Latest news with #Britons
Metro
5 hours ago
- Metro
High-security prison officer stabbed by inmate after 'argument'
A prison officer had to be airlifted to hospital after being stabbed by an inmate. The 25-year-old suffered serious injuries during the stabbing at around 10am on Friday at HMP Long Lartin. He is still in hospital. West Mercia Police were called and they say the suspect, a 22-year-old, is still in custody within the prison. The force has denied an audio recording circulating on social media, claiming to be of the aftermath of the incident, is in fact not connected. They have recovered a weapon as part of the investigation, and it is understood the weapon was smuggled into the prison. Assistant Chief Constable Grant Wills said: 'Whilst our investigation is in its early stages, we would like to clarify that this incident is not being treated as terrorism. 'Our initial enquiries suggest there was a disagreement between an inmate and prison officer that escalated and is an isolated matter within the prison. 'The injured prison officer currently remains in hospital in a stable condition, and we are sending him our best wishes for a full and quick recovery.' HMP Long Lartin, in South Littleton, Worcestershire, is both a category A and B prison and can hold more than 600 inmates. A Prison Service spokesperson said: 'Police are investigating an attack on a prison officer at HMP Long Lartin. 'We will not tolerate assaults on hardworking staff and will always push for the strongest punishments against perpetrators.' The news comes as the chair of the Prison Officers' Association warned it is 'only a matter of time' before a prison officer is murdered by an inmate. More Trending His warning is echoed by a former prison officer at HMP Frankland, who revealed exclusively to Metro that he had boiling urine thrown over him during his time there. New data shows the number of assaults on prison staff in England and Wales per year has reached its highest level in a decade. Recent high-profile attacks include Hashem Abedi, the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, who reporeredly injured three HMP Frankland officers by throwing hot cooking oil over them and using 'home made weapons' last month. And earlier this month, Southport killer Axel Rudakubana is accused of throwing boiling water over an officer at HMP Belmarsh. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Peru Two drug mule warns Britons of 'hellish conditions' inside prison MORE: Multiple people seriously injured after car crashes into pedestrians in Leicester MORE: Man arrested after police officer injured when 'car reversed into him'
Metro
6 hours ago
- Metro
British Airways steward detained after 'drug-fuelled' dance in business class
Scotland Yard is investigating a British Airways steward who allegedly danced naked in a business class toilet on a trans-Atlantic flight. After taking off for London Heathrow, fellow flight crew couldn't locate the steward until they reportedly found him 'completely naked' after a suspected drug binge during the in-flight meal service. The BA employee was then buckled into a first-class seat for the rest of the flight, witnesses said, before being escorted off the plane in a wheelchair. A British Airways crew member on the flight told The Sun: 'We think the guy popped pills when he was meant to be working. It is an extraordinary thing to do. 'The plane was cruising at 37,000ft over the Atlantic, but this bloke seemed to be higher than anyone else.' Police were notified and met the double-decker Airbus last week when it landed at Heathrow, as hundreds of passengers watched on. The employee has now been suspended from his job as police investigate the matter, but fellow crew members are still fuming about the incident. They said they worked the entire flight without breaks to cover for the dancing steward. 'It was a long time before he was located, and he was completely out of it,' a BA employee on the flight added. 'Not only is it really dangerous, it is a crazy way to end your BA career. This job can do ridiculous things to people, but staging a one-man disco in a Club World toilet is a new one on me.' British Airways told Metro the matter is one for the police. Scotland Yard has been contacted for comment. In 2023, British Airways crew members made headlines after claiming they were mugged in Brazil to cover up a night of debauchery. More Trending The incident involving two men, aged 31 and 40, and a woman aged 39, allegedly led flight BA248 from Rio to London to be cancelled in September. But a BA representative said the crew members were not due to operate the flight the next day as alleged. The trio were part of a group of six employees who went out to Rio's Pedra do Sal port area. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: I always play 'check-in chicken' on flights – it works a treat MORE: Peru Two drug mule warns Britons of 'hellish conditions' inside prison MORE: British flight attendant 'in tears' in court accused of smuggling 46kg of drugs
Metro
6 hours ago
- Metro
UK prison chief calls for US-style 'supermax jails' to protect guards
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video It is only a matter of time before a prison officer is murdered by an inmate, the chairman of the Prison Officers' Association (POA) has warned. A prison officer was airlifted to hospital yesterday after being stabbed while on duty at the high security HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire. That attack came days after three prison officers were targeted – including one with boiling water and another left with a bleed on the brain – in 48 hours at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire. The number of assaults on staff in adult prisons in England and Wales per year has reached its highest level in a decade, new data shows. The figures come after several incidents in prisons have raised concerns over staff safety and the standard of protective equipment at work. Four officers were attacked with hot oil and homemade weapons by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi at HMP Frankland in County Durham on April 12. Mark Fairhurst, chairman of the POA, has now called for those inmates posing the most risk to his staff to be 'totally locked down'. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said jails are 'awash' with 'all kinds of illicit items' – including drugs, phones and weapons – but 'we very rarely lock them down'. Mr Fairhurst said 'now is the time to introduce supermax facilities' like those in the US, 'so people who pose the most risk to staff are totally locked down'. 'It is only a matter of time before one of my colleagues is murdered on duty,' he added. Some 10,605 assaults on staff in male and female jails were recorded in 2024, up from 9,204 in 2023 and nearly three times the 3,640 in 2014. The rate of assaults on staff stood at 122 per 1,000 prisoners last year, up from 108 in 2023 and 43 a decade earlier. Mr Fairhurst linked the violence inside prisons to the amount of contraband being smuggled in from the outside using drones. 'We need to secure the airspace above our prisons,' he said. 'Why are our airspaces not tightened? Why do we have ingress of drones in our prisons? Surely there must be technology out there that prevents drones entering airspaces.' More Trending Metro has contacted the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) for comment. A spokesperson told the BBC that attacks on prison staff are 'unacceptable' and will not be tolerated. They said the MoJ was 'gripping the situation by investing in prison maintenance and security, working with the police and others to tackle serious organised crime'. A spokesman said earlier this month they are 'also bolstering security to stop more contraband entering jails'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Peru Two drug mule warns Britons of 'hellish conditions' inside prison MORE: Multiple people seriously injured after car crashes into pedestrians MORE: Man arrested after police officer injured when 'car reversed into him'
