A man and two young children have died after a collision between a car and a lorry in Leicestershire.
Officers were called to the crash on the A5 in Hinckley near Burbage shortly before 4.30pm on Friday.
The male driver of the BMW car, who was in his 30s, and a nine-year-old boy who was a passenger were both pronounced dead at the scene.
A woman in her 30s and a four-year-old girl, both passengers in the car, were taken to hospital where the girl died a short time later.
The woman remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition, Leicestershire Police has said.
The driver of the lorry was not seriously injured.
East Midlands Ambulance Service and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service also attended the scene.
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Detective Constable Anna Andrew, from the serious collision investigation unit, said: “This is an extremely sad and tragic incident, and our thoughts remain with those who have lost their lives, their families and with others involved and who have been affected.
“Emergency services attended the scene and we know members of the public also assisted at the scene when the collision happened – thank you to everyone who responded and helped in these devastating and extremely distressing circumstances.
“We are continuing to provide full support to the families of the people involved and to investigate the collision to establish the full circumstances in relation to what has happened.”
The force has appealed for dashcam footage and for witnesses to come forward.
Young adults and renters are some of the groups of people worst hit by rising prices as official figures show around 1 in 20 said they’d run out of food in the past 2 weeks and couldn’t afford more.
People who couldn’t afford food were most likely to be supported by charities, be lone parents and in receipt of benefits or financial help.
Also more likely to struggle to buy food were ethnically diverse people and black, African, Caribbean and black British adults, along with renters and disabled adults.
Those aged 25 to 34 were at greater risk of financial vulnerability than those over the age of 75, the data showed.
Renters were more likely to report difficulty paying housing costs.
While more than a quarter (28%) of mortgage holders said it was difficult to afford their mortgage, 43% of renters reported it was very or somewhat difficult to afford rent.
Compared to mortgage payers, renters were spending less on food and essentials, were more likely to have run out of food and to be behind on energy bills.
Renters spent an average of 21% of their disposable income on rent, compared to 16% of mortgage payers, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
Similarly, disabled adults faced greater financial difficulties than non-disabled adults.
The ONS has published analysis on the impact of the cost of living crisis from February to the start of May, before mortgage rates began increasing in earnest.
It analysed the proportion of people affected by price rises, and the characteristics associated with financial vulnerability.
It comes as the government announced public sector pay rises of between 5% and 7% this week and official figures showed wage growth remained at record high of 7.3%, but was still outpaced by inflation.
A young child has been airlifted after an incident outside a hospital in Pembrokeshire.
Officers were called to reports of a car colliding with pedestrians outside Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest at about 11.50am on Wednesday.
A pedestrian, the driver of the car and a passenger have all been taken to hospital for treatment.
Police said the child was airlifted to Cardiff for treatment.
Dyfed-Powys Police said they would have a continued presence outside the hospital for a “number of hours” as the investigation continues into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Withybush Hospital’s director, Andrew Burns, said services continued to “operate as normal”.
“If you are attending for an outpatient appointment, you may experience some delay in parking while investigations are under way but this is expected to return to normal in due course,” he added.
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“We kindly ask people not to contact the hospital for more information at this time.”
Police are asking anyone who may have dashcam footage which could help the investigation to get in touch.
A pensioner who murdered a young mum by inflicting almost 200 wounds during a “brutal” screwdriver attack has been jailed for life.
David Jackson, 68, hid the body of Mckyla Taylor, 27, under a duvet on the bedroom floor of his flat in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, after killing her on 16 August last year.
A few hours after police discovered Ms Taylor’s remains, Jackson arrived at the scene asking if he could retrieve a jumper from the property, in Lowtown Street.
He then casually informed an officer that he had killed someone upstairs.
Jackson, described by police as a “drug user”, and Ms Taylor, who had known each other for some time, met up a day earlier on 15 August.
Her family contacted police when she failed to respond to their calls and messages.
