Latest news with #EastHam
The National
19-05-2025
- Business
- The National
2012 Olympics kids are UK's most upwardly mobile
Children who grew up in East Ham during the 2012 Olympics are earning almost 50 per cent more than peers from the poorest parts of the UK today, a survey has found. The London constituencies of East Ham and Stratford hosted the Olympic Games in 2012, and the construction of the Olympic Village there was expected to bring large-scale regeneration to the marginalised areas. Now, East Ham's poorest children are among the UK's most socially mobile, followed by those from neighbouring Stratford and Bow, according the Sutton Trust's Opportunity Index. The annual survey tracks the education level and earnings of young people under 30 who were eligible for free school meals, to assess their opportunities. In East Ham, 35 per cent of pupils who were eligible for free school meals had a degree by the age of 22, compared to 10 per cent in Newcastle Upon Tyne and Central West – the constituency with the lowest rankings in the survey. Those aged 28 who grew up in East Ham earned almost 50 per cent more on average a year (£21,135), than those in the lowest ranking constituency (£14,158). Forty-eight per cent of children in East Ham completed their A-levels with an average C grade, above the national average of 46. Less than a fifth of East Ham pupils were not in school, higher education or work after their GCSEs, four points above the national average, and 25 per cent above the more affluent constituency of Kensington and Bayswater. 'Disadvantaged young people growing up in East Ham, and Stratford and Bow have the best opportunity to become socially mobile in England," Erica Holt-White, research and policy manager at the Sutton Trust, told The National. "Those eligible for free school meals achieve very well at GCSE, and we see young people progressing to university and reaching the top 20 per cent of earners at much higher rates than other young people from similar backgrounds in other areas of the country. "Local investment" in East Ham and Stratford and Bow, as well as the "demographic of the constituency", were among the factors contributing to the high rankings, she said. Yet the survey also showed that young people in London were more likely to move out of their constituency than those outside London, against the 'traditional view' of migration towards the capital. Within the orbit of the Olympic Village in Hackney, the proportion of working adults who are university graduates in Woodberry Down and Manor House leapt from just over one third (36.9 per cent) in 2011 to more than two thirds (67.8 per cent) – more than anywhere else in England and Wales. 'London and the East of England also have the highest rates for disadvantaged young people moving elsewhere by the age of 28, at 13 per cent compared to just 6 per cent of those from the North East," said Carl Cullinane, director of research and policy at the Sutton Trust. The survey revealed a "a startling picture of inequality of opportunity" across England, according to Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust. The training and educational pathways available to disadvantaged young people within their own constituencies determined how they would fare later on. "The life chances of disadvantaged young people remain strongly tied to where they grow up," he said. "If the government genuinely wants to break down barriers to opportunity, we need serious investment in education and economic opportunities in the 'left behind' parts of the UK. "Failing to act is damaging the life changes of too many of the next generation."
