Tommy Robinson not welcome in Glasgow – council leader
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Tommy Robinson not welcome in Glasgow – council leader Banzai Japan Music Video Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken has said far-right activist Tommy Robinson is not welcome in the city. The English Defence League (EDL) founder, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, posted about a “pro-UK” rally in George Square next month. He wrote “the British are rising” as he shared information about the “peaceful protest”, to be held on 7 September. More than 100 people have been arrested at several violent demonstrations in England in recent days following the Southport knife attack. Ms Aitken posted on X: “Glasgow City Council has received no notification of any rally but then we know Tommy Robinson and his ilk don’t really care about respecting laws or public places. “He’s not welcome in Glasgow and neither is anyone who chooses to align with his poisonous rhetoric.” Book Novotel Hotel Mr Yaxley-Lennon – an anti-Islamist activist who is the subject of an arrest warrant after leaving the country on the eve of a major legal case against him – shared a post that said the Glasgow event would coincide with several pro-UK rallies. It said the rally would “share our distrust and fear of the future”. Pro-UK events are also being organised in other parts of Scotland. Arrests were made earlier this week at demonstrations in Southport, Manchester, London and Hartlepool. Dal Babu, former Chief Superintendent and firearms commander in the Met, has blamed the disorder on the “reckless” spread of misinformation about the identity of the suspect charged in the Southport stabbing. Banzai Japan Music Video ‘Evil ideology’ Mr Yaxley-Lennon did not indicate if he intended to attend the Glasgow event. Scotland’s former first minister, Humza Yousaf, has called for the EDL to be proscribed under terrorism laws following the riot in Southport. Merseyside Police said the rioters – who threw bricks at a mosque following a knife attack which killed three girls on Monday – was made up of EDL supporters. In a letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Mr Yousaf claimed “Britain has a far-right problem”, urging her to use anti-terrorism powers to make membership of the group illegal. “It is time we took on the English Defence League and the evil ideology that drives them,” he wrote. The former SNP leader added that such action would not provide an “overnight fix”, but would demonstrate the UK government’s intention to be “proactive in tackling far-right violence and terror that has been allowed to run rampant in the streets of the UK for far too long”. Mr Yaxley-Lennon has insisted that the EDL no longer exists. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for a “clamp down” on social media activity that he says is ramping up hatred and spreading disinformation in the wake of the Southport killings. Mr Sarwar said the violence and disorder seen in the town and elsewhere was “unacceptable and reprehensible”. He told BBC Scotland News it was the responsibility of the UK government, police, security services and also social media companies. ‘Toxic values’ Scottish Green co-leader and Glasgow MSP Patrick Harvie has written to other Holyrood parliamentarians from the city calling for a united response against the rally. “The last few days have shown clearly the contempt the far right have for a grieving community, and they must not be allowed to continue to promote their toxic values unchallenged,” he said. “I have no doubt that those of us who stand against them will far outnumber them if they do gather in Glasgow.” Stand Up to Racism Scotland responded to Mr Yaxley-Lennon’s post by announcing it would also stage a demonstration in George Square on 7 September. The group said it would be a “safely stewarded, family-friendly, demonstration open to all anti-racists and anti-fascists to stand in unity against those stirring up hate and division in our city”. There is no requirement for groups to notify Glasgow City Council of rallies or static protests, as would be the case for a public procession. However, groups seeking to stage an event at George Square would be expected to seek permission to use the space. A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “No permission has been sought or granted.” Mr Yaxley-Lennon had been due in court for allegedly breaching an order not to repeat lies about a Syrian refugee. If he does not does not return, the case will be heard in his absence after 28 October – and could lead to a jail sentence. He has been convicted of a string of offences previously, including assault, mortgage fraud, threatening behaviour and possession of drugs. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Tommy Robinson facing new contempt of court allegations
