Brixton: School dad's club tackles toxic masculinity
It was started by parents after the murder of Elianne Andam by teenager Hassan Sentamu in a row over a teddy.Club founder Scott Leonard said: "Primary school is so informative for young people, where they shape much of their thinking and behaviour."Just 14% of primary school teachers are male according to the Office for National Statistics.
"The more dads and male carers get involved, the more we can positively influence young minds and equip them with resilience and skills to create better future outcomes," Leonard told the BBC.Dad David Kingsley said: "It's just to encourage positive masculinity within our space and within our sons and ensure they grow up as good role models within their communities... and also be good dads in the future as well."Seven-year-old Paddy who attends the club with his dad Johnny Kilgallon said: "I like really like my friends and doing Pokemon cards and doing activities."Quincy, aged seven, who goes to every session, said: "I love dads' club because I get to play games and make comics."
Kenneth Baffoe of Jessop Primary School, in south London, said: "We believe true strength lies in compassion, empathy, and active involvement in our community."The club, which has had funding from festival Brockwell Live and the London Cycling Campaign, is working to scale the club across other primary schools."Our long-term goal is to take the primary school dads and male carers club model nationwide," said Mr Leonard.The club has been shortlisted for a Lambeth Civic Award.
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BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Lancashire Police advises greeting customers deters shoplifters
Shop owners should greet customers as soon as they enter a store in a bid to deter shoplifters, police have Police said shoplifters can assess how easy it is to steal from a shop by how soon after they enter they are spoken to by a member of staff, in what is known as "the three-to-five second rule"."By greeting genuine shoppers, not only does this provide a positive impression of your store, it also deters potential shoplifters," the force said. The advice comes as retailers said theft was spiralling out of control with the highest levels across England and Wales since current records began two decades ago. In July, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said there were 530,643 reported shoplifting offences in the year to March, which is a 20% increase from the previous Retailers Association director Tom Ironside said the ONS figures "prove what retailers have long been telling us - that retail theft is spiralling out of control".He said such theft triggered violence and abuse towards staff and cost retailers and customers £2.2bn a year. 'Aggressive when challenged' Lancashire Police issued the advice to retailers in an online guide - Securing your shop from shoplifters - as part of Operation Vulture, which tackles shoplifting."If a thief thinks they've been spotted they're more likely to leave," the guide it also urged caution as "shoplifters could respond aggressively when challenged".It advised staff to keep a safe distance, ask if the person needed help or a basket, and to step away and alert a manager or security if they felt uncomfortable. The force also warned that thieves targeted stores where there was only one member of staff, "so have a few members of staff and make sure they're trained in how to spot shoplifters".It said Operation Vulture also involved hotspot patrols, increased visibility in targeted areas, and working with retailers to understand retail crime and identify offenders. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Missing Amy Bradley's family tears into author's theory about disappearance from cruise & ‘obsession' with sexuality
A MISSING woman's family has said they refuse to accept she took her own life after an author revealed his controversial theory and claimed key details were missing from a recent Netflix documentary. Amy Lynn Bradley vanished from a cruise she was taking with her family 27 years ago and massive renewed interest in her case was sparked by the hit show. 6 6 6 Journalist and YouTuber James Renner has been looking into the Bradley case for several months ahead of the release of his book in 2026. He even took the same trip as Bradley on the Caribbean cruise ship, Rhapsody of the Seas, where she was last seen in her cabin around 5.30 am on March 24, 1998. The 23-year-old college graduate was on a family vacation and sharing a room with her parents, Iva and Ron, and her brother Brad. When her father woke up at 6 am, she was missing from the cabin, and the balcony door was ajar. Several alleged witnesses have come forward over the years to claim they have seen Bradley and believe she was kidnapped and sex-trafficked, but the sightings have never been confirmed. Bradley was also reportedly smoking heavily during the trip and was worried after revealing her sexuality to her family, who allegedly did not initially accept her lifestyle. Former girlfriends spoke out in the Netflix documentary about how hard she found the situation and claimed she was nervous to go on the cruise. Renner claims he spoke to investigators who told him there were footprints on