Latest news with #ElianneAndam
Metro
31-07-2025
- Metro
Facial recognition cameras doubled in London despite 'dystopian' warning
Facial recognition cameras are being doubled in London, despite campaigners warning the move is the first step towards 'a dystopian nightmare'. The Metropolitan Police announced cameras will be deployed 10 times a week across five days – more than double the current usage – to scan faces and match them to a criminal database. Most cameras are attached to vans, watching shoppers in busy parts of London such as Westfield Stratford come and go from Starbucks and Superdrug. They were also deployed at the King Charles's coronation and other major events like Notting Hill Carnival. Despite the use of live facial recognition (LFR) leading to 1,000 arrests at 773 charges, campaigners are concerned the UK's capital is entering a new era of total surveillance. The increase comes just months after it was announced Croydon is set to see the city's, and the rest of the democratic world's, first permanent LFR placed to scan faces and match them to a criminal database. They will sit attached to lampposts or buildings on pedestrianised streets, and be just a short walk away from where schoolgirl Elianne Andam was stabbed to death outside the Whitgift Centre. There is relief among residents and shoppers, who hope the cameras will help bring down the rate of crime, keeping them up at night. Just last year, Croydon was named as the violence hotspot of London – with more than 10,000 violent crimes recorded in a single 12-month period. Akosua Murphy, 60, has lived in the borough for 17 years, is relieved more is being done to make the area safe once again. The cleaning lady told Metro: 'Every day I pray my grandchildren come home safe, crime is out of control – we saw what happened to Elianne Adnam and she was just an innocent girl. 'I used to work at East Croydon station, and I've seen young people stabbing each other. 'It's only getting worse, the high street is a mess.' But are these cameras going to be the saving grace of one of London's most crime-riddled areas? Don't hold your breath, says Big Brother Watch. In February facial recognition software was installed across Cardiff for the Six Nations games. Despite scanning 162,680 faces, not a single arrest was made, according to the organisation. Big Brother Watch frequently visits Croydon, to watch over how police were using the technology. And what they saw wasn't a sign of good things to come. Madeleine Stone, a senior advocacy officer at the organisation, told Metro the law needs to catch up with the technology first, as there is no legislation governing the use of facial recognition cameras. 'The police have essentially been left off the leash and can do what they want with this,' Madeleine said. 'Everyone gets something wrong sometimes, but what happens when the algorithm gets it wrong? Who is responsible then?' Last year, a legal challenge was launched against the police after an anti-knife crime community worker was wrongly flagged and detained by police following misidentification. The Metropolitan Police say they use Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology to prevent and detect crime and find wanted criminals. When people pass through an area with a camera, their images are streamed directly to the LFR system and compared to a watchlist. It can also help establish who a person is if they are unable to communicate who they are. LFR is often used at large events or in busy areas, typically on top of vans driven around by police. It was first used in England and Wales at the 2017 UEFA Champions League final in Cardiff. Shaun Thompson was wrongly flagged as a wanted person on the Metropolitan Police's facial recognition database outside of London Bridge station. He was held by officers for almost 30 minutes, who repeatedly demanded scans of his fingerprints and threatened him with arrest, despite him showing multiple identity documents further evidencing that he was not the individual on the facial recognition database. Peaceful protesters and those on mental health watch lists also flagged in the systems. Madeleine said: 'We are the first democratic country in the world to do this. It is a dark path we are going down to become a surveillance state.' But for Londoners, their priority is not protecting their privacy, but wanting crime to go down. Shannon Kirwin, 20, helps run her family's food van Old Skool Food, said she welcomes the crime reduction after seeing so many youths 'go for each other'. She told Metro: 'I have sat in this food van, and I have seen gangs just pull out weapons on each other right in front of me – the place has gone down massively over the last decade. 'But all the ones who are committing crimes are wearing balaclavas and face coverings, is there even any point to the cameras if they can't see through that.' Local musician Christian added the crime levels in the area 'is getting ridiculous'. He said: 'I think it's a good thing. This place is no longer a nice place. If you haven't done anything wrong, there's no need to be worried.' London's police chief Sir Mark Rowley insisted the technology will be responsibly used. He said: 'We're only using it to look for serious offenders like wanted offenders and registered sex offenders. 'We routinely put it out there and capture multiple serious offenders in one go, many of whom have committed serious offences against women or children, or people who are wanted for armed robbery. 'It's a fantastic piece of technology. It's very responsibly used, and that's why most of the public support it.' More Trending Mitch Carr, the Met's neighbourhood policing superintendent for south London, wrote to community leaders earlier in March to announce the move. He said: 'I am currently working with the central team to install fixed LFR cameras in Croydon town centre. This will mean our use of LFR technology will be far more embedded as a 'business as usual' approach rather than relying on the availability of the LFR vans that are in high demand across London. 'It will remain the case that the cameras are only switched on when officers are deployed on the ground ready to respond to alerts. 'The end result will see cameras covering a defined area and will give us much more flexibility around the days and times we can run the operations.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Girl, 3, found dead at home in Leeds as police arrest woman for 'murder' MORE: Former UFC fighter Conor McGregor loses appeal for civil rape case MORE: Man injured in Tommy Robinson 'assault' in St Pancras discharged from hospital
