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Daily Mail
01-08-2025
- Daily Mail
Con artist who kept vulnerable and disabled pensioners on the phone for hours so fraud gang could fleece them of their £186,000 life savings is jailed
A female con artist who helped crooks fleece disabled pensioners out of £186,000 by keeping them on the phone for hours in bank scam call plot has been jailed. Shameless Lydia Cunningham wept in the dock as she was sentenced to almost four years behind bars for being the ringleader of the criminal racket. The 28-year-old, operating with fellow cheat Youssef Hassan, 20, was part of a gang that deliberately targeted 26 vulnerable victims - including an 84-year-old who was caring for her son with stage four lung cancer. The trickster, who lives in leafy street in Hampton, Richmond upon Thames, would call pensioners claiming to be from their bank before arranging to steal their savings. Cunningham kept some of her victims on the phone for up to 12 hours while her fake 'couriers' - which included John Burgess, 27, and Hassan - turned up to collect their bank cards before draining them of cash. The gang was busted after Hassan was arrested in Twickenham, west London on February 1, 2024, having led police on a 90mph chase while high on cannabis. Cunningham and Hassan admitted conspiracy to acquire or use criminal property, namely a mobile and cash, between June 2023 and June 2024. Hassan also admitted dangerous driving. Burgess, was also charged with conspiracy to acquire or use criminal property, but hanged himself in prison earlier this year, Isleworth Crown Court heard. Cunningham, of sobbed as prosecutor Jonathan Loades described how she 'played the lead role and was involved in all almost all the communications with the victims in the crime'. 'She was described as keeping victims on the phone for hours and hours,' Mr Loades told the court. 'One victim said she kept them in the phone for 12 hours. 'This was partly to prevent the victim from making calls to the bank, and was part of the relatively sophisticated enterprise. 'Hassan's principal role was to act as a courier to go to people's houses and take from them the phones and the bank card they were willing to provide. 'Hassan was sent many miles away to collect the items as directed by Cunningham. 'Simply put, the victim was telephoned often by Cunningham, claiming to be representative of a bank. 'Cunningham had access to a number of phones and sim cards were regularly swapped between handsets. 'She claimed their bank details were comprised, and told them to place items in an envelope to wait collection by a courier.' Mr Loades said the callous cohort of crooks had clearly picked their targets, targeting some of the most vulnerable in society. 'I don't think there was anybody who was not targeted in this case who was not elderly,' the prosecutor added. Mr Loades told the court how the fraudsters targeted a 70-year-old disabled man. 'Cunningham pretended she was calling from NatWest and tried to convince the disabled man to go to Canary Wharf that evening to hand in his card.' he said. 'She told the man she could arrange for a private courier service to hand over the cards if he could not make the journey.' Mr Loades said on another occasion a 'white male' turned up at an elderly's woman's home after Cunningham called up posing as a bank worker. 'The victim said Cunningham kept her on the phone all day, and directed her to transfer the money. 'She thought she had about £12,000 on one card, which was completely wiped.' The victim told police: 'At the time, I was caring for my daughter, who has cerebral palsy. I was very stressed... I now find it hard to trust people.' Cunningham also conned a 73-year-old man after telling her she was 'Josie Hannah from NatWest,' said Mr Loades. 'Cunningham explained that her bank cards had been used fraudulently, and needed to be replaced. 'She convinced the victim. Hassan then turned up, and £46,000 was taken from the victim's account. Mr Loades told the court an 84-year-old woman was targeted while caring for her son who had stage four lung cancer at the time. She said: 'This has made me extremely anxious, even in my own home.' Another victim was conned into giving 'tens of thousands of pounds worth' of jewellery, the court heard. She said in a victim impact statement: 'I feel violated. I felt like my body did not belong to me. 'I've struggled to sleep. I feel like a wreck because of this.' Tom Edwards, defending Cunningham, said: 'There are clearly people providing the information on how to contact the victims, who must have prior nature of the victim's circumstances. 'Although she was seen on shops using the victim's bank cards, she was not a primary recipient of all the money. 'She is still a young woman, and does not have a significant criminal history.' Mark Stevens, defending Hassan, said: 'There are others alleged to have been involved, but it is not the case that Hassan was involved in each and every occasion.' Before sentencing remarks, Hassan shouted at the press box: 'Get out. I don't want my name everywhere' and gestured to the door. Passing sentence, the judge Recorder Annabel Darlow KC said: 'This was a courier fraud deliberately targeting elderly, vulnerable victims, some of whom were disabled. 'The victims were giving the choice of accepting the courier or taking the items to Canary Wharf, a location deliberately selected knowing it was a difficult place for an elderly person to get to. Recorder Darlow KC told Cunningham: 'I am satisfied you played a leading role. You kept your victims on the phone for hours, sometimes even for 12 hours, and that was pure cunning on your part.' She told Hassan: 'You were lower down the hierarchy, but you still played a significant role. 'You were cruelly fooling vulnerable elderly individuals. 'The offending was sophisticated over a prolonged period of time. 'You knew the personal details of the victim, which inspired confidence in them trusting you. 'That information could only have come from secure sources. 'These were ruthless crime plundered by you and your conspirators, emptying bank accounts, and frittering away huge sums of money. 'Your victims have been left feeling vulnerable in the one place they should feel safe, in their own homes. 'Savings accumulated over years of hard work were simply wiped out. The judge jailed Cunningham for 46 months, and ordered her to pay back £1950.70. Hassan was jailed for 30 months, and was disqualified from driving for 21 months. Hassan of Westminster, London, has previous convictions for seven offences of robbery, driving offences and assault by beating of an emergency worker.
