Police are assisting ambulance crews dealing with a “chemical incident” at HMP Lewes with 10 to 15 people affected, according to reports.
An incident support van with the letters “CBRN” – which stands for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear – was spotted outside the prison on Thursday afternoon, The Argus reported.
A spokesperson for Sussex Poiice said: “Sussex Police are assisting the ambulance service following the report of a medical incident at HMP Lewes at around 12.30pm on Thursday (28 March). “
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A man arrested in connection with two east London crossbow attacks has now been released, police say.
The 47-year-old was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of murder, but police confirmed on Tuesday that he had been released while they continue to investigate the case.
Two people were attacked earlier this month. The first was a 44-year-old woman who was hit in the head while crossing the road by Clifton House in Shoreditch on the evening of 4 March.
The second incident took place on the evening of 14 March, near Arnold Circus, roughly 200m from the first attack, when a 20-year-old man was struck in the neck.
Both victims have been released from hospital, police said on Tuesday.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway, who is responsible for policing in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said the force had been examining CCTV, intelligence and forensic evidence.
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“This remains a complex and ongoing policing operation, and the community will continue to see an enhanced police presence in the area,” he said.
“I’d like to thank local people for their valuable support and would urge anyone still yet to talk to police to do so as soon as possible.”
The Prince of Wales has been so horrified by the human suffering unfolding in the Middle East he’s set to carry out a series of engagements to highlight the plight of all those affected by the ongoing conflict.
In the coming days, Prince William will meet with charities in the UK that are providing humanitarian support in the region and will hear about the conditions faced by those working on the ground.
He will also join a conversation at a synagogue with young people from a wide range of communities to acknowledge the rise in antisemitism around the world.
In October last year Prince William made what was seen as an unexpected intervention when Kensington Palace released a statement expressing his and the Princess of Wales‘s profound distress at the devastating events unfolding in the region.
It is rare for members of the Royal Family to make public comments on such contentious matters.
Sky News has been told that Prince William has been following events closely and his extreme concern about the human impact, especially on young people on both sides, has compelled him to want to do more within the diplomatic limits of his position.
In a press release announcing two visits by the heir to the throne, Kensington Palace said: “The Prince and Princess were profoundly concerned by events that unfolded in late 2023 and continue to hold all the victims, their family and friends in their hearts and minds.
“Their Royal Highnesses continue to share in the hope of a better future for all those affected”.
William will carry out the engagements alone as Kate continues to recover from abdominal surgery.
Their statement in October acknowledged the horrors experienced by innocent families on both sides, with their spokesperson saying: “The Prince and Princess of Wales are profoundly distressed by the devastating events that have unfolded in the past days.”
The spokesperson added: “The horrors inflicted by Hamas‘s terrorist attack upon Israel are appalling; they utterly condemn them.
“As Israel exercises its right of self-defence, all Israelis and Palestinians will continue to be stalked by grief, fear and anger in the time to come. Their Royal Highnesses hold all the victims, their families and their friends in their hearts and minds.”
In a separate statement, the King’s spokesperson said he was “appalled” by the “barbaric acts of terrorism” in Israel, adding the monarch was “extremely concerned” and his “thoughts and prayers are with all of those suffering”.
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In June 2018, Prince William became the first member of the Royal Family to visit Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
It continues to be seen as one of his most sensitive and challenging diplomatic trips to date and clearly had a lasting impact on him.
During the four-day trip, he expressed his own hopes for “lasting peace” in the region.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters have marched through central London – a day after the UK joined the US in attacking Houthi bases in Yemen.
The Iran-backed rebel group, which supports Hamas, has been targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
It has vowed to damage vessels it believes are heading to and from Israel until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
Middle East crisis – follow latest
One speaker in Parliament Square on Saturday said British planes had been “flying where they do not belong”.
A few Yemeni flags were spotted on the march, Sky News correspondent Ivor Bennett said.
One placard read “Hands off Yemen”. According to its bearer, the only way to stop Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea is to support a ceasefire in Gaza.
Another placard read: “UK + US wants war. Yemen supports Palestine. Gaza wants to live.”
Six arrests have been made, two of which were “in relation to offensive placards”, the Metropolitan Police said.
Another three people were arrested on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation – an offence under the Terrorism Act.
One person was held for being in possession of “stickers to be used for criminal damage”.
A “significant policing presence” of about 1,700 officers was planned by Scotland Yard, which handed out leaflets.
Image: Part of a leaflet handed out by the Met Police
The protesters want Israel to stop its military operations in Gaza, which followed the Hamas attacks in Israel on 7 October.
Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, accused the British government of “complicity” with Israel.
