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Dec 21 2024

Just Stop Oil protester Gaie Delap recalled to prison after issues fitting electronic tag | UK News

A 77-year-old Just Stop Oil protester has been recalled to prison after she was unable to be fitted with an electronic tag.

Gaie Delap was sentenced to 20 months in prison in August for being part of a group that blocked the M25 in November 2022.

The grandmother, from Bristol, was released early on 18 November on a home detention curfew – but the Electronic Monitoring Service (EMS) was unable to attach an electronic tag to her ankle due to a health condition.

They tried to fit the device onto one of her wrists, but they proved too small.

As a result, on 5 December an arrest warrant was put out, and she was recalled to prison, according to Just Stop Oil (JSO).

Her friends and family said in a statement that they were “outraged” by the decision,which they described as “cruel and totally unnecessary”.

They say Delap was “fully compliant with the terms of her release” and was in hospital when the warrant was issued.

“We know there are alternatives to the tag,” the statement read. “We know that if she had been a man, a tag would have been available to EMS.

“Because of medical conditions, Gaie requires a wrist tag or some equivalent. And we know from our own investigations and enquiries there are many out there.”

Her relatives added that Delap is “absolutely no threat to the community” and her recall will “waste” £12,000 in taxpayer money.

“We cannot believe that there is not an electronic monitoring device that can be fitted at a fraction of the cost,” they said.

“We want common sense to prevail.”

‘Significant mistreatment in prison’

JSO says Delap suffered a stroke in the run-up to her trial and continues to suffer from various medical issues.

It claims she “experienced significant mistreatment in prison, suffering wrist problems after being handcuffed to a bed in hospital”.

She “experienced significant mistreatment in prison, suffering wrist problems after being handcuffed to a bed in hospital” and the warrant for her arrest was reportedly issued whilst she was receiving treatment in hospital.

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JSO’s statement read: “Gaie took action in 2022 after the government announced that it would issue over 100 new oil and gas licences.

“This was despite summer temperatures climbing above 40C (104F), railways buckling in the heat, harvests being decimated, and the London Fire Brigade experiencing the most calls since WWII. There were 61,000 excess deaths from the heat in Europe that year.

“Gaie took this brave action out of a deep sense of duty to protect her children, grandchildren and indeed all of us.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “We have a duty to enforce sentences passed down by the independent judiciary.

“The law states anyone released under home detention curfew must be tagged and recalled if no alternative solution is available.”

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Nov 19 2024

Stop chasing on-the-run emu in your 4x4s, say Lincolnshire police | Offbeat News

Police in Lincolnshire have urged motorists to stop chasing an on-the-run emu in off-road vehicles.

Officers in Boston said there had been sightings for a “couple of weeks” in the Spilsby area but the bird is at risk of being injured and people should not approach it.

It’s currently unclear where the emu escaped from.

Posting on Facebook, police said: “Experts have been trying to gain her trust by feeding her in the same spot for a while, however, efforts are being scuppered and staff and volunteers are concerned because members of the public have been chasing her in 4x4s.

“If she continues to be agitated in this way, there is a risk of her running into the path of oncoming vehicles causing harm to herself or others.”

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The National Exotics Animal Rescue Service is on the scene and has called in a specialist team to coordinate the emu’s capture, police said.

They are asking that any sightings are reported to the service via its Facebook page.

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Nov 4 2024

Cladding safety work needs target date to stop residents living with fear of fire, says government spending watchdog | UK News

Thousands of people living in buildings with dangerous cladding should be a given a target date for when their homes will be made safe, says Whitehall’s spending watchdog.

Between 9,000 and 12,000 buildings are expected to need their cladding dealt with, at a cost of around £16bn.

However, more than 7,200 of those buildings are yet to be identified and some may never be, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).

It warned work to make all those buildings safe may not be achieved in the next decade, leaving residents “living with the fear of fire and costly bills”.

The NAO report, published today, said the impacts of dangerous cladding “have extended far beyond the immediate victims of the Grenfell fire, with many people suffering significant financial and emotional distress”.

Although the Building Safety Act 2022 means most leaseholders don’t have to pay for remediation costs, many have seen hikes in service charges because of increased insurance premiums, struggled to get mortgages and are unable to move home, according to the report.

Some are also paying for “waking watches” to patrol buildings while waiting for cladding to be removed, with an average cost of £104 a month per home.

In the seven years since the Grenfell Tower fire claimed the lives of 72 people, campaigners have repeatedly criticised the slow process of remediation work.

Of the 4,821 buildings already identified as needing work, only half had either started or completed remediation works.

“Pace has been a persistent concern and remediation within the portfolio is progressing more slowly than [the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG)] expected,” said the NAO report.

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The department estimates cladding remediation will be completed by 2035, but the NAO warned this will be “challenging to achieve”.

