logo
Tributes paid to mother-of-four among two skydivers who died in 'tragic accident'

Tributes paid to mother-of-four among two skydivers who died in 'tragic accident'

Sky News6 hours ago

Why you can trust Sky News
A mother-of-four was among two skydivers who died following a "tragic accident" at an airfield in Devon.
Belinda Taylor was pronounced dead at the scene following Friday afternoon's incident in the area of Dunkeswell Aerodrome near Honiton.
On Facebook, her partner Scott Armstrong wrote: "I miss you so much, you were my best friend.
"Thank you for everything you've done for me, from making my children feel at home to putting up with my mess.
"… there's just so much that I don't have the words to express it.
"I feel so lost. I don't know where home is without you."
Ms Taylor's eldest son, Connor Bowles, paid tribute to a "selfless woman" who was also a grandmother to two young children.
Thanking investigators for their work so far, he told DevonLive: "She will be deeply missed and will leave an everlasting impression on all those she has met in life."
The identity of the second skydiver who died is yet to be made public, but their family has been informed.
British Skydiving has confirmed it will be investigating the incident - with a report sent to the coroner, the Civil Aviation Authority and the police.
In a statement, SkydiveBuzz, which operates at the airfield, said its "deepest condolences go out to the families, friends and everyone affected by this devastating event".
A spokesperson added: "Safety is, and always has been, our top priority. We are fully cooperating with the investigation and continue to uphold the highest possible standards in everything we do.
"No further details will be provided at this time. We respectfully ask for privacy for all those affected, including our team, during this incredibly difficult time."

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Horror deaths of skydiver mum and instructor in 15,000ft fall caught on camera
Horror deaths of skydiver mum and instructor in 15,000ft fall caught on camera

Daily Mirror

time28 minutes ago

  • Daily Mirror

Horror deaths of skydiver mum and instructor in 15,000ft fall caught on camera

Belinda Taylor and instructor Adam Harrison died instantly when they plummeted 15,000ft to the ground during the tandem skydive, which Belinda's partner bought for her as a thank you present The heartbreaking death of a tragic mum-of-four in a horror skydiving accident as her distraught partner looked on was caught on camera. Footage of Belinda Taylor and instructor Adam Harrison plummeting 15,000ft to the ground will form a major part of the investigation into the tragedy. The pair were killed instantly after the tandem skydive turned to disaster at an airfield in Devon on Friday. ‌ Belinda's partner Scott Armstrong bought the jump as a thank you present for his 'adrenaline junkie' girlfriend. He told the Mirror how he saw the tragedy unfold and later found the 48-year-old's body in a field at Dunkeswell Airfield. ‌ Devastated Scott, from Totnes, Devon, revealed today that the fateful jump was captured on film. 'The whole thing was videotaped,' he told the Mirror. 'After I realised they were both dead I was absolutely furious and demanded to see the footage of her jump. I wanted to see what had gone wrong and knew it would be on the camera. 'I literally had the video in my hands and was going to take it from the site, but then the police turned up. 'I ended up spending five hours with them at the airfield and never got to see it.' ‌ The jump was part of the skydiving programme from Skydive Buzz who carry out regular activities at the airfield. Skydive Buzz offers a video option for £140 and promises to 'capture your descent from a range of different angles'. ‌ Scott told the Mirror yesterday how he saw the tragic pair plummet to their deaths. 'They were the last group to go up. I was using binoculars and saw them all jump and noticed that one chute hadn't opened,' he said. 'I was freaking out. They disappeared from view and I jumped in my car with my lad and raced across the fields. ‌ 'I found Belinda and the instructor lying there, still together, both clearly dead. It was a horrific sight.' Belinda, from Totnes, had three adult sons and a teenage daughter and was also a grandmother-of-two. ‌ Scott said today that he had been contacted by police and told not to speak further about the tragic accident. Instructor Adam, 30, from Bournemouth, had worked as a skydiving instructor since September 2020, according to his LinkedIn posting. ‌ He was also training as a chiropractor. A passenger who jumped from the same plane as the victims said: 'They were both lovely bright people, full of smiles and joke. 'They were both obviously excited for this experience. They continued to joke and laugh the entire flight up to 15,000ft.' Devon and Cornwall Police said today that "enquiries remain ongoing by police, British Skydiving and East Devon District Council Environmental Health and Safety Office".