Her body was discovered with weights and pushbikes stacked on top when officers forced their way into the flat around 2am on 16 August.
She was pronounced dead around 2.30am, with a post-mortem investigation showing she had suffered 199 separate injuries to her head and body in what police described as a “relentless” attack.
Most of the injuries were inflicted in the bedroom by two screwdrivers found in the living room.
Image: The body of Mckyla Taylor, 27, was found at a flat in Worksop last August
Jackson was jailed for a minimum of 17 years after pleading guilty to murder at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday.
He was silent in police interviews and continued to deny murder until a trial was due to begin, “inflicting further pain and anxiety on her loved ones”, Nottinghamshire Police said.
In a statement issued via the force, Ms Taylor’s mother, Emma Sentence, 45, hailed her daughter and “best friend” as a “fun-loving girl” with a smile that would “light up the room” and who had a “contagious laugh”.
Image: Mckyla Taylor with her mother and ‘best friend’, Emma Sentence
“I still remember the weekend she was killed as if it was yesterday,” she said.
“We had a lovely weekend sunbathing, listening to music and doing our nails and then she left and that was the last time I saw her.”
Ms Taylor’s brother, Callum Taylor, 26, will now be taking care of her one-year-old daughter in the same home her mother grew up in.
“It is like a part of Mckyla is coming home,” he said.
‘No sentence will ever be enough’
“Mckyla had always wanted to be a mum and was so thrilled when she found out she was pregnant. I just want to do my best to bring up her daughter and give her a normal, loving life.”
Ms Taylor was a “lovely and loving person who always put other people first,” Mr Taylor added.
“If she was in a house fire Mckyla was the sort of person who would be the last out.
Image: Mckyla Taylor as a child with her older sister, Nicole, and younger brother, Callum
“No sentence will ever be enough for what happened to Mckyla.
“I will never forget waking up that day and hearing she had been killed.
“I cannot understand why anyone would want to hurt someone that kind.
“I don’t really feel like I have been through the grieving process yet. I’ve just wanted to stay strong for others.”
Her older sister, Nicole, 29, described her as the “life and soul of the party” and said she was “always bubbly, always singing, always dancing”.
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Sentencing judge James Sampson said Jackson would not be eligible for parole for 16 years and 135 days – taking into account the 230 days served in custody.
He also praised the family for their dignity throughout the court proceedings.
Speaking after the sentencing, Nottinghamshire Police detective chief inspector Clare Dean said: “Mckyla was a young woman who was loved and adored by her family and many friends.
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“Her life was taken away from her in the most brutal fashion by David Jackson, who has shown very little remorse and would not give any account in interview.
“The attack Jackson inflicted on Mckyla was relentless, causing catastrophic injuries which ultimately led to her death.
“Today’s sentence will not bring Mckyla back, but it does mean that Jackson will spend a considerable part of his life behind bars, and I hope this gives her family some comfort.”
ITV has said it investigated “rumours of a relationship” between Phillip Schofield and a younger employee – but the pair “repeatedly denied” the affair.
The statement came after questions were raised over what network bosses knew about the conduct of the veteran broadcaster.
Fellow former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes had said Schofield was “not the only guilty party” and claimed top management “knew what sort of man he was”.
Holmes spoke out after veteran broadcaster Schofield admitted having an “unwise, but not illegal” affair with a much younger male ITV employee while still married and lying about it.
Writing on Twitter, Holmes said: “Schofield has finally been caught out… But he’s not the only guilty party. 4 high members of ITV management knew what sort of man he was.”
Image: Eamonn Holmes says he was ‘deceived’ by Phillip Schofield. Pic: Rex
Schofield quit the broadcaster on Friday.
His confession came in a statement published in the Daily Mail shortly before his agents, YMU, also revealed they were parting company with him with immediate effect.
More on Phillip Schofield
In response to mounting pressure on the broadcaster, an ITV spokesperson said: “Further to our statement last night, ITV can confirm that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in early 2020 ITV investigated.
“Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip’s then agency YMU.
“In addition, ITV spoke to a number of people who worked on This Morning and were not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour.
“Phillip’s statement yesterday reveals that he lied to people at ITV, from senior management to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others over this relationship.”
Analysis: Admission should kill off his career – but will his star pals stand by him?
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2:35
Phillip Schofield admits affair
In another Twitter post, Holmes referred to how Schofield apparently lied to him and his wife, presenter Ruth Langsford.
He added: “Ruth and I deceived and lied to. One day I will tell the story. We had no issue with him being gay, only support.
“What transpired took us for fools. The man told us complete lies and we unfortunately believed him.”
Separately, BBC presenter and former ITV newscaster Andrea Catherwood tweeted: “A lot more questions about who knew what when at ITV to be answered after this…”
Dermot O’Leary, who has been tipped to replace the former This Morning star said: “It’s not appropriate for me to comment.”
Schofield, 61, left the daytime show last week.
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0:21
Dermot O’Leary asked about Phillip Schofield
‘It is now over’
In a statement on Friday, Schofield said he was “deeply sorry” for lying about the relationship.
He said: “I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.
“Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship.
“That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.”
It is understood the younger colleague, who is not a public figure, did not want the relationship to be made public.
Read more: Schofield leaves This Morning after more than 20 years Timeline of departure and rumours of rift with co-host Holly Statements from presenter and his agents in full
Image: Schofield’s exit from This Morning came after rumours of a rift with co-host Holly Willoughby
The affair took place before Mr Schofield publicly came out as gay in 2020, and while he was still married to his wife Stephanie Lowe.
In a damning statement, his former agents YMU Group said “honesty and integrity” were core values of their business and that their relationships are “based entirely on trust”.
Schofield’s exit from This Morning came after weeks of rumours of a rift between him and his co-presenter Holly Willoughby.
Reports of behind-the-scenes problems between the pair surfaced after his brother Tim Schofield was convicted of child sex offences.
Children as young as eight are being strip-searched by police officers, according to a report which detailed almost 3,000 searches of minors in England and Wales over four years.
The report also found “ethnic disproportionality”, with black children six times more likely to be strip-searched compared to the national population; white children were half as likely to be searched.
Children’s commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, demanded the report which showed 2,847 strip-searches of youngsters between eight and 17 took place between 2018 and mid-2022 across England and Wales.
The research showed 52% of strip-searches took place without an appropriate adult present, which is required by law except in situations of “urgency”.
One per cent of the searches occurred “within public view”, with some taking place in police vehicles and schools, a few even in takeaways and amusement parks. However, location was not recorded in 45% of cases – criticised as “poor quality of record-keeping” by Dame Rachel.
The research follows the “traumatic” strip-search of Child Q, a black schoolgirl on her period wrongly suspected by police of carrying cannabis.
The 15-year-old was searched in the school’s medical room by two female officers without teachers present in 2020.
The ordeal, which Scotland Yard said “should never have happened”, left the girl scarred according to family members, who believe the search was racially motivated.
Read more: Children as young as nine exposed to pornography, report warns Police forces ordered to reveal number of ‘intrusive and traumatic’ child strip-searches after Child Q scandal
The incident prompted Dame Rachel to request the report, which showed more than 600 children underwent “intrusive and traumatising” searches over a two-year period, with black boys disproportionately targeted.
Dame Rachel condemned the findings as “utterly unacceptable” and generally that strip-searching children was an “intrusive and potentially traumatic power” which must be subject to “robust safeguards”.
She recommended 17 reforms to the Home Office regarding child strip-searching policy, which include:
“Urgency” strip-searches to be banished with constant supervision from an appropriate adult instead. She said only in “the most exceptional situations where there is serious risk to the child’s life or welfare” where this should not be the case.
Schools excluded as an appropriate strip-search location, with police stations, medical facilities or at the child’s home address as alternatives.
