Search for:
kralbetz.com1xbit güncelTipobet365Anadolu Casino GirişMariobet GirişSupertotobet mobil girişBetistbahis.comSahabetTarafbetMatadorbethack forumBetturkeyXumabet GirişrestbetbetpasGonebetBetticketTrendbetistanbulbahisbetixirtwinplaymegaparifixbetzbahisalobetaspercasino1winorisbetbetkom
Concerns over children being smacked and hit triple in a year, says NSPCC as campaigners call for a total ban in England | UK News

Concerns about children being physically punished have more than tripled in a year, according to the NSPCC.

The charity said its helpline had heard about children being slapped, hit and shaken as punishment.

It’s urging the new government to close the legal defence of “reasonable chastisement” in England.

It said contacts where physical punishment was mentioned had increased from 447 in the 12 months to March 2023 to 1,451 in the year to March 2024.

Wales banned any kind of physical punishment, including smacking, in 2022 and Scotland introduced a similar law two years before.

A UK-wide ban on smacking should be brought in due to current “grey” areas in the law, according to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

More than half of the NSPCC’s contacts about physical punishment were from members of the public concerned about a parent’s behaviour. Only one in 10 were from a child.

Some 45% of the 1,451 contacts were serious enough to refer to social services or the police, the charity added.

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

In 2022, Sir Keir Starmer also called for other UK nations to follow Wales’s lead.

“What it (the ban) does is give children the protection that adults already have, and that is the right thing,” he said at the time.

Studies have linked physical punishment to depression and anxiety and it’s also been known to increase aggression and antisocial behaviour, said the NSPCC.

The charity cited several potential reasons for the increase in contacts.

These include renewed campaigning to ban smacking, more helpline capacity, and a lack of understanding from the public about what’s deemed acceptable when punishing a child.

Read more from Sky News:
Murder probe after woman and three children die in fire
Hero mum ‘slept with baby on deck when storm sank yacht’

Sir Peter Wanless, the NSPCC’s chief executive, said the rise in people contacting them about the issue was “hugely concerning”.

“Mounting evidence shows that physically disciplining children can be damaging and counterproductive,” he said.

“A long overdue change in the law to prevent physical punishment of children must be delivered by our political leaders.

Sir Peter said the new government must act to “end the use of physical punishment across the UK once and for all”.

People opposed to a law change have said previously the status quo still prohibits violence against children while also protecting parents from prosecution for “innocent and harmless parenting decisions”.

Police call off search for remains of Muriel McKay 55 years after her murder | UK News

The police search for the remains of murdered Muriel McKay has been called off.

In a letter to her family, Katherine Godwin, Detective Superintendent in the Met Police, said: “We have now completed the search of the area set out in the agreed parameters, along with an additional strip which we identified was not covered by the 2022 search or the 2024 parameters.

“I am so sorry to say that the search has not been successful in finding Muriel’s remains or any evidence relating to her kidnap and murder.”

Her family has been calling for Ms McKay’s convicted killer Nizamodeen Hosein to be brought to the excavation site from his Caribbean home to show detectives where he buried her body in 1970.

They believe the search cannot be completed without his presence at the farm in Hertfordshire.

According to the family, police have admitted they forgot to dig part of an agreed excavation site at the farm in 2022, when they found nothing.

That was the area that has now been searched.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Some roads in Wales to revert back to 30mph after half a million call for 20mph speed limit to end | UK News

Some roads in Wales are set to go back to 30mph after nearly half a million people called for an end to the national 20mph speed limit.

Ken Skates, the Welsh government’s new transport minister, said “there will be a change” to legislation introduced in September which changed the speed limit on nearly all roads from 30mph to 20mph.

Introduced under former first minister Mark Drakeford, the Welsh government said the reduced speed limit would save lives and help build “safer communities” by reducing the number of collisions.

A petition calling for the removal of the 20mph limit reached 469,571 signatures by 13 March – hundreds of thousands more than the 10,000 required for a petition to be considered for a debate.

Speaking to North Wales Live, the Labour MP said there is “generally universal support” for the speed limit being in place outside of schools, housing estates and hospitals, but acknowledged that many have said “routes that shouldn’t have been included were”.

