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Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Soldier is 'stabbed while walking his dog in random attack' near British Army base - as police launch probe
A soldier was stabbed while walking his dog near a British Army base. The 20-year-old soldier was off duty and dressed in plain clothing while walking his pet just two miles from the Swinton Barracks at Perham Down, Wiltshire. Wielding a knife, the attacker attempted to steal the dog on Friday afternoon but was unsuccessful. The soldier was left with 'relatively minor' injuries and did not require further treatment. A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: 'At around 3.45pm, we received a report that an unknown suspect had approached a man walking a dog in woodland near Perham Down and attempted to snatch the lead of the dog. 'The victim, a man in his 20s, suffered a minor injury to his face during the incident. 'Our enquiries into the incident are ongoing.' The attack was not related to the victim's role as a soldier and is not being treated as a terrorist incident. The 20-year-old soldier was off duty and dressed in plain clothing while walking his pet just two miles from the Swinton Barracks on Friday A source told The Sun: 'The attacker approached him and produced a knife, and demanded that he hand the dog over. 'Obviously he refused. The knifeman made a lunge at him, and he was wounded in the face. 'The attacker wouldn't have known he was in the military, but obviously, with the threats soldiers face, this is still an alarming incident.' Swinton Barracks houses two Royal Engineer regiments and two Signal regiments. It is a 320-acre military estate that is regularly used for British Army drills.
The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
Horror as soldier stabbed in the face by maniac in random attack while walking his dog near UK base
A ROYAL Engineer was attacked by a knifeman who tried to steal the dog he was walking. The trainee, in his 20s, was confronted by a maniac who attempted to steal the pet two miles away from the Swinton Barracks in Tidworth, Wiltshire. The incident on Friday afternoon sent shockwaves through the camp, though the young victim, who suffered a facial wound, is expected to make a full recovery. It is understood that police are now investigating the attack. It is not thought to be linked to the victim's role in the Army. A source said: 'It was a random attack while he was out walking a dog. 'The attacker approached him and produced a knife, and demanded that he hand the dog over. 'Obviously he refused. The knifeman made a lunge at him, and he was wounded in the face. 'The attacker wouldn't have known he was in the military, but obviously, with the threats soldiers face, this is still an alarming incident.' Military sources said Wiltshire Police were investigating the incident as a civilian matter. Swinton Barracks is a 320-acre military estate on the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain, which is regularly used for Army drills. It houses two Royal Engineer regiments and two Signal regiments. Wiltshire Police said: 'At around 3.45pm on Friday, we received a report that an unknown suspect had approached a man walking a dog in woodland near Perham Down and attempted to snatch the lead of the dog. Horror moment McDonald's staff threatened with huge machete and four teens arrested 'The victim, a man in his 20s, suffered a minor injury to his face during the incident. 'Our enquiries into the incident are ongoing.' 1
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
I stayed in a floating yacht hotel in Europe – we had champagne breakfasts on a budget and even spotted celebs
DAVID WALLIAMS was sitting at the next table offering to massage a newlywed couple. First morning aboard the Sunborn floating hotel in Gibraltar and the professional extrovert was in full character, engaging with star-struck holidaymakers as only he can, with a twinkle in his eye. 6 6 6 We arrived too late the night before to catch the Little Britain comic's one-man show at a sports centre but apparently it went down a storm. He has already asked to return for November's literary festival, and it's no surprise. Gibraltar has for so long been pigeonholed as a stopover for day trippers. Passengers on the 250-odd cruise ships that briefly moor under the Rock's majestic presence dash around to see a few sights but mainly aim to take advantage of the VAT-free shopping. It's a trend the local tourist board is working hard to reverse. They want travellers to take more time fully taking in the surprisingly large number of things to do on a tiny sun-kissed slab of Britain at the mouth of the Med. And when beer is just £3.75 a pint, why not stay longer to enjoy? Secret bunker Gibraltar's gripping history has a deep association with our Armed Forces. The Royal Engineers were founded here in the 18th century and practically built the place. The honeycomb of tunnels dug by clever sappers during World War Two offers a fascinating insight into the work of our determined Armed Forces and the strategic importance of Gibraltar during the conflict. In one cavern hangs a full-size replica of a legendary Spitfire fighter plane. There is also the spine-chilling story of the Stay Behind Cave — the once secret bunker carved into the heart of the mountain, complete with provisions for a year and a bicycle generator. An elite group of patriotic volunteers agreed to be sealed off from the outside world for a year and spy on the Axis powers, should Gibraltar get overrun — the ultimate one-way ticket in the line of duty. From the exotic Moorish times, through the centuries of the British Empire and beyond, there are tours to take and a bloody back story to hear in