Teenager arrested following arson at derelict Bristol pub
The teenager has since been released under investigation.
The pub, which opened in 1872, is currently owned by the Morrisons supermarket located next door after the land was sold in the 1980s as part of a package deal.Following the fire, police conducted extensive inquiries including reviewing CCTV footage and speaking to witnesses.Mr Keenan said these inquiries are still ongoing and has appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
"We hope the news of last week's arrest reassures people in east Bristol that our investigation into the pub fire is progressing," he said."There have been several other fires in the surrounding areas in recent times and we are keeping an open mind as to whether any of these incidents are linked."He added the force was "committed to working with the community" to reduce incidents related to antisocial behaviour.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
18 minutes ago
- The Sun
Trump's administration slams Britain for ‘serious restrictions' on free speech over past year
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump's administration has attacked Britain for 'serious restrictions' on free speech over the past year. It said that 'the human rights situation worsened in the United Kingdom' during 2024. 2 A US State Department report cites attempts to 'chill speech' online in the wake of last summer's Southport attack as well as the recent Online Safety Act that polices content on the internet. The report said: 'Significant human rights issues included credible reports of serious restrictions on freedom of expression, including enforcement of or threat of criminal or civil laws in order to limit expression; and crimes, violence, or threats of violence motivated by antisemitism.' One section also highlights arrests made in the wake of the Southport murders following social media commentary. They included Lucy Connolly, who was jailed after posting that migrant hotels should be burned down. Police at the time also told people not to speculate about the identity of the murderer Axel Rudakubana. The report called the ' two-tier enforcement of these laws following the Southport attacks an especially grievous example of government censorship'. It added: 'Censorship of ordinary Britons was increasingly routine, often targeted at political speech.' Yesterday the UK government said: 'Free speech is vital for democracy around the world, including here in the UK, and we are proud to uphold freedoms whilst keeping our citizens safe.' It came as the National Police Chiefs' Council issued new guidance yesterday encouraging forces to disclose the ethnicity of suspects in high profile cases. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said it would provide 'greater transparency'. Awkward moment Trump blasts 'nasty' Sadiq Khan for 'terrible job'… before Starmer interrupts: 'He's a friend of mine!' 2
BBC News
18 minutes ago
- BBC News
Man charged with murder over woman found dead in Smethwick factory
A man has been charged with murder after a woman was found dead at an industrial estate in Miller, aged 41, was found off Woodburn Road just after 06:10 BST on Monday and confirmed dead at the scene. Police said a forensic post mortem had revealed that she died as a result of Midlands Police said Tanveer Singh, 31, from West Bromwich, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with Ms Miller's murder on Wednesday evening. He has been remanded to appear before Wolverhampton Magistrates' Court on Thursday. Two other men have been released with no further force said they believed Ms Miller had been killed in the early hours of the morning at the location where her body was Midlands Police is continuing to ask the public for any information surrounding her movements before 01:00 Ch Insp Alastair Orencas said: "This charge is a significant development in our investigation which remains very much ongoing."Our focus is on getting justice for Shara and her loved ones, and it's important that anyone with information which could help us comes forward."We've been carrying out enquiries in and around Soho Road, Birmingham, where it's understood she was involved in sex work, and we really want to hear from anyone who may have seen Shara on Sunday evening or early Monday morning."The force said it had increased patrols in the area where Ms Miller was found, and around Soho Road as reassurance. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Mail
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Men who attacked Orthodox Jews with water pistols get 'let off with a slap on the wrist'
