A suspect has appeared in court following an alleged sex attack near a park that left a 70-year-old woman “scared to leave her house”.
The pensioner was walking near to Colquhoun Park in Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, when she was reportedly pushed to the ground and sexually assaulted by a man on Friday 22 March.
The incident was said to have occurred at around 5.15pm near to Station Road.
Image: Colquhoun Park in Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire
Police Scotland said the woman did not require hospital treatment, but a detective investigating the case said she was left “extremely upset and scared to leave her house”.
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On Saturday, the force announced a 37-year-old man had been arrested and charged in connection with the incident and a report would be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
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Suspect Martin Hackett appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on the same day, where he was accused of sexual assault with intent to rape to injury.
Hackett, of Glasgow, made no plea to the charge and was remanded in custody ahead of his next court appearance.
The Cairngorms has received a £10.7m funding boost as part of plans to transform it into the UK’s first net zero national park.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded the cash to Cairngorms National Park Authority to help deliver its Cairngorms 2030 action plan.
The five-year initiative – seeking to tackle the nature and climate crisis – brings together 20 long-term projects and could reach up to £42.3m in costs.
The programme’s goals include: • To become the first national park in the UK to reach net zero. • Create the equivalent of 1,500 football pitches of new woodland. • Develop the world’s first outdoor dementia resource centre. • Transform the way people get around the Cairngorms. • Pioneer nature-friendly farming and green finance. • Foster meaningful relationships with under-represented communities. • Restore 6,500 hectares of carbon-storing peatland. • Prescribe nature on the NHS. • Empower communities to shape the future of their area. • Restore and enhance three iconic rivers – the Spey, Dee and Esk.
The Cairngorms – which covers parts of Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highland, Angus and Perth and Kinross – is the largest national park in the UK.
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The funding was announced as First Minister Humza Yousaf visited the area on Monday along with Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater, minister for green skills, circular economy and biodiversity.
He said: “The Cairngorms 2030 project is an excellent example of over 70 partners working together to deliver benefits for rural communities, businesses and the natural environment.
“Our national parks create new employment opportunities and promote green skills and jobs. They also help to generate and channel investment into the area’s natural resources.
“Investing in protecting and enhancing Scotland’s precious environment creates great opportunities that will benefit people and communities throughout the country, particularly in rural areas.”
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Sandy Bremner, convener of Cairngorms National Park Authority, said they were “delighted” to receive the lottery funding.
He added: “This five-year, £42.3m initiative will put the power to tackle the nature and climate crisis in the hands of the people in the park.
“It will benefit people’s health and wellbeing, develop sustainable transport solutions and help nature – and we are ready to get going on delivering for all those who live, work and visit this very special place.”
Three men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 19-year-old man was found dead by joggers in a park in west London.
Police were called at around 7.40am on Thursday to Hanworth Park, Feltham, where they discovered Tyler Donnelly who had been stabbed.
On Sunday, three men aged 21, 27 and 32, were arrested at different locations across London and have been taken into custody, the Met Police said.
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, leading the investigation from the Met’s Homicide Command, said: “Tyler left his home around 9.10pm on Wednesday evening and rode his bike along Elmwood Avenue and at some stage entered the park. He never returned home.
“If you were in the park and saw something, regardless of the reason you were there, please get in touch. Our focus is on what happened to Tyler and who was responsible.
“Similarly, if you were driving through Elmwood Avenue, returning home or out walking, did you notice anything? Did you see anyone else in the park on bikes alone or in a group? Did you perhaps see Tyler, who was wearing dark clothing, riding his grey bike?”
Image: A police cordon at the scene at Hanworth Park. Pic: PA
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DCI Howie added: “The H25 bus route goes through Elmwood Avenue, were you travelling through this area on Wednesday or in the early hours of Thursday? Did you see Tyler or anyone matching his description?
“Tyler’s family and friends are inconsolable after receiving the worst possible news imaginable – our thoughts are with them and they are being supported by specialist officers.”
A man has been found stabbed to death in a west London park as police launch a murder investigation.
The body of Tyler Donnelly, 19, was discovered by joggers in Hanworth Park in Feltham at around 7.40am this morning.
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, who is leading the investigation from the Met‘s Homicide Command, has appealed to the public to come forward if they have any information.
Image: The entrance to Hanworth Park on Elmwood Avenue Pic: Google Street View
He said: “Tyler left his home around 9.10pm on Wednesday evening and rode his bike along Elmwood Avenue and at some stage entered the park. He never returned home.
“If you were in the park and saw something, regardless of the reason you were there, please do get in touch. Our focus is on what happened to Tyler and who was responsible.”
