Latest news with #JudithEvans
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Everyday household appliance could be an incubator for bacteria – here's how to prevent it
It is something that you almost certainly use every single day. But this common household appliance could become an 'incubator' for dangerous pathogens. Scientists have warned that this everyday item could be home to 1.8 million bacteria, including Listeria and Salmonella. And they say that homeowners failing to use it correctly could be making the situation much worse. According to Professor Judith Evans, of London South Bank University, and Oleskii Omelchenko, a PhD researcher at the Quadram Institute, your fridge could be a breeding ground for disease. Although it is meant to keep your food fresh and safe, fridges can help bacteria grow if the temperature isn't right. However, the experts warn that even a 'well-chilled' fridge could harbour invisible dangers if you don't take the right precautions. So, here's what you can do to stop your fridge from becoming a hotspot for bacteria. Professor Evans told MailOnline: 'A lot of fridges are not operating at the correct temperature. Fridge temperatures are often high enough to enable bacteria to grow. 'Generally, the higher the temperature, the higher the level of growth.' According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the UK's food safety watchdog, a fridge needs to be at least 5°C (41°F) or colder to prevent bacteria from developing. However, studies have shown that the average UK fridge temperature is just above this safe limit at 5.3°C (41.54°F). That might not seem like a big difference, but it becomes a problem because of how often fridge temperatures fluctuate. Some fridges spend as much as half their time above the safe limit, and studies have even found fridges running at temperatures as high as 15°C (59°F). At these temperatures, bacteria multiply rapidly on your food and quickly reach levels which could cause food poisoning. Writing in The Conversation, Professor Evans and Mr Omelchenko say: 'Part of the problem is that many fridges lack an accurate, accessible way to monitor their internal temperature. How to keep your fridge safe Keep raw foods – like meat and fish that need cooking – separate from ready-to-eat items such as fruits or sandwiches. Store raw meat and fish on the bottom shelf of the fridge. That way, if any juices leak, they won't drip onto other foods. Consume ready-to-eat products within four hours of removing them from the fridge. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water before, during and after meal preparation. Source: 'On top of that, every time you open the door, warm air rushes in. The longer the door stays open, especially if you're lingering while choosing a snack, the more the internal temperature climbs toward room temperature, creating a more suitable environment for bacteria to thrive.' To prevent the temperature from changing too much, Professor Evans and Mr Omelchenko suggest making a few simple changes. By limiting how often you open the door or using a rotating organiser to help find items quickly, you can prevent warm air from entering the fridge. Likewise, checking the fridge's seals every few months and ensuring they are clean will help to prevent leaks. Remembering that the temperature in your fridge isn't even can also help keep unwanted bacteria from developing. The scientists write: 'The coldest spot is usually at the back, while the warmest is on the door. That means items like milk or raw meat are best stored near the back - not in the door. The door is fine for butter or fizzy drinks.' Keeping the fridge about 75 per cent full rather than cramming everything in will also help cold air circulate and avoid any warm spots. However, the scientists warn that even ensuring your fridge is perfectly cold might not be enough to ensure bacteria don't develop. Studies have shown that fridges can contain pathogens that have been brought in by food or packaging that may have been contaminated. Professor Evans says that the biggest risks come from 'raw and cooked meats, ready prepared salads, food beyond its 'eat-by' date, and poor handling and cross contamination.' Likewise, although cold temperatures prevent most bacteria from growing, others, such as Listeria monocytogenes, can multiply in low temperatures. Listeria can trigger symptoms ranging from mild flu-like conditions to severe complications like meningitis or sepsis. This species of bacteria is particularly dangerous to pregnant people and older adults and can be found in soft cheeses, cured or smoked fish, sushi, deli meats, and pre-packaged fruits. Additionally, the trusty 'sniff test' for those leftovers won't be enough to ensure you're not eating anything dangerous, since Listeria and Salmonella don't always produce any odour. The FSA suggests that any foods left at room temperature must be thrown away if they have been left out for more than two hours, or more than one hour if the temperature is over 32°C (90°F). However, putting food in the fridge only slows the growth of bacteria rather than stopping it entirely, so the government watchdog advises that leftovers must be eaten within 48 hours.