Read more:
Why did the default speed limit change?
Over half of journeys break limit – report

Goats made famous in lockdown killed in crash

“We’ve put our hands up to say, ‘the guidance has to be corrected’,” he added.

“This will enable councils to revert back those routes that are not appropriate. Whether the change will be radical will largely depend on what people want.”

20mph sign at Aberthin, where a stretch of road has eight different speed limits within a two-mile distance. (Pic: Tomos Evans)
Image:
Transport minister Ken Skates said ‘we’ve put our hands up to say, ‘the guidance has to be corrected”. Pic: Tomos Evans

He added he will share more details in the Senedd on Tuesday, saying “we are working to do this as swiftly as we possibly can,” and acknowledged adjusting the speed limits will be costly but not “anywhere near the cost of the rollout”.

Mr Skates then said: “It is about making sure the application is consistent and we bring back a good degree of unity, whereas currently there is discord.”

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

It comes after a road sign showing a 20mph limit was among seven “removed illegally” in a Welsh village, which has led to “serious road safety concerns”.

Lee Waters, the minister behind the rollout, also said he would be stepping down and would delete his profile on social media platform X due to abuse in March.

Alex Batty: Grandmother reveals final phone call before boy went missing for six years | UK News

The grandmother of the teenager missing for six years has recalled overhearing the boy’s mum say they’re “getting rid of the phones now” in their last phone call.

Alex Batty, now 17, did not return from a trip to Spain when he was 11 and is said to have lived an “alternative” lifestyle abroad before deciding to return home.

The teenager – now under the legal guardianship of his grandmother Susan Caruana, 68, in Oldham – said his mother was “anti-government, anti-vax” whose catchphrase was “becoming a slave to the system”.

Speaking to the Sun newspaper, Ms Caruana said she had allowed the boy’s mother, Melanie Batty, and his grandfather, David Batty, to take him on holiday in September 2017.

But when Alex called to tell his grandmother they won’t be coming back, she feared she’d seen the last of him.

“They completely and utterly betrayed me and left me heartbroken,” she told the Sun.

“I knew as soon as I heard her say, ‘we’re getting rid of the phones now’. I thought ‘I’ll never see him again’.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Alex Batty: Police launch investigation

She added she didn’t know “if they were alive or dead” during the entire six years.

“Every time there was some sort of disaster I feared that he could be a victim,” she said.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed on Friday that a criminal investigation has been launched into Alex’s alleged abduction.

Alex landed in the UK on Saturday having been found by chiropody student Fabien Accidini near the French city of Toulouse last week after walking across the Pyrenees.

Officers in the UK interviewed Alex after his return from France, GMP said.

Last week, French prosecutors said the teenager’s mother, Melanie Batty, who does not have legal parental guardianship, may be in Finland.

Alex Batty 
Pic:GMP
Image:
Alex at a younger age. Pic: GMP

Alex – who said he gave his grandmother a “massive hug” when they were reunited – said he didn’t go to school at all during his time abroad.

He said he must have read the Harry Potter books “at least 20 times” and his main pastime was reading as he could rarely access Wi-Fi.

Read more:
Alex Batty says it feels ‘surreal’ to be home after being missing for six years
Alex Batty’s mother ‘spent summer living in French caravan using fake identity’

“During all my time away, I never attended school for a single day,” he said.

“The only qualifications I have are my SATs test results from primary school when I lived back in Oldham.

“That’s one of the worst things that’s happened to me throughout all this – not having a proper education.”

Russell Brand ‘ripped holes in woman’s tights’ and ‘refused to call her taxi until she performed a sex act’ | Ents & Arts News

A woman has told Sky News that Russell Brand made her feel “vulnerable and intimidated” – and alleges he refused to call her a taxi until she performed a sex act.

It comes as new allegations continue to emerge about the comedian’s behaviour, as another organisation cut ties with him.

Sarah, whose name has been changed, claims she met Russell Brand on an aeroplane where he “seemed friendly and charming”.

He invited her for breakfast and a walk after the flight and she agreed to travel in his limousine.

“He changed,” she says, “like he wasn’t friendly and charming in the limo. He was aggressive and I felt very vulnerable and intimidated.”

She describes Brand “jumping” on her.