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Tommy Robinson facing new contempt of court allegations Banzai Japan Music Video The far-right activist Tommy Robinson is facing a second serious legal action for contempt of court, weeks after leaving the country on the eve of another case. The Attorney General’s Office launched the new action against Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, over alleged breaches of a court order not to repeat defamatory lies about a Syrian refugee. Yaxley-Lennon has not been seen in the UK since he left the country hours before a court case concerning related allegations. The High Court has said it will order the 41-year-old’s arrest if he ignores the case. Book Novotel Hotel Contempt of court is a serious offence against the workings of the justice system. The government definition, external of the offence includes “disobeying or ignoring a court order” – and those found guilty can go to prison for up to two years, get a fine, or both. In July 2021, Syrian teenager Jamal Hijazi won £100,000 in damages following a major defamation battle after Yaxley-Lennon spread false allegations accusing him of being a violent thug. A judge ordered him not to repeat the claims, but last year the founder of the English Defence League returned to them and included them in a film distributed online to his followers. In June, Yaxley-Lennon was ordered to the High Court to answer the allegation that he had ignored the judge’s order. Banzai Japan Music Video Two days before that scheduled hearing in July, Yaxley-Lennon repeated the claims to thousands of his supporters in London’s Trafalgar Square – and the following day took a Channel Tunnel train to France. The Attorney General’s Office said that the latest contempt allegations included the showing of the film at the rally, its publication on the X platform and related instances of alleged breach of the court order in three online interviews. A hearing over the original and new allegations will be held on October 28. The film remains pinned at the top of the Tommy Robinson X account – and in the introduction he stands outside the High Court and accuses judges of gagging him. This afternoon, the account was updated with a message launching a petition and accusing the judiciary of “continued persecution”. Hours after the London rally on 28 July, Yaxley-Lennon went to the Channel Tunnel terminal at Folkestone, where police officers stopped him under counter-terrorism stop-and-search powers. When he allegedly refused to co-operate, he was arrested and held until 22:00 BST. He then left the country. During the subsequent riots, which developed out of conspiracy theories often promoted on the Tommy Robinson social media channels, critics say he inflamed tensions. One post on his X account declared “Now is the time”. It is not clear whether Yaxley Lennon personally published the post and it was later deleted. When BBC News asked him to clarify why it had been posted, he publicly replied with an F-word response. The High Court has issued an arrest warrant for Yaxley Lennon’s arrest – but it will only be triggered if he does not contact the court by 2 October, to allow him the opportunity to agree to turn up voluntarily on 28 October. So far he has not contacted the court. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Tommy Robinson remanded in custody ahead of court date
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Tommy Robinson remanded in custody ahead of court date Banzai Japan Music Video Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been taken into custody ahead of a major demonstration by his supporters in London this weekend. Kent Police said a 41-year-old man had been arrested at the direction of the High Court and would appear at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday in connection with contempt of court allegations. The force said Tommy Robinson has also been charged under his real name of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon with allegedly refusing to provide his phone’s PIN to officers who had stopped and questioned him at the border in Folkestone in July. He was granted bail over that allegation and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 13 November. Book Novotel Hotel The alleged offence under the Terrorism Act is not an accusation that he was planning an attack and relates solely to police powers to examine phones at ports as part of investigations. Mr Yaxley-Lennon is facing potential jail at Monday’s hearing on contempt of court charges. It is alleged he breached an injunction not to repeat lies about a Syrian refugee which had been previously ruled by a judge to be defamatory. Shortly after he entered Folkestone police station on Friday afternoon, the official Tommy Robinson X account confirmed that he had been taken into custody. Banzai Japan Music Video The move to detain Mr Yaxley-Lennon comes less than 24 hours before a major policing operation to contain potentially thousands of his supporters. For weeks, and posting from abroad, he had been urging them to come to London on Saturday, claiming that the state was trying to silence him for speaking out about the impact of immigrants on the UK. Metropolitan Police commanders have put in place a significant operation to contain the protest and separate it from a counter-demonstration. Both the Met and British Transport Police are due to be supported by officers from other forces across the country. The Met said there would be a “significant police presence” to ensure the two groups were kept apart. It is not clear how many people will attend but a similar gathering in London in July saw thousands of Robinson supporters in Trafalgar Square. The activist, who founded the now-defunct English Defence League, has been accused by critics of whipping up tensions during the summer’s riots. Mr Yaxley-Lennon has not been charged with any offences relating to the disturbances. