Derbyshire Police takes Hank from stray to sniffer dog
The police, who recruit most of their four-legged trainees from breeders, said it was not known how long Hank had been living as a stray.But the kennels "saw something in him" despite the poor condition he arrived in and contacted the force.
Kennels officer Mollie Brown works closely with Hank and has said he is "much happier"."Once Hank realised he was loved, you could really see him start to enjoy life," she said.Hank - whose hobbies include chasing birds and splashing in paddling pools - is training to be a search dog and will learn to detect substances and items including drugs, cash, and firearms in environments like open land, vehicles and buildings.
Dog handler PC Dave Collier, who has been training Hank, says he is "independent, funny, and a quick learner".He said: "He's a real workhorse and he absolutely loves searching. "He's built for the job and incredibly determined."He doesn't take being told off very well though - he'll grumble back at you and mutter under his breath."
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BBC News
23 minutes ago
- BBC News
Who is Jimmy Lai, the HK media tycoon on trial for national security crimes?
Hailed by some as a hero and scorned by others as a traitor, Hong Kong's pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai is in the final stage of his national security trial. Closing arguments begin on Thursday for Lai, who is accused of colluding with foreign forces under a Beijing-imposed national security law. The trial has drawn international attention, with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calling for Lai's release. The 77-year-old has British as well as Chinese citizenship - though China does not recognise dual nationality, and therefore considers Lai to be exclusively Chinese. Lai has been detained since December 2020 and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if he is say Lai's case shows how Hong Kong's legal system has been weaponised to silence political opposition. Lai has been a persistent thorn in China's side. Unlike other tycoons who rose to the top in Hong Kong, Mr Lai became one of the fiercest critics of the Chinese state and a leading figure advocating democracy in the former British territory."I'm a born rebel," he told the BBC in an interview in 2020, hours before he was charged. "I have a very rebellious character." He is the most prominent person charged under the controversial national security law which China introduced in 2020, in response to massive protests which erupted in Hong Kong the year before. The legislation criminalises a wider range of dissenting acts which Beijing considers subversion and secession, among other says the national security law is necessary to maintain stability in Hong Kong but critics say it has effectively outlawed dissent. Over the years, Lai's son Sebastien has called for his release. In February, the younger Lai urged Starmer and US President Donald Trump to take urgent action, adding that his father's "body is breaking down". Rags to riches Lai was born in Guangzhou, a city in southern China, to a wealthy family that lost everything when the communists took power in was 12 years old when he fled his village in mainland China, arriving in Hong Kong as a stowaway on a fishing working odd jobs and knitting in a small clothing shop he taught himself English. He went from a menial role to eventually founding a multi-million dollar empire including the international clothing brand chain was a huge success. But when China sent in tanks to crush pro-democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989, Lai began a new journey as a vocal democracy activist as well as an started writing columns criticising the massacre that followed the demonstrations in Beijing and established a publishing house that went on to become one of Hong Kong's most influential. As China responded by threatening to shut his stores on the mainland, leading him to sell the company, Lai launched a string of popular pro-democracy titles that included Next, a digital magazine, and the widely read Apple Daily a local media landscape increasingly fearful of Beijing, Lai had been a persistent critic of Chinese authorities both through his publications and has seen him become a hero for many in Hong Kong, who view him as a man of courage who took great risks to defend the freedoms of the on the mainland he is viewed as a "traitor" who threatens Chinese national recent years, masked attackers firebombed Lai's house and company headquarters. He was also the target of an assassination none of the threats stopped him from airing his views robustly. He was a prominent part of the city's pro-democracy demonstrations and was arrested twice in 2021 on illegal assembly charges. When China passed Hong Kong's new national security law in June 2020, Lai told the BBC it sounded the "death knell" for the influential entrepreneur also warned that Hong Kong would become as corrupt as China. Without the rule of law, he said, its coveted status as a global financial hub would be "totally destroyed".The media mogul is known for his frankness and acts of 2021, he urged Donald Trump to help the territory, saying he was "the only one who can save us" from China. His newspaper, Apple Daily, published a front-page letter that finished: "Mr President, please help us."For Lai, such acts were necessary to defend the city which had taken him in and fuelled his once told news agency AFP: "I came here with nothing, the freedom of this place has given me everything... Maybe it's time I paid back for that freedom by fighting for it." Lai has been slapped with various charges - including unauthorised assembly and fraud since 2020. He has been in custody since December of that prosecution of Lai has captured international attention, with rights groups and foreign governments urging his the years, Sebastien Lai has travelled the world to denounce his father's arrest and condemn Hong Kong for punishing "characteristics that should be celebrated"."My father is in jail for the truth on his lips, courage in his heart, and freedom in his soul," he had said.