Fashion Network
22-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Westfield claims almost £24m in 'social value' for its UK malls last year
Shopping centre performance isn't just about footfall and retail. Major London malls operator Westfield (part of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield) has reported £23.8 million in social value generated across its UK destinations in 2024. Its latest Social Value Impact Report, which focuses on the scale and scope of social investment (including job creation, youth engagement, biodiversity and community-led initiatives) covers three of its key London malls. Westfield Stratford City recorded the highest year-on-year increase in social value across the UK portfolio, rising by £3.6 million to reach £12.5 million in 2024. Community investment more than doubled to £6.7 million, bolstered by initiatives such as The Felix Project, which redistributed 2.6 million meals and prevented 1,430 tonnes of CO₂e from going to waste across the UK. Other highlights include £13,000 in bursaries for Newham students through the Birkbeck Student Fund and the Newham Music Hub welcoming over 10,000 visitors. Volunteering hours rose by nearly 50%, 'reflecting deeper local community engagement'. Westfield London social value contribution increased from £9.8 million in 2023 to £10.5 million in 2024, a 7% increase year-on-year. The report said local employment rose by more than 10% in 2024, reflecting strong job growth in the area, with work opportunities increasing by 60%, and community investment nearly doubling. Other key contributors include West London Retail Skills Hub which, since its launch, has engaged 126 employers, and West Youth Zone, which recorded 22,853 visits in its first year, offering affordable, high-impact programmes to over 2,400 young people. In its first year of reporting, Centrale & Whitgift Shopping Centres in Croydon generated £813,241 in social value. Key milestones included the unveiling of the Elianne Andam Memorial Mural, created in partnership with local organisations, and the impactful 'Cut It Out' football match at Crystal Palace — both aimed at promoting youth safety and community cohesion. Looking ahead, the centre plans to expand its reporting scope in 2025 to capture social value generated through its supply chain. Jacinta Rowsell, managing director, Customer & Retail Operations, Northern Europe, URW, said: 'The remarkable growth in social value across our UK centres highlights the transformative impact of sustained community investment, a core driver of our Better Places strategy. 'From job creation and youth engagement to environmental initiatives, these efforts reflect our commitment to fostering thriving, resilient communities. As we continue to expand our programmes, we remain dedicated to driving meaningful change that benefits both people and the planet.'
Fashion Network
22-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Westfield claims almost £24m in 'social value' for its UK malls last year
Shopping centre performance isn't just about footfall and retail. Major London malls operator Westfield (part of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield) has reported £23.8 million in social value generated across its UK destinations in 2024. Its latest Social Value Impact Report, which focuses on the scale and scope of social investment (including job creation, youth engagement, biodiversity and community-led initiatives) covers three of its key London malls. Westfield Stratford City recorded the highest year-on-year increase in social value across the UK portfolio, rising by £3.6 million to reach £12.5 million in 2024. Community investment more than doubled to £6.7 million, bolstered by initiatives such as The Felix Project, which redistributed 2.6 million meals and prevented 1,430 tonnes of CO₂e from going to waste across the UK. Other highlights include £13,000 in bursaries for Newham students through the Birkbeck Student Fund and the Newham Music Hub welcoming over 10,000 visitors. Volunteering hours rose by nearly 50%, 'reflecting deeper local community engagement'. Westfield London social value contribution increased from £9.8 million in 2023 to £10.5 million in 2024, a 7% increase year-on-year. The report said local employment rose by more than 10% in 2024, reflecting strong job growth in the area, with work opportunities increasing by 60%, and community investment nearly doubling. Other key contributors include West London Retail Skills Hub which, since its launch, has engaged 126 employers, and West Youth Zone, which recorded 22,853 visits in its first year, offering affordable, high-impact programmes to over 2,400 young people. In its first year of reporting, Centrale & Whitgift Shopping Centres in Croydon generated £813,241 in social value. Key milestones included the unveiling of the Elianne Andam Memorial Mural, created in partnership with local organisations, and the impactful 'Cut It Out' football match at Crystal Palace — both aimed at promoting youth safety and community cohesion. Looking ahead, the centre plans to expand its reporting scope in 2025 to capture social value generated through its supply chain. Jacinta Rowsell, managing director, Customer & Retail Operations, Northern Europe, URW, said: 'The remarkable growth in social value across our UK centres highlights the transformative impact of sustained community investment, a core driver of our Better Places strategy. 'From job creation and youth engagement to environmental initiatives, these efforts reflect our commitment to fostering thriving, resilient communities. As we continue to expand our programmes, we remain dedicated to driving meaningful change that benefits both people and the planet.'