It also warned taxpayer costs need to be kept down to meet the £5.1bn cap set by the government, and building developers would need to pay.

Their contributions aren’t expected to be collected until next autumn under a new levy.

“Putting the onus on developers to pay and introducing a more proportionate approach to remediation should help to protect taxpayers’ money. Yet it has also created grounds for dispute, causing delays,” said Gareth Davies, head of the NAO.

“To stick to its £5.1bn cap in the long run, MHCLG needs to ensure that it can recoup funds through successful implementation of the proposed Building Safety Levy.”

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Jul 29 2024

Just Stop Oil activists arrested at Gatwick Airport after departure gate protest | UK News

Just Stop Oil protesters have been arrested at Gatwick airport after using suitcases with lock-on devices to try and block a departure gate.

Seven activists entered the airport’s southern terminal at around 8am, the protest group said, as an image showed the protesters sitting on the floor and blocking an entrance.

A London Gatwick spokesperson said at around 9.15am that the airport “is open and operating normally today”, adding: “There are a small number of protestors at the airport who have now been arrested and are being removed from the airport.”

Video posted by Just Stop Oil also shows travellers walking over the activists, whose hands were seen inside the lock-on devices.

“As long as political leaders fail to take swift and decisive action to protect our communities from the worst effects of climate breakdown, Just Stop Oil supporters, working with other groups internationally, will take the proportionate action necessary to generate much needed political pressure,” the group said in a statement.

“This summer, areas of key importance to the fossil fuel economy will be declared sites of civil resistance around the world.”

The group added the protest at Gatwick comes as part of the international campaign Oil Kills, and said 21 groups across 12 countries have demonstrated at 17 airports so far.

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Just Stop Oil said the international campaign follows reports that the world saw its hottest days on record two days in a row last week.

It comes after two Just Stop Oil activists were found guilty of criminal damage last week after throwing soup over Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers painting.

Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, both aged 22, threw a can of Heinz tomato soup over the masterpiece at the National Gallery in London in October 2022.

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Jun 28 2024

Just Stop Oil supporters arrested over ‘plan to disrupt airports this summer’ | UK News

A total of 27 Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested on suspicion of planning to disrupt airports this summer, the Metropolitan Police has said.

The arrests were made in London, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Devon, Essex, Manchester, Surrey, Sussex, Norfolk and West Yorkshire.

“Among those held were several high-profile members of Just Stop Oil who we believe to be key organisers,” the force said.

Four people were arrested on Tuesday after being identified at Gatwick Airport and have since been released on bail.

On Thursday, six more people were arrested at an east London community centre “as part of a publicly-advertised event promoting airport disruption”.

Met officers worked with eight other police forces on Friday to arrest 17 further suspects at their homes across the country.

All the individuals were arrested under a section of the Public Order Act.

The act makes it illegal to conspire to disrupt national infrastructure.

Last week, Just Stop Oil targeted a private airport where Taylor Swift had landed hours earlier.

Arrests were also made after Stonehenge was sprayed with “orange powder paint”.

Chief Supt Ian Howells, who led the operation, said: “We know Just Stop Oil are planning to disrupt airports across the country this summer, which is why we have taken swift and robust action now.

“Our stance is very clear that anyone who compromises the safety and security of airports in London can expect a strong response from officers or security staff.

“Airports are complex operating environments which is why we are working closely with them, agencies and other partners on this operation.”

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Those who have been released on bail are subject to conditions.

Those conditions include not to travel within 1km of any UK airport unless passing through by vehicle or public transport.

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Jun 22 2024

Emma Thompson backs Just Stop Oil at London march as protesters boo ‘all politicians’ | Climate News

Dame Emma Thompson has backed Just Stop Oil, just days after the climate action group attacked Stonehenge with orange paint.

The actress led thousands of people on a Restore Nature Now march in London on Saturday, aimed at persuading politicians to put nature and climate first.

Asked if she supported Just Stop Oil, whose supporters have also targeted private jets, the Magna Carta and the Duke of Westminster’s wedding this year, she said: “I think I support anyone who fights this extraordinary battle.”

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Dame Emma added: “We cannot take any more oil out of the ground. I mean, there’s much argument about it. And I know there’s a lot of very complicated economic arguments about it.

“We have to leave all the resources in the ground, we cannot bring them out of the ground.”

More than 350 charities, businesses and direct action groups joined Dame Emma on the protest, along with renewable energy tycoon and Labour donor, Dale Vince, and naturalists Chris Packham and Steve Backshall.

Mr Packham said it was the first time organisations across the entire spectrum of campaigning and conservation have united, from the National Trust to Just Stop Oil.

Reflecting on the long campaign to achieve action on climate change, Dame Emma called it “extraordinary”, as “we have known about this for decades and government after government have completely ignored the advice”.

“All the scientists are saying we are in deep, deep trouble,” she added.