Speaking in Parliament Square, he said Palestine was a “nation of freedom fighters”, adding: “I stand before you with a broken heart but not a broken spirit.”
He also congratulated South Africa for bringing a genocide case against Israel at the UN’s International Court of Justice.
That case has “gone down well with demonstrators”, Ivor Bennett said, with one woman saying she was “ecstatic” at the news.
Mary Lou McDonald, the president of Sinn Fein, told the crowd that a better situation for the Palestinian people is possible.
“When I say this, standing in London, in common cause with you, (having) walked our own journey out of conflict, building peace for 25 years, this can happen,” she said.
“This must happen and we will ensure that it does.”
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn addressed protesters in Parliament Square, while his former shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, could be seen leading the march as it left Bank.
There were restrictions, including: any person participating was warned not to deviate from the specified route; the speeches had to end by 4.30pm; the whole event had to end by 5pm.
No participant was allowed to enter the area around the Israeli Embassy.
James Cleverly, the home secretary, said he had been briefed by Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley on plans to “ensure order and safety” during the protest.
“I back them to use their powers to manage the protest and crack down on any criminality,” he said.
Three people, including a 16-year-old schoolboy, were stabbed to death in incidents across east London on Friday, the eve of the coronation.
The attacks, which are unconnected, took place in Walthamstow, Dagenham and Hackney over a period of eight hours.
The 16-year-old was ambushed after leaving Kelmscott School in Walthamstow. A local said his attackers were waiting for him, and he died in the street at 4.39pm.
No arrests have been made, and headteacher Sam Jones called the attack the “darkest of days” for the school community.
“A Kelmscott student was tragically killed in a senseless knife attack,” he said. “Kelmscott is a large and tight-knit family and this loss will be felt for a long time to come.
“Hold those that you love close this evening. I know we will come together as a community and support one another through this.”
An eyewitness said: “He was a year 11 kid. There were three other kids older than him. They were waiting for him.
“They chased him. He ran and when he got to the tyre shop they stabbed him three times in the stomach and he bled to death.”
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, who is leading the investigation into the stabbing, said on Saturday: “My team is working hard to bring justice for the teenage victim and his family in this case and my heartfelt condolences are with them at this terrible time.
“This is a fast-moving investigation and we are aware that this brutal attack took place near a school, and was witnessed by many bystanders and young people.
“My thoughts are with them as they come to terms with seeing such an act of violence unfold and I would ask anyone with footage or images to do the right thing and send them into my team of detectives.
“If you wish to submit images or footage anonymously, please share via Crimestoppers, or you can contact the Major Incident Room where one of my team will be able to take your call.”
Detectives have also started a murder investigation after a teenager was stabbed to death after two groups were reported fighting with machetes near Dagenham Heath Tube station.
Police and the London Ambulance Service were called shortly before midnight on Friday and found an 18-year-old man with stab injuries. He died at the scene despite the efforts of the emergency services.
A second man was taken to hospital with a stab injury, and a 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and is in police custody.
Detective Chief Inspector James Shirley said: “My thoughts are with the young man’s family and friends.
“I want to offer my full reassurances to them, and the wider community, that despite the significant events taking place in London today, the focus of my team is bringing the person or people responsible to justice.”
Three people were also arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was fatally stabbed at a residential property on Mare Street, Hackney.
Police were called at 11.07pm on Friday and found a man in his late 20s, who was declared dead at the scene.
Two men, one in his 40s and the other in his 50s – and one woman in her 50s, have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
A sperm whale is feared to have died after it washed up on the east coast of England.
British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) was called at about 12.15pm on Good Friday to help with a “large, stranded whale” on the beach at Cleethorpes, near Grimsby.
The charity said the animal had been spotted “upright in the water” at about midday, but by the time it reached the beach it was stranded on its side.
A BDMLR spokesperson said: “HM Coastguard and Cleethorpes beach safety team were able to get photographs to help us make a positive identification, and keep the public safe on what can be a dangerous area.
“Unfortunately, the tide was rising quickly and therefore there was no way for BDMLR medics to safely access the whale, and it was soon under the water.
“The beach safety team were able to show our medics CCTV footage of the whale before it became submerged, and it did appear to have passed away.”
Image: (Pic: HMCG Cleethorpes)
The charity said it believes the whale was likely a male as “it is very uncommon for female sperm whales to be found this far north, the only recording of one in the UK being in 2016”.
Sperm whales are the largest toothed whale reaching up to 16 metres in length.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman died in a fire at a block of flats in east London on Thursday evening.
Police, the fire brigade and ambulances were called to Tollgate Road in Beckton, Newham, at 5.28pm.
