Reading church cordoned off after teenager sexually assaulted
You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The robbers, sex attackers and handbag thieves running riot on lawless London's trains as Tube crime surges
Detectives are hunting for a series of robbers and attackers across London 's train network after a spate of violent incidents in recent weeks. British Transport Police have issued five appeals for suspects this week as they probe reports of crimes such as sexual assaults, bicycle theft and wallet robbery. Recent incidents in the capital have seen robbers try to grab shopping bags or handbags, or leave people with lasting injuries following violent incidents. It comes after commuters were accused of assaulting a man who dropped his trousers on a District line train near Upton Park in East London on August 7. BTP have interviewed two of the four vigilantes so far, while the man - who told them to 'f*** off' after requests to pull up his pants - was taken to hospital and sectioned under the Mental Health Act. No arrests have been made and the probe continues. Police want to identify the other two men brawling with the man, who was initially arrested by an off-duty officer when he refused to cover up then wielded his belt. During the incident the man began yelling then dropped his trousers and put his belt around his neck. His bottom and genitals were on show, sparking anger and revulsion around him on the train, which was busy with children on their summer holidays. A passenger stood up and quickly confronted him, gesticulating angrily. He politely and firmly told him: 'You need to get off the train.' But the man began repeatedly yelling back: 'F*** off.' The commuter said in response: 'What do you mean "f*** off"? You need to get off the f***ing train. Now. There are kids on here.' Footage of the incident showed up to four men kicking and punching the naked man, who was hitting them with his belt. He was later pinned to the floor of the carriage. The man was then unceremoniously carried on to the Tube platform at East Ham and dumped to the floor. He was then held down as the commuters tried to alert staff. Separately, a huge fight broke out at the entrance to Highbury and Islington station on July 17 - with a screaming toddler ending up on the floor in the melee. Members of the public attempted to intervene as the group appeared to hurl a man down the stairs at the North London hub and throw punches and kicks at him. Footage captured the chaos as a smartly-dressed man kicked the head of another in a grey tracksuit - as someone else threw a rucksack into the packed crowd. Commuters attempted to break up the fight and helped a mother and her baby in a buggy get out of the way, before bystanders rushed to pick up the child off the floor. Some 16,288 crimes were reported on the Underground network between January and August 2024 – a rise of 13 per cent on the same period the year before. Bond Street (Elizabeth line, Zone 1) A passenger was walking to the Elizabeth Line platforms at Bond Street late on a Sunday evening last month when a man grabbed her shopping bag. The woman pulled the bag back and kept hold of it, but he then tried to grab her handbag during the incident at around 10pm on July 13. She eventually managed to walk away with her belongings after other members of the public intervened – and detectives are now probing the attempted robbery. A photograph of a man walking along a station corridor has been issued by police because they believe 'may have information which could help their investigation'. BTP wants anyone who recognises the man to tell them with reference 391 of July 18. Canning Town (Jubilee line, Zone 2/3) A woman was sexually assaulted in a stairwell at Canning Town Underground station in East London on a Wednesday evening last month. Detectives are now investigating the crime at 6.20pm on July 30 at the Jubilee line station, which has an interchange with the Docklands Light Railway. They released a CCTV image in connection with the investigation, and believe the man in the picture 'may have information that could assist their enquiries'. Anyone who recognises him should contact BTP with reference 161 of July 31. Belsize Park (Northern line, Zone 2) An Underground passenger was assaulted on a station platform and suffered what police described as a 'lasting eye injury' in a shocking assault. Officers said the man was assaulted at the Grade II-listed Belsize Park station on the Northern line in North London just after 5pm on Saturday, June 19. They have now released a CCTV image in connection with the assault because the man in the picture 'may have information which could help their investigation'. Anyone who recognises him is asked to contact BTP with reference 514 of June 19. Elstree & Borehamwood (Thameslink, Zone 6) A 14-year-old boy was robbed of his bicycle on board a Thameslink train leaving Elstree and Borehamwood station in Hertfordshire heading into London. The teenager was approached by a man on a Friday afternoon last month who stole his bicycle on the train, which was travelling towards Mill Hill Broadway. Police do not know where the man left the train, but later the same evening he is believed to have been seen again exiting at Elstree and Borehamwood. Detectives issued a photograph of a man who 'may have information that could assist their enquiries' following the incident at about 4.45pm on Friday, July 11. Anyone who recognises him should contact BTP using reference 527 of July 11. Southend East (c2c, Essex) A man trying to buy a train ticket at a machine was robbed at knifepoint by a man and woman who approached him in the early hours of a Friday morning. One of the robbers at Southend East, a c2c station in Essex, had a knife in their hand and pushed the man to the floor, demanding his wallet. The man got up and tried to get away, but was punched and knocked to the floor during the incident in the seaside city on July 25 at about 4.30am. As the man got up, several items of jewellery, a bag of medication, and a jacket containing his mobile phone were taken. BTP investigating officer DC Nicola Avery said: 'We would like to speak to the two pictured as we believe they may have information that could help our investigation. 