Latest news with #PlymouthUniversity
Times
4 days ago
- Times
‘Police aren't helping, so I'm shaming the shoplifters myself'
After growing frustrated with reporting shoplifters to the police only to see no action taken, Suki Athwal resorted to the age-old tactic of shame. The co-owner of the Shop Around the Clock convenience store in Tenterden, an affluent market town in Kent, decided to print a screenshot of a customer pocketing an energy drink and post it on his shop window with the message 'I'm a thief and I love Red Bull': However, he soon received a visit from a community support officer who advised him to remove the poster as it could be a violation of data protection laws. 'I was a bit young and naive, so I took it down,' Athwal, a marketing graduate from Plymouth University, said. Police inaction brought Athwal back to shaming the shoplifters, in full knowledge that he, not the criminals, could be warned about breaking the case, which took place prior to the pandemic, is one of a reported growing number of incidents in which shopkeepers are being warned about posting video of shoplifters. Last week, North Wales police were reported to have told a shopkeeper to take down a sign calling shoplifters 'scumbags' because it could cause offence. Earlier this week, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data watchdog, said that putting up images of thieves in a local area could breach data protection laws. Data protection laws allow retailers to share images to prevent or detect crime as long as it's necessary and 'appropriate'. Guidance by the ICO said that while sharing the suspect's details with police, security guards, and other local shops is acceptable, publishing images on an open social media group or in shop windows may be excessive and inappropriate. The ICO primarily responds to complaints it receives about the misuse of personal data. This means that the shoplifter would have to complain to the watchdog for any investigation to be held, which would be a highly unlikely scenario given the possibility of prosecution. Sitting in his spacious office, Athwal, 30, keeps one watchful eye on a TV showing 25 cameras covering every single angle of the 'Tesco Express-sized' store that has been in his family for 35 years. He often pauses mid-sentence, sometimes to listen to chatter on his headset or tell his colleagues the price of an obscure item, other times to zero in on whether customers are attempting to pocket small items. After an increase in shoplifting during the cost of living crisis, Athwal, who has worked in the shop since he was a teenager, once again began reporting the incidents to the police. In one case, he provided CCTV, pictures and vehicle registration numbers, but he was told that there was insufficient evidence to help the police find the suspect. 'There has always been shoplifting, but we've seen an increase during the cost of living crisis. We fell into the trap of thinking we're in a nice area and that there would be no crime. We were lulled into this false sense of security and thought that it didn't happen here,' he said. 'There's a culture now where nothing happens. We've always had kids stealing from us, but now they're more brazen. We had a group of teenagers come and grab drinks and run out, and you can think you can run after them, but what can you really do? 'Sometimes people are just stealing because of the thrill of it. It'll be a pack of biscuits and then you see them get into a really nice car, and you think, surely you have a quid for the biscuits. They are probably thinking 'Is he really going to call the police for a few quid?'' Athwal tries to make the best of shoplifters targeting his store by putting up clips of egregious thefts on social media to boost engagement and draw people to his shop. In one post, he takes aim at a young female shoplifter who was wearing a Vogue hoodie, describing her as a 'little fashionista' and 'thieving little rat' who could not resist stealing Red Bull and two freshly made bacon and sausage baps. 'I'm at the point that I have to laugh about it. What are you going to do, just sit down and cry about it?' he said. 'I just think, how can I flip this? I've lost £15, but how can I turn it into £15 or more of business through shares and promotion?' Alongside the posters in the window, he includes a link to the video on Facebook along with a message that if the shoplifters want it removed, they'll have to pay the shop for the stolen items. So far, shame has succeeded where the police have failed. 