Carer's allowance: woman who won case against DWP calls for end to ‘sickening harassment'
Carer's allowance: woman who won case against DWP calls for end to ‘sickening harassment'

The Guardian

time33 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

Carer's allowance: woman who won case against DWP calls for end to ‘sickening harassment'

The mother of a teenager with cerebral palsy has demanded an end to the 'sickening harassment' of unpaid carers after a significant legal victory against the government. Nicola Green, 42, was pursued by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for more than a year after she was accused of fraudulently claiming nearly £3,000 in carer's allowance. When Green insisted she was innocent, the DWP wrote to her employer without her knowledge to try to recoup the sum from her pay. The part-time college worker, whose 17-year-old son has a number of health conditions, appealed against the fine before a tribunal judge, who quashed it in barely 30 minutes last month. Speaking after her legal victory, Green said she had been treated 'like a criminal' by the DWP over the £2,823.75 sum. 'I can't believe what they're putting people through,' she said. '[I'm] just a law-abiding person, who has never broken the law in my life. I've always tried to do things by the book … It feels like harassment.' The DWP wrote to Green on 27 May to say it was considering appealing against the tribunal ruling and that it would not cancel the debt until then. However, the department wrote to her again on Monday, days after being contacted the Guardian, to say it had cancelled the overpayment and that she would be offered advice about claiming compensation. A DWP spokesperson said: 'Ms Green's overpayment has been cancelled. We are committed to supporting carers across the UK. Tribunals offer customers an opportunity to provide any additional information which may be relevant to their case, and we regularly gather feedback and learn from them.' Green's case is the latest in the Guardian's award-winning investigation into the DWP's pursuit of unpaid carers despite official errors that have plunged tens of thousands of vulnerable people into hardship. The latest figures show that the government is clawing back at least £357m in carer's allowance paid out in error over the last six years, leaving hundreds of people with criminal records and some with debts of more than £20,000. The DWP has faced widespread criticism over its 'cruel and nonsensical' punishment of family carers who unwittingly earned slightly more than the weekly limit to qualify for carer's allowance, which rose to £196 a week in April. The department is alerted whenever a carer oversteps the weekly limit but until recently only checked half of these alerts – and as few as 12% for a long time – meaning tens of thousands of people were unknowingly building up debt for years. The controversial 'cliff-edge' rule means that a carer who earns £1 more than the weekly threshold must repay the whole of that week's carer's allowance, currently £83.30 a week. That means someone who earns £1 a week over the limit for a year must repay not £52 but £4,331.60. A Guardian analysis has found a sharp increase in the number of cases being quashed by judges in recent years as concern over the DWP's actions have grown. In the year to April 2025, tribunal judges struck out 42% of carer's allowance fines, compared with 29% in 2019 and 15% in 2014. In total, the DWP has lost 898 cases at tribunal in the last six years. Green, who works less than 14 hours a week at Bolton college, said she was reduced to tears by the DWP's pursuit. She juggles her term time-only job with caring for her teenage son, whom she did not wish to be named publicly. He has cerebral palsy, is deaf and has short bowel syndrome owing to complications arising from being born extremely premature, meaning he was hospitalised for six months from birth. 'They don't care about you. They don't care about your personal situation. They don't care what you've been through and they don't care how much you're saving the system,' she said. 'It's so unjust and it's the injustice that's driven me to challenge it. It's sickening actually. The tone of the letters – they're insinuating I'm a criminal. And going through the process you do feel like you've defrauded the system, however innocent it has been.' The DWP claimed Green had breached the earnings rules on seven occasions between December 2018 and April 2024. Five of these related to a one-off Christmas holiday bonus from her employer. One was due to unexpectedly receiving sick pay. The final overpayment related to a pay increase awarded to all Bolton college employees. However, tribunal judge Dianne Oliver ruled last month that Green had not in fact breached the rules because her average weekly pay was below the earnings limit. The DWP did not attend the 30-minute hearing in Bolton. The judgment follows a similar legal victory by another unpaid carer, Andrea Tucker, who defeated the government in February. The rulings are significant because the DWP routinely pursues carers on the basis of individual weekly earnings, rather than averaging them over a year. If the government took the latter approach, far fewer carers would end up with huge debts.

Fresh appeal as arrest made in 1990 Mansfield Woodhouse murder probe
Fresh appeal as arrest made in 1990 Mansfield Woodhouse murder probe

BBC News

time34 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Fresh appeal as arrest made in 1990 Mansfield Woodhouse murder probe

Police have issued a fresh appeal for information 35 years on from the murder of a man who was attacked in his Childerley and his wife Denise were asleep at their home in Sherwood Street, Mansfield Woodhouse, when they were attacked during the early hours of 19 February 1990, while their two children were also in the house died at the scene in Nottinghamshire, but despite being seriously hurt and requiring 160 stitches, Denise survived with lifelong the end of April a 62-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice in connection with the incident, following developments in the case. Nottinghamshire Police said she was interviewed by detectives and bailed pending further force said officers had also recently visited Mansfield to speak to potential witnesses as they continue to investigate the death of the former miner. Kevin and Denise's daughter Emma was five and asleep in bed nearby during the previously told the BBC the pain of that night had never left her and appealed for witnesses to come said: "I just plead and urge people who know something to come forward, even if it is the smallest piece of information, please let the police know." Nottinghamshire Police described the attack as "savage" and said it had "robbed Kevin's children of a lifetime of memories".Det Ch Insp Ruby Burrow said: "We know the answer to Kevin's murder lies within the community and we also believe allegiances and loyalties will have changed after the passing of more than three decades."I'd continue to encourage anyone with any information, no matter how small, to please continue to get in touch with our officers or anonymously through Crimestoppers."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store