The UK, she said, is “one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world”.

She added: “But we are also one of the most rich, so this is not good for anybody.

“Anyone who has ever written about our country [has written] about the beauty of these islands and they are being despoiled, polluted and destroyed at an unprecedented rate.

“We have to take action now. There is not enough discussion about this. It has to come to the forefront of our politics at every level.”

Protesters marched from Hyde Park to Parliament Square, staying in a line, led by Dame Emma and Mr Packham who held a banner reading Restore Nature Now.

Other banners carried different messages, including There’s No Life Without Wildlife and There Isn’t A Reset Button.

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Some of the crowd booed and gestured as they walked past Downing Street.

Gary Smith, a 64-year-old ex-veteran, said: “The booing was because they’re useless in acting against any policies to do with wildlife. It’s the booing of all politicians.”

While wildlife rescuer Sally Burns, 58, said: “The state of this country… it’s politicians that run it and look at the state of it, a mess in many many ways. It’s the people in power that have caused all this.”

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Jun 2 2024

Thief told police ‘once you pop, you can’t stop’ after stealing Pringles | UK News

A Pringle thief told police “once you pop, you can’t stop” after his arrest over a series of robberies.

Adam Spencer stole 17 tubes of Pringles in one go during his thieving spree in April and May in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.

Spencer was spotted on Tuesday by police officers on patrol in the area, who identified him as the suspect they had been looking for over a series of burglaries and shop thefts.

Spencer fled on his bicycle as police tried to arrest him, but was caught by officers chasing him on foot.

Two of the robberies he was wanted for happened on the same morning in the same Iceland shop.

After breaking in through a back door at 2.40am on 2 May and stealing meat products, he returned at around 4.20am and stole more than £300 worth of stock.

He also stole from three other shops in the area, first targeting a Tesco on 11 April and then Asda and Iceland shops on 17 April and 19 May.

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“The actions of prolific thieves like Spencer can have a really negative impact on communities, who don’t want to see their stores targeted again and again,” PC Dean Fenton, of Nottinghamshire Police, said.

“Burglary is also a very serious offence, so we were pleased to be able to link Spencer to the two he was involved in, as well as the shop thefts, and put him before the courts.”

After his arrest, Spencer, of Northfield Close in Sutton-in-Ashfield, pleaded guilty to two burglaries and three thefts at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

He was sentenced the same day and received a six-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

He was also ordered to pay £200 in compensation and complete a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement programme.

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May 10 2024

Calls for arena ticket levy and tax relief to stop music venue closure ‘crisis’ | Politics News

A cut in VAT and a new levy on arena and stadium tickets are urgently needed to stop grassroots music venues from closing, MPs have said.

A report by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee said artists are facing a “cost-of-touring crisis”, with venues stopping live music or closing entirely at a rate of two per week.

The cross-party inquiry heard from the Music Venues Trust (MVT), which said 2023 has been the most challenging year for the sector since the organisation was founded in 2014, while Creative UK said the grassroots music sector took a “battering”.

In total the number of grassroots music venues (GMVs) declined from 960 to 835 last year, a net decrease of 13%, representing a loss of as many as 30,000 shows and 4,000 jobs.

The closures come against a backdrop of spiralling costs due to rising rents and energy bills, while audiences are cutting back on expenditure due to the economic climate.

There has also been a behaviour shift among younger people, who are spending less on food and alcohol.

The report calls for a temporary VAT cut based on venue capacity to “stimulate grassroots music activity and help the sector through the current closure crisis”.

The committee has also recommended a widespread voluntary levy on arena and stadium tickets to be in place no later than September, which should be used to create a support fund for venues, artists and promoters and not be passed on to music fans.

MPs said that if there is no agreement by September or if it fails to collect enough income to support the sector, the government should step in to introduce a statutory levy.

‘Music faces a bleak future’

Dame Caroline Dinenage, chairwoman of the committee, said: “We are grateful to the many dedicated local venues who gave up their time to take part in our inquiry.

“They delivered the message loud and clear that grassroots music venues are in crisis.

“The ongoing wave of closures is not just a disaster for music, performers and supporters in local communities up and down the country, but also puts at risk the entire live music ecosystem.

“If the grassroots, where musicians, technicians, tour managers and promoters hone their craft, are allowed to wither and die, the UK’s position as a music powerhouse faces a bleak future.”

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On top of immediate financial help through a levy-funded support fund and a targeted temporary VAT cut, the report says a comprehensive fan-led review of live and electronic music should be set up this summer to examine the long-term challenges to the wider live music ecosystem.

The UK music industry brings billions of pounds into the economy, attracting both domestic and international tourists to live events.

But festivals, electronic music venues, academies and arenas “are not insulated from the impacts” of the crisis and “promoters are less able to put on shows or make them financially viable”, MPs warned.

