Displaying items by tag: Police Investigation

In a distressing incident involving a firm of funeral directors in Hull, East Yorkshire, a widow was shocked to discover that her husband’s ashes, which had been made into jewellery, might not be his. After investigating, the police have removed the bodies of 35 individuals and suspected human ashes. The woman, who lost her husband eight months ago, is now faced with the harrowing task of identifying his body. This development is part of a broader police inquiry, which has led to the arrest and subsequent bail of two individuals. Many families have raised concerns about receiving incorrect ashes following funerals. A friend of another affected family from Beverley described how women in the family had turned ashes into crystal jewellery, only to learn the deceased had been in a freezer all this time, raising questions about which ashes had been used. The police have received over 1,000 calls from the public and are conducting formal identification procedures for the recovered bodies and ashes.

The SNP is reviewing party management after finance controversies. Colin Beattie was reappointed as treasurer in 2021 after previously holding the position for 16 years. Police arrested him on 18 April in an investigation into SNP finances. First minister Humza Yousaf said this arrest was a very serious matter but Mr Beattie was not suspended from the position as people are innocent until proven guilty. The next day Beattie resigned as treasurer, saying he would also step back from his role on the public audit committee until the police investigation had concluded. His arrest had come just hours before Mr Yousaf set out his government's priorities for the next three years. He said that he decided to resign to avoid further distractions to the important work being led by Mr Yousaf to improve the SNP's governance and transparency. Nicola Sturgeon’s husband was arrested two weeks ago but released without charge, pending further inquiries into this investigation.

In Yefremov town is the official, patriotic picture on a wall depicting giant masked Russian soldiers with guns and supersized letters Z and V - symbols of Russia’s special military operation. But in Yefremov is another image of the war. Olga has a photo on her mobile phone of a child's drawing. To the left is a Ukrainian flag with the words ‘Glory to Ukraine’, on the right, the Russian tricolour and the inscription ‘No to war!’ Missiles fly from the Russian direction towards a mother and child standing defiantly holding up hands saying, ‘No’. 12-year-old Masha drew the picture. When her school saw it, they called the police. After investigating her father’s social media they concluded he was bringing up his daughter badly. He is now under house arrest and Masha is in a children’s home. A neighbour said, ‘The authorities want everyone to toe the line. No-one can have an opinion.’

Keir Starmer insists he did not break coronavirus lockdown laws by having a beer and a curry at a ‘campaign event’. A source who was present at the meal said, ‘It has been claimed that Starmer worked during the curry and then after the curry. None of those two things happened. He did not go back to work.’ He added, ‘Some of those present at the event with Sir Keir and deputy leader Angela Rayner were not working at all and were just there for a jolly’. Durham police are looking into the event. ‘Sir Keir Starmer has been economical with the truth about “Beergate”', said Dominic Raab. But he did not call for Sir Keir’s resignation if police fined him. Instead he said his party would remain focused on the economy, not engaging with the beer saga. ‘If he's going to be talking about his curry menu for the next week, we're not going to be engaged in that.’

Over 200 police officers unleashed dawn raids at homes across Oxfordshire. Two men and three women, all from the Wantage area, were arrested on suspicion of modern slavery, money laundering, and tax evasion. After searching cars, sheds, and homes, the officers found expensive jewellery, large quantities of cash, and a suspected stolen JCB. Ten people were charged with drug supply offences following a series of county lines warrants executed by specialist crime officers in Enfield, Haringey, Croydon, Essex and Thames Valley. The warrants were the culmination of a 13-month long investigation targeting drug supply and associated violent crime in Norwich, and took place on Tuesday 28 July at residential addresses across London and surrounding counties. During the manhunt, officers found a number of vulnerable people affected by the organised crime network. Safeguarding measures are being implemented. See also

In the past two months fifteen UK churches have been sent anonymous threatening letters telling them to stop services or be attacked. The letters were handwritten, threatening petrol bomb attacks and mass stabbings. ‘Stop all your services straight away’, said one letter sent to a Sheffield church. ‘If you don’t, your church will be petrol bombed while in service. Continue behind closed doors and your congregation members will be stabbed one by one. Blood on your hands. You have been warned.’ One of the handwritten letters, bearing a West Midlands postmark, demanded that they stop their services and threatened to bomb the church. Services are continuing, and police have been deployed to the churches affected. A local faith school decided to withdraw pupils from services after they received the threatening letter. A police investigation has been opened, and inquiries are ongoing. See also last week’s article on violence against clergy here

Hampshire police were called at 5:06 am on Wednesday 1 August after a report of a 21-year-old woman being sexually assaulted at the Focus Festival (held at the Somerley Estate, near Ringwood). The event, hosted by Holy Trinity Brompton church, sees thousands of Christians gather for a week of teaching, worship and fellowship. Delegates at the festival reported seeing police on site as campers were packing up to leave the event, which had finished the previous day. The victim is receiving support from specialist officers, and a 54-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of rape. He remains in custody. The Focus festival has been running since 1992.

On Wednesday the Nigerian army said it had arrested 963 persons suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists during an operation between 4 and 9 January. Commander Lucky Irabor said, ‘On 3 January four women and thirteen children were apprehended by vigilantes and were later handed over to our troops. Preliminary investigation revealed that the women were wives of Boko Haram terrorists who fled from Sambisa forest as a result of our operations. All suspects are now in our custody undergoing investigation. On 5 January, following a tip-off, troops arrested four Boko Haram suspects at Shuwari village. Also on 5 January, 119 Nigerian Internal Displacement Persons (IDPs) were handed over to Nigerian troops at Banki by the Cameroonian forces. On 9 January, a surrendered Boko Haram member was identified as a male sympathiser and spy in Monguno area.’