Telegraph
16-07-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Kew Gardens to close glasshouse for four years in net zero drive
Kew Gardens will close one of its glasshouses for up to four years as part of a net zero drive. The Grade I-listed Palm House contains a world-leading collection of tropical plants and is home to the world's oldest potted plant, an Encephalartos altensteinii from 1775. Along with its sister Waterlily House, it is one of the main attractions for visitors. Bosses at the tourist attraction, which opened in 1848, say its gas boilers, which were installed more than a century ago, are creaking and plan to replace them with heat pumps. The collection, which also includes 45 species on the verge of extinction, towering palms and passion plants, will be moved to temporary glasshouses while the work is underway. Plans for the scheme were submitted to Richmond-upon-Thames Borough Council last week and will be paid for with grants and private money. Palm House and Waterlily House will become the first net zero glasshouses in the world when the project is complete. 'It's a huge undertaking' Each glass plane will be removed and recycled before tougher replacements are fitted and secured with modern sealants to retain heat and humidity. Its iron ribs will be stripped, repaired and finished with the same shade of paint used when it opened. 'It's the kind of project you dream about, but it is a huge undertaking and responsibility,' said Tom Pickering, head of glasshouse collections at Kew. 'The aim is to make the Palm House energy efficient while retaining all the magic of what it is today in terms of planting and horticulture.' 'The Palm House and Waterlily House represented the latest in design and build at the time of their construction, but they are showing serious signs of deterioration and are not at all energy efficient,' said Richard Deverell, Kew's director. 'Without urgent work, these iconic listed buildings and the vital tropical plants they protect are at risk of being lost forever. 'Transforming them is an epic opportunity to use innovative technology to deliver net zero glasshouses fit for the 21st century. 'Architects, engineers and Kew's expert horticulturalists have already dedicated several years to testing and designing features that will position the Palm House at the forefront of innovation once again, and breathe new life and longevity into these cultural treasures.'
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Areas of the UK where you're most likely to die young - do YOU live in one of them?
Britain's stark death divide was today laid bare in an interactive map revealing how your risk of dying prematurely varies depending on where you live. Figures show how Blackpool has the highest premature mortality rate—for every 100,000 people living there, nearly 700 died before turning 75. Although that rate appears low, it was 2.5 times higher than Richmond upon Thames, where adults had the best chances of avoiding an early grave, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The affluent south west London borough had a rate of just 285 per 100,000. The first-of-its-kind research, which tracked deaths between 2021 and 2023, uncovered a clear North-South divide. Out of the 20 constituencies with the worst premature death rates, 14 of them were in the north, with three in the Midlands and three in Wales. All rates are age-standardised, meaning they factor in the age distribution of different areas. This is because comparing two populations that have different age structures is not fair. Premature deaths may happen from illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, injuries, violence and even suicide. Daniel Ayoubkhani, head of the ONS health research group, said: 'This analysis shows a clear association between where you live and your risk of dying prematurely. 'When accounting for differences in age and sex, we see that there are substantial differences in premature mortality rates across local authorities in England and Wales.' Charles Tallack, Health Foundation director of research and analysis, added: 'The opportunity of living a long and healthy life is dependent on the socio-economic conditions people live in. 'This analysis can be used to support co-ordinated, cross-sector action to address health inequalities.' According to the ONS figures, behind Blackpool came Blaenau Gwent in Wales (618), Knowsley (616) and Liverpool (609). Middlesbrough and Blackburn with Darwen, meanwhile, logged figures of 605 and 604. Blackpool has also long been plagued with widespread drug and alcohol abuse, mental health crises and high suicide rates. These types of deaths have been described by the bleakly poetic phrase 'deaths of despair' by health researchers. The ONS data does not include Scotland or Northern Ireland. It is also different to life expectancy, which is typically lower in Scotland. This is due to the well-publicised problems of high alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, sedentary behaviour and smoking rates—which are slightly higher than England. The analysis also broke down premature mortality rates by health condition—cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions and diabetes—with Blackpool again ranking in worst position for three out the four. The data showed the town had an age-standardised mortality rate due to cancer of 208—more than double that of Harrow which recorded a rate of 103. It was followed by Kingston upon Hull (202) and Knowsley (199). The analysis also comes after a study last year concluded one in four premature deaths will be due to cancer between 2023 and 2050. This equates to around 50,000 per year, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It warned that the 'current trajectory of cancer costs is unsustainable'. Experts have long warned that lung cancer is the leading cause of the extra cases linked to deprivation, mostly because smoking is much more common with those living in deprived areas. They are also more likely to be overweight or obese, which is the second biggest preventable risk factor for cancer after smoking. Deprived people are also less aware of cancer symptoms and also experience more barriers to seeking help—such as getting an appointment at a time that works for them. Among the areas with the highest age-standardised mortality rate due to cardiovascular disease, Blackpool (146) was followed again by Blaenau Gwent (141) and Sandwell (137). Alarming data last year revealed that premature deaths from cardiovascular problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, in England had hit their highest level in more than a decade. Blackpool (113), equally, was also followed by Knowsley for the highest rate of age-standardised mortality due to respiratory conditions (109). But for diabetes related premature deaths, the London borough of Newham recorded the highest figure at 115. Sandwell,meanwhile, reported a figure of 109, with the London borough of Tower Hamlets and Luton, both logging 105.
