Latest news with #'sWally
The Irish Sun
10 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Police slammed over daft hate crimes including trans woman banned from ladies loo & man singing Scots song in England
COPS are still logging bizarre hate incidents — including the singing of anthem Flower of Scotland at an English railway station. An investigation by The Sun reveals how police — under fire for not catching shoplifters and burglars — are wasting vital time on the 'non-crime hate incidents'. Advertisement 5 Police across Britain stand accused of failing to tackle 'actual crimes' while instead investigating 'hate' complaints (stock picture) Credit: Alamy 5 One force probed concerns about a man singing anthem Flower of Scotland at an English train station (stock picture) Credit: PA:Press Association 5 Cops also investigated a pub landlord who stopped a transgender woman using his ladies' loo (stock picture) Credit: Alamy Former officers and MPs want the 'crackers' cases scrapped. Police stand accused of failing to tackle 'actual crimes' while instead investigating 'hate' complaints — including one about a pub landlord who stopped a transgender woman using his ladies' loo. Cops also logged a case after a caller put on an Indian accent to order a chicken tikka masala from a takeaway. Another force was contacted by a person whose new boss called their designer clothes 'fake' and told them of an intimate Where's Wally tattoo. Advertisement READ MORE UK NEWS The bizarre cases were among at least 6,300 non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) recorded in 2024. The true figure would be much higher as 15 of the 44 police forces in England and Wales did not disclose figures under a Freedom of Information request. MPs and top cops led calls to stop wasting time on NCHIs, which are recorded where no criminal offence has been committed but the 'victim' feels it was motivated by hate or prejudice. Shadow Justice Minister Advertisement Most read in The Sun 'Practically everyone in the country will have at some point said something that would get them reported. 'This is crackers. Moment Met boss dodges question over two-tier policing of riots by grabbing reporters' mic & chucking it to floor 'We need to scrap NCHIs altogether.' Reform UK's Advertisement 'These are the people who should be charged with wasting police time. 'Officers should be investigating proper crimes not hurt feelings. 'Those who complain should go and live on a remote island with some of our celebrities who make a living out of being offended.' The person in Bedfordshire upset by the Where's Wally tattoo also complained of the supervisor asking about their shoes and requests to remove their durag hair covering. Advertisement The incident was recorded as 'sex-based and hate-motivated'. The police log obtained by The Sun says: 'The victim felt irritated for the rest of the shift as it was mean and uncalled for.' In Dunstable, Beds, a complainant said they heard a neighbour gossiping on their Ring doorbell, then point at their home and make an insult before walking off. Bedfordshire Police said: 'We record hate related incidents in line with national guidance set out by the College of Policing.' Advertisement South Wales Police, which dealt with the trans row, recorded 40 NCHIs last year. It said one 'perpetrator' was aged nine, another 11. Humberside Police logged the case where a person put on an Indian accent to order a curry. West Yorkshire Police handled 175 complaints — one from a man who claimed his bins kept being moved because he was gay. Advertisement Forces that did not provide their figures included London's Met — the UK's biggest — West Midlands, Essex and Devon and Cornwall. Ex-Met detective Peter Bleksley said: 'These examples are ludicrous and a total waste of police time. 'Waste of police time' 'It is not a policing matter if someone is singing Flower of Scotland . 'If it were, the whole of the Met would have to be deployed when Scotland play rugby at Twickenham. Advertisement 'These are mostly juvenile situations and officers should not lower themselves to getting involved. 'It is a serious problem when a lot of actual crimes are not investigated.' NCHIs were introduced in 2014 and are meant to help forces develop intelligence on situations that could potentially escalate. In some cases, cops speak to those supposedly committing offences. Advertisement An NCHI can remain on file for six years and, in some cases, be disclosed to a prospective employer. A report this week by think tank Civitas called for NCHIs to be abolished. Author Hardeep Singh said: 'Some activist groups continue to weaponise them against their political opponents. "We've seen the most absurd incidents being recorded over the years, and precious police resources should not be drained by policing online ideological disputes.' 5 Cops also logged a case after a caller put on an Indian accent to order a chicken tikka masala from a takeaway Credit: Getty - Contributor Advertisement 5 Another force was contacted by a person whose new boss called their designer clothes 'fake' and told them of an intimate Where's Wally tattoo Credit: Alamy In 2023, the Home Office issued guidance instructing officers to consider if there was genuine hostility in the incident or whether it could be considered freedom of speech. Earlier this month, Greater Manchester Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said the policy of recording NCHIs had 'passed its sell-by date'. Sir Andy Marsh, head of standards body the College of Policing, called on officers to use more 'common sense' and signalled that the recording of NCHIs needs to be scrapped. Advertisement He said: 'What we've wrapped up that objective in doesn't stand up to scrutiny on many occasions under the common-sense test. 'We need to fix it. 'I don't want to be policing freedom of speech.'