The Independent
15-05-2025
- The Independent
Police go door-to-door of 400 homes in search for mother of abandoned Baby Elsa
The search to find the mother of three children abandoned in London across eight years has been narrowed down to just 400 homes, as police say they 'cannot discount' a fourth baby being found as time goes on. Officers have been door-knocking several properties in a specified area of East Ham and Plaistow in east London, in an attempt to uncover information which may lead to the identification of the mother of the children. Experts believe that the person who abandoned the children, who may or may not have been their mother, could have travelled from one of those properties. Police have been asking the public for voluntary DNA samples and for anyone with information to come forward. The three babies, named Harry, Roman and Elsa, were found abandoned in 2017, 2019, and 2024, respectively, within a few miles of each other, which the senior investigating officer (SIO) in the case described as 'wholly unprecedented'. Investigators have been able to establish a full DNA profile of their mother, but despite hundreds of hours of CCTV footage being reviewed and a £20,000 reward being offered for three months earlier this year, she remains unidentified. Speaking to the PA news agency, Detective Inspector Jamie Humm, the case's senior investigating officer, said the investigation had been 'comprehensive and thorough', but that police must conclude that the person who abandoned the children 'did not want to be found'. He said: 'They've done so in places where there are no CCTV cameras, and as heavily surveilled as London is, the reality is there's going to be pockets and areas that are not covered with footage.' He continued: 'We can't be blind to the fact that there may be a fourth (baby), and certainly the passage of time and the cycles of nine months it would take to potentially get pregnant and birth a child, mean that we cannot discount that. 'That means, again, I'm appealing to the public, because if there is another abandoned child, that child may not be as fortunate as Elsa and her siblings. 'So we really want the public to understand what we understand about the risk here, and to come forward and speak to us, because it's that one bit of information that we feel that may open this whole case.' Elsa was found wrapped in a towel in a reusable shopping bag on January 18 last year, at the junction of Greenway and High Street South in East Ham, in sub-zero temperatures. Roman was found in similar circumstances a short distance away, in a play area off Roman Road, Newham, in late January 2019, as freezing temperatures and snow gripped the capital. Their brother, Harry, was found wrapped in a white blanket in Balaam Street, Plaistow, in September 2017. All three children were abandoned in areas not covered by CCTV, and Mr Humm said he believed their mother 'is in danger'. He said: 'In any police investigation you make your tactical decisions around hypotheses, and the hypothesis that, as senior investigating officer, I believe is most likely, is that the mother of these children is vulnerable, is in danger, and is in a position where they feel that they are unable to come forward for whatever reason. 'We are treating mum as a victim in this case, and we are on standby to support her with everything she needs.' The police investigation has been supported by a specialist team from the National Crime Agency (NCA), which includes geographical profilers and behavioural investigative advisers. Residents of the 400 houses are under no obligation to provide DNA samples, and the NCA is helping to shape the questions that police ask members of the public on the doorstep. Agency investigators have also been deployed alongside Metropolitan Police officers during the house-to-house inquiries. Noel McHugh, national senior investigating officer adviser for the South East at the NCA, said that the case was 'deeply troubling' and that it was a 'miracle' the children survived because of the conditions in which they were abandoned. But he said that the case had some 'really unique signatures' which made it 'solvable and detectable', adding that the answer 'is in the community'. He said: 'We need the public, and with nearly every crime the public are the ones who assist and thread that crime together in solving it. It is never the police or NCA on their own.' Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, strategic investigative adviser for the operation, said that the latest inquiries would provide 'a lot of information to follow' which could take 'weeks and months' to process, but that the investigation 'will never stop'. He said: 'Police won't give up, and we will follow all the lines of inquiry we can to try and find them and answer the questions as to why.' Family Court proceedings related to Elsa are continuing, with several hearings taking place at East London Family Court since she was found. In June, Judge Carol Atkinson ruled that the media could report the familial link between the three children, who are black, as well as other details, following an application by the PA news agency and the BBC. The court was previously told that Elsa's birth cannot be registered, and no final decision made as to her care, because of the ongoing investigation. Roman and Harry – not their real names – have already been adopted.
