UK

Policing has been left in a “hopeless position” following a High Court ruling that forces cannot dismiss officers by removing their vetting clearance, Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has said. The court ruled against the force in what has been described as a “test case” that will have major implications for the sacking of

Cats in a rural Lincolnshire village have allegedly been returning home with parts of their fur shaved off, police have said in an appeal. In Pinchbeck, Lincolnshire, the claims had been brought to the attention of local officers who appealed for anyone affected to come forward. In a Facebook post, South Holland Police said while

The UK is currently gripped by gloomy and chilly weather. Temperatures are a “good few degrees” below where they should be for this time of year, according to the Met Office, and various places such as Northumberland and County Durham have already been covered in snow. What is causing this spell of cold weather, and

British wholesale gas prices have reached a more than two-year high, risking yet more expensive energy bills. Low rates of gas storage in Britain and across Europe, combined with cold weather, have increased demand for gas to heat homes. It’s brought the price up to 140 pence a therm (a unit of heat used to

A police officer who took part in tragedy chanting against Liverpool fans has been sacked. Sergeant Tyler Coppin, of Essex Police, pleaded guilty to the public order offence while at a Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on 20 October. Merseyside Police said that the officer was seen by club stewards chanting

Margaret Thatcher died on 8 April 2013. But the UK’s longest-serving post-war prime minister still casts a long shadow over politics today, more than a decade later. Only last week the Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer cited her example in support of his deregulation plans. “In the 1980s, the Thatcher government deregulated finance capital…,”

The Church of England is facing a “time of reckoning”, the lead bishop in charge of safeguarding has told Sky News. The Bishop of Stepney, Joanne Grenfell, was speaking from her office in east London ahead of a crucial meeting of the Church’s General Synod, which starts on Monday. She will present a roadmap to

Irish boxer John Cooney has died a week after suffering a brain injury in a championship fight, his promoters have said. The 28-year-old from Belfast was taken to intensive care after he lost to Welsh boxer Nathan Howells at the Ulster Hall last Saturday. It was his first defence of the Celtic super-featherweight title. The

The King and Queen were joined by celebrities at a black-tie dinner celebrating Italian cuisine and “slow food”. Among the guests for Charles and Camilla’s event at Highgrove House were Victoria and David Beckham, Dame Helen Mirren and Stanley Tucci. Image: ‘Good food brings people together,’ the King said. Pic: PA Image: Pics: PA The

Police in Scotland are growing “increasingly concerned” as they search for a missing father and his three-year-old son. James Forbes, 36, and son James were last seen in the Edinburgh Road area of Perth at around 1.50am on Friday. Police Scotland is appealing for help tracing the pair who were travelling in a silver Ford

A police officer has been jailed for 18 months for sexual assaults on two female colleagues. Detective Sergeant Richard Mills, 42, was found guilty of assaulting the women while working at Greater Manchester Police (GMP) on two separate occasions over the past 10 years. He had worked at the force since 2006. Judge David Swinnerton

Apple has reportedly been ordered by the UK government to allow it access to encrypted data stored by the company’s users worldwide in its cloud service. At the moment, only the Apple account holder can access such data – not even the US technology giant can see it. Apple, which makes iPhones, iPads and iMacs,

The makers of video game Football Manager 25 have cancelled its release after a number of delays. The game’s release date had already been pushed back twice and its makers said they knew the latest news would “come as a huge disappointment”. In an update on Thursday, Sports Interactive said it had made the “difficult

There has been major travel disruption after a car smashed through a rail bridge and fell on the tracks in Greater Manchester. The incident happened about 2am on Friday near Regent Road roundabout in Eccles, Salford. A man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and taken to hospital with injuries which are

The King and Queen are to pay state visits to Italy and the Vatican, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. The major spring tour will take place in early April and celebrate “the strong bilateral relationship between Italy and the United Kingdom”. With royal overseas trips always carried out at the request of the Foreign Office, it

Two dogs have been killed and two homes were gutted just hours apart in separate London fires involving an e-bike and an e-scooter. A charging e-scooter burst into flames at a house in West Hampstead at 10.30am on Monday. The blaze quickly spread and around 60 firefighters were sent to the scene to put it

A nurse who was suspended after complaining about sharing a changing room with a transgender colleague has admitted being guilty of harassment under workplace policies, but denied comparing the doctor to convicted rapist Isla Bryson, an employment tribunal heard. Sandie Peggie was suspended from Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, in January 2024 after she objected

A nurse who was suspended after complaining about sharing a changing room with a transgender colleague claims she never used the word “rapist” or made a comment about “chromosomes”, an employment tribunal has heard. Sandie Peggie was suspended from Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, in January 2024 after she objected to Dr Beth Upton –

Millions of people face council tax hikes over normal thresholds after the government allowed six areas to boost rates above the usual 5%. More than two million people will be hit by increases of between 5 and 10%. Windsor and Maidenhead Council wanted to increase council tax by 25% but the plan was blocked –

Scottish ministers are being urged to order a report into cats’ impact on wildlife which could see pets banned from areas where endangered species live.  The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) made the recommendation in a report to Holyrood in response to evidence that cats have a “significant impact on wildlife populations”. SAWC is calling for