'A few weeks ago, a mother was caught shoplifting and then their son came in and paid for it because he was embarrassed about his mum. I think that's what it is, it's community shame. I think that's the biggest deterrent,' he said. Nestled in the heart of the Weald in Kent, Tenterden has a high street full of boutique shops selling luxury clothing and hand-carved furniture, as well as staple retailers such as Boots and Waitrose. Shop owners said that they had seen a rise in thefts over the past few years, with one boutique clothing store claiming that the shop was recently targeted by a shoplifter who walked in and scooped up untagged accessories into their arms and stormed out. Another, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear that their boutique would be targeted, said that they had caught chatty regulars stealing small items of jewellery — a revelation that left them heartbroken. Like Athwal, many do not bother reporting shoplifting to the police, claiming that it has effectively been decriminalised, leaving crime statistics unreflective of the situation on the ground. Despite spotting three shoplifters this week alone, Athwal's shopfront remains bare. 'I've not got anything in my window at the moment because I wanted the shopfront to be clean, but come September when school comes back, I may put one or two up so people are aware we're keeping an eye on shoplifters.' While shame has worked in some respects, Athwal is well aware that he may be playing with fire by promoting the images of shoplifters. 'I've had threats so far with people threatening to smash our windows if we don't take the posts down. There's going to be a day someone is going to come over and I'm probably going to get punched,' he said. Athwal said that most of the theft was by people who were passing through the area and that the shop believed in the power of community, and donated to people in need and other charitable causes in the area. Separately, the government has agreed that police and the Home Office should use the phrase 'shop theft' instead of shoplifting to avoid trivialising the offence, according to the Daily Telegraph. The rate of shoplifting has almost doubled over the past two decades. In the year to March, 530,643 shoplifting offences were reported to police, up 20 per cent on the previous year's total of 442,022. Chief Superintendent Rob Marsh, of Kent police, said that officers 'have not and will not ask any business owner to remove a poster that was being used for crime prevention and awareness'. He said they could not find any account of the conversation with Athwal regarding posters in his shop window and said that protecting staff, businesses and customers from this type of criminality was a key role of the neighbourhood and town centre policing teams, who were in regular contact with retailers. Marsh encouraged shopkeepers who suffer from retail crime to contact police as soon as possible so an 'effective response and investigation can be launched' and said that officers had improved their solved rate for shop theft from 27.6 per cent to 33.5 per cent in the year to June. 'When a report of shop theft, of any value, is received and a suspect can be identified, our local officers and investigators will work to track them down and bring them to justice. We also regularly seek community behaviour orders and civil restraining orders for habitual thieves through the courts,' he added.
The Irish Sun
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I earned £20k a month on OnlyFans & bought my council house for £101k – then claimed £1.5k on UC while living rent-free
CHECKING her bank balance Emily Cutter couldn't help but smile. Her first Universal Credit payment of almost £1500 had landed in her account and she was off to buy a celebratory bottle of bubbles. 7 Emily Cutter was once making £20,000 a week on OnlyFans Credit: Supplied 7 But she says that the job took a serious toll on her mental health Credit: Supplied But despite her delight, the payment was just a drop in the ocean compared to what the mum-of-three was used to. Just a few months earlier Emily was making around £20k a month on But she traded it all in for life on the dole, and she says she doesn't regret a thing. 'People thought I was bonkers to give up that kind of cash, and fans begged me to stay but I was burnt out and mentally shattered,' Emily admits. Read More on Real Lives 'My only option was to sign on to Universal Credit and get my life back in order . "I'd earnt a fortune, had bought a house but blew the rest on Former model Emily, 37, lives in Taunton, Somerset with her three children aged 18, 14 and seven, turned to OnlyFans as a way of making money during lockdown. 'It was a great way to pay the bills while I was trapped in the house of homeschooling,' she says. Most read in Fabulous 'It certainly wasn't something I'd ever planned on doing but I know loads of mums who ended up doing the same.' When Emily left school, she planned a career in the health sector and started studying to be a nurse at Plymouth University in 2007. Moment sacked OnlyFans teacher insists 'I never thought they'd catch me' in GMB interview 'I fell pregnant and in March 2008 at 18 I became a teen mum when my eldest was born,' she says. 