Cast member Russell Brand arrives at the premiere of "Rock of Ages" at the Grauman's Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California June 8, 2012. The movie opens in the U.S. on June 15.   REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni  (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT)
Image:
Russell Brand in 2012. File pic

“The limo driver was turning around a few times because I was saying no, but he ripped a hole – more than one hole – in the tights that I was wearing,” she says.

Sarah says they drove straight to Brand’s house where they had consensual sex.

“I mean, it was consensual. I didn’t say no,” she said, “but I feel like there’s a fine line between being forced and being coerced, you know, like being in a situation where the only way out is just to get it over and done with and leave.”

She claims Brand then refused to call her a taxi until she performed oral sex on him.

“I wanted to leave and I said, ‘I need to get a taxi’. And he said, ‘I’m not going to get you a taxi until you do this’, which was a sex act.”

She describes feeling “really trapped” and wanting to “scale that house.”

Sky News has reached out to Russell Brand’s representatives for comment.

Read more:
The allegations in full
Stars’ past warnings resurface
From drug addict to controversial comedy star

‘No, no, no’

The BBC, meanwhile, has said it is looking into new allegations by another woman who claimed he exposed himself to her.

The woman, whom the BBC is naming ‘Olivia’, said she was working in the same building as Brand 15 years ago in Los Angeles when the incident happened.

She claims she answered the door to Brand and his team, and when she went into the bathroom she noticed he was behind her.

Speaking to the BBC, she claims Brand said he was going to have sex with her, to which she replied “no, you’re not”.

Olivia then alleges Brand showed her his genitals to which she responded with “no, no, no”.

She says she returned to her desk afterwards and texted a BBC employee in the office about what had happened.

The employee told her that he knew because Brand was talking about it in the studio, on Radio 2.

Russell Brand in 2008
Image:
Russell Brand in 2008

In the broadcast, which aired on 21 June 2008, Brand is heard speaking to his co-presenter Matt Morgan about it.

Morgan said: “[It’s been] 25 minutes since he showed his w**** to a lady,” and referred to “the receptionist”.

Brand is apparently heard laughing in the background.

According to the BBC report, Olivia never made a complaint, but management was informed in 2019 and no formal action was taken.

The BBC said it was sorry to hear the allegations and would investigate them as part of a review into Brand’s time at the BBC.

In a statement reported on BBC News, Matt Morgan said: “I was not aware until now of the nature of this encounter.

“I’ve expressed my regrets now looking back at the impact of the show and this is a further example.

“The recent coverage has been very distressing to read and I reiterate my absolute condemnation of any form of the mistreatment of women.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Dispatches programme makers speak

‘Open secret’

Comedian Nish Kumar has also spoken out, on his Pod Save The UK podcast, describing the presence of alleged sexual predators as an “open secret” on the comedy scene.

Brand, 48, has previously been accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse by four other women between 2006 and 2013.

He has denied all the claims – saying that his relationships have always been consensual.

The accusations were first reported by the Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4’s Dispatches earlier this month.

The Metropolitan Police subsequently said it had received a sexual assault allegation against Brand dating back to 2003.

As a result, a number of organisations have now cut ties with the presenter.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

C4 boss: Brand allegations ‘disgusting’

The latest to end its association with Brand is the Treasures Foundation, which said it had been “extremely saddened” by the allegations.

In a statement, the charity said it was “founded on Christian principles” and is “totally committed to advocating for the voices of women”.

It continues: “As a result of the recent media investigation into Russell Brand, we have made the decision to no longer receive any support from Mr Brand, and the Stay Free Foundation.

“Moving forward our focus remains on the women under our care.”

Chris Kaba: Parents of man shot by police call for justice a year after his death | UK News

The parents of a man who was shot dead by police last year have led a protest in London as they continue to wait for answers a year after his death.

The march to mark the one-year anniversary of Chris Kaba’s death began at New Scotland Yard and ended in Parliament Square on Saturday.

The 23-year-old was killed after the car he was driving was followed through south London by an unmarked police car with no lights or sirens.

He then turned into Kirkstall Gardens, a narrow residential street in Streatham Hill, where there was a collision between the vehicle he was in and an unmarked police car that was waiting for him at the scene.

A police officer who was in that marked vehicle is now referred to as NX121 for legal reasons.

The marksman fired one shot through the windscreen, hitting Mr Kaba in the head.