Metro
9 hours ago
- Metro
Multiple people seriously injured after car crashes into pedestrians
Four people have been injured after a car crash involving 'a number of pedestrians' in the early hours of this morning. The crash happened in De Montford Street, Leicester, at about 12.30am and is believed to have happened after a fight in the area. Leicestershire Police say all four victims and the suspect had been at the same private event before the collision. Two men and two women were injured, three of them seriously, and all four victims are still in hospital. A 31-year-old man, from Leicester, has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and causing serious injury by dangerous driving following the collision. He is in police custody. Police have found the car involved a few streets away from the scene. Detective Inspector Jenny Tattersall said: 'We understand the serious concern there will be about this incident. 'Four people currently remain in hospital and an investigation is ongoing as we continue to establish the full circumstances and the events leading up to this incident. 'A man remains in police custody and will be questioned by officers. 'A large cordon is in place in the area of De Montfort Street and will remain while enquiries, including forensic investigations, are carried out. More Trending 'We do ask that people do not speculate about this incident, including on social media, in order to allow a thorough investigation to take place. 'We have officers at the scene carrying out enquiries and providing reassurance. Please do speak with them regarding any information you may have or any concerns you may have. 'You can also contact police on 101, quoting incident number 27 of 31 May.' Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. MORE: Peru Two drug mule warns Britons of 'hellish conditions' inside prison MORE: Man arrested after police officer injured when 'car reversed into him' MORE: Teenager and two adults killed in crash on M5 with motorway closed by police
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Exodus of ultra-wealthy from UK triggers fine wine boom in Dubai
An exodus of wealthy Britons to the Middle East has triggered a boom in Dubai's fine wine market, Bonhams has said. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has benefited from a rapid influx of rich Westerners in recent years, bringing with them their demand for expensive drinks – despite tight rules on consuming alcohol in the region. Amayès Aouli, head of wine and spirits at Bonhams, said: 'Dubai and the wider Middle East are rapidly becoming important players in the global fine wine ecosystem – not simply in terms of bulk consumption, but as centres for high-value storage, investment, and private collecting.' Soaring taxes have been blamed for accelerating an exodus of the ultra-rich from Britain, as well as Rachel Reeves's recent clampdown on non-dom residents that stripped thousands of UK residents of tax benefits. Among those to have left are the billionaire property investor brothers Ian and Richard Livingstone, who moved their official residence to Monaco, and Goldman Sachs banker Richard Gnodde, who relocated to Milan. The billionaire media mogul Richard Desmond, meanwhile, secured a 'golden visa' for Dubai last year. The Adam Smith Institute has suggested Ms Reeves's crackdown could cost Britain upwards of £10bn per year as the decline of billionaires drags on the Treasury's revenues. The UK was expected to lose almost 10,000 millionaires in 2024, while the UAE was expected to gain almost 7,000, according to the private wealth firm Henley & Partners. Inquiries about moving abroad from the UK jumped by 183pc in the first three months of 2025, the firm has also estimated. Dubai, conversely, has become increasingly appealing to the wealthy because it does not charge income tax. Mr Aouli added: 'This influx brings with it an appetite for global luxury, including fine wine, whether for personal enjoyment, entertaining, hospitality or long-term investment.' Sales of alcohol in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman have nearly doubled in value since the pandemic and are on course to reach more than $1bn (£742m) in 2025, according to industry experts at IWSR. The UAE is also a hub for duty-free sales of wine and spirits, which were just shy of $600m (£446m) last year. Cru Wines, a London-headquartered fine wine and spirits firm, recently opened an outpost in Dubai to cater to its expat community. Gregory Swartberg, the company's chief executive, said: 'Huge numbers have come over and they obviously want to get together to drink nice wines. It's a lot of non-doms, who obviously do not qualify [for some UK tax benefits] any more.' The company does not retail wines direct to customers in the UAE, but works with clients to manage their collections and source wines for them. Only two companies are officially allowed to distribute alcohol. Alcohol consumption is legal in the UAE, which is governed under Sharia law, but is heavily regulated. Non-Muslim residents over the age of 21 are allowed to drink in their homes, but they have to apply for a licence to be able to do so. Alcohol can be sold in licensed restaurants, bars and hotels – but drinking in public is strictly prohibited and can result in severe fines and even imprisonment. Mr Aouli said: 'Licensing procedures, restrictions on marketing, and cultural sensitivities mean that success here requires patience, local relationships, and absolute regulatory compliance.' However, while demand is growing, Dubai this year reimposed a 30pc import tariff on alcohol that had previously been suspended for two years – raising the prospect of higher prices for consumers. Mr Swartberg said: 'I think people from London are a little bit annoyed at the prices of wines in restaurants here. That's definitely a strong negative.' Last week, officials in Saudi Arabia were forced to deny that the Kingdom was planning to lift a 73-year ban on sales of alcohol, after reports emerged suggesting that it would do so to boost tourism ahead of the 2034 World Cup. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Sign in to access your portfolio