'I was juggling paying the bills and trying to study and then the following year his dad and I broke up. 'A friend of mine was doing modelling and suggested I give it a go to help pay the bills.' Emily put together a portfolio and soon began modelling for underwear, lingerie, and swimwear shoots in London. In March 2011 Emily welcomed her daughter, now aged 14 and qualified for a two-bedroom semi-detached council house at the time paying just £120 a month rent and said her job was perfect for a working mum. Emily explains: 'The jobs always fit around the school run. 'I never missed a school play, I was involved with the school and there to cheer my kids on at sports days. 'Like most girls in the glamour industry I did topless shots and implied nude pictures and had a friend doing the same, we joked that we had double lives. 7 Mum-of-three Emily started out as glamour model and cam girl Credit: Supplied 7 During lockdown she moved on to OnlyFans when her work dried up and was an instant success Credit: Supplied 7 Her £20k a month earnings meant that she was able to buy her council house Credit: Supplied 'It never crossed my mind to claim benefits, I worked hard for my money.' In December 2017 Emily welcomed her third child by a third father. With three mouths to feed Emily then started working for an adult TV channel based in Bristol. 'I was a cam girl, I could earn £300 on an overnight shift and loved the thrill of live TV,' she says. 'I'd finish a shift, come home, get the kids to school, sleep for a few hours, do the afternoon school run, and then head off to work again.' By now Emily was paying £350 a month rent for her council home and managing to make enough money to pay the bills. 'My kids always had nice clothes, we never went without, but I wasn't the best at budgeting,' she admits. In March 2020 when lockdown hit Emily faced a financial crisis. 'I didn't have any savings; I had credit card bills which needed paying and children to feed,' she says. That's when enterprising Emily decided to become her own boss and sign up to OnlyFans. 'I loved the fact I could take my own photos, create my own videos, and just sit in my bedroom when the kids were sleeping messaging fans to make money,' she says. I'd spend £400 a week on groceries and I'd treat the kids to gourmet takeaways Emily Cutter In January 2020 OnlyFans globally had 350,000 creators but the end of 2020 covid sign ups took that number to 1 million. In Britain, the number of UK-based OnlyFans creators jumped by almost a half or 42% between March–July 2020, reaching around 95,000 creators in that period. Emily would get up each morning, make the kids their breakfast, get them started on their homeschooling and then race upstairs and do a naughty set of photos in her bedroom. 'I didn't do live videos, but I was great at sexting and my fans loved that.,' she says. Initially Emily charged £14.99 a month for membership giving fans access to basic photo sets and videos. 'I already had a fan-base from my time on TV so I got plenty of sign-ups and within the first month I was making £1000,' she says. 'When so many people started setting up accounts, I dropped the monthly rate to £9.99.' Emily watched her earnings grow from £1k to £5k then £10k and at her peak £20k a month. 'I was thrilled with my success but I'm the first to admit I was still awful at budgeting,' she says. 'I'd spend £400 a week on groceries and I'd treat the kids to gourmet takeaways. 'We went on posh holidays and I paid off £20k in credit card debt but then I bought a Range Rover car on finance.' Emily was still living in her £395 a month council house and despite making up to £20k a month refused to give it up. 'You can earn a million quid and still live in a council home,' she says. What is OnlyFans? OnlyFans is a subscription content service based in London. As of 2023, it is thought to have more than 220million registered users and over three million content creators. Sex workers charge monthly fees for access to pictures, videos and more. While popular for porn, the site isn't exclusively designed with that in mind - anyone who wants to build up a fan base and charge them for it can set one up. Celebs like "Whether you're uploading tutorials, tips, behind-the-scenes footage or just endless selfies, a lot of your followers would be willing to pay for them," the company states. For every subscription that's sold to a viewer, performers get 80 per cent of the cash while OnlyFans gets the rest. It isn't limited to adult content, as it has become popular with physical fitness experts and musicians. Instead, Emily applied to buy her council house taking advantage of the fact that as a council tenant for over a decade she would get a huge discount off the asking price. 