Teignmouth Pier and cafes evacuated after ordnance found
A Devon seaside town's pier, cafes and nearby properties have been evacuated after a suspected explosive device was found on the beach.A 656ft (200m) cordon has been put in place in Teignmouth after the discovery of the "suspected ordnance", said Devon and Cornwall Police."Please steer clear of the area while emergency services are in attendance and assessing the item," the force said.It said officers were "engaging with those impacted directly".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
41 minutes ago
- The Independent
Picasso and Warhol paintings belonging to ‘Hezbollah financier' to be sold
Two paintings by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, previously owned by a wealthy art collector suspected of financing Hezbollah, are set to be sold, with the proceeds being reinvested into the police, according to Scotland Yard. The artworks were seized from Nazem Ahmad, who has been designated by US authorities as a suspected financier for the Lebanese organisation. Hezbollah has been banned as a terrorist group in the UK since 2019. Mr Ahmad, based in Lebanon, was sanctioned by the UK Government under counter-terrorism rules in 2023. BBC Bargain Hunt art expert Oghenochuko Ojiri, 53, sold artworks worth around £140,000 to Mr Ahmad and failed to report the sales. Ojiri was arrested in Wrexham, North Wales, on April 18 2023, the same day the Government announced sanctions against Mr Ahmad, and on Friday was jailed for two-and-a-half years for eight offences under section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000. After Ojiri, of Brent, north-west London, was sentenced, the Metropolitan Police revealed that in 2023 they had obtained a warrant to seize several artworks belonging to Mr Ahmad which were kept in two warehouses in the UK. The artworks, including a Picasso and Andy Warhol paintings, were seized on May 4 2023. Later that year, the National Terrorist Financing Investigation Unit got a forfeiture order which allowed it to seize the artworks. Valued at almost £1 million, the pieces are due to be sold, officers said, and the money will be used by the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Home Office. The full set of Andy Warhol's Flowers was sold at auction for 2.3 million dollars (£1.7 million) on April 19 2023, according to Christie's website. Bethan David, head of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division, said: 'It is clear that Oghenochuko Ojiri was aware of new money laundering regulations in the art world and that he had knowledge of Nazem Ahmad's background. 'Ojiri engaged in activity designed to conceal the identity of the true purchaser by changing the details on invoices and storing Mr Ahmad's name under a different alias in his mobile phone. 'His motivation appears to be financial along with a broader desire to boost his gallery's reputation within the art market by dealing with such a well-known collector.' Ojiri has appeared on a number of BBC shows including Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip. He described himself as 'absolutely obsessed' with collecting contemporary art in a BBC Q&A. He has previously worked as an auctioneer and is known for championing African and European contemporary art.
Daily Mail
44 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Police were alerted to champion bagpiper's drunk wrecking spree - by his company car!
A champion piper whose own hi-tech company car alerted police to his drunken wrecking spree has been banned from driving for 16 months. Jonathan Greenlees resigned as a company director and took a £20,000 salary cut after smashing four other cars in 30 minutes. The 51-year-old accountant, who has won world bagpiping titles, was at a company event at Crieff Hydro Hotel when he left colleagues and got in his £45,000 electric car. He caused tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage to the parked cars he smashed into and has been ordered to carry out 160 hours unpaid community work. Sheriff David Hall said: 'I cannot understand why you ended up driving your vehicle that night, bearing in mind you were staying at the hotel. Why did you drive?' Solicitor Jim Bready, defending, said: 'He has no idea. He doesn't recall driving at all. He took a chance with his vehicle being available and drinking during the meal. 'The consequences were severe for him, but fortunately not as severe as they could have been. This type of conduct is completely out of character. 'He was a company director up until this incident. After this he resigned his post and was effectively demoted to another post in the company. 