I 'narrowly missed being hit' : eyewitness shares harrowing account of Liverpool parade car incident
• Chelsea Yuen was in the crowd when a car ploughed into fans at a Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade - injuring 47 people.
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Daily Record
9 hours ago
- Daily Record
Scots warned of dire consequences of using modified Amazon Fire Sticks
Sophisticated scam operations selling the illegal devices were found operating on social media, with thousands of ads. Millions of people in the UK using modified Amazon Fire Sticks to illegally stream TV programming have been warned they could be prosecuted for taking part in funding international piracy gangs. The caution comes from Kieron Sharp, a former detective with the City of London Police, who is now chairing Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) and its fight against the fraud, which costs an estimated £21 billion a year. An increasing number of Brits are believed to be using the illegal devices, but also risk identity theft, criminals stealing their bank details, and malware viruses infecting their personal devices. It is estimated that 6.2 million people illegally stream TV, and 3.2 million access pirated live sport. Our sister title The Mirror carried out an investigation into the fraudulent business of selling the modified Fire Sticks. Tens of thousands of adverts are posted publicly on Facebook, offering thousands of TV channels for just a few pounds a month. In one case, a single UK mobile number was used in 800 ads on the platform offering "packages" for as little as £6. Customers are told to contact the criminal sellers on WhatsApp. The entire process suggests a sophisticated scam operation that expects its ads to be removed and linked accounts blocked. One seller offered 'All Sky channels, all sports channels, all football events, Netflix, HBO, Disney +, Amazon Prime and Apple' for as little as £2.50 a month, with subscriptions starting at £35 for six months, or £150 for five years. In comparison, anyone wanting to follow all the Premier League matches legally would have to shell out nearly £50 a month for the cheapest offers. The seller, who claimed to be from a company called IPTV, 'Don't worry, we are providing services all over the UK", in an attempt to claim their service was legal. IPTV is a generic term for Internet Protocol Television. They added: 'It's [an] online service to provide channels on fire stick, smart TVs, android TVs, mobile phone as well. We can provide subscriptions to other countries like Australia, USA and Canada.' However, there is no guarantee those behind the fraud will be around long enough to close the deal. In January, a man streaming illegally to thousands from his Birmingham home was jailed for two years. Meanwhile, criminals are mining thousands of people's personal data, including card details, and can infect their devices with malware. Kieron Sharp said that those who use the illegal streaming services are also breaking the law and risk prosecution. FACT is assisting in exposing gangs like those on Facebook, with 36 people since jailed for an average of almost three years each. Kieron, who is also a former head of the economic crime team at Interpol, said: 'This has been a problem forever, since the days of pirated video cassettes and DVDs. But the rise of streaming has made things easier for the criminal in the same way as it has made things easier for the legal consumer. Is it any more of a problem than it was years ago? That's very difficult to say. There's no complete picture of the landscape.' He added: 'If we take out a gang and they have a customer database, we would normally write to the consumers on that customer list telling them 'What you are doing is breaking the law and you will have to stop'. We would like to think that they would start paying for that content. 'But it is entirely possible that consumers could get swept up in our investigations. It would be a discussion for everybody involved in the business to see if that is an area that we would want to go down. It could happen, it really could. I would never say to any of the consumers through the messaging that we do that they are not going to get prosecuted because that just isn't correct.' Sunny Kumar Kanda from Halifax was jailed for two years for supplying modified Fire Sticks via a Facebook group consisting of over 4,000 members. Fellow seller Jonathan Edge from Liverpool was sentenced to more than three years, with a further sentence of two years and three months for viewing the content he distributed to be served immediately after. However, the more immediate risk comes from the potential malicious software from illegal streaming. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Kieron said: 'There is a risk from using these devices, it is not just us saying this. People should be warned about this. There's a real risk of having your identity stolen or similar. If you give over your credit card details, you are giving them to criminals. 'They could get access to the camera on your TV, if it has one, or microphone. There is no safety or security with what you are getting with these modified devices. Some people set them up just to get your personal details.' A recent report by Enders Analysis accused Amazon's £25 Fire Stick of allowing 'plug-and-play piracy', with three in five who used a physical device for piracy in the last 12 months choosing the Fire Stick, according to Sky. Amazon said it had made changes to Fire TV to make streaming illegal content more difficult. An Amazon spokesperson said: 'Pirated content violates our policies regarding intellectual property rights, and compromises the security and privacy of our customers. 'We remain vigilant in our efforts to combat piracy and protect customers from the risks associated with pirated content, which includes prohibiting apps that infringe upon the rights of third parties in our Appstore, and warning customers of the risks associated with installing or using apps from unknown sources.'
