Rabbits attacked and killed in Sunderland Barnes Park
Footage of three children on off-road bikes in the park has also been released as part of the investigation.A council spokesperson said: "There is no excuse for this behaviour. "Our parks are for everyone, not for fear, cruelty or destruction."
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The Sun
26 minutes ago
- The Sun
Woman who torched neighbour's Land Rover because she thought his rescue badgers killed local cat is spared jail
A WOMAN who torched a neighbour's Land Rover because she thought his badgers killed a local cat has been spared jail. Graham Lee, 56, saw his Freelander destroyed as his furious neighbour attempted to kill the badgers living on his driveway. 5 5 5 Susan Lupton, 63, dubbed her neighbour the "evil badger man" as she believed the animals he cared for had killed another neighbour's pet cat. The arson took place at the coastal village of Freshwater Bay on the Isle of Wight, causing £18,500 worth of damages with Lee's Freelander destroyed. Another property was also damaged as the blaze spread to a neighbouring house. Police arrived to Lupton, who has bipolar disorder, having a manic episode, telling officers: "I did it, I'm responsible". She has avoided prison after admitting two counts of arson but has been banned from the area. Isle of Wight Court heard how Lupton set fire to Lee's Land Rover on June 20, 2024. She had set fire to a plastic container filled with white spirit before sliding it under the Freelander, according to prosecutor Joanna Staples. The vehicle was completely gutted and a window, guttering, cooker extractor and a tree were all damaged beyond repair on a neighbouring property. Lee, a wildlife volunteer, would leave food out for the badgers on his driveway, tried to put out the blaze himself before firefighters arrived. The badgers haven't returned to the property since the fire, he said. Lupton, who moved to the UK from South Africa in 1980, told police she had started the fire in an attempt to kill the badgers he was looking after. She believed they had killed a cat owned by another neighbour. Lupton also claimed she had learnt how to start the fire from a firefighter friend. The court heard how she had shared posts on her Facebook page claiming Lee was an "evil badger man". Moment dad calmly stretches as he's snared for shaking baby daughter to death In a victim impact statement, Lee said that Lupton was "sick, twisted and a manipulative individual". He added how she had left him constantly checking his security cameras out of fear she may appear on his driveway with some matches. Lee went on to add that his Land Rover was his "pride and joy" and said Lupton's actions had ruined his life. He told the court that Lupton has posted videos online of her throwing bricks at badgers and lacing bowls of food with glass. Neighbour Kavita Hayton, whose home was damaged by the incident, said the attack had left her "genuinely frightened" and in "a state of fear for many months". Lupton's barrister Jonathan Underhill told the court that Lupton had a single conviction for criminal damage on her record and that she had bipolar disorder. He asked the judge to give Lupton a suspended sentence to help with her rehabilitation. Judge James Newton-Price said the victims had suffered a "terrifying experience" and Lupton had developed a "fixation" and had become "irrationally obsessed". The judge added during sentencing: "You say you are horrified for what you've done. "I believe you have a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, and that imprisonment would reverse your progress." Lupton was ordered to pay costs of £1,000 and compensation of £7,835. She was handed two years' imprisonment, suspended for two years and was given a restraining order to stay away from Lee. In addition, Lupton has been banned from the village of Freshwater indefinitely. 5 5
The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
The new secret weapon nailing dangerous criminals in the street including sick paedo who befriended family
AT first glance, it looks like just another white van parked up by the side of the road. But the unremarkable Iveco truck is a secret weapon for cops in their drive to nail dangerous fugitives. 7 7 7 Covered in cameras, it houses a bank of screens and hi-tech computer equipment — the centrepiece of a Met Police Live Facial Recognition (LFR) deployment. And it plays a crucial role in safeguarding children and the vulnerable from sex offenders, stalkers and violent criminals. Seven cameras perched on top of the vehicle constantly scan the pedestrians walking by — feeding the images into a computer which flags up suspects wanted by cops. It also looks out for people on the run or subject to court orders for a range of offences, including sex crimes, to ensure they have not committed any breach. Known haunts The Sun joined a Met Live Facial Recognition team on a deployment close to Upton Park station in London's East End — and I got to test out the kit. I handed over a copy of my Press card featuring my grisly mug, which was fed into the database alongside 16,000 genuine custody images of wanted criminals and those subject to court orders. It means that when I later come into view of the truck's cameras, alerts inside start going off like a pinball machine. My features registered a high score on the biometrics system, which works using facial measurements. Happily, the cops inside knew it was all for my report. Met Central Ops director Lindsey