'OnlyFans helped me buy my council house for £101k and I paid a £50k extension making it into a four -bedroom home,' she says. "As council tenant I got a discount of £59k off the valuation of the house of £160k. I thought that's a bonus for me and the kids. However, Emily admits that despite her success, the job was taking its toll. 'The job was isolating and I felt really lonely,' she admits. 'Each day was the same and it could be really depressing and sometimes I would find myself grossed out by the men I was dealing with. 'I knew I had to stop for the sake of my mental health.' In the middle of 2023 Emily closed down her OF page and deleted it determined to have a fresh start. 'I felt I'd have enough savings to survive on until I decided what I'd do next,' she says. However, the mum of three admits her lack of budgeting skills meant she was almost penniless within a month. 'In July 2023 I applied for Universal Credit and it took six weeks to be approved,' Emily explains. 'If I hadn't gone on benefits I could have ended up homeless. 'I got my first payment in September 2023.' "I learnt to budget better on benefits. 'I did miss my income but I refused to stop spoiling my kids by buying them designer clothes and using Universal Credit cash to pay for a big new TV, Ipads and expensive phones. "I'd go without so the kids and flog old clothes on Vinted so that I could fork out for designer bits and nice takeaways for the kids. I'd rather turn to benefits than take off my clothes Emily Cutter "I kept my Range Rover and refused to give it up. "I took advantage of the extra freebies offered to mums on benefits like free NHS dentistry, free glasses prescriptions, even help with job interview clothes and travel costs to get to those appointments. "Plus we got leisure centers and gyms concessionary memberships, at discounted rates because I was on benefits.' But after half a year on the dole, Emily found a new career that involved keeping all of her clothes on. 'I'm now an independent travel consultant. I have a lovely boyfriend and the kids are thriving.' she says. 'I started by doing a course and booking bespoke holidays for people on all different budgets.' The mum has been so successful she now runs courses to train and mentor other people to be travel advisors. "I earn around £5k a month and projections show by 2028 my earnings could reach upwards of £15k a month due to my mentoring other travel consultants,' she says. 'My mind is the best it's ever been and I have proven I am more than just a pretty face, I have brains too.' Emily does worry for men and women who take adult content making to extremes. "I worry people like Bonnie Blue fall in love with the money and the fame and convince themselves they're making huge strides for women,' she says. "They forget you need to plan for the future, families, children, and different career streams. "They ignore the mental impact and in the cases of porn actors and actresses the physical impact of what they do has on their bodies. "I was just taking naughty pictures and sending risque texts but it almost broke me. "Girls like Bonnie on the extreme side must realise they're not immune either.' While Emily says she will never be tempted back to OnlyFans, she says she would have no problem claiming benefits again if she needed to. She adds: "I will never go back to making adult content, I much preferred being on taxpayer handouts. "I'd rather turn to benefits than take off my clothes.' 7 She has now started a new career as a travel consultant and is much happier Credit: Supplied 7 Emily says that going forward she would rather claim benefits than go back to a career with her clothes off Credit: Supplied
BBC News
28-06-2025
- BBC News
Murdered Plymouth University lecturer awarded posthumous PhD
A university lecturer who was murdered has been awarded a posthumous Chick was stabbed to death in January by her estranged husband, who was jailed for 27 gathered to mourn the 48-year-old, who was also a former nurse, at a candlelit vigil at Plymouth Hoe, with her partner saying "she cared about everyone and was so proud of her family".Plymouth University said the degree would be an "enduring part of her legacy" and a way its staff and students would "continue to remember her". It said: "As well as being an incredibly valued nurse, lecturer, tutor and colleague, Claire was also studying for a PhD at the time of her tragic death earlier this year. "Her PhD was centred around supporting and developing resilience in student nurses, something she was incredibly passionate about, and the award is deserved recognition for everything she achieved."