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Tommy Robinson loses prison segregation court case
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Tommy Robinson loses prison segregation court case Banzai Japan Music Video The High Court has thrown out an attempt by the far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon to challenge his jail conditions that have seen him segregated from other inmates. Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, argued that segregation at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, was destroying his mental health and breaching his human rights. Mr Justice Chamberlain said there was no evidence the state was trying to “break” him and the court has heard he was being segregated for his own safety as he had a “mark [put] on his head” by other inmates. The judge said Yaxley-Lennon’s claims of degrading treatment fell far short of the evidence needed for the courts to intervene on human rights grounds. Prison governors had segregated Yaxley-Lennon, who is from Luton and led the now defunct anti-Islamic English Defence League (EDL), after concluding other inmates posed a threat and at least one may have been planning to try to kill him. Book Novotel Hotel The activist was jailed for 18 months in October after admitting breaching a court order which had directed him not to repeat lies about a Syrian refugee. Yaxley-Lennon was first held in HMP Belmarsh in south-east London – but he was moved after the jail received a large volume of abusive and racist emails, including threats to the governor, who is a black woman. On 1 November, Yaxley-Lennon entered a closed wing at Woodhill and has been kept apart from other prisoners, but has contact throughout the day with officers and staff. The court has heard he had refused an offer to move to a vulnerable inmates unit, saying he did not want to associate with sex offenders. Substance abuse On Thursday, Alisdair Williamson KC, for Yaxley-Lennon, told the High Court his client had a complex form of post-traumatic stress disorder, exacerbated by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He argued his client’s mental health would deteriorate and, upon his release on licence in July, he might return to substance abuse to cope. That disclosure was a rare court admission from Yaxley-Lennon that he has been a habitual drug user. Lawyers for the justice secretary said the segregation was neither solitary confinement or a punishment – but a carefully considered plan to keep Yaxley-Lennon safe. Prison governors said two prisoners had been planning to assault him to “gain kudos and notoriety”. Another tip-off suggested that an inmate serving a life sentence would kill Yaxley-Lennon if they were ever placed on the same wing. Dismissing the case, Mr Justice Chamberlain said Yaxley-Lennon’s own barrister had accepted there was no evidence his client had been segregated “for the purpose of breaking his resistance or humiliating or debasing him”. “On the contrary, all the evidence shows [the decision] was taken for his own protection and in the interests of preserving the safety of other prisoners and staff,” he added. “He himself had said, when first detained at HMP Belmarsh, that he had a conflict with the followers of Islam. “It was thus understandable the governor should be concerned that Mr Yaxley-Lennon’s presence might foment unrest or violence between Muslim and non-Muslim prisoners.” Banzai Japan Music Video The court heard there was no evidence Yaxley-Lennon was at risk of self-harm or suicide. The judge ruled the inmate’s situation could not be classed as solitary confinement and did not amount to degrading treatment that would be an unlawful breach of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The judge said his segregation was ameliorated by him being allowed “some three hours per day out of his cell, which is more than twice the time allowed to convicted prisoners held in segregation”. The judge also said Robinson was allowed to use the gym and shower every day, work (“albeit still on his own”), and he could speak to prison officers, healthcare staff and the chaplaincy daily, as well as having a weekly Bible study session. He added that Yaxley-Lennon’s claims he was being denied contact with friends and family were “manifestly not well-founded”. Some 120 people have been authorised to see him in 93 visits – more than any other inmate, the court heard. He had two hours for visits four times a week and cancellations had related to suspected attempts by his supporters to orchestrate social media campaigning relating to his imprisonment. Yaxley-Lennon’s High Court case had meant that an unrelated prosecution, for allegedly refusing to comply with a counter-terrorism search of his phone, had been put back months. He is also facing prosecution having been accused of breaching a stalking prevention order. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Labour councils call for Bakerloo line funding
