
JCB grave digging machine stolen from Fraserburgh cemetery
Police are also appealing for information following the thefts of five quad bikes from Aberdeenshire farms.The vehicles were taken from farms along the A97 road between Alford and Aberchirder between last Friday and Sunday.Officers believe a grey Ford Ranger pick-up was used to tow them away on a trailer.Officers said the thefts had severely impacted the local farming community and have appealed for witnesses, including anyone with dashcam footage, to get in touch.

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Daily Mail
8 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Ten-foot drone came so close to Heathrow passenger jet that pilot and first officer SAW it pass windshield
A ten-foot drone came so close to colliding with a passenger jet that it covered the plane's windscreen. The Airbus A320 had just taken off from London 's Heathrow Airport back in May and was at 9,000 ft when the near-miss occurred, The Sun reports. A report into the incident by investigation bod UK Airpox Board said: 'Both the Captain and First Officer saw a bright white object pass overhead from the opposite direction. 'It appeared to be approximately 2-3 metres in size at the very least.' The report added: 'It may have been larger as it filled a good proportion of the windshield.' The report added that the aircraft was spotted on radar by air traffic controllers. The in-flight incident investigation body was told a suspected drone had been spotted near London's City Airport prior to the incident. 'The Captain only saw the object for a second or two in peripheral vision so could not reliably comment on the shape. No markings were identified.' The pilot stated that the object 'went over us, probably within about 10m'. It is not clear which airline was operating the aircraft. It comes after a drone came within 10 to 20 metres of colliding with a Boeing 737 airliner as it approached Gatwick Airport in April. In a separate incident, a suspected drone came within 10ft of crashing into a British Airways passenger jet flying over London. The plane, operated by the airline's regional carrier BA Cityflyer, was travelling at 3,000ft four nautical miles north west of London City Airport, when pilots noticed an object with lights. The crew of the Embraer 190, which can carry up to 98 passengers, reported spotting the object at 6.10pm on October 31 after climbing out of the east London airport on a route used for domestic services to Edinburgh and Glasgow. While the incident was reported to police, the nature of the object was never formally identified. According to a report filed by the UK Airprox Board, which monitors and analyses near misses, said that both pilots 'instinctively flinched' as the object came 'extremely close' to the aircraft. The report concluded the incident meant there was a 'definite risk of collision' and or required 'providence', an instinctive pilot judgement in response to an emergency situation. In recent years, pilots have warned of the risk of drones causing potentially catastrophic damage if sucked into a jet engine or smashing into a windscreen.


Daily Mail
8 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Another huge Pro-Palestine march to block officonic Australian bridge this weekend - as police issue a warning to protesters
Police are vowing to arrest or charge pro-Palestine protesters if they unlawfully block traffic on a major city bridge after a magistrate denied legal protection for a proposed march. Chief Magistrate Janelle Brassington ruled that Sunday's planned march by up to 10,000 people across Brisbane 's Story Bridge would be declared an unauthorised protest. 'I'm satisfied (Queensland Police Service) has established there is a real and significant risk to persons in this case given the proposed route,' she said on Thursday. Ms Brassington said the planned protest was not unlawful but participants would not have protection against being criminally charged for actions such as obstructing traffic. Rally organiser Remah Naji said outside court that participants would still gather at the march's planned starting point in a nearby park. 'The plan is still to go ahead with a peaceful assembly ... we are considering our options at this stage,' she said. Acting Assistant Commissioner Rhys Wildman said police would act to protect the safety of the community and maintain access for emergency vehicles to the major arterial road crossing the Story Bridge. 'We have to make it quite clear that anyone participating in a protest which is not authorised faces the prospect of enforcement action being taken against them, whether that's on the day or post-event,' he said. 'There are a range of offences that are open to investigators to utilise, and we will have a significant policing presence this weekend to manage whatever response the protest organisers wish to take.' Mr Wildman urged Justice for Palestine to stay in contact with the police major events unit. Justice for Palestine Magan-djin proposed the rally as part of Sunday's nationwide day of action that has been billed as the largest pro-Palestine demonstration in Australia's history. Organisers were still considering a court appeal to authorise the march, Ms Naji said. It comes after tens of thousands of protesters marched on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the days before Anthony Albanese revealed Australia would recognise a state of Palestine. Authorities believed around 90,000 people arrived at the Harbour Bridge on Sunday afternoon, after authorities went back and forth with organisers about what would be permitted in the weeks leading up to it. Joshua Lees of the Palestine Action Group believed the true attendance was three times greater than police's estimate. 'Absolutely incredible day today… we think we had up to 300,000 people,' he said shortly after the event. After hearing emotionally-charged speeches, protesters began marching towards the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Hundreds of Palestinian flags waved above thousands of attendees as they crossed the bridge shoulder-to-shoulder. 'Confusing' police messages did not lead to any incidents as attendees were warned to double back on the march and return to the CBD. Police later said the march could have quickly become 'perilous'. 'I can honestly say in my 35 years of policing, that was a perilous situation,' Acting Assistant Commissioner Adam Johnson said. 'That was a very intense situation. We had more people than I'd ever seen in a small confined space. 'We were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people. We had to make a risky call to halt the crowd with messaging, ensure they stopped, and then redirect them back – and I want to thank everyone for heeding that advice.'


Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Secret tactics high street stores use to stop shoplifters - as police admit there's 'no point' arresting them
As shoplifting rates double and leading police chiefs admit there's 'no point' arresting thieves, members of the public and shop staff are having to take matters into their own hands. While innocent bystanders have started accosting suspected thieves, this week Lancashire Constabulary issued advice to business owners to say hello to shoplifters when they enter the premises, to deter them from setaling. Meanwhile, staff have also turned to their own secret tactics to catch them in the act, including handing a basket to customers they feel suspicious about. Popular shops including Iceland, Superdrug and Boots are sharing the methods they use to deter shoplifters in the hope that their stores can escape unscathed from the shoplifting epidemic. Staff in Iceland have resorted to locking suspected thieves inside stores to stop them escaping with bags full of produce. A clip shared on TikTok showed a security guard locking up the sliding doors as another member of staff tackled the shoplifter and attempted to wrestle the goods off them. Much to the shock of the thief's companion, the staff refused to let the detained shoplifter go so the accomplice began banging on the entrance, demanding she be released. Dressed in a fleece dressing gown with the hood up, the irate shopper shouted: 'Get off her man, come on, don't do that to her man. Why are you locking the door on her?'. She also yelled at the guards through the door asking them not to 'hold her like that' because 'she's a woman'. Inside, the security guard could be seen collecting several items from the floor and handing them back to shop staff. People in the comments asked whether the guard was allowed to detain the shoplifter but many more jumped to Iceland's defence and said the staff were within their rights to make a citizen's arrest. A citizen's arrest or an arrest without a warrant can be made if a person is in the act of committing an indictable offence or there are reasonable grounds for suspecting they are or might be about to. Offence include theft, burglary and criminal damage. Government advice warns that such arrests should only be made if a police officer cannot do it and if the person might cause harm to themselves or others, cause loss or damage to a property or escape before police arrive. While some supermarkets and shops are using citizens arrests to deter thieves, others are opting for a softer approach. Beauty chain Superdrug have taken to social media with a tongue in cheek campaign warning shoplifters that they are constantly being watched. In one clip, filmed by two staff members at a store in Stourport, outside Worcester, two sales assistants point to their headsets and body worn cameras to show potential thieves that they are being monitored and staff can communicate with each other. The video ends with them holding up a basket to the camera and pointing at it and then at the screen to indicate shoppers should use a basket. A video featuring staff from a shop in Halifax, west Yorkshire, showed the measures taken by the store to deter shoplifters. It followed one staff member as they followed and watched a potential thief who browsed products including a luffa and nail varnish. They appeared in various poses, hiding behind stands and crouching down as the Mission Impossible theme tune played over the clips. As well as watching closely, staff member Caitlin revealed Superdrug stores deter shoplifters by asking if they need any help. High Street pharmacy Boots has also taken to TikTok to promote its Stop, Think, Don't Shoplift campaign. In the minute-long video, a staff member at the Boots in the Arnison Centre, Durham, poses as a shoplifter and goes around the shop pretending to steal items while staff show how they tackle possible thefts. The clip starts by staff greeting the potential thief at the door, smiling, waving and saying hello. They then approach them as they shop, asking if they need any help as they pick up and put down various items. The Durham-based shop also showed off their rotating hooks which they say stops 'pesky thieves' and the security tags and plastic packaging on their beauty products which are difficult to remove. The high street chain has also instituted a rule of only three of each item, making it harder for shoplifters to grab a shelfful of expensive products and make a dash. The clip then shows the member of staff approaching the pretend thief and offering them a basket so it's easier to keep an eye on what they have taken. In another snippet, the fake shoplifter tried to open up luxury products but is fooled by an empty box, with the store advising other locations to use 'dummy boxes' provided by the beauty companies and to security tag the actual items. The video ended by a member of staff telling the would-be thief to 'stop' and 'think', resulting in the customer going through their pockets and bag and handing over an item they had attempted to steal. A store in Nottingham has also taken matters into their hands and installed CCTV to catch out shoplifters. A guard, watching live footage, issues announcements over the tannoy system telling thiefs they've been spotted and to return any stolen items meaning that stock is kept safe and instances of confrontation are avoided. The efforts of shopkeepers up and down the UK come after the total thefts reached 530,643 in the year to March, at an estimated cost of £1.8bn to retailers. Last year, Lancashire Police launched Operation Vulture, which encouraged businesses to use 'customer greeters' to cut down on crime. An online guide called How to Deter a Shoplifter, the force advised: 'By greeting genuine shoppers, not only does this provide a positive impression of your store, it also deters potential shoplifters. 'An offender is less likely to shoplift if they sense that they are to be seen and noticed by staff.' But the advice was criticised by another policing chief has seemingly admitted that there is little deterrent for shoplifters because they are so often freed by courts to steal again. Katy Bourne, the national lead for shoplifting at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said: 'People have got to know that they're going to get caught and that there's a meaningful deterrent when they do it. There is no point arresting shoplifters if there is no effective deterrent.' Insisting that it is 'madness' that the thieves blighting Britain's retailers are often not being put behind bars, Ms Bourne told The Telegraph: 'People have got to know that they're going to get caught, and that there's a meaningful deterrent when they do. 'There is no point arresting shoplifters if there is no effective deterrent.'