The National
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- The National
Some microplastics pollute water more than others
Microplastics are one of the biggest threats to global water health, with research piling up to show they are everywhere, from oceans and rivers to the air we breathe. The biggest culprits are synthetic textiles and car tyres. A single washing machine load of acrylic clothes − made from a synthetic material often used as a wool substitute − can release an estimated 730,000 fibres into wastewater, according to Plymouth University. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that man-made fabrics account for thirty-five per cent of all primary microplastics in the ocean. Car tyres, the second-largest source at 28 per cent, shed micro and nano-particles as they erode during driving, contaminating the air, soil and waterways. But the problem is bigger than just fast fashion and transport. Microplastics come from other everyday items, such as cleaning products and road markings, making them nearly impossible to avoid. World Ocean Day June 8 marked World Oceans Day, spotlighting the urgent need to protect our seas. In the UAE, Dr Amna Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, warned that the health of the world's oceans is at serious risk: 'Covering more than 70 per cent of the Earth's surface, our oceans are undeniably essential to human lives and livelihoods,' she said. Abu Dhabi has led the region's fight against plastic pollution, introducing a single-use plastic ban on June 1, 2022. By the end of 2024, the campaign had removed 360 million plastic bags from circulation. Globally, the numbers are staggering. According to the UN Environment Programme, humans have produced 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic since the 1950s — 7 billion tonnes of which is now waste. By 2060, plastic waste could nearly triple to one billion tonnes annually if current trends continue. 'Plastic pollution is one of the gravest environmental threats facing Earth,' said Elisa Tonda at the UNEP. 'But it's a problem we can solve.' The Human Impact Emerging research in animal and human cells suggests microplastics may be linked to cancer, heart disease, and reproductive problems. In the UAE, the urgency hits close to home. 'We eat seafood. That plastic enters our food chain, and it stays in our bodies. It's toxic. This isn't just about the environment — it's about public health,' said Ms Al Mazrouei.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Bay 'still recovering' from bottom trawling
Part of the seabed off the Jurassic Coast is "still recovering" from the effects of bottom trawling 17 years after it was banned there, marine researchers have said. A consultation is being held on government proposals to extend the ban on the practice of dragging large nets along the seafloor. Some fishing organisations have criticised the plans and questioned the environmental impact of bottom trawling. Dr Emma Sheehan, associate professor of marine ecology at Plymouth University said, ending bottom trawling when Lyme Bay, off the Dorset and Devon coast, became a Marine Protected Area in 2008 has made a "positive change". The government proposal would expand the ban on bottom trawling from 18,000km2 to 48,000km2 (about 18,500 sq miles) of the UK's offshore areas that are already designated as protected. A UN Ocean Conference is taking place in France amid warnings from Sir David Attenborough that bottom trawling is destroying areas of the seabed and marine life. Researchers have studied the impact of ending bottom trawling in Lyme Bay since the introduction of the MPA. Dr Sheehan said large areas of the bay had already been "heavily degraded" by 2008. "[MPAs] tried to prevent the most destructive fishing methods so the seabed habitats that are so important for conservation and fisheries can be protected," she continued. Dr Sheehan said species including scallops, conga eel and black sea bream and appeared to have benefited from the ban. "We keep seeing positive change, year on year. "We still haven't go a plateau in the recovery. We're nowhere near there - it's still recovering, year on year." The government's plan would see similar protections extended to 41 of England's 181 MPAs. "It needs to happen - I'm in full support of this and it will have huge positive benefits for our marine environment," Dr Sheehan said. The UK's National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations has opposed the move to ban bottom trawling. Chief executive Mike Cohen previously said: "Trawling does not damage most of the seabed. "Trawls penetrate the sediment very little, if at all, in most areas and trawling has been carried out for well over 100 years," he said. A 12-week consultation will run until 1 September and will seek the views of the marine and fishing industry. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. UK proposes wider ban on destructive ocean bottom trawling Reef species increase in whole site management University of Plymouth