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Labour councils call for Bakerloo line funding Banzai Japan Music Video Four Labour London council leaders have renewed their calls for the government to commit cash to deliver the upgrade and extension of the Bakerloo line. Trains on the 119-year-old line could run every two minutes under Transport for London (TfL) plans to upgrade and extend the Tube route. The proposals, which depend on government funding, would allow 27 trains an hour to run on the line, seven more than the current 20. The Department for Transport (DfT) said TfL got £500m in additional funding at the Budget last October and the government was “still assessing the challenging financial position it faces” before committing any further funding. Book Novotel Hotel The leaders of Brent, Lewisham, Southwark and Westminster councils said Chancellor Rachel Reeves should commit to deliver the transport project in the upcoming 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy and secure initial funding for the scheme in the Spending Review, both expected in June. Brenda Dacres, mayor of Lewisham, said: “For too long south-east London has been excluded from the world-class London Underground network and the benefits of being a well-connected inner London borough. “With Lewisham wages nearly 40% lower on average than neighbouring boroughs, the Bakerloo line extension would be a game-changer for unlocking inclusive growth and opportunities, not just in the South East, but across the UK.” Kieron Williams, leader of Southwark Council, said the Bakerloo extension was a “shovel-ready project” which would create thousands of jobs and boost economic growth by £1.5bn. Banzai Japan Music Video The first phase of the proposed extension—which TfL is currently conducting feasibility studies for—would see new Tube stations at the Old Kent Road and Burgess Park in Southwark. The line would then continue to New Cross Gate and Lewisham. The second phase would take the Bakerloo line beyond Lewisham to Hayes and Beckenham Junction. As part of the planned revamp of the London Underground route, the Bakerloo line’s 53-year-old trains would be replaced. The planned upgrade would support 150,000 jobs in Goole, East Yorkshire—where the new trains would be built—under the current TfL proposals. About 107,000 new homes are predicted to be built around the new Tube stations in London, if the project goes ahead. Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, said without the government’s commitment, the Bakerloo line was “at risk of total failure”. Of the ageing Underground line’s current 25 stations, 10 are in Brent. A DfT spokesperson said: “Further funding for London’s transport network is being considered as part of the upcoming Spending Review.” Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
WH Smith name to disappear from High Street after sale
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel WH Smith name to disappear from High Street after sale Banzai Japan Music Video The name WH Smith, a staple of UK town centres since the Victorian era when it became the country’s principal newspaper distributor, is set to disappear from the High Street after the firm agreed to sell its shops to Hobbycraft-owner Modella Capital. The sale does not include the WH Smith brand, its travel shops at airports and railway stations or its outlets in hospitals. The new owner will rebrand the High Street chain as TGJones, but said it would keep the Post Office outlets that operate in many branches. Book Novotel Hotel Modella Capital will take over 480 stores in retail parks, shopping centres and on High Streets including 5,000 staff. Modella said it would be “business as usual” while it worked on changes to the store chain including adding new ranges. However, the new owner said the Post Office and Toys “R” Us outlets currently in WH Smith stores, would remain. It would not comment on whether jobs would be cut following the takeover. The private equity firm specialises in retail and consumer businesses and, as well as buying Hobbycraft, has also invested in Crafters’ Companion and The Original Factory Shop. It said the TGJones brand carried “the same sense of family” as WH Smith, which it described as an “iconic” retail business. Banzai Japan Music Video WH Smith’s first shop was in Little Grosvenor Street, London. It opened its first travel retail store in London’s Euston