'While we appreciate the images may not show the clearest picture of the pair due to their face coverings, someone may recognise their clothing or notice something distinctive.' Southend East is on the c2c line between Shoeburyness and London Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street stations, and is popular with commuters to the capital. Anyone who recognises either person in the images or has information about the robbery is asked to contact BTP, quoting reference 68 of July 25. Anyone who recognises anyone in the photos can text BTP via 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40. They can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
The Independent
32 minutes ago
- The Independent
Victim of catfish predator says she will always be angry her innocence was stolen
A victim of prolific catfish offender Max Hollingsbee has said she will always be angry that he stole her innocence. A complaint made by Immy (not her real name) led police to discover a litany of sex offences against other teenage girls committed by the Co Armagh man. Immy has said she now wants to use her experiences to help other victims. Hollingsbee, 21, of Orient Circle, Lurgan, was sentenced in May to five years and two months after admitting scores of child sexual abuse crimes against girls. He had pleaded guilty to some 42 charges with 14 victims identified. Immy, from the Surrey area, was 15 when she met Hollingsbee, who was using a fake profile, through the Wizz app three years ago. She said: 'He presented himself as being 16 and male. There were photographs which I know now weren't him. 'At the time I didn't see anything wrong with it. I thought you could only talk to people within a certain age range and you had to prove your age. 'We just had normal conversations. I was quite vulnerable at the time. It is an age where you want boys to like you, you want them to show interest in you. He was and he made me feel special, he made me feel seen. 'Now I now it was all part of his plan.' She added: 'Once he had built up the trust I added him on my Snapchat. He started with more compliments, flattery, things like that. 'At 15 years old that is all a girl wants to hear. He knew that and he definitely played on that vulnerability.' The situation escalated quickly with Hollingsbee demanding that Immy send him explicit photographs. She said: 'He would give me very specific instructions. I didn't like it but I didn't know how to say no. I wasn't confident enough to say no. 'I didn't want him to stop talking to me and I didn't want him to stop giving me that attention. 'I did send photos. I obviously regret that but I've never been made to feel embarrassed and I've never been made to feel that it was my fault.' Hollingsbee then attempted to blackmail the teenager, stating he would share the photographs with other people she knew if she did not send more. He did share the images with one of Immy's female friends. At this point she told her mother what was happening. She said: 'That was very scary for me. I was in such a state of panic it was like I blacked out, I was there and I was talking to my mum but I've no idea what I said to her. 'I showed her what was going on and just remember crying in a ball on the floor of her room.' Once police were alerted, Hollingsbee was arrested in Northern Ireland and his devices seized, leading to the discovery of the other victims. Thousands of photos and videos of underage girls performing sexual acts were found on his devices, obtained by blackmail or by hacking their social media accounts. Immy also helped police to track him down. He had given her his phone number and she used to BeReal app to discover his true profile and name. Immy said: 'Finding out there were so many other girls who hadn't said anything was the most gut-wrenching feeling in the entire world because I couldn't imagine not being able to tell someone. 'That was the hardest part, they were sitting at home so scared, so terrified and I knew how they felt because I had been there. 'Knowing they were so scared on their own was the worst feeling. Quite a few of them were younger than me.' She added: 'I am angry, I will always be angry at him for doing that to me and taking my innocence away from me. 'That is what he did. He played on my vulnerability, played on my weaknesses. I was so used and no 15-year-old should ever have to deal with a man like that ever. ' Kids do make mistakes. It is important I am able to talk about it because they need someone their age to say it could happen to you. It can happen. If you don't feel you have got the support at home, the police will take action. They did everything they way I hoped they would.' Immy said she hopes Hollingsbee is able to confront the impact of his actions when he is released from prison. She said: 'I would be happy knowing that he sees the wrong he did. 'I have made a lot of effort to not let it change my outlook about people. 'Not everyone is like that, he is a very specific type of person. But it did take a big toll, I am not as trusting as I used to be. 'But I have stopped a lot of people, I hope, from having to deal with him.' Immy is hoping to study psychology at university and to use her experiences to help other victims. She said: 'I want to be able to go into schools and work with kids, using my experience to make something good. 'I think it is so important that I make something good out of a bad situation. 'I am hoping I will be able to make a difference.'