Chiswick says: 'If you're not subject to a current order or wanted for a criminal offence, then the tech will ignore you. It is taking some really dangerous people off the streets.' The LFR van at Upton Park was sitting close to a Greggs bakery — a famous target for shoplifters. One officer told me: 'Businesses love to see us turn up. Nobody will be shoplifting at Greggs here today.' New stats released today show 1,035 wanted criminals were arrested by the Met between January 1 and June 20 thanks to this new facial recognition kit. They included more than 100 offenders who carried out serious acts of violence such as rape, stalking and domestic abuse. Some 93 of them were registered sex offenders, including David Cheneler, 73, who was lagged up by LFR in Denmark Hill, South London, in January while walking with a six-year-old girl. Cheneler, who was jailed for nine years in 2019 for offences against children, had befriended the girl's mother on his release from prison and offered to pick the youngster up from school as a 'favour'. The mum had no idea of his appalling history. 7 Cheneler was found to have a knife when stopped by the LFR team — and checks revealed that he was in breach of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order stopping him from being alone with a child under 14. The paedophile, from Lewisham, South London, was sentenced to two years at Kingston Crown Court in May after admitting breaching the terms of his order and possessing an offensive weapon. Lindsey Chiswick says: 'The tech flagged him up. 'Without it, Cheneler would still be walking the streets.' A violent robber who targeted a Rolex watch, 22-year-old Adenola Akindutrie, had false ID documents and used a fake Irish accent on cops when he was flagged up by LFR in Stratford, East London, in April. People might age, put on weight or lose it, but they will still show up as certain facial features don't change a lot. Police officer He was arrested and fingerprints proved his identity. The villain is now behind bars awaiting sentence. Shoplifter Darren Dubarry, 50, was also caught on camera in May because he was wanted for theft — and found to be in possession of designer clothing he had stolen that same day. Eight arrests were made during the Upton Park deployment attended by The Sun last month, with 14 people stopped in total. A second LFR team operating that day in Tooting, South London, made two arrests. The NeoFace system checks 28 facial measurements, including eyes, nose, mouth and head size. 7 Each person is given a score, and the threshold for an alert is anything over 0.64. After I had my image added to the system, it clocked me instantly and I scored 1.47. If a person is of no interest, then the pixelated image caught on LFR is immediately deleted. Even though the vans themselves are inconspicuous, LFR vehicles have a sign on the back saying Live Facial Recognition in operation — and there are warning notices at either end of the recognition zones. If someone flags up on the system, an alarm in the vehicle is activated and the person is pulled aside. Sunglasses and baseball caps are no barrier to the technology. And if you are wanted for an offence and hoping fat jabs may have changed your features, then forget it. You will still be spotted. In general, around one in five of those serving protection orders is found to be in breach of their conditions and arrested on the spot. Intelligence reports on those stopped but not in breach go to offender managers to make them aware of the criminals' movements. The list of 16,000 subjects of interest in Upton Park is based on reports of their known haunts. An officer on the team, says: ' Criminals are transient, but it's possible some of the 16,000 could be in the area. 'Some of the custody images might be five years old, but we have even matched a custody image which was taken 24 years ago. 'People might age, put on weight or lose it, but they will still flag up because certain facial features don't change a lot.' The LFR system was first trialled by the Met in 2016 and by South Wales Police the following year. It is expanding across the country with eight forces having used it. Freedom of information data revealed LFR scanned 4.7million faces in England and Wales last year — twice the number in 2023. False alerts are rare — one in 33,000 — and officers provide a safeguard by making the ultimate decision on whether to stop someone. Civil liberties groups have raised fears of a Big Brother era being ushered in without legal checks and balances. However, 83 per cent of the public backs the system. 7
BBC News
44 minutes ago
- BBC News
Two arrests after man suffers serious assault in Claverham
A man has been taken to hospital after suffering a serious assault in a Somerset village, said police. Officers were called to Claverham High Street following reports of a man being seen with a knife, said police adding "upon arrival, they found a man with stab-like wounds". An Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson confirmed the victim had been taken to hospital with injuries that were thought to be life-changing, but not life-threatening. Two men, aged 37 and 25, were arrested and remain in police custody while inquiries continue. A police cordon remains in place along the High Street. Road closures are in place at the street's junctions with Franklins Way and Chestnut Drive. "If you were in the area and saw or heard anything suspicious, please call 101 and quote reference 5225186586," the police force said.
