Arrest at Palestine Action protest was a privilege, boasts ex-Blair adviser
The 57-year-old, who has never been found guilty of any terror-related offence, is now a senior director at Cage International, the protest group.
On Sunday, a Metropolitan Police spokesman, confirmed 532 people had been arrested for showing support for Palestine Action and a further eight arrests were carried out for other offences, including five assaults on officers.
They said: 'The overwhelming majority of arrests – 522 – were for displaying an item (in this case a placard) in support of a proscribed organisation (in this case Palestine Action) contrary to Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
'Ten others were arrested for other reasons – including six for assaults on officers, one on obstructing a constable in the execution of their duty, two for breaching public order act conditions and one for a racially aggravated public order offence.'
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Telegraph
2 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Facial recognition vans to hunt criminals across Britain
Vans equipped with facial recognition cameras will be deployed across Britain to catch criminals, the Home Office has announced. Ten vehicles equipped with live facial recognition (LFR) technology will be provided to police forces to find people wanted for serious crimes. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, said that the technology would be used 'in a targeted way' to identify sex offenders and other serious criminals. The seven areas that will deploy the vans include Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Surrey, Sussex and Thames Valley. Previously, just five forces in England, including the Metropolitan Police, and one in Wales had access to the technology. The capital's police force made 580 arrests using LFR for offences including rape, knife crime and robbery. Fifty-two sex offenders were also caught and arrested for breaching bail conditions. Forces are told they must follow guidance on how the technology is used, including measuring faces from a live feed only against police watchlists. The Home Office also announced that there will be a consultation on what safeguards and oversight are needed, with a view to creating a new legal framework for its use. The LFR police vans have two CCTV cameras positioned on the roof at the front and back, and have a sign on the side to indicate that facial recognition is in use. Lindsey Chiswick, the lead for facial recognition at the National Police Chief's Council, said that the facial recognition 'will be targeted, intelligence-led, within a set geographical location and for a defined period of time'. LFR is one of three types of facial recognition used by police. Retrospective facial recognition is used after an incident, where images from CCTV or social media are used to compare to images of people taken on arrest. Earlier this year, The Telegraph revealed that police had been told to use facial recognition searches in every investigation. Officers are encouraged to obtain pictures of targets, including witnesses and victims, from social media, doorbell footage and CCTV, and search them against the vast police national databas. A mobile app which allows officers to take a photograph of a person of interest and check their identity when they are unsure without arresting them is also in its early stages. The Home Office has also said that every neighbourhood in England and Wales has a named, contactable police officer in place. Ms Cooper said: 'Facial recognition will be used in a targeted way to identify sex offenders or people wanted for the most serious crimes who the police have not been able to find. 'That's why we're funding 10 vans and also drawing up a new legal framework, so we've got proper safeguards and checks in place so that we can use the technology to go after the most dangerous criminals.'
Leader Live
4 hours ago
- Leader Live
Police seize supercars worth £6m in anti-social driving crackdown
Seventy-two luxury vehicles, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Bentleys, were taken off the streets last weekend in an operation targeting nuisance driving in London's West End. The Metropolitan Police said the cars were either unroadworthy or being driven illegally. The operation was launched following complaints from residents, businesses and visitors about high-value cars causing disruption in and around Hyde Park, Kensington and Chelsea. Officers worked with the Motor Insurers' Bureau to issue tickets for a range of offences including driving with no insurance, no licence, disqualification, false documentation and fraudulent number plates. Several stolen vehicles were recovered, with 10 others found to have no valid MoT and 11 without road tax. Eight people were arrested for offences including actual bodily harm (ABH), criminal damage, drug offences, theft and immigration breaches. Those arrested include a 22-year-old man from Hammersmith, held for ABH and criminal damage, who was remanded in custody. Another man, aged 25 and from London, was charged with possession of a class B drug. A 27-year-old man from Watford was arrested for theft of a motor vehicle and released under investigation. A 23-year-old man from Twickenham was remanded after being arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, driving without insurance or a licence, and drug-driving. Three men, aged 26, 35 and 39, and a 23-year-old woman, all from London, were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences. Special Chief Officer James Deller said the operation responded to concerns over 'high-value vehicles causing a nuisance in known hotspot areas in central and west London'. He added: 'The Met has already reduced neighbourhood crime by 19% over recent months and we're addressing anti-social behaviour caused by uninsured drivers. 'This has been a great opportunity to work with the Motor Insurers' Bureau and for officers to speak with members of the public about the work we do, educate drivers and enforce the law.'
