Latest news with #MatthewScott
BBC News
07-08-2025
- BBC News
Canterbury City Council hires extra security guards for Herne Bay
Extra security patrols have been hired for a Kent seaside town in an attempt to curb anti-social behaviour in the City Council (CCC) has received funding from Kent's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) to bring in security guards from Akin Security to patrol in Herne Bay alongside the police and wardens from Kent County Council and Scott, Kent's PCC, said: "This type of scheme has worked successfully in other parts of the county to help address crime and antisocial behaviour."CCC confirmed patrols have already began, with the guards helping when there was a crash involving a pedestrian. It said that they remained with members of the public until police arrived and they will be providing witness said the extra guards are working in pairs for 50 hours a week over five have been bought in to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour, as well as providing a "reassuring presence" in the community, said a CCC added they will gather intelligence and report it to Scott added: "My mission is to cut crime, support victims, and build trust. "This partnership between Canterbury City Council, Kent Police and my office will help deliver this for the residents of Herne Bay."
Scottish Sun
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I wrote music for iconic BBC show – I was inspired by Spice Girls classic
'There's a scene where you've a woman trying to assemble a pharaoh from body parts, which is a particularly ghoulish thing' SPICE OF LIFE I wrote music for iconic BBC show – I was inspired by Spice Girls classic Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE composer behind Horrible Histories hilarious songs has revealed how he was influenced by the Spice Girls hit 2 Become 1 for a scene where an Egyptian mummy is stitched back together. Matthew Scott has been tasked with putting together the music for the successful stage spin-offs of the popular CBBC series which brings history to life for children through our gory past. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 The Spice Girls at the height of their fame in the 90s. 4 The Awful Egyptians stage show comes to Glasgow in July. 4 Kids love the gore of Horrible Histories including in The Awful Egyptians. And for The Awful Egyptians, which comes to Glasgow's Theatre Royal this month, he admits he did a parody of The Spice Girls 1996 Christmas chart topper. Matthew, 68, from Slough, Berks, says: 'There's a scene where you've a woman trying to assemble a pharaoh from body parts, which is a particularly ghoulish thing. 'That's when I remembered The Spice Girls had a song called 2 Become 1 - so it's a parody on that. 'But the whole idea is you're trying to make the music as fun and attractive as you can for the irony to work.' Author Terry Deary began the series with The Terrible Tudors - which also comes to Glasgow in July - followed by The Awful Egyptians in 1993. His titles continued to describe British history throughout the centuries along with worldwide cultures including the Vikings and Romans. They were adapted for the Beeb's children's channel CBBC in 2009 and featured actors including Simon Farnaby, Jim Howick and Martha Howe-Douglas who went on to star in the hit BBC sitcom Ghosts. But Matthew reckons the best bit of his job is hearing children's recitals of his show stoppers. He says: 'The biggest buzz I have to tell you, is hearing a group of kids singing any of the songs. 'I was on the bus after a show once while a group of kids were singing, 'Henry VIII was a Big Fat Man' at the back. 'I was desperate to introduce myself, but thought better of it so just sat at the back and enjoyed this wonderful moment.' He adds: 'Ideally you are trying to create something that's memorable. It's a lot of fun but quite hard work too because you've got to get quite a lot of information across in each one of these songs. 'But yes I do enjoy doing parodies of pop songs because composing can be a serious business.' *Horrible Histories: The Terrible Tudors and The Awful Egyptians will be at Glasgow's Theatre Royal from July 10 - 12. For more information visit:
BBC News
03-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Conference to discuss fly-tipping problem across South East
Police and crime commissioners (PCCs) across the South East have been invited to attend a conference to discuss tackling organised criminal waste dumping. According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, during 2023/24 there were 101,694 cases of fly-tipping in the South East National Audit Office estimates that illegal waste dumping, much of it organised, costs the economy more than £900m a year. Kent PCC Matthew Scott has invited colleagues Katy Bourne and Lisa Townsend - from Sussex and Surrey respectively - to discuss a problem he has called "the new county lines". Tuesday's event will also see representatives from regional organised crime units and the Environment Agency (EA) Scott said: "What this summit is about is bringing together those who have the powers like the Environment Agency and local councils to see how we can work better to tackle this criminality because, tragically, the outcomes for fly-tipping and waste crime are very low."In the two years up until December, the EA received 3,407 incident reports of suspected criminal activity, such as dumping and burning waste, in the South East scale fly tipping is punishable with a fine of up to £50,000 or 12 months imprisonment if convicted in a magistrates' court, or an unlimited fine and up to five years' imprisonment if convicted in a crown court. The conference will be held at the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council building in Kings Hill, Kent.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Kent PCC demands answers from force over X post case
The "ordeal" of a retired special constable who was arrested and handcuffed after a post on X was "unacceptable", according to Kent's Police and Crime PCC Matthew Scott said he was "taking the matter extremely seriously" and had asked Kent Police chief constable Tim Smith for an explanation, the Local Democracy Reporting Service Foulkes, from Gillingham, was handcuffed by six officers and had his electronic devices seized two days after he was alleged to have accused a pro-Palestine social media post of being antisemitic in October Police told the BBC it had apologised to Mr Foulkes, removed a caution from his record and would hold a review. Mr Scott said in a statement: "The ordeal that Julian Foulkes has been through during the last 18 months is unacceptable. "I am pleased that Kent Police has apologised to him and removed the caution from his record."He thanked Mr Foulkes for his service in policing and said he was "truly sorry" for his added: "I am taking this matter very seriously and I am raising these concerns with Kent Police and the chief constable." The Telegraph reported how Mr Foulkes, 71, was arrested for challenging a pro-Palestine supporter on the social media said that on 30 October, 2023, an individual had tweeted threatening to sue former home secretary Suella Braverman, who had called pro-Palestine protests "hate marches", if she called them an paper said Mr Foulkes had responded: "One step away from storming Heathrow looking for Jewish arrivals…" Mr Foulkes said he was taking legal action against Kent Police over his alleged on the doorstep of home in Gillingham, Mr Foulkes, who spent a decade as a special constable, said: "It's all very disappointing. "It has got to end and that's why someone has to take stand."Mr Foulkes' legal action is being backed by the Free Speech Union which has raised £35,000 of a £50,000 through an appeal. Kent Police said it had examined the caution and on review of the circumstances, expunged it.A spokesman added: "The chief constable telephoned Mr Foulkes on Sunday to personally apologise on behalf of the force for the distress caused and the way the matter was investigated. "He has ordered that a review take place, which will be led by the force's Professional Standards department."
The Guardian
11-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Appointment of chief constables is a fair and open process
Police and crime commissioners (PCCs) are elected to appoint chief constables and hold them to account. The article about chief officer appointments in London and Merseyside (Two top job openings in UK policing get one applicant each, 6 May) includes a comment from a senior policing source that suggests there no checks and balances on who we choose. The legislation on the appointment of chief constables is clear: our decision must be either agreed with, or vetoed by, the local police and crime panel – a body made up of cross-party councillors and independent members. In addition, the Home Office circular says that PCCs should appoint an independent person as part of the process to ensure that it is fair and open, and that the candidate is selected on merit. PCCs have been widening the search for new chief constables as much as we can to find suitable candidates. However, there are different barriers to the recruitment of senior officers, such as pensions, the number of candidates available and ScottKent police and crime commissioner