With the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) yet to make a decision to charge the officer involved in the case, the message from the protesters was clear – they want answers now.

At the forefront of the protest was Mr Kaba’s father Prosper Kaba and mother Helen Kaba, who both spoke at the event.

“Chris’s matter is our matter,” said Ms Kaba.

“I know I am vulnerable, but I’ve got strength. God has given me the strength to fight till we’ve got justice. We need accountability, we need an answer for what happened to Chris.”

Chris Kaba
Image:
Chris Kaba

Ms Kaba also criticised the length of the legal process, which began with an Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation in the aftermath of Mr Kaba’s shooting on 5 September last year, before a file was passed to the CPS this March.

“The CPS have got everything, they’ve got evidence to decide to charge the officer who killed Chris,” she said in front of the crowd.

“Why in the 21st century should this happen to Chris? No matter what, we need an answer and we need a charging decision without delay.”

The incident last year sparked protests across the country, taking place on two consecutive weekends in September.

Read more:
Chris Kaba’s family say ‘life became meaningless’ after killing
Family criticise ‘unacceptable’ delay in charging decision

Helen Lumuanganu speaks at the protest
Image:
Chris Kaba’s mother speaks at the protest

Helen Lumuanganu wants answer after her son's death
Image:
Helen Kaba wants answer after her son’s death

On Saturday the crowd was smaller, a fact some of the speakers alluded to, urging people to continue to support the campaign.

Those who turned out were in full voice, chanting and carrying placards that include the words “justice for Chris Kaba” and “no justice, no peace”.

Mr Kaba’s father has asked why the officer involved was not jailed.

Chris Kaba's parents
Image:
Prosper Kaba has asked why the officer who killed his son is not in jail

He said: “This officer broke trust between our community and them. To build up this trust they [the police] need to change.”

Speaking before the event, the team campaigning around the family said they want to see the case spark a wider change.

The CPS said it did not provide timescales for charging decisions and prosecutors were “carefully considering the file of evidence”.

A CPS spokesperson said: “As always, we will make that decision independently, based on the evidence and in line with our legal test.”

BBC presenter accused over explicit photos ‘stripped to underpants during video call with youth’ | UK News

A “household name” BBC presenter accused of paying a teenager for explicit photos is facing fresh allegations that he stripped to his underpants during a video call with the youth.

The young person’s mother said she was “shocked” after her offspring showed her a screenshot of the video chat, in which the unnamed star was sitting in his boxer shorts on a sofa at his home.

She told The Sun that the man appeared to be “leaning forward, getting ready for my child to perform for him.”

“My child told me, ‘I have shown things’ and this was a picture from some kind of video call,” she added.

The newspaper did not say when the alleged incident happened.

The mother also alleged that earlier this year she was shocked after overhearing the presenter “on the phone saying to my child: ‘I told you not to f***ing ring me’.”

It comes after The Sun previously claimed that the well-known presenter had paid a total of more than £35,000 to the youth in return for “sexual pictures”.

The man is said to have first requested images when the teenager was 17 back in 2020, and has made a series of payments since then.

No one involved has been named, but The Sun said the presenter has not been suspended and is thought to still being paid his six-figure salary in full.

It said the family made a complaint on 19 May but came forward to the media after becoming frustrated that the man was still on air a month later.

The mother said her offspring told her they had also received a payment of £1,000 in June over PayPal which suggested that the “BBC hadn’t spoken to this man” in the weeks after the initial complaint.

Going public ‘the only way to stop it’

The presenter is now off-air and the BBC has reportedly launched an investigation, although the corporation has not confirmed this.

The youth, who is now aged 20, used the money to fund a crack cocaine habit which “destroyed” their life, the mother has also claimed.

She told the newspaper: “If it goes on then my child is going to wind up dead. Putting this out to the public is the only way to stop it.”

The claims have prompted frenzied speculation on social media over the identity of the presenter and led to a string of BBC stars, including Jeremy Vine and Gary Lineker, to public speak out to deny they are the mystery figure.

Read more:
Everything we know about claims a BBC presenter paid teen for explicit photos

Wealthier should pay more for BBC, says ex-chairman
BBC objects to Twitter’s ‘government-funded media’ label

Earlier on the BBC’s News at Ten programme, the broadcaster’s special correspondent Lucy Manning described the situation as “very serious for the BBC” and warned it could “severely dent the BBC’s reputation”.