Daily Mail
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Worried residents watch on as 'travellers take over local park'
Travellers enjoyed a relaxing picnic in the summer sunshine today after driving onto a park and turning a large swathe into a no-go zone for worried locals. Residents steered clear of the area and a nearby cafe closed early amid rumours of anti-social and 'aggressive' behaviour after the 12 caravans when two motor homes, plus 16 cars and vans set up at Nowton Park in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Police and council officers scrambled to the illegal camp to ensure the occupants - who appeared to be eating and drinking at they sat in camping chairs around a table with children playing nearby - were aware it was 'unauthorised' and legal action might be taken. Frustrated locals complained about the invasion, which ignored a sign stating 'No overnight parking'. Visitors in vehicles also normally have to pay to park there or face a fixed penalty charge. One woman, who didn't want to give her name, said she'd read on Facebook that a café in the park had closed early because of the travellers. She said: 'We went in to get an ice cream but they said they were closing unexpectedly. Other people said it was because of the travellers.' Another woman, who gave her name only as Aneta, said her boyfriend had warned her to be careful after reading unsubstantiated claims about the group on Facebook. Aneta, 30, who had been going for a walk in the park, said: 'My boyfriend just messaged me because he saw on Facebook they were here and he told me to leave immediately. 'He saw on Facebook that someone said it's not safe here and that they were abusing people.' A woman in her 70s, who used to work in administration for the police, added: 'It's never happened here before. 'I know they used to be somewhere near the Tesco roundabout for a while and they seemed to leave a lot of rubbish. 'This is a wonderful park and we don't really want caravans here.' Another man said he wasn't "bothered as long as they don't leave a mess" but added: 'Once they're here it's hard to get them to leave.' The Grounds Café in the park was closed and a sign on the door read: 'Due to unsociable and aggressive behaviour we have had to close early for the safety of staff and customers.' Nowton Park is a 172-acre site which used to be part of a country estate. Paths lead through large deciduous trees planted a century ago. The area is a magnet for families, particularly during the summer, due to facilities including football pitches, a maze, lakes and a bird feeding area. Wide gates lead to the car park where users have to enter their vehicle registration when they pay to park. Those that fail to do so face being fined. A sign states: 'A Penalty Charge Notice will be issued for: no ticket displayed, parking outside the bays, invalid ticket, parking in a Blue Badge bay without a valid Blue Badge.' The travellers - who declined to comment when approached - are thought to have driven through the gates at some point on Tuesday night and across the car park to park into the clearing where they circled their vehicles. A council official was speaking with a park ranger about the travellers when the Mail arrived this afternoon. The official said the council was taking steps to remove the group but declined to say more. A similar number of caravans and associated vehicles stopped in the car park of an Asda superstore in nearby Stowmarket on Monday before leaving the following evening - although officials and police couldn't say whether it was the same group. The sign stated it had closed early 'for the safety of staff and customers' due to 'unsociable and aggressive behaviour' in the vicinity The travellers ignored signs warning that overnight parking at the public park was banned A spokesman for Mid Suffolk District Council, which covers Stowmarket, said the camp had caused 'concern... within the community' and the spot was 'a critical area for town centre retailers and attractions during the summer holidays'. He added: 'We were immediately in contact with the landowners and offered support to resolve the situation legally and as swiftly as possible. 'Our teams have also cleared up the mess that was left.' A spokesman for West Suffolk Council, which includes Bury St Edmunds, said: 'We are aware that 12 caravans, two motor homes and 16 cars and vans have set up at Nowton Park in Bury St Edmunds. 'Both the police and officers from the council have visited the group to make them aware that the encampment is unauthorised. 'Traveller Welfare will be speaking to the families to check on their needs. The group have been issued with bin bags in which to deposit their waste. 'We manage this public park and will be looking to get it back to its community use as soon as we can, which may include undertaking a legal process if required.'
