County Durham anti-social behaviour orders extended
The third PSPO was designed to tackle issues caused by irresponsible dog ownership in the council area and the fourth to tackle anti-social behaviour in the High Force area of Teesdale.Reform's McGuinness said PSPOs were a "very effective tool"."Although County Durham is a welcoming, friendly and safe place to live, work and visit, it is important that we do all we can to ensure it remains that way," he said.
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The Independent
39 minutes ago
- The Independent
Fort Stewart army base shooting raises questions about military gun policies
A shooting that injured five soldiers at one of the country's largest military bases on Wednesday has resurfaced questions about a long-standing army policy that largely prevents service members from carrying personal weapons on military installations. Soldiers in the area who witnessed the shooting at Fort Stewart in Georgia 'immediately and without hesitation' tackled the shooter to subdue him before law enforcement arrived, Brigadier Gen. John Lubas said at a news conference Wednesday. But they didn't have firearms to shoot back because of a policy first enacted decades ago to ensure safety by limiting armed members on army bases to military police. The suspect in the shooting, logistics Sgt. Quornelius Radford, used a personal weapon, Lubas said. Questions about why soldiers didn't have weapons were buzzing online after at least one video of the incident on social media appears to show service members in uniform running to safety amid a lockdown that lasted about an hour, instead of firing back at the shooter. While some have questioned why many service members in the area during the shooting didn't use weapons to defend themselves, others have questioned whether existing regulations do enough to prevent shootings on bases. The shooting is the latest in a growing list of violent incidents at American military installations over the years — some claiming upward of a dozen lives. Experts say that there are reasons for long-standing regulations on military bases, despite their limitations. Department of Defense policy in place for decades Department of Defense policy prohibits military personnel from carrying personal weapons on base without permission from a senior commander, and there is a strict protocol for how the firearm must be stored. Typically, military personnel must officially check their guns out of secure storage to go to on-base hunting areas or shooting ranges, and then check all firearms back in promptly after its sanctioned use. Military police are often the only armed personnel on base, outside of shooting ranges, hunting areas or in training, where soldiers can wield their service weapons without ammunition. The federal policy leaves little room for local commanders to use discretion about how the policy is enforced. That means the regulation applies even in Georgia, a state with some of the most lax gun regulations in the country, where Fort Stewart is located. Designed to protect national security Robert Capovilla, a founding partner for one of the largest military law firms in the country, strongly believes in the Second Amendment. But he said that the strict firearm policies on military bases exist for a reason. 'A lot of these installations are involved in top-secret operations, dealing with top-secret information, and because of that you need a heightened security," said Capovilla, a former military prosecutor and defense attorney. 'You simply don't want folks walking around a federal installation with personal weapons.' He said he has traveled to 'nearly every single major military installation' in North America for his work. Whenever he visits an installation, he said armed military police have a visible presence almost constantly on base. He added that he doesn't believe Wednesday's shooting could have been prevented if military personnel had been armed at the time. Limitations to military gun regulation Firearms on military bases are more regulated than most states in some ways, according to former military prosecutor and defense counsel Eric Carpenter. But he said that the limitations on gun control on military bases parallel gun policy debates in the public more broadly. 'You don't forfeit all of your rights when you enter the military,' Carpenter said. ' Outside of a military situation, the service member has just as much Second Amendment right as anyone else.' For example, it could be fairly straightforward for a service member living off-base to bring a weapon onto the military installation, Carpenter said, because a senior commander can't regulate gun ownership off base. There is also scant legal ground for leadership to confiscate a gun when a service member is exhibiting signs of a mental health crisis or post-traumatic stress disorder, potentially posing a threat to themselves or others. In recent years, those gaps have come under more scrutiny because of mass shootings, he said. 'All those rules aren't going to prevent someone from doing what the guy did today,' Carpenter said.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Millions of households will be hit with council tax hikes to pay for Angela Rayner's Government funding reforms
Households in wealthy areas could be hit with huge council tax rises under Angela Rayner 's plans to divert more funding to deprived regions, experts warned last night. Reforms being brought in by the Deputy Prime Minister will mean many councils in the South – including London and the Home Counties – face swingeing cuts to their core budgets. Those in the Midlands and North can expect to see large increases. A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests the funding changes will see around a quarter of councils in England lose money in real terms – creating big 'winners and losers' as ministers try to address perceived unfairness in levels of funding across the country. However, the strength of cuts in wealthy areas that have historically kept council tax bills low means they will have less money to spend on vital services such as bin collections and elderly care – even if they increase bills by the maximum amount currently allowed. The report suggests that local authorities with low council tax that will lose funding should be able to make it up by hiking their rates on households even further. Kate Ogden, a senior research economist at the think-tank and the report's author, said: 'The Government should consider giving highly affected councils which currently have low council tax rates greater flexibility to bring their council tax bills up to more typical levels to offset funding losses.' Sir Keir Starmer's own council, Camden in north London, will be hit by the reforms when taking inflation into account, the IFS predicted. Overall spending will fall for 186 councils and rise by the same total sum for 161. One in ten will see a fall in overall funding, while one in ten will see an increase of 10 per cent or more. The overall Government spend on local authorities will not change, as the reforms are phased in across three years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29. London will gain the least under the changes with an increase in funding of 8 per cent in the next three years. Outside the capital, the East Midlands (22 per cent) and Yorkshire & the Humber (19 per cent) will see the biggest increases in funding, with the South East the smallest at 13 per cent. A spokesman for Ms Rayner's Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it was 'taking decisive action to reform the funding system so we can get councils back on their feet and improve public services'.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Giant signs painted on Oxford street warn Londoners to get off their phones amid record high snatches
PEDESTRIANS in London's top shopping district are being warned to get off their phones by giant signs painted on the street – after theft rates soared to record highs. Electrical retailer Currys painted purple lines along Oxford Street to remind shoppers to step back from the kerb and keep their mobiles hidden from e-bike thieves. The move is modelled on the Tube's iconic yellow 'mind the gap' lines. It is part of a campaign to help drive down phone thefts on packed high streets. We revealed earlier this year how a phone was stolen on average every seven minutes in the capital last year. The thefts usually involve criminals on mopeds snatching phones straight from people's hands on busy pavements before speeding off. New anti-theft signage will also be installed on Oxford Street – the home of Marks and Spencer's and Adidas ' flagship stores – as part of the 'Mind the Grab' campaign. It has been backed by Westminster Council, the Metropolitan Police, and the charity Crimestoppers. Ed Connolly, the chief commercial officer at Currys, said: ' Phone theft isn't just about losing a device. It's frightening, invasive, and cuts people off from their loved ones, their money, and their daily lives. 'Enough is enough. It's time to draw the line on phone theft (with) a bold pavement marking we believe can make a real difference by encouraging people to step back from the kerb.' Westminster Council has granted permission for the study to be tried on one of the capital's busiest streets. Deputy leader Aicha Less said: 'This campaign is a great example of how we are working with partners to raise awareness about phone thefts and promote simple measures to stay safe in public spaces, such as keeping valuables out of sight and planning routes home in advance.' 1 Met Police seize 1,000 stolen phones in a week and arrest 230 people