The Independent
01-04-2025
- The Independent
Why we need to show Adolescence in schools – before it's too late
The first episode of Adolescence leaves most viewers in shock. From the moment we meet 13-year-old Jamie, terrified and so profoundly young, we instinctively think a mistake has been made – this young boy can't be capable of murder. But for those of us working with young people every day, there's no shock to be had. We know just how capable young boys can be. From the real-life murder of Elianne Andam to the killing of Holly Newton, Adolescence portrays not a one-off horror, but a growing pattern of behaviour amongst boys of a younger and younger age. As co-creator and star Stephen Graham says himself, the question the Netflix series explores isn't if this violence is happening – but why? Jamie is not neglected or abused – he comes from a loving family. His actions are instead the result of extreme online misogyny, targeting boys every time they look at their phone or turn on their computer. Young boys are being radicalised under our noses and Jamie's plight – as well as that of his victim, Katie – shows just how dangerous this can be. Violence against women and girls (VAWG) has become everyday news, with the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) recently calling it 'a national emergency'. But people are less aware of its severity among children and young people. According to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) 16-19 year olds are at the highest risk of abuse from a current or former partner. The age most likely to report rape is just 14 – and, as the NPCC report emphasised, both victims and perpetrators of VAWG are getting younger every year. Working with Tender (a charity focused on teaching children about healthy relationships) in schools across the country, this is highly evident. I've seen girls as young as 12 being stalked, threatened and attacked by boys from their own school and, even more horrifyingly, I've seen these girls blamed for it by their teachers – held accountable for the threats because they are 'difficult' or not the 'right type of victim'. With pornographic content widely available, violent acts like strangulation are often raised in our workshops – even by primary school children, aged nine or ten. Adolescence has awoken the world not only to the problem, but the urgent need for a solution. The fact is, we do know how to halt these issues at their root – but it's simply not being put into action. Through proven interactive, drama-based techniques, we counteract these harmful narratives, giving young people the tools to navigate and challenge online content. I've seen boys with radically misogynist views transform their attitudes within a matter of days and many go on to be advocates for healthy behaviour and gender equality across their schools. But so many children don't have access to this support. Though relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) is now a compulsory part of the curriculum, its quality varies hugely from school to school, and academies (43.5 per cent of schools) currently have no obligation to follow the curriculum at all. Teachers aren't receiving the training they need to teach critical concepts like consent and equality, and schools haven't the resources to buy in expertise. When we released a resource on this very issue, we were flooded with requests from schools for more support, more help, more guidance. We can solve this problem via a three-pronged approach. Our government needs to be bold and brave – with legislation that ensures specialist RSHE in every single school, delivered by either external experts or highly trained teachers, whilst driving online safety measures to support this vital work. Schools need the resource to put this plan into action in a long-term, sustainable way, whilst parents and carers need guidance to help talk to their children about these issues from the very beginning and keep them safe in the home environment. Tender is working with more and more schools every year, but, as a charity, there's only so much we can do. Bombarded by violent misogyny on a daily basis, so many young people don't have access to this vital education, and are left vulnerable to the radicalisation Adolescence so aptly demonstrates. We can't leave the responsibility in the children's hands – it's our job to be brave, not theirs. Bringing the series into schools is a key, positive project that capitalises on the incredible awareness the series has raised. But it must be the first step in a comprehensive plan of funding, resource and expertise, implemented as urgently as any other threat to our children's safety. Speaking at a Tender panel, Stephen Graham said: 'So many people could have made a difference to Jamie's life and that's the tragedy of it.' This is the key – violence like this can and must be prevented. We have a proven, impactful solution. If the government wants to fulfil its goal of halving VAWG, it's time for them to put this solution into action.
BBC News
29-03-2025
- BBC News
Brixton: School dad's club tackles toxic masculinity
With Netflix smash hit Adolescence highlighting the devastation that can be wrought by toxic masculinity, a school dads club has been showing what positive role models men can Primary School Dads and Male Carers Club provides a space for men to connect, learn new skills, and spend quality time with their is celebrating its first anniversary having doubled attendance since opening - with an average of 57 dads, carers, and kids at each to the club it wants to counter the negative influence of harmful online content. It was started by parents after the murder of Elianne Andam by teenager Hassan Sentamu in a row over a founder Scott Leonard said: "Primary school is so informative for young people, where they shape much of their thinking and behaviour."Just 14% of primary school teachers are male according to the Office for National Statistics. "The more dads and male carers get involved, the more we can positively influence young minds and equip them with resilience and skills to create better future outcomes," Leonard told the David Kingsley said: "It's just to encourage positive masculinity within our space and within our sons and ensure they grow up as good role models within their communities... and also be good dads in the future as well."Seven-year-old Paddy who attends the club with his dad Johnny Kilgallon said: "I like really like my friends and doing Pokemon cards and doing activities."Quincy, aged seven, who goes to every session, said: "I love dads' club because I get to play games and make comics." Kenneth Baffoe of Jessop Primary School, in south London, said: "We believe true strength lies in compassion, empathy, and active involvement in our community."The club, which has had funding from festival Brockwell Live and the London Cycling Campaign, is working to scale the club across other primary schools."Our long-term goal is to take the primary school dads and male carers club model nationwide," said Mr club has been shortlisted for a Lambeth Civic Award.