The Independent
14-03-2025
- The Independent
Teacher who had sex with schoolboy a ‘cold, calculating predator'
A teacher who groomed and sexually abused a teenage pupil has been described as a 'cold, calculating child predator'. Judith Evans was jailed for two years at Belfast Crown Court on Friday for a series of sexual offences against a schoolboy and placed on the sex offender register for life. The court heard that when Judith Evans was confronted with her crimes by police, she had falsely claimed that her teenage victim had threatened and raped her. Judge Patricia Smyth said there had been close to 10,000 text messages exchanged between the teacher and pupil. The judge said the teacher had basked in her victim's 'adolescent attraction towards her'. Evans, 33, from Elmwood Grove in Newtownabbey, was a teacher at Belfast Boys' Model School when the offences occurred. Following sentencing, PSNI detective chief inspector Jill Duffie said: 'Evans is a cold, calculating child predator who was in a position of trust and abused that position by taking advantage of a young boy who was her pupil at the time. 'She preyed on his vulnerabilities and built an inappropriate friendship with the boy before then further grooming him and sexually exploiting him. 'The messages exchanged between her and her underage pupil were highly sexual and nothing short of sickening.' Evans had initially denied the charges but the mother-of-two later pleaded guilty to a total of eight sexual offences committed against the teenage boy. The charges she admitted include sexual communication with a child, meeting a child following sexual grooming, sexual activity with a child involving penetration and possessing indecent images of the schoolboy. These offences were committed between March 1 and May 17 2024. She further admitted a charge of perverting the course of justice. Judge Smyth told the court Evan had groomed the child who was vulnerable because of family circumstances. After giving him her email address and mobile phone number text communications followed. The judge said: 'From an early stage they contained inappropriate sexual suggestions.' She told the court that during the Easter holidays in 2024 the communications escalated to sexual photos being sent to the boy. She added: 'Within a matter of weeks the defendant was inviting the victim to meet her. 'The defendant met the victim on two occasions outside school where sexual activity occurred.' She said on a third occasion the boy would not get into a car with Evans because it belonged to her husband and did not have blacked out windows. The judge said there were references within text exchanges to sexual contact at school, but said this had not been proven. The court heard that Evans phoned the victim's mother on a regular basis to discuss his demeanour and said she wanted to keep him after class for revision. The judge added: 'The mother recalled her son returning home looking dishevelled on one occasion with his tie undone and his shirt buttons opened after apparently having stayed behind for revision.' After the schoolboy's girlfriend found a text message on his phone, he admitted that he had cheated on her and said he wanted to run away and kill himself because he knew police would be involved. The court was told his father took him to hospital where he disclosed the sexual activity with his teacher. When interviewed by police, Evans claimed the boy had threatened and raped her and that his dad was connected to the UDA. The judge said: 'Every aspect of that account was false.' She added: 'There is no question that the defendant's behaviour and the aftermath of the discovery of these offences have had a profound effect on this young victim and his family.' Judge Smyth then told the court that sexual communication had last over five months with nearly 10,000 texts sent over a period of a month. The judge said Evans is a mother of two and she accepted that she is suffering distress because of the offending. Evans was sentenced her to four years, with half of the term to be spent in custody. The judge said Evans would be disqualified from working with children and would be on the sex offender register for life. Speaking outside court, Ms Duffie added: 'As a result of the abuse he was subjected to, the victim has suffered greatly with mental health struggles and has shown immense bravery to bring her to justice today. 'There is still a societal stigma surrounding male victims of abuse, especially that of a sexual nature. 'I hope today's court outcome will showcase that young boys are just as vulnerable and that there is no shame for them to carry. 'Suffering in silence is never the answer, abuse is never the victim's fault. 'We will continue to work around the clock to bring child predators before the courts and would encourage anyone who may have been abused in a similar way to come forward. The passage of time doesn't matter. 'Child abuse cannot continue in Northern Ireland, we will do everything in our power to stop predators in their tracks and get victims the justice they deserve. 'If there are any young people out there who have been targeted and abused in a similar way, please come forward to us. We will help and support you.'