The Sun
15-05-2025
- The Sun
Major breakthrough in hunt for mum of 3 abandoned siblings including Baby Elsa found in Boots carrier bag by dog walker
POLICE have made a major breakthrough in the desperate hunt for the mother of three abandoned babies. Their search has been narrowed down to around 400 homes as police close in on their target and ask locals for DNA samples. 6 Named Harry, Roman and Elsa, the three babies were discovered just a few miles apart from each other in 2017, 2019 and 2024. Cops immediately launched a probe to find the mother of the children and have since made a breakthrough. Officers have been knocking on several doors around East Ham and Plaistow in Newham, in their hunt for the mother. They believe the person who abandoned the three babies lives in one of the 400 homes they're visiting in the area. The kids were all dumped in areas with no CCTV coverage making it hard for police to track whoever abandoned them. Officers are asking people in their search area for voluntary DNA samples and urging anyone with information to come forward. The years long search has seen a £20,000 reward offered for information and a full DNA profile of the mother established. Despite these efforts the mother of the three babies remains unidentified and police have said they cant narrow down the possibility of a fourth baby being found. Speaking to the PA news agency, Detective Inspector Jamie Humm, the case's senior investigating officer, said the investigation had been 'comprehensive and thorough.' He added that police must conclude that whoever abandoned the children "did not want to be found." 6 6 He continued: 'They've done so in places where there are no CCTV cameras, and as heavily surveilled as London is, the reality is there's going to be pockets and areas that are not covered with footage. 'We can't be blind to the fact that there may be a fourth (baby), and certainly the passage of time and the cycles of nine months it would take to potentially get pregnant and birth a child, mean that we cannot discount that. "That means, again, I'm appealing to the public, because if there is another abandoned child, that child may not be as fortunate as Elsa and her siblings. 'So we really want the public to understand what we understand about the risk here, and to come forward and speak to us, because it's that one bit of information that we feel that may open this whole case.' Baby Elsa was discovered wrapped in a towel inside a Boots shopping bag in January last year, left abandoned on the junction of Greenway and High Street South in East Ham. Elsa was sadly discovered in sub zero temperatures with nothing but a towel to keep her warm. Roman was found a short distance away in a play area off Roman Road in 2019. Again he was found in freezing cold temperatures with little to keep him warm. Harry was the first baby to be found, discovered wrapped in a white blanket on Balaam Street, Plaistow in 2017. 6 Senior investigating officer Jamie Humm has said he believes the mother is "in danger." He said: 'In any police investigatio n you make your tactical decisions around hypotheses, and the hypothesis that, as senior investigating officer, I believe is most likely, is that the mother of these children is vulnerable, is in danger, and is in a position where they feel that they are unable to come forward for whatever reason. "We are treating mum as a victim in this case, and we are on standby to support her with everything she needs.' Investigators from the National Crime Agency (NCA) have been supporting the police investigation. Residents in the 400 houses currently being looked at are under no obligation to provide DNA samples. Noel McHugh, national senior investigating officer adviser for the South East at the NCA, said that it was a miracle the babies survived the conditions they were abandoned in. He added that the case was "deeply troubling" but that it was "solvable and detectable" He said that the answer "is in the community." Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, strategic investigative adviser for the operation, said that the latest inquiries would provide "a lot of information to follow" which could take "weeks and months to process." But he added that the investigation "will never stop." He said: "Police won't give up, and we will follow all the lines of inquiry we can to try and find them and answer the questions as to why." Family court proceedings related to Elsa are ongoing while her brothers, Harry and Roman -not their real names - have already been adopted. East London Family Court has previously ruled that Elsa's birth cannot be registered. No final decision has been made about her care because of the ongoing investigation.
Sky News
15-05-2025
- Sky News
Search for mother of three abandoned babies narrows - as police fear fourth child may be found
Police have said they are doing "everything we possibly can" to find the mother of three babies abandoned in London over a seven-year period – amid fears a fourth child may be found. Officers have focused their inquiries on just 400 homes in an area of east London near to where two of the babies were discovered, with members of the public being asked for voluntary DNA samples to help locate the mother. Experts believe the person who abandoned the young children, who may or may not be the mother, could have travelled from one of the properties in a specified area of East Ham and Plaistow. The three babies - named Harry, Roman and Elsa - were abandoned in 2017, 2019 and 2024, respectively. They were all found within a few miles of each other. A full DNA profile of the mother has been established by investigators, but despite this, hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and a £20,000 reward being offered earlier this year, she remains unidentified. Each child was discovered in an area where there are no CCTV cameras and the case's senior investigating officer said police have concluded the person who abandoned the babies "did not want to be found". Addressing the possibility of another child, Detective Inspector Jamie Humm added: "We can't be blind to the fact that there may be a fourth [baby], and certainly the passage of time and the cycles of nine months it would take to potentially get pregnant and birth a child, mean that we cannot discount that. "That means, again, I'm appealing to the public, because if there is another abandoned child, that child may not be as fortunate as Elsa and her siblings." 