The detective added: “Similarly, if you were driving through Elmwood Avenue, returning home or out walking, did you notice anything? Did you perhaps see Tyler, who was wearing dark clothing, riding his grey bike or did you see him with anyone?
“The H25 bus route goes through Elmwood Avenue, were you travelling through this area on Wednesday or in the early hours of Thursday? Did you see Tyler or anyone matching his description?”
Detective Howie said Mr Donnelly’s family and friends “are inconsolable after receiving the worst possible news imaginable”.
“Our thoughts are with them and they are being supported by specialist officers.”
No arrests have been made and police said a post-mortem examination will be carried out in due course.
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Chief Superintendent Sean Wilson, leading policing in Hounslow, said: “It saddens me to see another young life so needlessly cut short and I urge anyone who has information about who is responsible to get in touch with the investigation team.
“I know that this incident will be a shock for those living and working in the area and my officers will be conducting additional patrols to provide reassurance to the community.”
Detectives investigating the disappearance of a Royal Navy sailor more than 37 years ago are searching a car park in Gibraltar after receiving new information.
Simon Parkes, from Bristol, was last seen in December 1986 when the ship he was serving on, HMS Illustrious, was docked in the territory.
His disappearance has previously been part of investigations by Hampshire Police into serial killer Allan Grimson, a former petty officer, who was jailed for life for the murder of two young men and who was serving on board the aircraft carrier at the same time as Mr Parkes.
Police have previously carried out digs at a cemetery in Gibraltar.
Last August they searched the Town Range car park – and now, following “a new line of enquiry”, officers from Hampshire Constabulary have returned there.
Image: Fresh searches are being carried out at a car park in Gibraltar
A force spokesman said officers were carrying out “a small amount of further excavation work” at the site after “a further potential area of interest within the car park was identified to us”.
“A working group led by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, comprised of detectives and specially trained search officers both from the police and military, will be carrying out the work in Gibraltar during the week of 15 January as we continue to investigate what happened to Simon Parkes,” he said.
“The operational activity is part of our work to assess a new line of enquiry that has been presented to us.
“This latest activity follows work carried out in August 2023 where a small amount of excavation work was undertaken at Town Range car park.
“Whilst nothing was found to progress the investigation, a further potential area of interest within the car park was identified to us.
“This investigation continues to be a collaborative operation between Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and Royal Gibraltar Police with support from the Ministry of Defence.”
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Mr Parkes, a radio operator, was 18 years old when he went missing.
He went on to shore but never made it back on board and when the ship returned to Portsmouth days later, no one knew what had happened to him despite a huge manhunt.
“Since then, investigations into his disappearance have so far failed to find answers for his long-suffering parents,” the force spokesman added.
Grimson was jailed in 2001 at Winchester Crown Court for the murders of naval rating Nicholas Wright, 18, from Leicestershire, and barman Sion Jenkins from Newbury, Berkshire.
He has always denied being involved in the disappearance of Mr Parkes.
Universal Studios has written to residents about plans to build its first UK theme park in Bedfordshire.
Universal Destinations & Experiences – which is owned by US company Comcast – wrote to people living near the site after confirming it had bought land near Bedford.
It said the company was in the “very early stages” of exploring a potential park, adding that while it owns the land it may be “many months before we decide whether to proceed with the project”.
John Reynolds from the company’s external affairs said Universal had “a strong track record of working together with local communities as we consider any new project”.
“Engaging with the local community in Bedford, Kempston Hardwick, Stewartby, Wixams, Wootton, and elsewhere will be no different,” he added.
He said Universal had been “encouraged by the positive nature of conversations” with stakeholders, including Bedford Borough Council and the town’s mayor.
“We plan to work closely with our local communities should we progress,” he added.
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Image: A map showing the land Universal has purchased
Other Universal destinations around the world “create thousands of jobs and generate significant positive economic impact”, he said.
Universal has been expanding aggressively since the pandemic, with fresh attractions at its long-popular US and Japanese destinations, a whole new park in Beijing in 2021, and another in Florida in 2025.
Universal has launched a website to keep Bedfordshire residents updated with the progress of plans.
“There is still a long way to go, and we may not have any more information to share in the near term,” Mr Reynolds added.
The Bedford site is 45 minutes from London and easily accessible from Luton airport.
Three police officers have been injured following disorder outside Aston Villa’s ground in Birmingham ahead of a Europa Conference League match.
The violence was reported at Villa Park ahead of a match between Aston Villa and Legia Warszawa, West Midlands Police said.
