Author: James Whitmore

Detectives have released CCTV images of a man they wish to speak to following a sexual assault on a London train.British Transport Police are investigating an incident which occurred on board an Elizabeth Line service travelling from Bond Street to Paddington on the evening of Friday 28 November.According to officers, a man boarded the train at approximately 7.10pm and sexually assaulted a woman who was seated in the carriage.Investigators have now issued photographs of an individual they believe may have information that could assist their enquiries.Members of the public who recognise the man pictured are urged to come forward. British…

A Sussex man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after admitting to a series of child sexual offences involving victims across the world. Ray Lombard, 46, of Croft Road in Crowborough, pleaded guilty to all charges at Lewes Crown Court on 31 October 2025. He was sentenced on Thursday at the same court following an investigation by Sussex Police’s Online Child Abuse Team. The court heard that Lombard arranged and paid perpetrators to carry out acts of child sexual abuse, which were then livestreamed to him. Among his victims was a child under the age of five in…

A prolific shoplifter has been sentenced to more than eight months in prison after stealing hundreds of pounds worth of goods from supermarkets in Rowley Regis.Marcus Henry, aged 34, targeted two supermarkets between 26 December and 6 January, stealing items valued at several hundred pounds. The offences also saw him breach a Criminal Behaviour Order issued in May, which had banned him from entering one of the supermarkets.Police were able to identify Henry through high-quality CCTV footage. Officers arrested him at his home address in Spiral Close, Halesowen, and he was subsequently charged with six counts of theft from shops…

A former British Transport Police officer would have been dismissed without notice following findings that he used his position to engage in sexual activity while on duty, a misconduct hearing has concluded.Former Police Sergeant Nathan Dumble faced allegations that he breached standards of professional behaviour after meeting women through a website called Fab Swingers. The two-day hearing was held in his absence in London on 5 and 6 January.According to the allegations, Mr Dumble visited a woman’s property while on duty, wearing his full uniform but with his high-visibility vest turned inside out to conceal his identification numbers. Once there,…

French officers have carried out their first on-water interception of a “taxi-boat” used for illegal migrant crossings to the UK, marking a significant shift in enforcement tactics along the Channel coast.The operation took place on Saturday on the Aa canal in Gravelines, above Calais. Gendarmes boarded an inflatable dinghy suspected of heading toward the sea to pick up migrants, arresting men believed to be people-smugglers. The vessel was subsequently towed to the dockside.New Tactical ApproachThe intervention follows a tactical shift agreed in November amid UK government pressure to increase operations against cross-Channel smuggling networks.France and the UK established the new…

A teenage boy has died after being stabbed in woodland in Guildford, sparking a murder investigation by Surrey Police.Officers and paramedics were called to the scene off Lido Road in Stoke Park at 6.10pm on January 19, 2026. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.Investigation Under WayNo arrests had been made as of January 20, 2026. Police have cordoned off Peacock Wood, Wild Wood Adventure, and the Lido Road car park end as the investigation continues.Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Andy Jenkins said: “Our investigation is still in its early stages, and we are urgently looking to speak to…

The UK government has announced plans to launch a consultation on whether social media use should be banned for children under the age of 16, with a formal response expected this summer.The move follows Australia’s introduction of a similar ban in December 2025, described as the first such law in the world. Several other countries are now reported to be considering comparable measures.Consultation and TimelineThe Department of Science, Innovation and Technology said the process will “seek views from parents, young people and civil society” on how effective such a ban might be. The consultation will also examine whether social media…

A police cordon remains in place on Park Street in Croydon this evening. Officers have sealed off the road at number 31, with no access currently permitted to the area. The Metropolitan Police has not yet released details about the nature of the incident.

More than 100 wanted criminals have been arrested in the first three months of a facial recognition pilot scheme operating in Croydon, the Metropolitan Police has announced.The Live Facial Recognition (LFR) pilot, which began in October 2025 in the Fairfield Ward area, has contributed to a 12% reduction in crime in the ward, including retail offences, violent crime, and sexual offences. According to figures from the force, an arrest is made on average every 34 minutes whilst the LFR system is in use during deployments.One third of those arrested are suspected of violence against women and girls offences, including strangulation…

The income gap between London’s wealthiest and poorest neighbourhoods has nearly doubled in three years, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics. Households in Leamouth, Tower Hamlets, had an average disposable income after tax of £107,600 in the financial year ending 2023, making it the highest-earning neighbourhood in London. Meanwhile, Southall West in Ealing recorded the capital’s lowest average at just under £31,700 a year. The difference of £75,900 represents an 84 per cent increase from three years earlier, when the gap between the richest and poorest areas stood at £41,300. The ONS data, which measures mean…