By Eniola Amadu A man has been found guilty of stalking television and radio presenter Myleene Klass and her colleague Katie Breathwick, after sending them disturbing items including a gun, handcuffs, and a police uniform. Peter Windsor, 61, from Stechford, Birmingham, was convicted of two counts of stalking causing serious alarm or distress at Birmingham Crown Court on. He had denied the charges, which related to a series of unwanted…

Millions of UK motorists could receive average compensation of about £700 each after the financial regulator unveiled details of a redress scheme for victims of car finance mis-selling. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said the payouts could apply to 14 million motor finance agreements signed between April 2007 and November 2024, potentially costing lenders up to £8.2bn. The regulator had earlier estimated average payouts would be below £950 per deal.…

Metro Bank customers have expressed outrage after a major IT glitch left many unable to make payments, access funds, or facing unexpected negative balances. The disruption, which began early Tuesday morning, affected both inbound and outbound payments, with customers reporting duplicate charges and incorrect account balances. Although the bank announced that the issue had been resolved, users continued to experience problems hours later. Several customers took to social media to…

The conservative proposal to abolish the independent, judge-led Sentencing Council and transfer its powers to the Ministry of Justice has drawn fierce criticism from across the political spectrum, with former Tory ministers describing it as bonkers, unwise, and potentially dangerous. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick is expected to announce the plan at the Conservative Party conference, arguing that the Sentencing Council is not fit for purpose and accusing it of…

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has criticised plans by students to hold pro-Palestine demonstrations on the second anniversary of the Hamas-led 7 October attacks on Israel, describing them as “un-British” and disrespectful. Starmer said protests planned at universities on Tuesday showed so little respect for others, accusing some demonstrators of using the movement as a despicable excuse to attack British Jews. Today, on the anniversary of the atrocities of October 7,…

The number of mobile phones stolen in London has almost tripled in just four years, rising from 28,609 cases in 2020 to 80,588 in 2024, according to new figures from the Metropolitan Police Service. The statistics reveal that three-quarters of all stolen phones in the United Kingdom are now taken in the capital, making London the epicentre of a growing crime wave that police say is being fuelled by global…

A Reform UK-run council where the party sought to pilot drastic cost-cutting plans is going to have to raise council tax, a cabinet member has admitted. Services at Kent county council were already “down to the bare bones”, said Reform’s cabinet member for adult social care, Diane Morton. It makes Kent the latest local authority controlled by Nigel Farage’s party to signal its intention to raise council tax. “We’ve got…

Nursing leaders have warned that the NHS and social care could cease to function under Labour’s proposed immigration rules, describing the policy as divisive, xenophobic, and ignorant. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) criticised the plan, which would double the time foreign workers must wait before applying for indefinite leave to remain from five to ten years and bar them from claiming benefits such as child support, housing allowance, or…

Foreign nationals denied access to benefits under new Conservative welfare proposals would have the option of returning to their home countries, Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride has said. Speaking ahead of his address at the Conservative Party Conference on Monday, Stride defended the party’s plan to save £47 billion a year from public spending, with £23 billion coming from cuts to welfare. The proposed reforms include restricting social security payments to…

Hundreds of international students left in limbo after University College London (UCL) exceeded its visa allocation have now been cleared to take up their places following successful negotiations with the Home Office. The students, many from China, were initially told to defer their studies until next year after UCL ran out of Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) documents electronic certificates required for student visa applications. The shortage followed what…

By Eniola Amadu Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has downplayed concerns about members defecting to Reform UK, describing the rival party as an “easier option” for those unwilling to face difficult times. Speaking to BBC East ahead of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Badenoch insisted her party remained the only one “competent and tough enough” to deliver effective governance. Her comments come amid growing defections from the Conservatives to Reform…

Lyons to unveil strategy to boost disability employment in Northern Ireland By Eniola Amadu A new Stormont strategy designed to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities is to be launched by Communities Minister Gordon Lyons. Lyons will outline his plans for a Disability and Work Strategy in a statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly, setting out measures to make workplaces more accessible and inclusive. Alongside the strategy, the minister…