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Tommy Robinson arrested over alleged assault at London train station

Tommy Robinson arrested over alleged assault at London train station

Independent2 days ago
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been arrested over an alleged assault at St Pancras' train station in London.
On Monday, British Transport Police said: "Officers from BTP have tonight arrested a 42-year-old man from Bedfordshire in connection to an assault at St Pancras station in London on July 28.
"The arrest took place at Luton Airport shortly after 6.30pm, following a notification that the man had boarded an incoming flight from Faro.
"The man had been wanted for questioning after leaving the country to Tenerife in the early hours of August 29 following the incident at St Pancras.
"He was arrested on suspicion of GBH (Grievous Bodily Harm) and will now be taken to custody for questioning."
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Armed police arrest gardener over his arsenal of allotment tools
Armed police arrest gardener over his arsenal of allotment tools

Telegraph

time28 minutes ago

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Armed police arrest gardener over his arsenal of allotment tools

Armed police arrested a gardener for 'carrying a knife' as he walked home with his allotment tools. Samuel Rowe, 35, was detained, kept in a cell and cautioned after being accused of carrying a ' large dagger ' last month. He had just tended to his allotment vegetable patch and was trimming the hedges outside his home with a sickle when armed police swooped on July 3. His Japanese gardening trowel, a sickle and a fruit harvesting tool were confiscated before he was taken to a police station. He was then held in a cell for more than seven hours before he was released when he accepted a caution for possession of an offensive weapon. The theatre manager said he was left terrified when officers armed with guns turned up outside his home and now wants the caution overturned. 'Some kind of extremist' Mr Rowe, of Manchester, said: 'I was coming back from my allotment in the morning. 'I'd just got home and started trimming the hedge at the top of my house, and then I heard shouting and it was armed police – two armed police telling me to 'drop the knife.' 'At the time I had my Japanese gardening sickle in my hand that I was using, so I dropped that along with the privet I'd been cutting. 'Then they turned me around, pushed me up against the house, handcuffed me behind my back, took everything out my belt. 'Then they asked me why I was there and where I'd been. 'Eventually they put me in the back of their van and took me to Cheadle Hulme police station, which is miles from my house. 'They got into their head I was some kind of extremist going out with knives.' Conflicting accounts He said he was then kept in cells and asked if he wanted a solicitor, but he never got to see one. At interview, he says police asked him bizarre questions such as what an allotment was. He has been growing fruit and veg – including rhubarb, broad beans, artichokes, and tomatoes, at his allotment since 2022. Now, he is worried that the police caution he accepted will appear on background checks if he applies for future job interviews. Greater Manchester Police said firearms officers were sent as they were the closest to the scene after they were alerted by a member of the public. The force denies Samuel was ever refused legal advice, saying it tried multiple times to contact a solicitor and he chose to decline legal advice in the end. A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: 'At around 12.20pm on 3 July, we acted on a call from a member of the public that a man was walking in public wearing khaki clothing and in possession of a knife. 'Nearby officers were flagged down by the caller, who directed them towards a male. 'He was subsequently stopped and a small sickle, a large dagger which was in a sheath on a belt, and a peeling knife, were seized. 'He was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and taken into custody. 'He admitted the offence and was given a conditional caution, which entailed advice and guidance around the legislation of knives and bladed weapons in a public place.'

Purple pavement markings part of Mind the Grab campaign to tackle phone theft
Purple pavement markings part of Mind the Grab campaign to tackle phone theft

The Independent

timean hour ago

  • The Independent

Purple pavement markings part of Mind the Grab campaign to tackle phone theft

Purple lines with the warning 'Mind the Grab' have been marked on London's busy Oxford Street to help tackle phone theft. The campaign, which is supported by the Metropolitan Police, Westminster Council and Crimestoppers, features the markings on the pavement at the central London location that is usually packed with shoppers, commuters and tourists. Theft hotspots in Westminster last year saw a mobile being stolen every 15 minutes and 77% of Britons view phone snatching as a significant problem in the UK, rising to 88% in large cities such as London, according to research commissioned by tech retailer Currys. The wording on the purple markings, which is inspired by London Underground's 'Mind the Gap' catchphrase, aims to remind pedestrians to step back from the kerb, keep their phone hidden and reduce their risk of snatch and grab theft. The Metropolitan Police said the campaign is part of its strategy to tackle phone theft. Superintendent Natasha Evans, the Met's local policing lead for Westminster, said: 'Officers are relentlessly pursuing criminal gangs intent on committing robbery and phone theft. 'We have increased patrols in hotspot areas to identify and deter perpetrators – and robbery has reduced by 20% in the West End since April. 'We are putting extra officers into central London to help drive forward our focus on reducing crime and bringing offenders to justice. 'We're also working closely with businesses in the area and support the campaign by Currys to encourage people to be aware of their surroundings to reduce the risk of becoming a victim.' The campaign is run by Currys and the University of London's Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), in an effort to raise awareness and cut down on the numbers of high street phone thefts. Aicha Less, deputy leader and cabinet member for children and public protection of Westminster City Council, said the campaign aims to raise awareness about phone thefts and promote simple measures to stay safe in public spaces, such as keeping valuables out of sight and planning routes home in advance. It is part of 'identifying the key crime and disorder issues facing our city and making the West End a safer place for visitors, residents and businesses,' she said. Ed Connolly, Currys chief commercial officer, said: 'Phone theft isn't just about losing a device, it's frightening, invasive, and cuts people off from their loved ones, their money and their daily lives. 'Enough is enough. It's time to draw the line on phone theft – that's why we've launched the Mind the Grab campaign – a bold pavement marking we believe can make a real difference by encouraging people to step back from the kerb.' Kate Johnston, director of business and fundraising at the independent UK charity Crimestoppers, said: 'Mobile phone theft is not just a statistic, it's a crime that leaves people feeling vulnerable and shaken.' She described the campaign as an 'innovative approach' which uses clear visual cues, and urged pedestrians to be vigilant. She said: 'Prevention is only part of the solution.

