
Man has life threatening injuries after scooter crash on M1
A man in his 40s has been left with life-threatening injuries after a scooter collided with the central reservation of the M1 motorway. Hertfordshire Police said a grey Yamaha scooter crashed at about 15:30 BST on Wednesday near junction eight, northbound, for Hemel Hempstead. The road was closed overnight but has since reopened. The force said the man and a woman in her 40s were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Police, the East of England Ambulance Service, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Herts and Essex Air Ambulance Service all attended. Sgt Chris Whales said: "As part of our investigations into what happened, I am appealing to anyone who either witnessed the collision or was driving in the area at the time of the incident to please contact me."He also appealed for anyone with dashcam footage to get in touch.
The road, just a few miles away in Bedfordshire, was also closed for several hours on Wednesday, northbound between junctions 11 for Luton and 11A for Dunstable and Houghton Regis, following a crash. Two cars and two lorries were involved, and firefighters also tackled an unrelated lorry fire, which was part of the traffic caught within the closure, National Highways said.The road was shut overnight for emergency resurfacing work and for pre-planned works to be carried out and has since reopened.
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The Independent
33 minutes ago
- The Independent
Sir Mark Rowley ‘shocked' at planned protest in support of Palestine Action
Sir Mark Rowley said he was 'shocked and frustrated' at a planned protest in support of Palestine Action, as the Government moves to ban the group. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner said a protest supporting the 'organised extremist criminal group' was due to take place in Westminster on Monday. He said until the group is proscribed the force has 'no power in law' to prevent the protest taking place, adding that breaches of the law would be 'dealt with robustly'. The Home Secretary will update Parliament on Monday on the Government's plan to ban Palestine Action following the group's vandalism of two planes at an RAF base. Yvette Cooper will provide MPs with more details on the move to proscribe the group, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support it, in a written ministerial statement. The decision comes after the group posted footage online showing two people inside the base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The clip shows one person riding an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker and appearing to spray paint into its jet engine. The incident is being investigated by counter-terror police. In a statement on Sunday, Sir Mark said: 'I'm sure many people will be as shocked and frustrated as I am to see a protest taking place tomorrow in support of Palestine Action. 'This is an organised extremist criminal group, whose proscription as terrorists is being actively considered. 'Members are alleged to have caused millions of pounds of criminal damage, assaulted a police officer with a sledgehammer and last week claimed responsibility for breaking into an airbase and damaging aircraft. Multiple members of the group are awaiting trial accused of serious offences. 'The right to protest is essential and we will always defend it, but actions in support of such a group go beyond what most would see as legitimate protest. 'Thousands of people attend protests of a different character every week without clashing with the law or with the police. The criminal charges faced by Palestine Action members, in contrast, represent a form of extremism that I believe the overwhelming majority of the public rejects. 'We have laid out to Government the operational basis on which to consider proscribing this group. If that happens we will be determined to target those who continue to act in its name and those who show support for it. 'Until then we have no power in law to prevent tomorrow's protest taking place. We do, however, have the power to impose conditions on it to prevent disorder, damage, and serious disruption to the community, including to Parliament, to elected representatives moving around Westminster and to ordinary Londoners. 'Breaches of the law will be dealt with robustly.' A spokesperson for Palestine Action previously accused the UK of failing to meet its obligation to prevent or punish genocide. The spokesperson said: 'When our Government fails to uphold their moral and legal obligations, it is the responsibility of ordinary citizens to take direct action. The terrorists are the ones committing a genocide, not those who break the tools used to commit it.' Cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds said he could not rule out the possibility of a foreign power being behind Palestine Action. The Business and Trade Secretary told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: 'It is extremely concerning they gained access to that base and the Defence Secretary is doing an immediate review of how that happened. 'The actions that they undertook at Brize Norton were also completely unacceptable and it's not the first. It's the fourth attack by that group on a key piece of UK defence infrastructure.' The Home Secretary has the power to proscribe an organisation under the Terrorism Act of 2000 if she believes it is 'concerned in terrorism'. Proscription will require Ms Cooper to lay an order in Parliament, which must then be debated and approved by both MPs and peers. Some 81 organisations have been proscribed under the 2000 Act, including Islamist terrorist groups such as Hamas and al Qaida, far-right groups such as National Action, and Russian private military company the Wagner Group. Former justice secretary Lord Charlie Falconer said vandalising aircraft at RAF Brize Norton would not solely provide legal justification for proscribing the group. Asked whether the group's actions were commensurate with proscription, Lord Falconer told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: 'I am not aware of what Palestine Action has done beyond the painting of things on the planes in Brize Norton, they may have done other things I didn't know. 'But generally, that sort of demonstration wouldn't justify proscription so there must be something else that I don't know about.' Former Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf said the Government was 'abusing' anti-terror laws against pro-Palestine activists, as tens of thousands of protesters marched in London on Saturday. Belonging to or expressing support for a proscribed organisation, along with a number of other actions, are criminal offences carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) welcomed the news that Ms Cooper intended to proscribe Palestine Action, saying: 'Nobody should be surprised that those who vandalised Jewish premises with impunity have now been emboldened to sabotage RAF jets.' Former home secretary Suella Braverman also said it was 'absolutely the correct decision'. A pro-Palestine protester at Saturday's march in central London said it was 'absolutely horrendous' that the Government was preparing to ban Palestine Action. Artist Hannah Woodhouse, 61, told the PA news agency: 'Counter-terrorism measures, it seems, are being used against non-violent peace protesters. 'The peace activists are trying to do the Government's job, which is to disarm Israel.' Palestine Action has staged a series of demonstrations in recent months, including spraying the London offices of Allianz Insurance with red paint over its alleged links to Israeli defence company Elbit, and vandalising Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire.