'We're treating the mum as a victim,' say police DI Humm also said he believes the mother "is in danger". He continued: "The hypothesis that, as senior investigating officer, I believe is most likely, is that the mother of these children is vulnerable, is in danger, and is in a position where they feel that they are unable to come forward for whatever reason. "We are treating mum as a victim in this case, and we are on standby to support her with everything she needs." His comments came as Noel McHugh, national senior investigating officer adviser for the South East at the National Crime Agency, said it was a "miracle" the children survived because of the conditions they were abandoned in. Elsa was found wrapped in a towel in a reusable shopping bag at the junction of Greenway and High Street South in East Ham, in sub-zero temperatures, on 18 January last year. Roman was found in similar circumstances a short distance away in a play area off Roman Road, Newham, in late January 2019, as snow gripped the capital. The eldest of the three, Harry, was found wrapped in a white blanket in Balaam Street, Plaistow, in September 2017. Mr McHugh said: "We are doing everything that we possibly can to work through the information, the intelligence that is before us, to understand it, and that is why they [the police] are working on this really focused area." Roman and Harry - not their real names - have already been adopted. Family court proceedings related to Elsa are continuing. The court was previously told Elsa's birth cannot be registered, and no final decision on her care has been made due to the ongoing investigation.
Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Telegraph
Door-to-door search begins for mother of three abandoned babies
Police are searching door-to-door for the mother of three abandoned babies. The siblings, named Harry, Roman and Elsa, were found in 2017, 2019 and 2024 in east London within a few miles of each other. The Metropolitan Police said it believes the mother is vulnerable and 'in danger' and has narrowed down its search to 400 homes in Plaistow and East Ham. The children all share the same parents and were abandoned in parks in Plaistow and Newham. Harry, the oldest of the children, was found wrapped in a white blanket in a bush in Plaistow Park in September 2017. In January 2019, Roman, a girl, was discovered in East Ham. She was wrapped in a towel inside a Sainsbury's shopping bag that had been left on a bench in a children's playground in freezing temperatures. In January 2024, Elsa was found by a dog walker wrapped in a towel in a Boots shopping bag left near a public footpath in sub-zero temperatures. She was believed to be just one-hour old when she was found and still had her umbilical cord attached. Noel McHugh, the national senior investigating officer adviser for the South East at the National Crime Agency (NCA), said it was a 'miracle' the children survived. He said the case was 'solvable and detectable' and the parents' identity would likely be known 'in the community'. 'We need the public, and with nearly every crime the public are the ones who assist and thread that crime together in solving it,' he said. 'Treating mother as a victim' Police have established a full DNA profile of the mother but she remains unidentified despite a £20,000 reward being offered earlier this year. A woman was previously seen in the area where Elsa was found wearing a dark coat with a light-coloured scarf or hood around her neck and rucksack on her back, police revealed at the time. Officers are now visiting each of the 400 homes in their narrowed search area and are asking for residents to give voluntary DNA samples. Experts believe the person who abandoned the children, who may or may not have been their mother, could have travelled from one of the 400 properties. Det Insp Jamie Humm, the case's senior investigating officer, said: 'In any police investigation you make your tactical decisions around hypotheses, and the hypothesis that, as senior investigating officer, I believe is most likely, is that the mother of these children is vulnerable, is in danger, and is in a position where they feel that they are unable to come forward for whatever reason. 'We are treating mum as a victim in this case, and we are on standby to support her with everything she needs.' He added: 'We can't be blind to the fact that there may be a fourth [baby], and certainly the passage of time and the cycles of nine months it would take to potentially get pregnant and birth a child, mean that we cannot discount that. 'That means, again, I'm appealing to the public, because if there is another abandoned child, that child may not be as fortunate as Elsa and her siblings.' Family Court proceedings related to Elsa are continuing, with several hearings taking place at East London Family Court since she was found. The court was previously told that Elsa's birth cannot be registered and no final decision made as to her care because of the ongoing investigation. Roman and Harry – not their real names – have already been adopted.