station in 1848. It still sells papers and magazines, alongside books, sweets and snacks and art supplies. WH Smith group chief executive Carl Cowling said the £76m sale, was “a pivotal moment” for the company, which would now focus exclusively on the travel-related side of the business. “High Street is a good business; it is profitable and cash generative with an experienced and high-performing management team,” he said. “However, given our rapid international growth, now is the right time for a new owner to take the High Street business forward.” The travel division operates more than 1,200 stores in 32 countries. Nicholas Found at the consultancy, Retail Economics, said conditions on the High Street were “increasingly unforgiving”. As a result in recent years WH Smith’s travel arm had become its “engine room”, he said. WH Smith’s travel business contributed 75% of the group’s revenue and 85% of its trading profit in 2024. “Its product mix, which includes food, beverages and tech, is better suited to higher-margin, impulse-driven purchases in busy transit hubs,” he added. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Barber who ran Covid foodbank still donating food
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Barber who ran Covid foodbank still donating food Banzai Japan Music Video When lockdown started in 2020, Ziggy Myers had to close Progress Barbers – the business he’d run for more than 20 years – because restrictions meant he could no longer serve his customers. Instead he decided to serve his community in a different way: by feeding them. He used his own money to buy groceries for those he knew were in need. “I started very small, just doing little bits and pieces, and as time go on, I get to know more people, more people get involved and it grew and grew until it’s got to a stage I could reach out to 3,000 people a week.” Book Novotel Hotel When customer Louis Howell saw what Ziggy was doing, he decided to set up a GoFundme so that he could contribute to Ziggy’s effort. “If I was going to the shops I’d buy an extra bag and drop it in, and I saw other people doing the same thing which was amazing,” said Louis. “We felt compelled to do these things because we thought if Ziggy can, at a time when the government has effectively taken away his livelihood, yet he chose to do this, then it’s the least we can do. “We trusted Ziggy to get the food to the people who needed it.” Banzai Japan Music Video Also joining Ziggy, was friend Wayne Lawrence. Mr Lawrence used his van to deliver the food. “I’ve always wanted to give back in some way, so I’m happy.” Ziggy was given a Mayor’s Award for Volunteering from City Hall in recognition of what he did during Covid. But Ziggy believes it’s a community effort. He said: “It’s never just one person even though it might start from one person, it comes from the community.” But his volunteering efforts have not gone unnoticed and he’s become a hero to local residents. Customer Kayode Damali said: “For people like Ziggy they do it from the bottom of their hearts, regardless of getting any recognition. “Ziggy is a role model for all of us.” Five years on, Ziggy and Wayne are still giving donations to up 1,500 people a week, in collaboration with the food redistribution charity FareShare. Ziggy said: “I’m helping each and everyone, even people who are working, because the price of electric has gone up, the price of water bills has gone up.” His friend Wayne added: “It was big in Covid, but when everything was back to normal [when lockdown ended], we thought everything would be alright but it grew so that’s why I felt compelled to help. “I’d love to keep doing it, but I wish the need wasn’t there.” As for Ziggy, he has no plans to give up just yet. “It’s the right thing to do, so we just keep going.” Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Lab space plan for Euston Tower approved
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Lab space plan for Euston Tower approved Banzai Japan Music Video Euston Tower will be remade into workspaces that can be used as labs, following approval from a north London council. The 36-storey building will be partially demolished and turned into a 32-storey mixed-use tower by developer British Land. British Land said it was “delighted” after its plans for a “world-class science and technology building” secured planning consent from Camden Council. “Euston Tower will be a blueprint for sustainable development, delivering an all-electric building fit for the future,” the company said. The revamped tower has been vacant for four years according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Camden’s decision comes despite opposition from Climate Emergency Camden (CEC) regarding sustainable building. Book Novotel Hotel An assessment showed the plans did not meet the council’s “aspirational” carbon reduction targets, largely because lab-enabled spaces would use more energy than standard offices. Friends of Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill also objected to the plans, claiming the revamped tower would be “overbearing” and “prominently” visible from the parks. Royal Parks also argued the new skyscraper would harm the views from Kensington Gardens and Primrose Hill. Banzai Japan Music Video Camden Council said the impact was “less than substantial”, and that public benefits from the project would outweigh any harm to the area. The council’s local plan identified the surrounding Euston Area having the potential to see the “most significant growth”. The decision will need final approval from the mayor of London. The 124m (400ft) tower was once the home of Capital Radio in the 1970s and British satellite company Inmarsat. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