the name of entertainment. Strait of Gibraltar Tunnel: A New Bridge Between Continents My wife and I stayed four nights on the permanently moored Sunborn yacht hotel, anchored flush against the dockside of Gibraltar's Ocean Village. It's a 5H joint, and the food and service reflects that. Yet even in high season, a spacious double room with a large window can be yours for £185 a night, including champagne breakfast. Step ashore and you can be seated in one of many lively bars with giant outdoor screens beaming major sports from back home. If that's not for you, just 50 yards away is Little Bay Restaurant — a vibrant Indian fusion eaterie where bubbly manager Kelly welcomes you with warm cockney charm, before delicately blended curries combined with zingy cocktails top off an early summer evening. Gibraltar's biggest attraction in every sense is the looming mound of limestone that dominates everything here. Get to the top via the scenic cable car and peer down from the stomach-churning Skywalk 1,400 feet above the sparkling sea — opened by Luke Skywalker, aka Mark Hamill, himself. Take in the view across the Straits, a 15-mile- wide blue chasm separating Europe from North Africa — which David Walliams heroically swam in aid of Sport Relief in 2008. The Northern Defences are also worth a visit. This cavernous labyrinth of tunnels has been added to over time, since the eighth century. Our guide, Karl Viagas, is steadfastly uncovering more historical treasures underground that will be spectacular when fully open. 6 6 6 James Bond creator Ian Fleming was stationed here with Naval Intelligence, and daring undersea attacks on the Allied fleet by Italian scubamen in the war fuelled his already vivid imagination for future books and movies. And in true 007 style, we were accompanied by a glamorous former Miss World who would grace any Bond movie. Kaiane Aldorino, former Mayor of Gibraltar, is now an ambassador for the territory. Sunshine, cheap beer and a beauty queen for company — plus you can spend British pounds. But like many places, travel and the natural world can often rub each other up the wrong way. Gibraltar's playful macaque monkeys are funny to watch for a time but have become a way for taxi drivers to make a few easy quid. The roads at the top of the rock were clogged with cabbies queuing to feed junk food to these wild animals in return for them doing tricks. Far better to join Brian Gomila on his Monkey Talk tour in the kinder environment of the surrounding trees. And if you really want to go green, join Stuart at EBike-Gibraltar. Power-assisted cycling on a lap around the base of the rock is easy on the legs and the eyes as you stop off at small fishing villages with inviting beaches. There's a lot of fun to be had too. A dizzying gin-tasting session at the Spirit Of The Rock distillery was as enlightening as it was alcoholic. David Walliams might agree, it's Little Britain — but with Spanish style and weather.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'Land-grabbing' travellers were 'lucky not to have caused a train crash' after using huge diggers to build an 'illegal' camp feet away from a major high-speed railway line, expert says
'Land-grabbing' travellers were lucky not to have caused a catastrophic train crash after using huge diggers to build an 'illegal' camp feet away from a major high-speed railway line, an expert has warned. Villagers living in the sleepy community of Balderton were left horrified by the development of an unauthorised site right next to one the area's busiest rail routes. Builders arrived in force during the VE Day bank holiday weekend last month to convert a field off Bullpit Road, in Nottinghamshire, into the new camp. Excavators, diggers and large trucks were seen on the grassy plot, which was flattened and gravelled over in less than 72 hours - all without planning permission. One ex-soldier, who spent 22 years in the Royal Engineers before moving into health and safety and construction, said the works risked triggering a catastrophic rail crash. The Gulf War veteran, who lives locally, also chillingly claimed it was a miracle excavators did not damage the railway line or accidentally strike high-speed trains, which can race just feet from the new camp at a blistering 125mph. 'It brought a chill to my spine,' the retired Warrant Officer 1 told MailOnline. 'It's a busy line. The trains won't be able to stop, whizzing past the crossing at 125mph. 'It doesn't bear thinking about if you made a mistake. All it would have taken would have been for an excavator to have over-reached and hit a train passing. Then you would have had something really serious on your hands.' The retired Royal Engineer - who was previously an instructor at the regiment's prestigious engineering school in Chatham, Kent - added: 'We would have had to jump through hoops for months with Network Rail to do what they did that close to the northern main line.' An enforcement notice was later served by Newark and Sherwood District Council on May 8 - days after the works began - ordering the unauthorised construction to stop. A retrospective planning application for ten individual pitches, each with a static caravan and touring caravan, and ancillary hardstanding, has since been submitted by the landowner. However, locals fear the new site will prompt house prices in the area to 'plummet'. And concerns have also been raised about the risk posed by the camp's access, which is next to a busy level crossing. Neighbours fear travellers turning into it could block the road, leaving drivers stranded on the tracks as the barriers come down. One local, who asked not to be named, told MailOnline they were shocked when the unauthorised encampment appeared. 'We felt sick. Your stomach drops out,' they said. 