Officers reporting annually on searches, including records of ethnicity, if an appropriate adult was present, the location and if a safeguarding referral was made.
A spokesperson said the Home Office takes safeguarding children extremely seriously.
“Strip-search is one of the most intrusive powers available to the police,” the spokesperson said. “No one should be subject to strip-search on the basis of race or ethnicity and safeguards exist to prevent this.”
Witnesses have described how a suspected drive-by shooting which left a seven-year-old girl fighting for her life in hospital sent people running and screaming near a memorial service for a young woman who died from cancer.
There were scenes of panic outside St Aloysius Roman Catholic Church in Euston, central London, on Saturday afternoon as gunfire rang out, leaving several people seriously injured.
Two girls, one aged seven and another aged 12, and four women, aged 54, 48, 41, and 21, were taken to hospital following the incident at around 1.30pm.
It happened just as a requiem mass for 20-year-old Sara Sanchez and her mother Fresia Calderon, who died within a month of one another in November, took place inside the church in Phoenix Road.
An online fundraiser to support Ms Sanchez’s battle with leukaemia raised more than £31,000.
The “proud British Colombian” died after her mother suddenly passed away from a rare blood clot upon arrival at Heathrow from Colombia, MyLondon reported.
Image: Sara Sanchez and Fresia Calderon died within a month of each other. Pic: GoFundMe
‘People were too scared to go outside’
Father Jeremy Trood, who conducted the service, described the moment the gunshots were heard.
“I was inside the church. I heard the bang and people ran back into the church,” he said.
“They knew something had happened outside.
“They were very scared, people sheltered in the church until the police said they can leave, but some of them were so scared they had to wait a while to get their confidence back up to go outside.”
‘My heart was racing’
Queen Macauley was visiting a friend who lives near the church when she heard the gunshots.
She told Sky News her “heart was racing” as she saw people running and heard screams.
“It was quite chaotic,” she added.
One resident of an estate across the road from the church, who did not want to be named, also heard gunshots.
“I was having a quiet day on my balcony and I heard this almighty bang and I thought this was not normal,” they said.
“The next minute, everyone was screaming and shouting. We have a food bank there and everyone was running off.
“Neighbours came in and said there has been a shooting. What a terrible thing.”
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1:13
Witness describes Euston shooting
‘Urgent investigation’
Metropolitan Police said no arrests have been made yet and an “urgent investigation” is under way.
Officers and forensics teams were at the scene of the shooting into the night, with a cordon in place.
Detectives believe the shots were fired from a moving vehicle, which was then driven away from the scene.
Superintendent Ed Wells said: “Any shooting incident is unacceptable, but for multiple people, including two children, to be injured in a shooting in the middle of a Saturday afternoon is shocking.”
Since the incident unfolded, the 12-year-old girl has been discharged from hospital. She suffered a minor leg injury.
The 48-year-old woman’s injuries are said to be potentially life-changing.
The other women are all in a non-life-threatening condition.
Image: All pics: Simon Lamrock
‘Deeply distressing’
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan described the incident as “deeply distressing”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who is the local MP for Holborn and St Pancras, said he was “deeply shocked” and thanked the emergency services for their response.
“My thoughts are with the victims,” he added.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has information about what took place is asked to call 101, giving the reference 3357/14JAN.
Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Doctors’ reluctance to discuss the possible harms of anal sex is letting down a generation of young women, researchers have warned.
Many doctors are concerned that they may come across as judgemental or homophobic, but by avoiding the topic they may be failing patients who are unaware of the risks, according to a study.
Surgeons Tabitha Gana and Lesley Hunt argue that not discussing it “exposes women to missed diagnoses, futile treatments, and further harm arising from a lack of medical advice”.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, they say healthcare professionals, particularly those in general practice, gastroenterology, and colorectal surgery, “have a duty to acknowledge changes in society around anal sex in young women, and to meet these changes with open, neutral and non-judgemental conversations to ensure that all women have the information they need to make informed choices about sex.”