The Independent
20-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Steve Reed branded ‘Where's Wally' as he is accused of ‘ducking scrutiny'
Environment Secretary Steve Reed has been branded 'Where's Wally', as he was accused of 'ducking scrutiny' after the abrupt closure of a nature-friendly farming payments scheme. Mr Reed also failed to guarantee his budget will not have further cuts, when pressed by the shadow environment secretary ahead of the Chancellor's spring statement next week. In the Commons, shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins said farmers will not survive the latest 'assault' by the Government, after the sustainable farming incentive (SFI) was shut to new applications with immediate effect. The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Department (Defra) announced last Tuesday that the SFI, which pays farmers in England for 'public goods' such as insecticide-free farming, wildflower strips and managing ponds and hedgerows, was fully allocated for this year. The Government had previously committed to give six weeks notice if the scheme was withdrawn, according to its official website. During Defra questions on Thursday, Ms Atkins said: 'May I welcome the Secretary of State back to the chamber? He has been in hiding for a week, we were so worried about him we were going to start a Where's Wally? competition. 'And the reason he's been in hiding is because he is ducking scrutiny of his dreadful decision to stop the SFI farm payment scheme immediately and without warning. 'We on this side have been inundated with messages from farmers that businesses will not survive this latest assault by the Government. How many farmers will be bankrupted as a result of the SFI stoppage?' Mr Reed replied: 'There were of course, unfortunately, record levels of bankruptcies of farm businesses under the previous government, of which she was a member of the cabinet. 'Under this Government, we have more money in the hands of more farmers through SFI than at any point under the Conservative government. 'But this Government understands that when a budget has been fully allocated, you stop spending it. The party of Liz Truss prefers instead to keep spending, bankrupt the economy, send mortgages spiralling – that is not good for farmers, that's not good for the economy, or for anyone.' Ms Atkins said: 'He can't find his way around a farmyard, he's certainly not speaking to farmers, because we on this side know that if you continue to tax, tax, tax businesses, they will break.' She added: 'His answer sums up the cold fury in the countryside at his impotence in standing up to the Chancellor – on compulsory purchase orders, the massive cuts to delinked payments, the stopping of capital grants, SFI, and of course, the family farms tax. 'Ahead of next week's emergency budget and spending review, and given the Guardian seems to know more than he does, will he guarantee that his Government's budget will not face further swingeing cuts?' Mr Reed replied: 'The problem facing farming is that it became unprofitable because of the actions of the previous government. 'They undercut farm businesses in trade deals, undercutting farmers on welfare and environmental standards, they raised barriers to exports to the European markets, causing exports to plunge by 20% since 2018, and that led to record numbers of bankruptcies. 'This Government has a plan for change and it involves turning farming into a profitable set of businesses, including backing British businesses by public sector food procurement, and ruling out trade deals that undercut farmers in the way that that government was happy to do.' Elsewhere in the session, former prime minister Rishi Sunak said the importance of family farms should be at the forefront of ministers' minds. The Conservative MP for Richmond and Northallerton said: 'I recently visited New Sheepfold Farm in Ingleby Greenhow to see the great work that the Day family are doing to diversify their farm, help nature recovery, and improve enjoyment of our rural area. 'Now they did this with the help of the National Park Authority, the North York Moors, but also the Farming in Protected Landscape Scheme, which I'm glad the Government has extended for a further year. 'So can I ask the minister if he agrees with me about the importance of family farms, like the Day's, in landscapes like the Dales and the Moors? And will he ensure that they remain at the forefront of ministers' minds?' Mr Reed replied: 'Of course I agree with him, and our focus on farm profitability is precisely so family farms up and down the country can have a bright and secure future. 'Any sector which doesn't make a profit isn't going to attract investment, and isn't going to have a future. We want farming to succeed in his constituency and in every constituency across the land.'