She added: “The understanding is the presenter isn’t due on air in the near future, but we haven’t been told – and we have asked…. whether there has or hasn’t been a formal suspension.

“The BBC will need to answer if the investigation should have happened sooner, if it should have been more thorough, and if it’s fair to other presenters, unconnected to this, that their names are now sort of in the headlines.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “We treat any allegations very seriously and we have processes in place to proactively deal with them.

“As part of that, if we receive information that requires further investigation or examination we will take steps to do this. That includes actively attempting to speak to those who have contacted us in order to seek further detail and understanding of the situation.”

They added: “If we get no reply to our attempts or receive no further contact that can limit our ability to progress things but it does not mean our enquiries stop.

“If, at any point, new information comes to light or is provided – including via newspapers – this will be acted upon appropriately, in line with internal processes.”

‘I owe them my life’: Army veteran rescued by coastguard after mayday call ends Rockall record attempt | UK News

An army veteran who hoped to set a world record for the number of days living on a remote North Atlantic islet says he owes rescuers his life after issuing an emergency mayday call.

Christopher “Cam” Cameron VR FRGS planned to remain on Rockall for 60 days and managed to make it to the halfway point before his charity challenge was scuppered by treacherous weather.

Much of his equipment was destroyed by wind and waves throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, and he was almost swept away at several points overnight.

After issuing the distress call to HM Coastguard on Wednesday evening, the crew of nearby ship MV Nassauborg kept in visual contact from the water as waves continued to crash over the islet.

Mr Cameron told Sky News: “I was reassured at all times that I was in safe hands and that I would return to see my family despite being in pain, exhausted and hypothermic.

“I’ll need a moment or two to take stock, decompress, and get home to see my family.”

Christopher “Cam” Cameron. Pic: Rockall Expedition/MPV HIRTA
Image:
Pic: Rockall Expedition/MPV HIRTA

Christopher “Cam” Cameron. Pic: Rockall Expedition/MPV HIRTA
Image:
Pic: Rockall Expedition/MPV HIRTA

Stornoway Coastguard responded to the alert. Mr Cameron was winched to safety via helicopter and then flown back to the Scottish town – the largest in the Outer Hebrides.

Mr Cameron said: “I’m safe and well after a good night’s sleep, courtesy of the hospitality and kindness from the people of Stornoway.

“I owe this all to the courageous and speedy extraction from Rockall by the professionalism of HM Coastguard.”

Rockall is an uninhabitable granite islet around 230 miles west of North Uist.

Mr Cameron had hoped to beat the world record of a 45-day stay on Rockall, set by Nick Hancock in 2014.

Christopher “Cam” Cameron. Pic: Rockall Expedition
Image:
Pic: Rockall Expedition

Mr Cameron, who is usually based in Wiltshire, took on the challenge for The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.

He has raised more than £12,000 for the causes so far.

He said: “I did it for the charities and we have raised some much needed money for them.”

Mr Cameron thanked all those who have sent kind words.

Christopher "Cam" Cameron. Pic: Stornoway Coastguard
Image:
Pic: Stornoway Coastguard

Paying tribute to his rescuers, he said: “I would not be here were it not for the courageous efforts of HM Coastguard – in particular, Stornoway Coastguard and the pilots and crew of Rescue 22, and SAR Stornoway.

“A big thank you also to the captain and crew of MV Nassauborg, who maintained a sector screen around Rockall whilst I waited for the [helicopter]. I owe them all my life.”

Read more:
Boy taken to hospital after falling around 15ft from rocks
Kyle RNLI rescue dog stranded on rock in the Scottish Highlands
Man rescued after 24 hours stuck on remote cliff in the Scottish Highlands

MV Nassauborg. Pic: Cam Cameron
Image:
MV Nassauborg keeping watch. Pic: Cam Cameron

Christopher “Cam” Cameron. Pic: Rockall Expedition/Cam Cameron
Image:
Rockall Expedition/Cam Cameron

Mr Cameron’s family said: “We are hugely proud of all his achievements, but also that he had the courage to make what must have been a very difficult decision in the face of such dreadful weather.

“We are looking forward to welcoming him home and hope that any future adventures will be a little less risky.”