Two social media influencers who targeted Orthodox Jews with a water pistols have been 'let off with a slap on the wrist', antisemitism campaigners say. Last week, the two men recorded themselves driving around Salford and spraying adults as well as children wearing orthodox Jewish clothing with water guns. They could be heard cruelly laughing as they soaked an innocent passersby, with an unidentified liquid. A clip showed one of the self-proclaimed 'pranksters' hold his phone near a Jewish man and play an Apple Pay sound effect, while saying: 'You are very rich, I just got £60 from you.' Before being deleted, the clips amassed nearly a million likes on Instagram and attracted anti-Semitic comments including rat, pig and nose emojis. The posts were later edited to include a disclaimer, The Telegraph reported, which read: 'This video was made purely for humorous purposes. It is just a joke and not hate speech in any way. Please do not take it the wrong way.' Following the incident, the duo were arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault, but, they have since been handed community resolution orders, which carry no criminal record, after apologising. Community resolution can only be given for hate crimes in exceptional circumstances, such as, if a victim does not want to press charges, if an offender confesses, and if an inspector agrees to resolve the case. However the leniency given to the duo by the Greater Manchester Police has sparked outrage, as Campaign Against Antisemitism says the men have been 'met with a slap on the wrist' for the 'hate crime'. Last week, the two men recorded themselves driving around Salford and spraying adults as well as children wearing orthodox Jewish clothing with water guns. A spokesperson said: 'This was a racially aggravated crime that was filmed explicitly so that it could be widely publicised by the offenders. 'Restorative justice should never have been on the table in lieu of criminal proceedings. For years, we have seen anti-Semitic hate crime met with a slap on the wrist. 'There is no deterrence, and now hate crime against Jews is spiralling out of control. A crime is a crime, and the authorities should be punishing those who break the law.' Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, has also insisted the force revisit the incident and take 'the most robust action'. He told The Telegraph: 'Spraying members of the Jewish community with water pistols while jeering from the safety of a car is cowardice. It is public humiliation for profit, fuelling online hate, and encourages others to join in. 'This is happening against the backdrop of over 1,500 anti-Semitic incidents in just the first half of this year, one of the highest totals ever recorded. 'Jewish communities are being harassed, spat at, and attacked, and now filmed. This is not something Britain can turn a blind eye to. While urging the police to take another look at the case, Mr Philip said 'we cannot allow' a Britain where Jews feel in danger due to their faith. A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson told the publication, the two men aged 26 and 36, were 'very apologetic' following their arrest in Farnworth, near Bolton. The pair told the force they wouldn't commit the same actions again and deleted their YouTube channel. GMP said both victims and locals were 'happy with the outcome', and that a rabbi who had been sprayed did not want to pursue further action. The spokesman said: 'Ultimately, we must be victim-led. The victims didn't wish to support any form of prosecution or go to court. We cannot force them. 'The issue is taken seriously, and it was dealt with as a crime, hence the arrests within less than 24 hours.' The force said they would always encourage victims of hate crimes to report incidents so they can be probed. They added that if victims wanted to pursue legal action, and the force is able to satisfy the CPS evidence threshold for charging suspects, then they would do so. In 2024, religious hate crime rose by 25 per cent. With crimes targeted at Jewish people more than doubling from the previous year. In London, the number of anti-semitic hate crimes reported to Met Police corresponded to nearly one per every 1,000 Jews of the 270,000 that live in London, making it eight times higher than the rate per 1,000 Muslims living in London. Figures from the Community Security Trust's (CST) Anti-semitic Incidents Report from January to June this year state that 1,978 instances of anti-Jewish hate were recorded across the UK in the first six months of this year, up 105 per cent on the same period last year. Just over half were linked to, or referenced, the Hamas atrocities of October 7 last year, Israel, the Palestinian territories or the subsequent war, the charity said. The total included one incident of 'extreme violence' - an alleged arson attack on a residential property - during the period, the report said. Cases of assault jumped 41 per cent period-on-period from 86 to 121. Teachers also warned last month that anti-semitism is now rife in schools across the UK. A survey undertaken by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) revealed that more than half (51 per cent) of Jewish teachers have experienced some form of anti-semitism since May 2023. Of the more than 300,000 members surveyed, 44 per cent also reported witnessing swastika graffiti at their schools, while 39 per cent have been subjected to Nazi-related comments. One Jewish teacher even reported having students shout 'free Palestine' at them 'on multiple occasions', while, in another instance, someone shouted 'f*** the Jews'. Meanwhile, members of teaching staff recalled instances where they had been told 'it's not racist to say Jews are rich - it's just a fact', while others said they had been assumed to be Israeli, rather than British.