Data from the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyle shows that participation in heterosexual anal intercourse among 16 to 24 year-olds in Britain rose from 12.5% to 28.5% over the last few decades.
Up to 25% of women with experience of anal sex report they have been pressured into it at least once.
Read more: Doctors to ask patients about their sexuality
It is also associated with specific health concerns, the surgeons explain.
For example, increased rates of faecal incontinence and anal sphincter injury have been reported in women who have anal intercourse.
Women are also at a higher risk of incontinence than men, due to their different anatomy.
“The pain and bleeding women report after anal sex is indicative of trauma, and risks may be increased if anal sex is coerced,” the authors said.
Effective management of anorectal disorders requires understanding of the underlying risk factors, and good history taking is key, they say.
Yet clinicians may shy away from these discussions, influenced by society’s taboos.
What’s more, NHS patient information on anal sex considers only sexually transmitted diseases, making no mention of anal trauma, incontinence, or the psychological aftermath of the coercion young women report in relation to this activity.
“It may not be just avoidance or stigma that prevents health professionals talking to young women about the risks of anal sex,” the authors said.
“There is genuine concern that the message may be seen as judgemental or even misconstrued as homophobic.
“However, by avoiding these discussions, we may be failing a generation of young women, who are unaware of the risks.”
They added: “With better information, women who want anal sex would be able to protect themselves more effectively from possible harm, and those who agree to anal sex reluctantly to meet society’s expectations or please partners, may feel better empowered to say no.”
Children are being strip-searched by the Metropolitan Police without an appropriate adult present in almost a quarter of cases, with black boys disproportionately targeted, new data shows.
The research, published by the children’s commissioner for England, revealed that officers from the force conducted intrusive searches on 650 young people aged 10 to 17 between 2018 and 2020.
It was commissioned following the case of Child Q – a 15-year-old black girl who was strip-searched at her school in east London without an appropriate adult present. She was wrongly suspected of carrying cannabis.
Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said that the case had been wrongly described as “a one-off”.
She explained: “In a strip search, your most intimate parts are searched. For any child, that’s going to be traumatic and concerning.”
It is a legal requirement for an appropriate adult to be present, except in urgent situations.
Of the 650 who were searched over the three years, 19 in every 20 were boys and 58% were described by the officer as being black.
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Katrina Ffrench, the founder director of Unjust UK, said she was “incredibly horrified” by the figures.
She added: “The numbers are so high because they demonstrate that there’s an issue within the Metropolitan Police and its treatment of black communities across London.
“Unfortunately, young black children are not afforded innocence and the same rights as their white peers.”
In 2018, more than two-thirds of those strip-searched without anyone else present were black boys.
Solicitor Kevin Donoghue has represented children elsewhere in the country who have been through the experience.
“The fallout for these children is very significant,” he said. “The common features and expressions given to me in handling these cases are one of personal intrusion.
“There is a violation by police officers which is very severely felt and one of personal integrity and their bodily autonomy which has been invaded and it is an event which cannot be undone.
“An apology is not enough. Compensation is not enough.”
In the Child Q case, four officers are being investigated for gross misconduct and a serious case review has been carried out.
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that it is “progressing at pace” to ensure children subject to intrusive searches are dealt with respectfully.
And new measures have been introduced requiring an inspector to give authority before a search takes place.
It added: “We have ensured our officers and staff have a refreshed understanding of the policy for conducting a ‘further search’, particularly around the requirement for an appropriate adult to be present.
“We have also given officers advice around dealing with schools, ensuring that children are treated as children and considering safeguarding for those under 18.”
In more than half of all child strip searches, no further action was taken.
It’s left the Children’s Commissioner questioning why so many are carried out in the first place.
She’s also concerned about “holes in the data” recorded by the Met Police.
“For about one in five of the strip-searched, they can’t even tell me where they took place, so the data collection needs to be better.”