They joked: “Why couldn’t he just have bought a sports car in the first place?”

Christopher “Cam” Cameron. Pic: Rockall Expedition
Image:
Pic: Rockall Expedition

A documentary about Mr Cameron’s challenge, titled Rockall – The Edge of Existence, is currently being produced.

Aaron Wheeler, director of the documentary, said: “We’re glad Cam is safely back on dry land and look forward to watching through the footage that Cam recorded during his occupation to tell the story of his adventure.”

Police Scotland officers ‘fear being labelled a grass if they call out misogyny and sexism’ | UK News

Officers who raise concerns about misogyny and sexism at Police Scotland fear being labelled a grass and feel they have a “target” on their back, a new report has found.

It also said a “boys’ club culture” exists in parts of the service where “the real team meetings happen on the golf course”.

The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) paper said colleagues often disguise or label sexist behaviour as “banter” and if someone challenges or calls it out, they are seen as not being able to take a take a joke and isolated from the team.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘Police Scotland is institutionally racist’

It comes after Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone last week admitted the force is “institutionally racist and discriminatory”.

The new report contained the results of an anonymous online survey, which received 528 responses and found that 81% agree sexism and misogyny is an issue in the force.

The research, carried out between August and October last year for the SPA People Committee, revealed 86% of female colleagues said they have either been subjected to and/or witnessed sexism and misogyny.

Respondents described “having a target on your back” when raising issues and grievances, being labelled a “troublemaker” and “red-marked” during their career.

Some expressed concerns about working conditions and a lack of support for flexible working plans and maternity and paternity leave.

Others described being overlooked for promotion due to maternity and told they had forfeited their policing career by having families.

The report said there have been particular improvements since the early 2000s but there are still areas that need improvement.

It said: “Colleagues need to feel safe to call out behaviours and feel supported when they do. Leadership must be inclusive, visible and accountable across the service to inspire positive change.”

It said the force must “cultivate visible change to ensure that a zero-tolerance approach to sexism and misogyny is the reality”, adding: “This plays an essential part in fostering confidence in colleagues that if they raise an issue, this will be addressed in appropriate and supportive ways.”

Women who have worked in the police have previously spoken out about their experiences, and former armed response officer Rhona Malone last year won almost £1m in compensation from the force after an employment tribunal ruled she was victimised while raising sexism concerns.

Read more:
Police Scotland is ‘institutionally racist and discriminatory’
Police Scotland chief constable to retire
Officers threatening legal action against plan to ban beards

Last week, Sir Iain said the force was “institutionally racist and discriminatory” but that the admission “absolutely does not mean” all officers and staff are racist, sexist or homophobic.

He went on to say there is “no place” in Police Scotland for people who harbour prejudices and that the behaviour of colleagues who have been found to hold such views is “utterly condemned”.

It came as a separate report found “instances of ongoing discrimination against minoritised communities, including first-hand accounts of racism, sexism and homophobia” by serving officers.

Commenting on the new report, Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond, lead on the delivery of action to tackle sexism and misogyny, said: “Hearing these experiences has been difficult and, in some instances, shocking but absolutely necessary.”

She added: “However, people also told us they were seeing progress and change. Women leading at every level in policing, proactive steps to recruit more women and better support for flexible working.

“We are committed to building on this, to continue to listen, to change and become an inclusive, anti-discriminatory organisation that reflects, and influences, the communities we serve.”

Boy in critical condition after being hit by police van responding to emergency call | UK News

A child is in a critical condition in hospital after being hit by a police vehicle in Lancaster.

The child, thought to be an 11-year-old boy, had been crossing the road just before 8.30pm on Thursday night when he was hit.

Lancaster Area Police said their vehicle had been on its way to an emergency call and the collision was being investigated.

It has also been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as is standard for such an incident.

An IOPC spokesperson said: “We understand that a marked police van, with its lights and sirens on, was in a collision with an 11-year-old boy.

“He has been taken to hospital and our thoughts are with him and his family.

“We were notified by the force shortly after the collision and declared an investigation at 10.37pm.

“IOPC investigators are heading to the scene and the police post incident procedure to begin gathering information.

“Our investigation is at an early stage.”

Police appealed for any information, including CCTV or dashcam footage from nearby, adding: “Our thoughts are with the child’s loved ones at this time.”