Away fans were prevented from entering the stadium after objects were thrown at officers, the force said.
The visiting fans were held in the coach park near the ground.
Stewards also removed several people believed to be away supporters from the home stands during the match, while footage on social media appeared to show objects being thrown into the stadium from outside.
Image: Police attempt to put out flares thrown towards them outside the stadium
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Police told followers on X: “We’re currently unable to allow away fans into Villa Park following disorder outside the stadium which has seen missiles thrown at officers.
“Three officers have already been injured & a significant policing operation continues. Please avoid Witton Lane where possible.”
In a statement, Legia said their official delegation, owner and president refused to enter Villa Park in solidarity with their supporters, while they also complained about the ticketing situation.
Aston Villa and Legia went into the match neck-and-neck at the top of Group E in the Europa Conference League.
The eight group winners automatically go through to the last 16 of the competition, while the eight runners-up go into a play-off with the third-ranked teams from the Europa League groups.
Luton Airport has said it is “unlikely that any vehicles will be salvageable” after a massive fire caused one of its multi-storey car parks to partially collapse earlier this week.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident at 9.38pm on Tuesday and, at its peak, had 15 fire engines, three specialist aerial appliances and more than 100 firefighters at the scene.
Andrew Hopkinson, chief fire officer with the service, said as many as 1,500 vehicles were in the car park at the time – with up to 1,200 believed to be damaged.
Holidaymakers who left their cars at the airport say they have been “left in limbo” and have received “no help”.
In a statement, the airport said it is “unlikely that any vehicles in the car park will be salvageable” but this was “still in the process of being assessed”.
It said it had provided the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) with the registration details of 1,405 vehicles and, along with its parking provider APCOA, it had responded to almost 16,500 customer queries since the fire.
An airport spokesperson said it recognised it has been an “extremely distressing” time for those affected and it was working with the Association of British Insurers to establish the possibility of safely retrieving any personal items from the vehicles.
The airport said the emergency services have handed back control of the site and it is working to make it safe.
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Moment fireball consumes Luton Airport car park
‘An extremely distressing time for all concerned’
A London Luton Airport spokesperson added: “We recognise this has been an extremely distressing time for all concerned and we would like to thank our customers for their ongoing patience and understanding while we work through the many complexities following this incident.
“Dealing with such a large volume of inquiries, while an investigation is ongoing, has naturally extended our response times.
“Our team have been tirelessly working around the clock to keep customers informed of developments.
“We also advise all customers affected to notify their insurance company as soon as possible.”
The statement continued: “We are working with the Association of British Insurers on behalf of the many insurance companies to establish whether it will be possible to safely retrieve any personal possessions and, if so, how this process may work.
“Until such time, it will not be possible to provide more detailed information or a specific timeline.
“We remain committed to transparency and resolution and will continue to provide updates as the situation unfolds.”
The airport’s Dart rail transit system, which opened earlier this year, remains closed along with the car park.
A 24-year-old has been hailed the “backpack hero” for confronting the suspect after the stabbing of a British girl and five others in a French park – while using his bag as a shield.
Henri, who was on a nine-month Catholic pilgrimage around France‘s cathedrals, said that after realising the extent of the attack he “followed [his] instincts and tried to protect [the] children”.
Four children, aged between 22 months and three years old, were left with “life-threatening injuries” after the suspect, a Syrian refugee named by French media as Abdalmasih H, rampaged through the lakeside park in the town of Annecy.
The most critically injured children were two cousins.
Two adult men were also hurt during the incident – one of whom was injured with the knife and by a shot fired by police as they were arresting the suspect.
Image: Henri following the suspect with his backpack after the attack in French park
Using his bag to swipe at the attacker, and at one point throwing one of the backpacks to fend off his blade, Henri told broadcaster BFMTV that he acted off his instincts and immediately ran after the suspect, trying to scare him off and distance him from the injured.
“I didn’t even think, I must admit the brain really unplugged,” he said.
“For me, it was just impossible to let those who can’t defend themselves get attacked by someone who seemed like a crazy person.
“I had my big 20kg backpack on my back, I tried to run with the big one at first in the park behind him before realising he was much faster than me so I got rid of my big backpack after and followed him with my little bag.”
Image: The knife attack suspect
Henri added: “He tried to attack me at some point, our eyes have met.
“I understood that it wasn’t a guy in a normal state, something really bad was inside of him and it had to absolutely be stopped.
“I am far from alone in having reacted.
“Many other people around started, like me, to run after him to try to scare him, push him away.
“And other people immediately went over to the children to take care of the injured.”