the balcony door and handprints on the railing that could suggest she pushed herself off. In an interview with The U.S. Sun, he said, "I think it's possible she sat on the railing. I think what we might be looking at here is what the French call 'l'appel du vide' which we call 'call of the void.' "I think it's possible. She had a really rough night. She'd been drinking. She had a very big decision to make when she got home from that cruise ship." Amy Bradley's brother reveals new 'evidence' not covered in Netflix doc about her disappearance from cruise ship Renner also claimed he met up with the Bradleys while researching his book, but they cut him off after he brought up her sexuality. Her family has now slammed the author, and believes she is still alive 27 years after she disappeared. A spokesperson for the family told The U.S. Sun, "The Bradleys welcomed Mr Renner into their home to talk. "After a while, it seemed the only topic James Renner wanted to talk about was Amy being gay. "The family has known that since 1995, and they have all moved on from that, and they love their daughter no matter what and support her. "The Bradleys want to make sure the topic is about finding out what happened to their daughter and not some writer's sensational gay theory. "It really had [no] relevance to the case, and they thought it would distract [from] finding Amy. "The footprints. There are tons of prints all over the room and balcony, no one knows whose prints they are. "Amy Lynn Bradley did not jump off the Rhapsody of the Seas on March 24, 1998. I can guarantee you that. "Amy was full of life and had a promising future. "Look at every photo from that vacation, and you see a very happy and confident woman." Amy Lynn Bradley did not jump off the Rhapsody of the Seas." Amy's family statement Renner, in response to the family's comments, claims they never fully acknowledged that their daughter was gay, claiming, "I think that does a disservice to her memory and the partners she left behind." Her brother Brad recently claimed in an interview with People Magazine that Amy was bisexual and had a boyfriend at the time she vanished. But Renner alleges, "Amy identified as gay, not bi, it's time to honor that. "Personally, I think her identity had a lot to do with what happened. "Amy had a major decision to make when she got home - be openly gay and reunite with her partner and risk disappointing her conservative family, or continue to live a lie." He alleges the new information about Amy having a boyfriend is nothing but a "deflection." "And even Brad admits that prior to the cruise, Amy had written a letter to her boyfriend saying she was moving on," Renner continued. Brad told People that Amy told her boyfriend in the letter that she needed to take it slow and step back from the relationship. Renner continued, "So when she's sitting on that deck, she has all this on her mind, along with the stress of starting a new job and moving into a new apartment. "These are some of the most stressful things in life, and she was facing them all when she returned to the States. She was under a ton of stress. "As the FBI recently told them [the family], there is no evidence Amy ever left that balcony." WRONG MAN Meanwhile, Renner previously slammed the documentary for allegedly pointing the finger at the wrong man amid sex-trafficking claims. During her final hours on the ship, Amy was captured on security footage dancing with a bass player at the club, Alister "Yellow" Douglas. Alleged witnesses came forward in the series who claimed to have seen Amy with Douglas after the club closed, and on a beach after she was reported missing. The FBI has questioned Douglas on more than one occasion and ruled him out of their investigation. Renner met with Douglas on his Caribbean trip to hear his story directly, and revealed he is now a reverend at a small church in Granada and has a new wife and young child. He has received threats for years over his connection to the case, and claims he has lost many job opportunities. In the filmed interview for his YouTube channel, Douglas claimed he never saw Amy after they danced together at the ship's nightclub before she retired to her cabin to be with her family. "I found him to be very sincere and candid," Renner said. "He admits that, as an officer on the cruise ship, he definitely crossed the line with dancing close with Amy. "But he says he didn't have anything to do with what ultimately happened to her. And I believe him. Top theories relating to Amy Bradley's disappearance From suicide to sex-trafficking, there have been many theories about what happened to the 23-year-old. Sex-trafficking/Abduction - this is the most prominent theory, as alleged witnesses have come forward to claim they have seen her with suspicious men in the Caribbean. A photograph of a woman with strikingly similar features was also posted on a sex worker website and featured in the Netflix doc. Suicide - Amy was allegedly struggling with stress after coming out as a gay woman to her family, and her brother admitted their parents found it difficult to accept. She was reportedly drinking and chain-smoking in the weeks leading up to her disappearance. She was also last seen in her family's cabin smoking on the balcony, and there is no