A former Metropolitan (MET) Police officer, Imran Patel, is facing a misconduct hearing after being accused of using sex workers and viewing adult websites while on duty, amid ongoing scrutiny of behaviour within the force. Patel, who resigned from the MET in July 2024, is alleged to have engaged in the misconduct in May 2022 during the same period an independent review into the MET’s culture and conduct was underway.…

Starmer

NHS

A school bus driver who watched pornography on his phone while transporting pupils has been sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work and placed under two years of supervision. David Robe, 55, from Ashington, Northumberland, was found guilty of breaching the peace by viewing explicit videos and images of naked women in the presence of children. The offences occurred between May and September 2023 while he was operating a private-hire…

Six police officers are facing disciplinary action over their handling of a missing persons case that ended in tragedy when three young people were found dead two days after a car crash near Cardiff. The victims Sophie Russon, 20, Eve Smith, 21, and Darcy Ross, 21 died in the crash on the A48 in St Mellons in March 2023. Two others, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were critically…

The UK government has recovered £74 million from companies running asylum accommodation after a review found they had made excessive profits under previous contracts. The Home Office said the money was reclaimed following a review of supplier contracts initiated after Labour took office last year. The move follows criticism from MPs that successive governments had failed to properly oversee the multi-billion-pound asylum housing system. Home Office figures show that asylum…

McDonald’s has agreed to introduce new sexual harassment training and independent oversight in a strengthened deal with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), following ongoing reports of abuse at its UK outlets. The new measures, announced Thursday, expand a 2023 legally binding agreement between the company and the EHRC after serious allegations of misconduct emerged. The fast-food giant will implement specialist training for managers focused on identifying grooming and…

A leaked video published by The Guardian reveals Reform UK’s KCC leader, Linden Kemkaran, swearing and shouting during a council meeting.

A 67-year-old man who brutally murdered a young couple in their Newhaven home before taking their children to McDonald’s has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Derek Martin, from Brighton, was sentenced at Brighton Law Courts on Thursday after being found guilty of killing Josh and Chloe Bashford in June 2023. He must serve a minimum of 29 years before being eligible for parole, meaning he will spend over 26 years…

Maternity

Electric vehicle (EV) owners in the UK could soon face a new road tax, as the government explores ways to boost revenue in the upcoming Budget. According to report, discussions are underway within government about introducing a new levy for EV drivers to address a growing shortfall in fuel duty, which currently applies only to petrol and diesel vehicles. A government spokesperson said the aim was to create “a fairer…

The bird flu virus currently spreading across UK poultry farms may be the most infectious strain ever seen, a leading expert has warned, as farmers are urged to tighten biosecurity amid rising cases. Professor Ian Brown of the Pirbright Institute, former director of science at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), said the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 strain is “as super-infectious as any high pathogenicity avian influenza…