not done anything wrong.”
She added that the experience was “very scary” and said “I just remember the strong grip.”
The woman said the incident had left her feeling ‘very violated' (Victoria Jones/PA Wire)
“With things I have experienced in my past, when someone is holding me, especially when I feel like I have done nothing wrong, it is very scary for me.”
PC Lathwood also gave evidence and told the court he had “no idea” what else he could have done other than arrest her.
He said he arrested her to stop her from leaving the scene.
“Because of her actions and her refusal to show that card to other people who had continuously asked her to do so,” he said.
He was asked why he did not tell her why she was being arrested.
“If the card had come back as not paid we would have progressed and explained everything to her if she had allowed us,” he said.
Screengrab of the bodyworn footage shows the woman being manhandled (IOPC/PA Wire)
“I just couldn’t believe the way they were handling the woman. They were trying to get her onto the floor at one point – she was so distressed and it just seemed like no one cared. Everyone was just standing around watching. So, I felt like I had to start filming.”
Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) regional director Mel Palmer said: “Any use of force by officers should be reasonable, proportionate and justifiable in the circumstances.
“This was a high-profile incident that caused significant concern, particularly in the Croydon community, after footage of the incident was published online.
“We carried out an independent and impartial investigation to establish the facts surrounding this incident, including the actions of the police officers involved.
“The decision to refer a file of evidence to the CPS to consider criminal charges is not something we take lightly and this was done after careful consideration of the evidence, including liaison with the CPS.”
The police watchdog said it will now liaise with the force to progress disciplinary proceedings for the officer.
Lathwood will be sentenced at the same court on 14 June.
South West Water has issued a warning after reports of scammers trying to defraud customers affected by the cryptosporidium outbreak in South Devon. According to the company, these fake calls - claiming to be from the water company - are made in relation to customers' compensation claim and direct debit details.
After the company confirmed it had found traces of cryptosporidium, a sickness-causing parasite, in water samples in Brixham this week, a boil water notice was announced and residents living in areas affected by the outbreak were advised not to consume untreated tap water. South West Water (SWW) then said it would provide £115 in compensation to all affected.
Now, SWW said it has received reports of people making scam calls to customers in the wake of the parasitic outbreak in the town. SWW has stressed that customers do not need to do anything in order to receive this money and the company does not need to get in touch about it.
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"For all household customers who have been issued with the Boil Water Notice you will receive your compensation by way of an automatic payment," it said in a social media post. Anyone who receives a suspicious call is urged not to give out bank details and report the scam call to Action Fraud.
South West Water said: "We have been made aware of scam calls to customers, claiming to be from South West Water, in relation to your direct debit details and a compensation claim. It is important to reiterate that we do not need to contact you and you do not need to do anything.
"For all household customers who have been issued with the Boil Water Notice you will receive your compensation by way of an automatic payment. For business customers, this payment will be made via your Retailer.
"Where we hold direct debit details this will be made as an immediate payment, where we do not this will be added as a credit to the next available bill. If you receive a suspicious call:
Stop!
Do not give out any bank details.
Report the scam call to Action Fraud, and make your family and friends aware too
Latest figures from the UKHSA reveal that confirmed cryptosporidium have risen to 46 since Wednesday, May 15, when just 22 cases had been confirmed. However, around 100 more people are said to be suffering similar symptoms and the number of cases is anticipated to increase further.
The infected supply area increased to other areas including Boohay, Kingswear, Roseland and North West Paignton. SWW has issued a boil water notice to around 16,000 households and businesses in the area. Residents are advised to boil any water used for drinking, cooking, preparing food or brushing teeth and allow to cool completely before using.
Cryptosporidiosis is predominantly a waterborne disease and infections can be caused by drinking contaminated water or swallowing contaminated water in swimming pools or streams. It can also be acquired by animal or human contact.
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