Scotsman
13 hours ago
- Scotsman
Public safety during Edinburgh's festival period to be reviewed after Liverpool parade tragedy
Counter-terror and public safety plans for Edinburgh's festivals will continue to be reviewed, councillors have been assured, after a tragic event in Liverpool saw a car driven into crowds. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... More than 40 people were injured, some seriously, after after a car ploughed into the crowd at Liverpool FC's Premier League title victory parade. Temporary barriers to stop 'hostile vehicles' are to be included in plans for securing the festivals, while closing Cowgate to eastbound traffic and reopening the northern footway on North Bridge are being considered. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad SNP councillor Finlay McFarlane asked officers at Thursday's meeting of the Culture and Communities Committee: 'The tragic incident in Liverpool is at the top of my mind as we approach the busy festival. 'I'm wondering if we are revisiting and making sure we have robust traffic management policies in place for our busy season which is approaching.' Edinburgh council officers laid out a range of proposed actions during the meeting, all aimed at keeping the city running smoothly during the festivals. Claire Miller, a public safety officer for the council, said: 'We actually reviewed a recent event in Edinburgh as a result of that as well. 'It's constantly ongoing in terms of reviewing and making sure we're following police guidance and making sure that the appropriate streets are closed, and that we have rated equipment where we need it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We're working with our partners to make sure appropriate equipment is placed throughout the city.' Council officers laid out a range of proposed actions during the meeting, all aimed at keeping the city running smoothly during the festivals. Officers will now explore opening the northern footway on North Bridge to help with the high levels of pedestrian traffic expected on the route during the summer festivals. In addition, they will explore closing Cowgate to eastbound car traffic during the festivals to open more space for pedestrians. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This was considered for the festivals last summer, but discounted by officers. Officers will also aim to have contingency plans for terror attacks at the summer festivals completed by the end of this month. Permanent anti-vehicle barriers exist in parts of the Old Town, but the council has also contracted a company to provide temporary ones at other sites in the city, as well as purchasing their own temporary barriers. The report to councillors that contained the action plan also had data about how the summer festivals went last year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad According to the report, 3.91 million people attended the festivals last year, up from 3.45 million in 2023. It also showed that the number of entertainment noise complaints had gone down, from 39 in 2023 to 28 in 2024. Foot traffic on Princes Street in August increased by 100,000 from 2023, reaching 1.67 million in 2024. Some 30,000 more people used the trams in August in 2024 than in 2023, for a total of 1.18 million riders last year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, the number of bus users went down, dropping from 370,000 per week in 2023 to 329,000 in 2024. Labour councillor Margaret Graham, convener of the Culture and Communities Committee, said: 'Summer festivals have a huge impact on the city financially, the economy is driven to a significant degree by it. 'So we need to manage them, and I believe that Claire manages them [well]. I have one little gripe about the South Bridge, and I have some concerns about public safety there. 'But apart from that, I am happy to move the report.' Labour councillor Margaret Graham, convener of the Culture and Communities committee, said: 'Edinburgh's summer festivals deliver significant benefits to the city, drawing millions of visitors, boosting the local economy and enriching the cultural scene. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'However, it's essential that we balance the festivals' successful delivery with the needs of local residents and businesses, and the scorecard helps us to understand the impact these events have. 'The scorecard and associated action plan focuses on a range of themes, including sustainability and the economy. As part of this we are constantly reviewing public safety measures, working with partners like Police Scotland on contingency planning and delivering initiatives like Summertime Streets, to make sure people can enjoy the summer's events safely.'
Edinburgh Reporter
13 hours ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Counter-terror planning underway for festivals
Counter-terror and public safety plans for Edinburgh's festivals will continue to be reviewed, councillors have been assured, after a tragic event in Liverpool saw a car driven into crowds. More than 40 people were injured, some seriously, after after a car ploughed into the crowd at Liverpool FC's Premier League title victory parade. Temporary barriers to stop 'hostile vehicles' are to be included in plans for securing the festivals, while closing Cowgate to eastbound traffic and reopening the northern footway on North Bridge are being considered. SNP councillor Finlay McFarlane asked officers at Thursday's meeting of the Culture and Communities Committee: 'The tragic incident in Liverpool is at the top of my mind as we approach the busy festival. 'I'm wondering if we are revisiting and making sure we have robust traffic management policies in place for our busy season which is approaching.' Claire Miller, a public safety officer for the council, said: 'We actually reviewed a recent event in Edinburgh as a result of that as well. 'It's constantly ongoing in terms of reviewing and making sure we're following police guidance and making sure that the appropriate streets are closed, and that we have rated equipment where we need it. 'We're working with our partners to make sure appropriate equipment is placed throughout the city.' Council officers laid out a range of proposed actions during the meeting, all aimed at keeping the city running smoothly during the festivals. Officers will now explore opening the northern footway on North Bridge to help with the high levels of pedestrian traffic expected on the route during the summer festivals. In addition, they will explore closing Cowgate to eastbound car traffic during the festivals to open more space for pedestrians. This was considered for the festivals last summer, but discounted by officers. Officers will also aim to have contingency plans for terror attacks at the summer festivals completed by the end of this month. Permanent anti-vehicle barriers exist in parts of the Old Town, but the council has also contracted a company to provide temporary ones at other sites in the city, as well as purchasing their own temporary barriers. The report to councillors that contained the action plan also had data about how the summer festivals went last year. According to the report, 3.91 million people attended the festivals last year, up from 3.45 million in 2023. It also showed that the number of entertainment noise complaints had gone down, from 39 in 2023 to 28 in 2024. Foot traffic on Princes Street in August increased by 100,000 from 2023, reaching 1.67 million in 2024. Some 30,000 more people used the trams in August in 2024 than in 2023, for a total of 1.18 million riders last year. However, the number of bus users went down, dropping from 370,000 per week in 2023 to 329,000 in 2024. Labour councillor Margaret Graham, convener of the Culture and Communities committee, said: 'Edinburgh's summer festivals deliver significant benefits to the city, drawing millions of visitors, boosting the local economy and enriching the cultural scene. 'However, it's essential that we balance the festivals' successful delivery with the needs of local residents and businesses, and the scorecard helps us to understand the impact these events have. 'The scorecard and associated action plan focuses on a range of themes, including sustainability and the economy. As part of this we are constantly reviewing public safety measures, working with partners like Police Scotland on contingency planning and delivering initiatives like Summertime Streets, to make sure people can enjoy the summer's events safely.' By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