BBC News
34 minutes ago
- BBC News
Major delays on M60 as police respond to incident
Drivers have said they have been stuck in queues for hours on the M60 motorway as emergency services responded to an incident. Traffic had come to a standstill on the clockwise carriageway earlier between Sale and Stretford as Greater Manchester Police (GMP) responded to the incident at a nearby Highways said emergency services remained at the scene, and people have been urged to find alternative routes as the "severe delays" could last until after midnight.A GMP spokesman said the "cooperation and patience of the public is appreciated whilst we work to bring this incident to a safe conclusion". The M60 was shut in both directions between junctions six and eight at about 17:50 BST. All lanes are now open in anti-clockwise direction, but those running in the opposite direction are not expected to clear until about 00:15, National Highways said. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.


Daily Mail
42 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Moment huge fight explodes on Broadstairs beach AFTER police issued dispersal order to try deter anti-social behaviour
A mass brawl involving hundreds of youngsters yesterday broke out on Broadstairs beach despite police issuing a dispersal order which they said would 'disrupt antisocial behaviour'. Astonishing footage of the fight shows the massive group of youths surrounding two males who are throwing punches and slaps at each other on the walkway behind a row of beach huts on the Kent seafront. The altercation then spills onto the sand with the baying crowds screaming and seemingly urging the pair to continue fighting while terrified families and children flee the beach. Police officers could be seen arriving on the litter-strewn beach once the fight had cooled off but many of the youngsters had already left the area. The fight came just one day after Kent Police announced they had implemented a Section 34 dispersal order, which locals have since described as 'totally ineffective'. The onlooker, who captured the video of the brawl, posted to social media to say there was 'no sign of any law an order' in the area after police vowed the public would see 'additional patrols' over the weekend. He added: 'Is it time for the locals to form a group of volunteers to take matters into our own hands and get these f*****g urchins dealt with. 'We can't tolerate this bulls**t and if we don't make some kind of stand then people will stop coming here. And everyone [loses] out.' Astonishing footage of the fight shows hundreds of youths surrounding two males who are throwing punches and slaps at each other on the walkway behind a row of beach huts on the Kent seafront. The dispersal order had been put in place Broadstairs for 48 hours as of 4.30pm on Friday, June 20, and ended this afternoon. Kent Police said in a statement yesterday that the order was brought in because of concerns relating to a 'small minority of young people' in areas such as the town centre and the beach. They say these groups had been drinking underage, fighting each other and been reported for behaving 'aggressively' towards shop staff. They added that it granted officers 'additional powers' to 'instruct people to leave the area' and that anyone who returned after being dispersed would risk being arrested. However, many dismayed locals said the area was still unsafe. 'It's not safe for anyone under these conditions, they are out of control,' one local wrote on social media. Another added: 'I'm angry and so are the most of Thanet by the sound of it. But sadly the police are not making any kind of difference. 'I'm not suggesting that we group together and go out beating them up, but we have to get together and come up with good ideas and [have] them enforce it.' A spokesperson for Kent Police for told MailOnline: 'Kent Police was called to a report that a disturbance related to approximately 50 individuals was taking place on Broadstairs beach shortly before 3pm on Saturday 21 June. 'Officers attended and after completing enquiries a 17 year old boy was arrested and taken into custody. 'Later that day, the teenager was charged with assaulting a police officer and was bailed with conditions to attend Maidstone Youth Court at a later date. 'A dispersal order remains in place following concerns of antisocial behaviour involving a small minority of young people in some public areas, including the town centre and beaches. 'Local officers will be on patrol to provide a visible presence and to ensure the area remains a safe place for all.'