proof she ever left. Accidental Overboard - Amy was under the influence of alcohol when she was on the balcony after a night of partying in the ship's nightclub. She may have climbed up while intoxicated and fallen overboard. However, this is considered the least likely theory due to the height of the balcony and Amy's reported fear of heights. Voluntary Departure - It has also been suggested that Amy may have intentionally left the ship to start a new life after revealing her sexuality to her family. The documentary explores this theory as a mystery internet user with an IP address linked to Barbados would often spend minutes on pages of the website created by her family every year on Christmas and Thanksgiving. "He's an active member in his community there. He doesn't have any other history of violence. "He has a beautiful wife and kid on the island, and they were at church with him and were involved there and seemed well-adjusted." Asked if the Bradleys had ever met with Douglas to hear his side of the story, Renner said, "I don't believe he ever met with the family. I think, from what I understand, the last time they saw him was when he was coming out the first time he was questioned by the FBI on the cruise ship." In his interview, Douglas said Amy told him her father had found out she was gay and was struggling to accept the news, which was backed up by her brother in the series. Douglas said he didn't know how to respond as he's a religious man, but took pity on her and suggested they dance to a few songs before he had to leave. "I said, 'Look, I have to go, I have to be out of [the] passenger area', and I left," he claimed. "That was my last conversation [with her], last time I saw her. "The person I am, I like to console people, I like to talk with people. There was not enough time, maybe the following day, if I had seen her, I would have." Douglas added that he hopes "the truth" will one day come out and he will be vindicated. Renner added to The U.S. Sun: "I came to care for the Bradleys very much. But I see these people like Alister Douglas, who have had their lives affected in terrible ways because they've been accused of kidnapping Amy. And there is no evidence to suggest that ever happened." 6 6 6
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Cancel your weekend plans to binge Sheridan Smith's 'outstanding' Netflix drama
It looks like Netflix subscribers are discovering a Sheridan Smith crime drama that first aired on ITV in 2012. Mrs Biggs is climbing up the streamer's ranking of the platform's top 10 TV shows – making a convincing argument for a mid-August weekend watch. Smith – who has so many British dramas to her name it can be easy to let one slip – stars in this five-part drama, which is based on the true story of the Great Train Robbery. The drama focuses on the relationship between Charmian, played by Smith, and Ronnie Biggs, played by Daniel Mays. It follows everything from their first lovestruck meeting and the fateful 1963 train heist, to its aftermath and their eventual divorce in 1976, after Biggs fathered a child in Brazil. We see the petty crook meet his soon-to-be wife on, of all places, a train. 'The future is full of possibilities,' he tells her. 'The past will only drag you down.' With that, the Biggs couple set off on a crime spree before they eventually decide to settle down for a quiet married life. That is, until the 'one last job' pops up in the chance to join the train robbers. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Some labelled the drama a sanitised version of events, but it was inspired by a letter Biggs sent to his wife following the death of their son Nicholas. Biggs's former wife Charmian was also a consultant on the show. The show's writer and executive producer Jeff Pope said he wanted to set out a romantic tale, rather than a romanticised one. 'We show Ron as perhaps a little too wilfully optimistic and Charmian is the cold voice of reason throughout. It absolutely would be a danger of a piece like this to romanticise it,' he told The Guardian. 'It will get laughed out of court if it's a slushfest. In the first episode, they steal, he strikes her, we acknowledge the fact he had a criminal record; further down the line, Charmian has an abortion by another man. We don't pull back, we don't flinch.' Praised at the time of its release for the quality of the acting and the excitement of the episodes, TV viewers have shared their positive reception over the years, as Mrs Biggs has been available on ITVX as well as Netflix. Taking to X, @AshWoody90 praised: 'Mrs Biggs on Netflix, possibly one the best things I have ever watched.' More Trending @elliot_gonzalez commended the creative partnership between the show's writer and star, writing: 'Jeff Pope and Sheridan Smith should always work together. Mrs Biggs, The Widower, Cilla and now The Moorside. All outstanding work.' @TVChatty wrote: 'All week I've been watching Mrs Biggs on ITV3. Why did I not watch it first time? Fantastic story and great acting. Really enjoyed it.' @lizcurran echoed: 'Sheridan Smith is wonderful in Mrs Biggs – she is one of my favourite actors. Utterly mesmerising – always.' View More » Mrs Biggs is available on Netflix and ITVX. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