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Facial recognition vans to be deployed across Britain to help police target serious criminals
The Home Office has announced 10 new Live Facial Recognition vans will be distributed across seven forces, allowing officers to use cutting-edge technology to target and locate wanted criminals Facial recognition is set to be deployed across the country to help police target murderers, rapists and violent criminals. The Home Office has announced 10 new Live Facial Recognition (LFR) vans will be distributed across seven forces, allowing officers to use cutting-edge technology to target and locate wanted criminals and suspects for the most serious crimes. Police forces including the Metropolitan Police and South Wales have already seen success with their own live facial recognition deployments, and it will now be used more widely across the UK. The Met reported that in 12 months they made 580 arrests using LFR for offences including rape, domestic abuse, knife crime, GBH and robbery, including 52 registered sex offenders arrested for breaching their conditions. It has also been used to maintain safety at big public events. The ten new units will be deployed to forces in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Surrey and Sussex (jointly), and Thames Valley and Hampshire (jointly). It comes after The Mirror's Kevin Maguire wrote: 'Labour must find engaging story for the UK - or face election wipeout'. Every van is manned by trained officers who check every match made by the technology, with the algorithm being used in the vans independently tested and only operated in specific circumstances and with robust oversight. The facial recognition algorithm used in the new vans has been independently tested for bias by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). The testing found that the algorithm is accurate and there is no bias for ethnicity, age or gender at the settings used by the police. Existing safeguards require checks only to be done against police watchlists of wanted criminals, suspects and those subject to bail or court order conditions like sex offenders. Watchlists are bespoke to every deployment, with officers following strict guidance from the College of Policing guidance when composing a list. The announcement came alongside confirmation that every neighbourhood across England and Wales now has named, contactable officers in place to tackle issues blighting their communities. As part of the government's Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to put 13,000 more officers into communities by 2029, the public will have consistent direct links to their local force, with dedicated anti-social behaviour leads and new visible patrols in town centres. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'Neighbourhood policing has been decimated over the last 15 years, but through our Plan for Change we are turning the corner, starting with town and city centres. Within the next year, we will have 3,000 new neighbourhood officers and PCSOs in place, which is a big shift. We also want them to have more powers to tackle off-road bikes, shop theft, street theft and other crimes that have blighted some of our town and city centres, so everyone can feel safe in their own town. 'And we will provide police with the tools they need to do their jobs. Facial recognition will be used in a targeted way to identify sex offenders or people wanted for the most serious crimes who the police have not been able to find. That's why we're funding 10 vans and also drawing up a new legal framework, so we've got proper safeguards and checks in place so that we can use the technology to go after the most dangerous criminals.' Alongside the roll out of the 10 vans, the government will simultaneously consult on how the technology should be used and what safeguards and oversight are needed. Lindsey Chiswick, NPCC lead for facial recognition, said: 'Live Facial recognition supports effective policing, enabling officers to locate suspects quickly and accurately. 'The increased access to Live Facial Recognition vehicles to forces that previously did not have the capability is an excellent opportunity for policing. Each Live Facial Recognition deployment will be targeted, intelligence-led, within a set geographical location and for a defined period of time, ensuring deployments are proportionate, lawful and necessary. 'Live Facial Recognition has already been used in policing to great success, locating thousands of wanted offenders, or others breaching their bail conditions. I am confident that the increased use of this technology will continue to support the safety of communities across the country moving forward.' However, Big Brother Watch, UK civil liberties campaign group, expressed concerns about the technology. Rebecca Vincent, Interim Director of Big Brother Watch, said: 'This unprecedented escalation in the use of facial recognition technology across the UK is alarming, and represents a significant expansion of the surveillance state. Live facial recognition turns every passerby into a walking barcode and treats us all as a nation of suspects. "Police have interpreted the absence of any legislative basis authorising the use of this intrusive technology as carte blanche to continue to roll it out unfettered, despite the fact that a crucial judicial review on the matter is pending. The Home Office must scrap its plans to roll out further live facial recognition capacity until robust legislative safeguards are established.'