BBC News
23 minutes ago
- BBC News
A-level results 2025 loom as pupils in Wales wait for their grades
Thousands of A-level and AS students across Wales are set to find out their results on Thursday morning, following a drop in top grades in year most extra support measures for students were dropped as part of a move away from previous changes to exams to reflect the disruption caused by the Covid-19 2024, 29.9% of pupils got A* and A grades, down from 34% in 2023, but ministers said that was to be can be shared with students from 08:00 BST, but arrangements vary depending on the school or college. Results for the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales and some vocational qualifications, including BTecs, will also be released on students will need confirmation of grades to secure university offers and can usually get updated information about their places from 08:00. Identical twins Adrian and Łukasz Kolman from Newport have always had similar interests - taking the same A-level subjects and studying together for they are both waiting for results in maths, further maths, computer science and exams were "stressful", according to Adrian. "We were studying the same things so at least we had each other to help out on what we didn't know and what we didn't understand sometimes."Ahead of results Łukasz said he felt "nervous but also kind of excited". "I'm really looking forward to seeing what I get but also I need to make sure that I have the results I need for my university," he have been offered places to study electronics and electrical engineering - Adrian at Bristol University and Łukasz a short distance away at Bath University."We spend a lot of time together since we've shared the same room for all our lives pretty much. It's nice to go out there and be a bit more individual," said Łukasz. Some BTec students will also get confirmation of their final results - though some have already been published, depending on the Gape, 19, from Cardiff, already has a clear idea of how she has done in her art and design BTec, and has secured a place to study performance design at the Royal Welsh College of Music and said she enjoyed studying the more practical, coursework-based qualification."I've really thrived with being able to do a BTec and it's let me explore things that I don't think I would have if I'd stayed on in school," Ngaire is now looking forward to her degree which will include working on set costumes, props and puppetry. After disruption to exams due to Covid, lasting until 2024 when all extra support measures were dropped, Qualifications Wales kept a "safety net" when setting grade boundaries if performance in a subject was far lower than pre-pandemic year, that has been removed and grade boundaries in some subjects are likely to be exams watchdog has said "outcomes should be broadly similar" to those before the pandemic, if performance continues to improve after the disruption caused by Covid. The head of Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) has said a record number of 18-year-olds are likely to get in to their first choice of university this year, even if they narrowly miss their Jo Saxton said universities were keen to enrol UK undergraduates because there was more "uncertainty" around international student clearing process, offering places on courses which still have space, is also available for students who do not get their grades or who change their latest Ucas data said 32.5% of Welsh 18-year-olds had applied to university by the end of June, compared to 41.2% across the UK. On a visit to engineering and manufacturing company Boccard on Deeside, Wales' Skills Minister Jack Sargeant spoke to apprentices about other education Tattersall, 19, said he started his apprenticeship "with no experience at all"."I've been learning to weld and fabricate and everything I need to do in a workshop."I did two years in college back in Pembrokeshire but I decided I wanted to be earning and learning at the same time so that's why I went for apprenticeship. It's going really well," he said. Lawrence Coleman, 20, said there had already been "a few stressful moments" in his career so far."This wasn't actually my first option... but I came through and ended up signing up in college. You've got to have an open mind to it all."Careers Wales said there were plenty of options available to young people who may be unsure about what to do Catrin Owen said alternatives to university were to "take a break, go into work or you can look at things like apprenticeships". She added: "We are seeing more higher level apprenticeships now - degree-level apprenticeships, which are great options for some young people."It's really important that you sit down with a professional who can go through everything with you to make sure you're making the best decision that suits you."