London’s Air Ambulance demand at ‘highest ever’
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel London’s Air Ambulance demand at ‘highest ever’ Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo The demand for London’s Air Ambulance is at its “highest ever level”, according to the charity. The service said it helped 2,058 patients in 2024 – breaking its own records. The “sobering” figures highlight the “ongoing, urgent need for advanced pre-hospital care in the capital”, the charity said. It has launched a new 15-year plan which outlines how ongoing funding “remains critical”. London’s Air Ambulance’s advanced trauma care team said it was seeing an average of six patients a day, one more than the previous five-a-day average. In terms of treatment, the team said it was now performing open chest surgery on average once a week. It is also needed to give blood transfusions once every 36 hours, and pain relief via intubation on average once each day. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 New figures show that assaults, road-traffic collisions, and falls from height remain the leading causes of critical injuries in London. The charity said last year it received the most calls from Tower Hamlets, Westminster, Lambeth, and Southwark. ‘Forefront of saving lives’ Following a successful two-year fundraising campaign, with a £15m target, the service was able to buy two new helicopters which came into service last autumn. Jonathan Jenkins, the chief executive of London’s Air Ambulance Charity, said: “The people of this city came together to secure the future of our helicopter fleet—now, we ask for their continued support to ensure we remain at the forefront of saving lives and shaping global clinical practice.” He said it was “sobering” to see how many people needed the service in the capital last year, and that once again, the numbers had risen from the previous year. Mr Jenkins said 2,058 patients was “not just a statistic”. “Behind this figure are people like us, with networks of friends, families and loved ones who will all have been affected,” he said. “We know that trauma never stops. But neither do we.” Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s London’s Air Ambulance said a new 15-year plan outlined how ongoing funding remained “critical to maintaining the cutting-edge skills, technology, and resources that enable the team to deliver pioneering trauma care”. The charity said the new strategy focussed on using its medics’ expert skills to “deliver the best possible outcomes for patients and their families”. It said this could mean “saving a life, protecting an injured brain, or providing the opportunity for loved ones to say goodbye”. Dr Tom Hurst, the charity’s medical director, said: “Every patient we treat is facing one of the worst moments of their life. “Our new vision places hope at the centre of our work – hope that our intervention will give each patient the best possible chance of survival and recovery.” He added that the latest figures “reaffirm the need” for the service. What does London’s Air Ambulance do? Attends to London’s most critically injured patients, using helicopters and rapid response cars Advanced trauma teams perform life-saving procedures usually found in the emergency department, on-scene The registered charity relies on donations and requires £17m a year to operate Medical staff are provided by the NHS, but the helicopters and support staff are paid for through donations. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
How an iPad dug up from the Thames solved museum thieves’ murder plot
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel How an iPad dug up from the Thames solved museum thieves’ murder plot Banzai Japan Music Video A Ming vase stolen from a Swiss museum. A shooting at a comedian’s house in Woodford, east London. The robbery of a luxury apartment in Sevenoaks, Kent. These seemingly unconnected events were all part of a web of international organised crime that police untangled after a six-year-long investigation. A key piece of evidence – an iPad, found under an inch of sand on the foreshore of the River Thames just downstream from the O2 Arena. Book Novotel Hotel Its discovery was pivotal to the investigation that has led to three people being found guilty at the Old Bailey of the near-assassination of one of Britain’s