'We thought this was our forever home. We love the neighbours then suddenly they turn up and build a traveller camp right on our doorstep. It's going to reduce the value of properties around here.' The retired soldier - who during the first Gulf War in 1990 helped build runways for military jets in the Middle East - added he was stunned by the speed of the work at the field. 'I know how to move a lot of stone with a lot of tippers, bulldozers and excavators quickly. So, to do all this in 72 hours takes a huge amount of planning. It was literally like a military operation,' the engineer said. The development in Balderton is not the only one to have sprung up around the area in the past few weeks. A similar development took place north of the community, between the nearby villages of Weston and Egmanton. A huge 40-pitch caravan site was built over the Easter bank holiday in April without planning permission. The site, based on a field off the A1, was completed in a matter of days, with tarmac roads and fences. As well as roads built on the camp, locals said they had also seen septic tanks sunk, electricity and water illegitimately connected, and key drainage dykes filled to create the site access. Both the plots in Balderton and Weston appear to be latest in a trend exposed by MailOnline which has seen fields unlawfully developed into traveller sites. Groups across the UK have been accused of carrying out brazen bank holiday 'landgrabs' to rapidly build camps under the noses of council chiefs while their offices are closed. Allegedly weaponising the national breaks, industrial diggers, excavators and lorries carrying gravel, are mobilised to rip up and pave over fields in protected green belts during 'deliberate and meticulously planned' operations. Cynically, the 'illegal' conversions are done without any planning permission, flouting development rules - with 'retrospective' applications later submitted to councils to allow the newly-constructed sites to remain. Since April, locations across the country have seen a sudden surge of developments - with the bulk taking place on the Easter, VE Day and late May bank holidays. An investigation by MailOnline has revealed similar unauthorised 'landgrabs' blighting villages and towns across Buckinghamshire, West Sussex, Nottinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Gloucester, Worcestershire and Cheshire. During a fiery village meeting about the new site in Weston, furious residents feared the area would not be able to cope with the sudden surge of travellers. 'There's 40 caravans, so maybe 160 people - we don't have a shop, we don't have buses, the school can't take them,' one person said at the recent public meeting, as reported by the Newark Advertiser. 'What are they going to do? It'll increase stress on services, and they'll be bored and get into anti-social behaviour and it will increase stress on the police. 'There's been noise and light pollution all night, and intimidation. When I first came here I never felt so safe — I daren't leave my house because of this. I can't take it.' There is a large gypsy and traveller community around Newark area, with sites dotted across the district. However, the Labour-run authority overseeing the district is facing an accommodation crisis for its nomadic residents, with a recent assessment saying at least 169 new pitches need to be made by 2034 to house travellers. In a statement about the development in Bullpit Road, a council spokesman said: 'Newark and Sherwood District Council has been working diligently to find a solution to address the unauthorised development on Bullpit Road, Balderton. 'It is extremely disappointing that the occupants chose to ignore the requirement to secure planning permission and undertook construction works without permission and during the night. 'In an ideal world, the council would have the powers to step in straight away, stop the works, and clear the site. Sometimes we can do this, for example, if something is likely to be a danger to the public or create irreversible damage to a heritage building. 'But in regards to Bullpit Road, this isn't the case, and so we have to find another way to address the unauthorised development.' Network Rail confirmed it was not consulted prior to the work at the camp taking place, with the authority receiving its first notice on May 28 via the council.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ex-policeman sentenced over indecent child images
A former policeman from Exeter has admitted possessing indecent images of children more than three years after he was arrested. John Bramwell, 55, of Causey Gardens, pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing images ranging from category A - the most severe - to category C. Exeter Crown Court heard Bramwell, a former sergeant in Devon and Cornwall Police, served for 22 years as an officer and was in the Royal Engineers for 10 years, where he was a lance corporal. He was sentenced to a 12-month conditional discharge on each count, placed on the sex offenders register for a year and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years. The court was told Bramwell suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following an incident during his military service. The judge was told Bramwell was dismissed from the Devon and Cornwall force in 2021 and he now worked as a factory supervisor. The court also heard he downloaded the nine images on to his mobile phone on one occasion on one day in October 2021. Recorder Don Tait said Bramwell had lost his good character. The judge said, as a serving police officer, Bramwell would have known how prevalent such types of offences were. More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Exeter Law Courts