Revealed: Full list of London police station front desks being shut - see on our map if your local counter is being axed
Revealed: Full list of London police station front desks being shut - see on our map if your local counter is being axed

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Revealed: Full list of London police station front desks being shut - see on our map if your local counter is being axed

Half of the front desks at London police stations will close as the Met has unveiled a new money-saving plan. The Mail's interactive map shows the full list of affected areas after Scotland Yard admitted it would break its pledge to have one counter accessible 24 hours a day in each of the capital's 32 boroughs. Only 20 desks will remain open with 18 set to be axed by the Metropolitan Police as the force scrambles to balance its £260million budget shortfall. The Met has faced criticism it will now be 'less accessible' as critics claim the change is 'another nail in the coffin of community policing'. Met Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist and Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Sadiq Khan 's deputy mayor for policing and crime, are expected to face a number of angry London Assembly members at an extraordinary additional meeting where the proposals will be discussed. The full list of affected police stations can be viewed in the map below. The closures will impact Kentish Town in Camden; Tottenham in Haringey; Edmonton in Enfield; Harrow; Bethnal Green in Tower Hamlets; Dagenham; Chingford in Waltham Forest; Kensington; Hammersmith; Twickenham in Richmond; Lavender Hill in Wandsworth; Wimbledon in Merton; Hayes in Hillingdon; and Plumstead in Greenwich. Four more stations, which already operate with reduced desks, will also shut - at Barking Learning Centre, Church Street in Westminster, Royalty Studios in Kensington and Chelsea and Mitcham in Merton. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp posted on X: 'The police will now be less accessible and Londoners even less safe.' Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham Munira Wilson also wrote to the Home Secretary demanding she fully commits to funding the force. It comes as Yvette Cooper has been warned 'further cuts only put another nail in the coffin of community policing'. As a result of the policy, residents in south west London will now no longer be able to walk in and speak to an officer face-to-face due to the losses in Twickenham, Merton, Wimbledon, Lavender Hill and Mitcham. There are also fears those on bail may have to travel miles to report as part of their conditions - increasing the risk a defendant could abscond. But surprisingly, Kingston police station will remain open so the nearest 24-hour counter Richmond is not Acton, Sutton or Lambeth. Last week the Mail revealed London as the 15th most dangerous city for crime in Europe. The capital, which is also the 100th worst out of 385 locations around the world, is less safe than rival European cities from Athens to Brussels and Milan to Barcelona. London is also worse than major US cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Dallas as well as other global destinations from Cancun to Cairo and Bali to Bangalore. The city is however only the fifth worst UK location for crime - behind Bradford, Coventry, Birmingham and Manchester, according to Numbeo's Crime Index. Stella Creasy, Labour MP for Walthamstow, where a young woman was raped in the town centre on June 29, claimed the police in her borough did not want to 'engage with the public at all'. Her comments came upon hearing Chingford would close and residents would have to go to Stratford or online if they wanted to contact someone. Paula Dodds, chair of the rank-and-file Met Police Federation, said: 'If we close police station front counters the public can't have access to us when they need it most. 'We can't hide behind technology because not everyone has access to technology to call the police or go online to report a crime – they want that personal interaction. The public are going to have to go further to get access to a police station if they need it out of hours.' A Met spokesman said: 'Just five per cent of crimes were reported using front counters last year, with only one per cent of these being made during the night. 'At the busiest front counter in London on average 15 crimes are reported a day – less than one an hour - and in the least busy, only 2.5 crimes are reported a day. 'Londoners tell us they want to see more officers on our streets. 'The decision to reduce and close some front counters will save £7million and 3,752 hours of police officer time per month allowing us to focus resources relentlessly on tackling crime and putting more officers into neighbourhoods across London.' The force added the Met 'is focusing ruthlessly on visible policing on London's streets, modernising services and increasing visibility in neighbourhoods with over 300 additional PCSOs and over 300 additional officers'.

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