'He has taken a reduction of £20,000 in his salary as a direct result of this incident. His income is substantially in excess of £60,000.' Perth Sheriff Court heard how Greenlees smashed into four other cars - including the same one twice - while he was more than three times over the limit. It was his company Polestar car which first alerted the police to him crashing while the sound of several loud bangs brought witnesses out into the street. Greenlees admitted driving dangerously and drunk while he was supposed to be staying at the Crieff Hydro Hotel in Perthshire on 14 April this year. He resigned as Finance Director of Securigroup Ltd the day after his arrest and just six months after taking up the post with the Glasgow-based company. Fiscal depute Elizabeth Hodgson told the court that the dangerous driving lasted for almost 30 minutes and was recorded in full by Greenlees' own dashcam device. She said: 'From around 11pm people in the neighbourhood and roads around Crieff heard a series of collisions and came out into the street to investigate. 'They exited their homes and found the accused sitting in the driver's seat of his vehicle, a black Polestar. Police arrived ten minutes later. 'They noticed damage to multiple vehicles and traced the accused within his vehicle and trying to start it. He was asked if he was injured and replied that he wasn't. 'He was asked to exit and it was clear he was dazed, confused and slurring his words. An ambulance attended and they assessed that he was fit for custody. 'He identified himself as the driver. The usual procedures were carried out and the accused provided a lower reading of 70 mics [limit 22 mics]. He was arrested and placed in a locked cell. 'His dashcam footage shows the entire event and lasts for about half an hour. It shows how dangerous the driving is - striking multiple vehicles, stalling and running up onto the kerb.' Mr Bready told the court his client believed he had suffered a reaction to taking medicine and alcohol during the evening and could not remember what happened. He said: 'He can't recall leaving the table, the hotel or even driving the car. He had been taking the medication for two years or longer than that and there has never been any incident where the consumption of alcohol has resulted in anything at all. 'He was going to be staying at the Crieff Hydro. He would not normally risk driving at all, having taken any drink. His colleagues told him how much he had had to drink, and it was four to five glasses of wine.' Greenlees, of Glasgow, admitted driving drunk from Crieff Hydro car park, on the A822 towards Muthill and on various other roads in Crieff on 14 April. He also admitted driving dangerously and colliding with several stationary cars, driving at excessive speed, failing to maintain lane discipline, repeatedly driving on the wrong side and striking the kerb. Greenlees was in the Field Marshall Montgomery Pipe Band when he was crowned Champion Piper at the National Mod Piping Competition in Oban in 2015. He has won numerous world titles.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Moment gobsmacked jailbird is arrested as he leaves prison after he was caught dealing cocaine from his cell - and now he is back inside
This is the shocking moment a drug dealer was arrested at the prison gates - just seconds after leaving jail. Samuel Watts had just been released from HMP Kirkham after a three-year sentence for a drug dealing plot, but only tasted freedom for a matter of seconds. As he left the prison gates, officers placed the criminal in handcuffs as he can be heard saying 'you don't know what I've gone through'. After being placed under arrest in November, Watts has now been jailed for another four years and four months after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs (cocaine) while serving a prison sentence. The 34-year-old, of Thornley Green, was originally locked up in September 2023 for dealing cocaine and cannabis, Burnley Crown Court was told. In July last year, officers at Northwich Proactive CID discovered intelligence suggesting Watts was in possession of a mobile and was coordinating the sale of drugs from his prison cell. Prison officers then searched Watts and found an Apple iPhone strapped to his waist. Watts was originally locked up in September 2023 for dealing cocaine and cannabis, Burnley Crown Court was told. In July last year, officers at Northwich Proactive CID discovered intelligence suggesting Watts was in possession of a mobile and was coordinating the sale of drugs from his prison cell The phone was later analysed by officers who a catalogue of messages that proved he was selling illegal drugs. Police Constable Dan Lee, Of Northwich Proactive CID, said: 'Watts saw his initial prison sentence as an inconvenience rather than a punishment. 'After smuggling a mobile phone into the prison, he thought that he could simply continue to run his criminal enterprise from behind bars, directing people lower down the chain to deliver drugs on his behalf. 'However, he clearly underestimated the dedication and determination of the team here at Northwich Proactive CID. 'As soon as we became aware of his latest activities we brought them to a swift conclusion and were ready to arrest him as he was released from prison. 'I welcome the latest sentence handed to Watts and hopefully this time he'll use his time behind bars to reflect upon his actions rather than trying to set up another business venture, otherwise we'll be waiting for him again next time he's released.'