The report was welcomed by industry figures, though Mark Davyd, chief executive and founder of the MVT, said it has “taken much longer than any of us would have liked to get the positive change we all wanted to see”.

The trust – which represents more than 900 grassroots music venues across the UK – has previously voiced concerns that emerging artists with the potential to be the next Ed Sheeran or Adele – both of whom started out playing in grassroots venues – could find their careers cut off at ground level, never realising their full potential.

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Apr 4 2024

Civil servants threaten to stop work over arms sales to Israel | Politics News

Civil servants overseeing arms exports to Israel have requested to “cease work immediately” over fears they could be complicit in war crimes in Gaza.

Officials in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) have raised concerns with senior civil servants that they may be liable if it is deemed Israel has broken international law.

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In correspondence seen by Sky News, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents civil servants, has requested an urgent meeting with the department to discuss “the legal jeopardy faced by civil servants who are continuing to work on this policy”.

The letter, sent on Wednesday, said: “Given the implications for our members we believe there are ample grounds to immediately suspend all such work.

“We therefore request that you meet with us urgently to discuss this matter and cease work immediately.”

The correspondence shows the PCS has been asking the government for its legal advice on arming Israel since January, when a preliminary ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found Israel’s acts in Gaza could amount to genocide.

A response to the union dated 13 March said “the question of criminal liability for civil servants is very unlikely to arise”.

However, the department said it can’t share the legal advice it is receiving as it is “confidential”.

Labour MP John McDonnell, a founding member of the PCS union group in parliament, said the government must “come clean”.

He told Sky News: “These civil servants should not be put at risk. The Rome Statute covering war crimes is clear that following a superior’s instructions is not a defence when it comes to charges of war crimes. The government must come clean on the legal advice they have.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has come under growing pressure to suspend arms sales to Israel after three British aid workers were killed in an airstrike on Monday.

Last night, a letter signed by more than 600 lawyers, including former Supreme Court justices, warned the UK is breaching international law by continuing to arm Israel.

The government does not directly supply Israel with weapons, but does grant export licences for British companies to sell arms to the country.

The US remains by far the largest supplier of weapons to Israel, with Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell recently telling MPs that UK exports accounted for just 0.02% of Israel’s military imports.

There has been pressure within the Conservative Party to end exports – with MPs Flick Drummond, David Jones and Paul Bristow urging the government to reconsider.

The Lib Dems, the SNP and dozens of Labour MPs also want arms sales to be suspended, although the Labour leadership’s position is the government should publish its legal advice and suspend arms sales if there is a risk weapons could be used in “a serious breach of international humanitarian law”.

A government spokesperson said: “We keep advice on Israel’s adherence to International Humanitarian Law under review and will act in accordance with that advice.

“All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.”

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Feb 29 2024

Vape ads on social media ‘need to stop’ as regulator announces crackdown | UK News

Vape ads across social media platforms “need to stop” and advertisers pleading ignorance is not an excuse, the advertising regulator has warned.

The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) – which regulates non-broadcast adverts – launched a crackdown on e-cigarette advertisers, warning the law prohibits them from marketing vapes containing nicotine that are not licensed as medicines on most social media.

It is currently illegal for retailers to sell disposable vapes to under-18s and the devices can not be displayed across almost all media or targeted at children.

Therefore, brands or retailers cannot promote them in paid-for posts or in non-paid-for posts on non-private accounts, such as on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook.

Vape ads will be permitted online in limited spaces like company websites, provided they do not target or appeal to children. They can only contain factual claims about the products.

CAP said it had sent enforcement notices to vape manufacturers and retailers with clear rules and underlining that ignorance was not an excuse, adding it would not hesitate “to apply sanctions” against those “unwilling or unable to comply”.

Advertisers have until 28 March to fall in line with the rules.

After this, CAP said it would carry out enhanced monitoring and would take action if it found ads that were breaking the rules.

Last year, the regulator issued an enforcement notice to e-cigarette manufacturers and retailers requiring them to stop paid promotions on TikTok.

Using AI-assisted monitoring, CAP found that the companies promoting vapes or incentivising others to do so through social media were “typically small traders” who were “most likely in ignorance” of the rules and the law.

CAP secretary Shahriar Coupal said: “Our enforcement notice leaves traders in no doubt about their obligations under both and makes clear that e-cigarette promotions through social media channels need to stop.

“For those that fail to do so, we and our enforcement partners won’t hesitate to sanction them.”

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The crackdown comes ahead of a spring budget in which Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is considering a “vaping products levy” which would be paid on imports and by manufacturers of vapes to make the habit unaffordable for children.

Rishi Sunak announced plans to ban disposable vapes amid concerns about their growing use among children, especially following reports of nicotine dependency in school.

The Scottish and Welsh governments will also ban single-use vapes, which is set to be introduced by the end of 2025.

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