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Image: Henri the ‘backpack hero’
Image: President Emmanuel Macron talks with Henri
President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that the victims would “continue to improve”.
The two cousins have been stabilised and the three-year-old British national is “awake and watching television” after being treated at a hospital in Grenoble, Mr Macron said.
A wounded Dutch girl has also improved and a critically injured adult is regaining consciousness.
He said that the children were saved by the “swiftness” of those who intervened after the incident, including Henri.
Henri asked the French president if he could be invited to the inauguration of Notre-Dame Cathedral – which was partially destroyed in a fire in 2019 – when it re-opens.
Mr Macron said he will personally make sure he is invited.
“Thank you immeasurably for your courage,” Mr Macron said to those who intervened. “You experienced very hard moments, traumatising. I am very proud of you.”
Motives for the attack remain unknown, but there was “no apparent terrorist motive”, according to local prosecutor Line Bonnet-Mathis.
Image: Pic: AP
Image: People pay tribute at scene of attack
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the 31-year-old suspect recently had an asylum request rejected because he has held refugee status in Sweden for the past 10 years.
French authorities rejected the request on 26 April but the suspect only learned of the decision on 4 June, French broadcaster BFMTV said.
Henri’s father, Francois, said his son “told me that the Syrian was incoherent, saying lots of strange things in different languages, invoking his father, his mother, all the Gods”.
“In short, he was possessed by who knows what, but possessed by folly, that’s certain,” he said.
A rebranding move to drop the name Brecon Beacons in favour of its Welsh counterpart has been criticised by senior Conservatives who suggested the money could have been better used to encourage tourism.
They also called it a symbolic attempt to look “trendy” which could undermine the region’s international identity.
The picturesque and rugged national park will now be known as Bannau Brycheiniog to reflect its Welsh language roots and remove any association with carbon emissions.
As part of the overhaul, there will be a new green and white logo to replace a brightly burning beacon.
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Can you pronounce the new Brecon Beacons name?
The park’s management admitted any connection with a wood-burning, carbon-emitting blazing beacon was “not a good look” for the Brecon Beacons, which covers around 520 square miles (1,350 sq km) of mountainous South and mid Wales.
And it said there was no evidence that beacons, which were once lit on peaks or coastlines to warn of an imminent attack, had ever been used in the area – so the Welsh name better reflected its heritage.
Bannau Brycheiniog translates in English as “peaks of Brychan’s kingdom” – a reference to the king who ruled that area during the fifth century.
But the renaming has been criticised by Tories including Welsh Secretary David TC Davies who said: “What concerns me is the fact there was no consultation and people who live and work in the national park were not given the opportunity to voice their opinion.
“It would be somewhat alarming if this was an entirely executive decision.
“The Brecon Beacons has a long-standing international identity and that is the name it will always be known by to so many around the world. I do question the cost and feel this is money that could have been used to encourage tourism in a better way.
“As a bilingual country, I fail to understand why the Welsh name cannot be used alongside the English name.”
Image: Welsh Secretary David TC Davies. Pic: UK parliament
‘Jumping on a sustainability bandwagon for PR purposes’
Brecon and Radnorshire’s Tory MP Fay Jones questioned the cost and impact of the “symbolic” rebrand and demanded to know why local people were not consulted.
“I’m amazed that a change of name should be imposed on those who live and work in the national park without any consultation,” she said.
“I am worried that this is symbolic. This is about looking trendy and jumping on a sustainability bandwagon for PR purposes.”
Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies said: “The Beacons are as recognisable outside of Wales as they are here. Why undermine that?”
However, Welsh actor Michael Sheen said he welcomed the “reclamation of the old Welsh name – an old name for a new way of being”, and he has filmed a promotional video to celebrate the name change.
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Image: Catherine Mealing-Jones, chief executive of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. Pic: Bannau Brycheiniog
‘Providing leadership on decarbonisation’
Also, the park authority’s chief executive, Catherine Mealing-Jones, said: “Given that we’re trying to provide leadership on decarbonisation, a giant burning brazier is not a good look.
“Our park is shaped by Welsh people, Welsh culture, and as we looked into it we realised the brand we’ve got and the name we’ve got, it’s a bit of a nonsense, it doesn’t really make any sense – the translation Brecon Beacons doesn’t really mean anything in Welsh.
“We’d always had the name Bannau Brycheiniog as the Welsh translation and we just felt we needed to put that front and centre as an expression about the new way we wanted to be celebrating Welsh people, Welsh culture, Welsh food, Welsh farming – all of the things that need to come with us as we go through this change in the management plan.”
