Kent domestic abuse services issue love bombing warning
According to the Office for National Statistics, about 2.3m people aged 16 and over experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales in year ending March 2024.Moreover, the Children's Commissioner found that more 24,000 children in Kent and Medway were living in a household where an adult was experiencing domestic abuse.Roger Gough, leader of Kent County Council and a White Ribbon Ambassador, said: "Many people may receive lots of romantic messages and gestures on Valentine's Day but will nonetheless spend the day in fear whilst still expected to be a loving partner and pacify their abuser."
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Belfast Telegraph
18 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
NI man allegedly stamped on girlfriend's head and pulled out clump of her hair in Valentine's Day assault
A Co Derry man allegedly stamped on his girlfriend's head and pulled out a clump of her hair as part of a Valentine's Day assault, the High Court heard today. Michael McDermott, 36, is also accused of kicking the woman repeatedly during the alcohol-fuelled attack.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Trading Standards seize sex dolls and cosmetics at border
Electrical sex dolls, "concerning" injectable cosmetics and dangerous sparking toy guns are just some of the products seized in Kent through international shipping Trading Standards officers have intercepted the items at key entry points including the Port of Dover, Sheerness Docks, the Channel Tunnel and an international parcel hub in Johnson, imports compliance manager, said some dangerous and non-compliant products still end up on shelves because they "haven't got the staff".The government said it has given Kent County Council a 7% cash increase this year. Warning, this article contains a graphic image of a burn South East was granted exclusive access to inspections at Dover and Dartford where, in one case, a package containing £3,000 worth of facial cosmetic injections claiming to be a skin booster was discovered. Trading Standards officer Beth Bushell said the consignment was "concerning" because there were no instructions on how to use the product. Other seized items include sparking toy guns, illegal vapes, unsafe teeth whitening kits, non-compliant electrical plugs and electronic sex dolls that warm Bushell said the non-compliant dolls did not make it to the buyer."Sometimes there can be hidden gems, things alongside packages that would be a concern for us. "You don't know what you've got until you look at it, sometimes the paperwork isn't quite right", she added. The initial referral of consignments to Trading Standards comes from Border Standards will look at parcels containing items such as electricals, toys, cosmetics, e-scooters and vapes.A family from the Isle of Sheppey is warning others to be careful when ordering products online after their daughter suffered serious Norris, 13, had to be treated by a specialist burns unit at East Grinstead after acrylic nail glue her parents bought from Chinese website Temu gave her third-degree burns and resulted in her needing skin grafts on both mum Stacey Norris assumed the product was regulated and had been is still suffering from the injuries she sustained in 2023 - she has no feeling in the affected areas a year on from surgery. She said: "The pain was really shocking and i'd never had that kind of pain before."You should really be careful with what you order on the internet, especially cosmetics."Stacey said: "It doesn't matter if you're six, 16, 36 or 60, this should not happen to anybody. "It's devastating, i've noticed it affects her more now that she's a bit older, she will cross her scars out of pictures, it's very sad." Temu did not make the glue, which was offered for sale on the site by a third party vendor, and it is no longer sold on the online marketplace said: "We take product safety seriously and require all sellers on our platform to comply with relevant regulations."The item in question, which carried a warning to keep away from children, was removed from our platform before Chloe's parents contacted us and remains unavailable for sale today." Jason Chappell, a ports import compliance officer, said the aim is to keep consumers safe and remove unsafe or illegal products."It's not just about a lorry coming into the country," he said."It's about the 50,000 products that could be on that lorry - that's 50,000 potential injuries to a human or the public that could be stopped in one go."Of around 10,000 lorries which enter the country through the Port of Dover, the team checks up to 30 a day.A similar number of parcels are inspected in a day at Dartford's international parcel Johnson, imports compliance manager, said: "We do what we can with the staff we've got but there is stuff getting through because it ends up on shelves and we haven't got the staff to check every vehicle."He added they have to get the "fine balance" to ensure the traffic continues to flow at the Port of Dover while they check freight. A government spokesperson said: "Councils are responsible for funding trading standards but we recognise the challenges they face, which is why we have confirmed over £69bn of funding for local authorities this year, including £1.5bn for Kent County Council - a 7% cash increase."At a national level we support Trading Standards with intelligence and testing, and the Office for Product Safety and Standards is available to provide direct funding for specific problems at ports and borders."
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Lancashire Police advises greeting customers deters shoplifters
Shop owners should greet customers as soon as they enter a store in a bid to deter shoplifters, police have Police said shoplifters can assess how easy it is to steal from a shop by how soon after they enter they are spoken to by a member of staff, in what is known as "the three-to-five second rule"."By greeting genuine shoppers, not only does this provide a positive impression of your store, it also deters potential shoplifters," the force said. The advice comes as retailers said theft was spiralling out of control with the highest levels across England and Wales since current records began two decades ago. In July, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said there were 530,643 reported shoplifting offences in the year to March, which is a 20% increase from the previous Retailers Association director Tom Ironside said the ONS figures "prove what retailers have long been telling us - that retail theft is spiralling out of control".He said such theft triggered violence and abuse towards staff and cost retailers and customers £2.2bn a year. 'Aggressive when challenged' Lancashire Police issued the advice to retailers in an online guide - Securing your shop from shoplifters - as part of Operation Vulture, which tackles shoplifting."If a thief thinks they've been spotted they're more likely to leave," the guide it also urged caution as "shoplifters could respond aggressively when challenged".It advised staff to keep a safe distance, ask if the person needed help or a basket, and to step away and alert a manager or security if they felt uncomfortable. The force also warned that thieves targeted stores where there was only one member of staff, "so have a few members of staff and make sure they're trained in how to spot shoplifters".It said Operation Vulture also involved hotspot patrols, increased visibility in targeted areas, and working with retailers to understand retail crime and identify offenders. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
