UK

A police force has defended using a meme on social media to tell followers a criminal its officers caught has been sent to prison – despite online backlash. Lancashire Police posted two images of one of 14 men who had recently been convicted, Samuel Walmsley, using the “how it started v how it’s going” meme

Police say they are investigating a fire which gutted a historic pub as arson. A blaze caused extensive damage at The Crooked House near Dudley, an 18th-century building, on Saturday evening. Up to 30 firefighters were needed to tackle the blaze at the pub in Himley. The pub became widely regarded as “Britain’s wonkiest” due

Essex Police are investigating several incidents of a man taking dummies out of babies’ mouths. Four such incidents were reported around Harlow between 10 February and 7 August. A child was also assaulted on one occasion. The suspect is described as slim, white, and aged in his 20s, with light brown eyes and yellow teeth.

Police issued 11 dispersal orders in the Oxford Street area of London after a social media post appeared to advertise a mass shoplifting event. Two young men were led away from an area near a McDonald’s fast food restaurant in handcuffs, close to a shop rumoured to be the target of the disturbance. A spokesman

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has reportedly been involved in a major data breach affecting officers and civilian staff. The breach involves the names, ranks and other personal data, but does not involve the officers’ and civilians’ private addresses, the Press Association reports. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has been notified about the

Northern Ireland police officers have been left “incredibly vulnerable” after a huge data breach compromised the details of every serving officer and member of staff. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has apologised for the self-inflicted security breach after it inadvertently published the information in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request on

Lee Anderson has refused to apologise for saying asylum seekers who don’t want to be housed on barges should “f*** off back to France”. But the Conservative deputy chairman also said there was “no doubt” the government had failed to tackle illegal immigration. Tory MP Mr Anderson made the remark about asylum seekers after it

Police searching for a missing walker in North Wales have found a body. North Wales Police had previously issued an appeal to help find the man, known only as Daniel. Officers from the force and colleagues in the Mountain Rescue Team had been involved in the search. In an update, police said the body of

Ofgem’s energy price cap is preventing customers from accessing lower tariffs, contributing to inflation and should be abolished, a new report has claimed. The cap has gone “far beyond” its original purpose of providing protection for customers to become a “de facto regulated market price”, centre-right think tank the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) said.

The government has announced a “task force” to root out dodgy lawyers after reports that false asylum claims are being submitted for a fee. The Home Office said the unit would bring together regulatory bodies, law enforcement teams and other government departments to act against solicitors and barristers found to be deceiving the courts. The

Police trying to identify a woman who died near the M56 in Manchester last week have released photos of her jewellery. Officers were called to the Thorley Lane bridge at around 2.40am on Monday 31 July after people raised concerns for a woman’s welfare. The woman’s death is not being treated as suspicious but her

House prices fell by 2.4% in the year up to July – but there are signs the market is showing ‘resilience’, according to the Halifax. The fall in property values is less than the 2.6% annual decline it recorded in June, which was the biggest annual drop in more than 10 years. Month-on-month, house prices

Football fans could be banned from games if they mock tragedies such as the Hillsborough disaster, the Munich air crash or the Bradford City fire. Updated Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance is seeking to tackle tragedy-related abuse, which is when fans chant or gesture offensive messages about disasters or accidents involving players or fans. The

England have finished runners-up to Australia in the Netball World Cup after reaching the final for the first time ever. The Roses trailed the 12-time champions at half-time on Sunday and despite a spirited effort in the second half were unable to triumph in the final in Cape Town, which finished 61-45. Coming into the

A nurse has criticised the emergency response after his town was hit by flooding as Storm Antoni swept the UK. Paul Jones-King said this is the second time in three years that Loftus in North Yorkshire has been flooded – and this time, his home was affected. The 47-year-old added he was “angry” and “really

The King is expected to mark the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death privately. The King and Queen, who are on their traditional summer break, will not hold a private family gathering at their Balmoral estate to commemorate the passing of the late monarch, and no public event is planned. Image: Pic: AP Queen

The police watchdog has launched an investigation into a woman’s claim she was drugged and sexually assaulted while in police custody. Zayna Iman told Sky News the incident took place while she was held by officers from Greater Manchester Police. CCTV footage shows the 38-year-old being carried into a police cell unconscious and with her

Police in a remote Welsh town are on the hunt for a thief who stole 14 beehives. Witnesses have been urged to come forward after the hives disappeared from Blackwood Lane near Llangollen, North Wales, over the weekend. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:44 Officers investigate ‘unusual’ crime In a

A police dog has been shot and killed after it turned on its handler and attacked her. Lancashire Police teams were searching for a missing person in Walton-le-Dale when PD Jax became aggressive, biting the handler and causing serious injuries. Further patrols, including armed officers, attended the scene and attempted to restrain the dog, a

GPs in England are to be given greater powers to fast-track testing in a bid to help diagnose and treat patients with heart and breathing problems more quickly.  Under the plans, doctors will be able to directly order diagnostic checks for some conditions without needing to go via a consultant. Patients with symptoms of asthma,