most notorious armed robbers. When found by a police officer with a metal detector on a cold November morning last year, the iPad was found caked in mud having been underwater for more than five years. Forensics were able to clean it and open the Sim tray – which still contained a pink Vodafone Sim card. Call data that was subsequently salvaged provided damning evidence on three men – Louis Ahearne, Stewart Ahearne and Daniel Kelly – who were all also involved in a heist at a museum in Switzerland a month earlier. “I’ve questioned this a lot,” Det Supt Matthew Webb ponders. “Is it calamitous blunders tripping them up or was it just they were so blasé they wouldn’t get caught?” Banzai Japan Music Video A ‘meticulously planned’ assassination plot The Ahearne brothers and Kelly first caught the attention of police after gunshots pierced the silence of a late summer evening in an affluent Woodford area on 11 July 2019. Six bullets tore through a glass conservatory at a luxury property owned by comedian Russell Kane that had been rented out to Paul Allen. One severed one of Allen’s fingers, the other went through his throat and became lodged in his spinal cord, leaving him struggling to breathe and bleeding profusely. “He’s been shot, he’s been shot!” Allen’s partner, Jade Bovington, screamed. As she frantically called an ambulance, neighbours and a private security guard heard the cries and rushed to render first aid. One eyewitness described seeing an unidentified man vault a low wall, run between some bushes and get straight into a waiting vehicle which immediately sped off. To this day, Allen relies on a wheelchair, paralysed below his upper chest. Allen gained notoriety as one of the ringleaders of what remains Britain’s biggest ever armed robbery. In 2006, Allen was part of a balaclava-wearing gang toting guns including an AK-47 assault rifle who threatened to kill staff at the Securitas depot in Tonbridge, Kent. They stole £53m in Bank of England cash notes – leaving behind £154m which would not fit into their lorry. Allen fled to Morocco four days later, but was arrested in Rabat alongside friend and fellow robber Lee Murray, who remains in jail in nearby Tiflet. In January 2008, Allen was extradited to the UK and subsequently sentenced to 18 years in prison. Allen was released in 2016 and moved back to his roots in south-east London. But he relocated to Woodford with his partner and two younger children after a gunman opened fire at him and his pregnant daughter in the doorway of their Woolwich home in September 2018. Ten months later, Allen almost died after those two bullets hit him as he stood in the kitchen of his Woodford haven. Prosecutors argued the Ahearnes and Kelly were equally culpable in the plot to murder Allen – which involved a hired car, surveillance and unregistered pay-as-you-go phones. “This was a meticulously researched and planned assassination attempt by a team of men well versed in the level of criminality to pull it off,” prosecutor Michael Shaw KC said. In discovering how the three knew where to find Allen, police would uncover their criminality stretched into mainland Europe. The Geneva job and the Mayfair hotel sting Just one month before the shooting, the Ahearne brothers and Kelly stood outside the Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva equipped with a sledgehammer, angle grinders and crowbars. Within seconds of forcing their way through the front door, they shattered glass casings housing 14th Century Chinese Ming Dynasty antiques. Three items were seized – a rare pomegranate vase; a doucai-style wine cup and a porcelain bowl – and had a combined insured value of £2.8m. In their hurry to flee, Stewart scraped his stomach against the sides of the hole the gang had made in the front wooden door – leaving traces of his DNA. He also hired the getaway car, a Renault Koleos from Avis at Geneva Airport. Louis was caught on CCTV filming the inside and outside of the museum the day before the raid. Within days of returning to south-east London with the stolen goods, the trio set about attempting to dispose of the items they had pinched. The brothers flew to Hong Kong with Kelly as they tried to sell one of the stolen items at an auction house. The auction house tipped off police in London, who were able to send undercover officers posing as art dealers to catch some other gang members in a sting operation as two of them tried to sell another plundered item which had been concealed in a JD Sports bag. During a seven-week trial at the Old Bailey, prosecutors argued that international burglary proved the Ahearnes and Kelly were “at the top end” of criminality. But little did police know while pursuing the stolen antiquities, the three would leave behind near-enough similar clues to give away their presence in the Woodford shooting. The hire car and the Oasis purchase In the hours after the shooting, the crime scene in Woodford was forensically examined. Six bullet casings fired from a Glock self-loading handgun were found, as were scuff marks on the