The Independent
32 minutes ago
- The Independent
Victim of catfish predator Max Hollingsbee: ‘I will always be angry at him for taking my innocence away'
A victim of prolific catfish offender Max Hollingsbee has said she will always be angry that he stole her innocence. A complaint made by Immy (not her real name) led police to discover a litany of sex offences against other teenage girls committed by Hollingsbee. Immy has said she now wants to use her experiences to help other victims. Hollingsbee, 21, of Orient Circle, Lurgan, was sentenced in May to five years and two months after admitting scores of child sexual abuse crimes against girls. He had pleaded guilty to some 42 charges with 14 victims identified. Immy, from the Surrey area, was 15 when she met Hollingsbee, who was using a fake profile, through the Wizz app three years ago. She said: 'He presented himself as being 16 and male. There were photographs which I know now weren't him. 'At the time I didn't see anything wrong with it. I thought you could only talk to people within a certain age range and you had to prove your age. 'We just had normal conversations. I was quite vulnerable at the time. It is an age where you want boys to like you, you want them to show interest in you. He was and he made me feel special, he made me feel seen. 'Now I now it was all part of his plan.' She added: 'Once he had built up the trust I added him on my Snapchat. He started with more compliments, flattery, things like that. 'At 15 years old that is all a girl wants to hear. He knew that and he definitely played on that vulnerability.' The situation escalated quickly with Hollingsbee demanding that Immy send him explicit photographs. She said: 'He would give me very specific instructions. I didn't like it but I didn't know how to say no. I wasn't confident enough to say no. 'I didn't want him to stop talking to me and I didn't want him to stop giving me that attention. 'I did send photos. I obviously regret that but I've never been made to feel embarrassed and I've never been made to feel that it was my fault.' Hollingsbee then attempted to blackmail the teenager, stating he would share the photographs with other people she knew if she did not send more. He did share the images with one of Immy's female friends. At this point she told her mother what was happening. She said: 'That was very scary for me. I was in such a state of panic it was like I blacked out, I was there and I was talking to my mum but I've no idea what I said to her. 'I showed her what was going on and just remember crying in a ball on the floor of her room.' Once police were alerted, Hollingsbee was arrested in Northern Ireland and his devices seized, leading to the discovery of the other victims. Thousands of photos and videos of underage girls performing sexual acts were found on his devices, obtained by blackmail or by hacking their social media accounts. Immy also helped police to track him down. He had given her his phone number and she used to BeReal app to discover his true profile and name. Immy said: 'Finding out there were so many other girls who hadn't said anything was the most gut-wrenching feeling in the entire world because I couldn't imagine not being able to tell someone. 'That was the hardest part, they were sitting at home so scared, so terrified and I knew how they felt because I had been there. 'Knowing they were so scared on their own was the worst feeling. Quite a few of them were younger than me.' She added: 'I am angry, I will always be angry at him for doing that to me and taking my innocence away from me. 'That is what he did. He played on my vulnerability, played on my weaknesses. I was so used and no 15-year-old should ever have to deal with a man like that ever. 'Kids do make mistakes. It is important I am able to talk about it because they need someone their age to say it could happen to you. It can happen. If you don't feel you have got the support at home, the police will take action. They did everything they way I hoped they would.' Immy said she hopes Hollingsbee is able to confront the impact of his actions when he is released from prison. She said: 'I would be happy knowing that he sees the wrong he did. 'I have made a lot of effort to not let it change my outlook about people. 'Not everyone is like that, he is a very specific type of person. But it did take a big toll, I am not as trusting as I used to be. 'But I have stopped a lot of people, I hope, from having to deal with him.' Immy is hoping to study psychology at university and to use her experiences to help other victims. She said: 'I want to be able to go into schools and work with kids, using my experience to make something good. 'I think it is so important that I make something good out of a bad situation. 'I am hoping I will be able to make a difference.'