Five people were also treated at the scene and taken to hospital.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson confirmed the fatality and said the air ambulance, five ambulance crews and other staff were part of the response.
Local media reported the fire broke out in a block of flats opposite a Lidl supermarket.
The manager of the store, Raza Nowsin, told MyLondon that people were jumping out of the windows to escape.
“People were running around everywhere. They had a mattress there and they were trying to jump on it but some people didn’t get to the mattress,” they said.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “One male has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the incident and enquiries are ongoing.”
The mayor of Newham tweeted that she was “deeply saddened”.
“Deepest thanks to @LFBNewham fire fighters, @MPSNewham and @Ldn_Ambulance for their emergency response efforts,” said Rokhsana Fiaz.
“@NewhamLondon officers are working closely with them to support affected residents.
“Tollgate Road E6 cordoned off in response to today’s serious incident.”
Almost 1,000 East of England ambulance workers have voted to strike in a dispute over pay and staffing, the GMB union says.
Paramedics, emergency medical technicians, call handlers and other staff are set to walk out in the region.
The union said its members voted by an 86% majority for industrial action.
The East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS) is the only service not to have been on strike in the latest wave of action.
Workers across the ambulance service have voted to strike over a pay dispute with the government.
The GMB union will meet with representatives in the coming days to discuss potential strike dates for the EEAS workers.
The union said its members are determined to campaign for better pay and are “furious” over the government’s “apparent attempts to smear” them over life and limb cover on strike days.
GMB organiser Lola McEvoy said: “East of England was the only ambulance trust in the country not to have been on strike – that will now change.
“As industrial action spreads to all corners of England, the Scottish and Welsh Governments have begun constructive talks with the GMB and seen walkouts suspended.
“Ministers in England don’t seem to want to listen, leaving NHS workers and the English public being treated like second-class citizens.
“It’s simple – talk pay now and make a decent offer for this year. Our members and the public are waiting.”
Read more: Strikes: Who is taking industrial action in 2023 and when?
Ambulance workers across large parts of England and Wales have taken strike action in recent weeks and another walkout is planned on Friday by members of Unison.
It comes after nurses continued with their industrial action today after walking out on Monday alongside paramedics and call handlers in what was the largest strike in NHS history.
Meanwhile, more than 100,000 civil servants are to strike on budget day in an escalation of a dispute over pay, pensions and job security.
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has announced a new strike date of 15 March, when Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is due to unveil his spring budget.
It follows a strike last week that saw hundreds of thousands of members in 123 government departments walk out across England, Scotland and Wales.
A teenager has been stabbed to death and another is critically ill in hospital after a “highly worrying incident”.
Scotland Yard said they found two males with stab wounds after being called to a disturbance around midnight involving a “large group of people” in Lichfield Road, Tower Hamlets, east London.
A murder investigation is now under way but no arrests have been made yet, say police.
The teenager who died is believed to be aged 17, while the one taken to hospital is 18.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said: “This is a highly worrying incident that has left one young man dead and another fighting for his life in hospital.
“I am aware of reports saying that about a hundred people, armed with weapons were involved. This information does not appear to be wholly accurate.
“We know a significant number of people were caught up in this incident but not necessarily directly involved or armed with weapons.”
The force said it has has yet to arrest anyone in connection with the incident.
Anyone who has information that can help, including pictures or footage of the incident, is asked to call the Metropolitan Police major incident room on 020 8345 3715 quoting reference Operation Wildcast.
Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
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A former Gogglebox star Sandi Bogle has told Sky News she feels ‘sick’ that no one has faced justice over the death of her nephew Bjorn Brown who was stabbed to death in Croydon in March 2017.
The incident comes hours after a boy, believed to be 12, was stabbed in the east London borough of Newham.
The victim was found in Plaistow and treated at the scene.
Two suspects have since been arrested, one on suspicion of GBH and another for affray, the Met confirmed.
Former Gogglebox star Sandi Bogle exclusively told Sky News of her ‘disgust’ that no one has faced justice over her nephew Bjorn Brown’s murder.
Father-of-one Mr Brown was stabbed to death in Croydon, south London in March 2017 and died from his injuries five days later.
Ms Bogle spoke out as new figures revealed 350 killings have gone unsolved in London in the past two decades – including cases in which victims have been shot, stabbed, strangled and drowned.
Meanwhile a former police constable told Sky News how a huge backlog of cases in Britain’s courts – said to be around 60,000 – could be responsible for a drop in people being jailed for knife crime.
Peter Fahy, ex-chief constable for Greater Manchester Police, said: “We need firmer police action, but there is also real concern about the huge backlog of cases in the courts.
“It’s no good police going out to arrest people if they’re then out on bail and it takes years to get people into court.”
