More than 20 women have come forward after police launched an international appeal for potential victims of one of the UK’s worst serial rapists.

Zhenhao Zou, 28, was found guilty last month of drugging, raping and filming 10 women – but detectives said he may have attacked up to 60 more.

Met Police commander Kevin Southworth said: ‘Given how prolific Zou seems to have been, there is every potential he could be one of the most prolific offenders that we’ve ever seen in this space.’

He added that 23 women have contacted them saying they may have been targeted, with work now underway to identify victims and ‘bring Zou to justice for the full extent of his crimes’.

Mr Southworth said: ‘We have victims reaching out to us from different parts of the globe.

‘At the moment, the primary places where we believe offending may have occurred at this time appears to be both in England, here in London, and over in China.

‘Given how active and prolific Zou appears to have been with his awful offending, there is every prospect that he could have offended anywhere in the world.’

Zou used hidden or handheld cameras to record the attacks, keeping the footage and sometimes the belongings of the women as souvenirs in a ‘trophy box’.

The footage showed four attacks on three victims in London, where he studied for a masters and PhD in mechanical engineering at University College from 2019 to 2023.

Two of the women were identified and gave evidence at his trial. Another was raped twice but has never been identified.

This Is Not Right

On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.

With the help of our partners at Women's Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency.

You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.

Read more:

• Introducing This Is Not Right: Metro's year-long violence against women campaign
• Remembering the women killed by men in 2024

Videos showed seven more women being attacked in China, where the wealthy Communist official’s son returned home during the pandemic. They were never found.

Met police checked 1,270 videos and 9million messages, and hope to help dozens more victims.

Mr Southworth said: ‘We are still working to identify all of those women in those videos.

‘We have now, thankfully, had 23 victim survivors come forward through the appeal that we’ve conducted, some of whom may be identical with some of the females that we saw in those videos, some of whom may even turn out to be from the original indicted cases.’

The team of detectives needed to look at Zou’s potential crimes will have to increase and ‘more resources’ will be put into the investigation.

Mr Southworth added: ‘Ultimately, now it’s the investigation team’s job to professionally pick our way through those individual pieces of evidence, those individual victims’ stories, to see if we can identify who may have been a victim, when and where, so then we can bring Zou to justice for the full extent of his crimes.’

Zou lived in a student flat in Woburn Place, near Russell Square in central London, and later in a flat in the Uncle building in Churchyard Row in Elephant and Castle, south London.

He had also been a student at Queen’s University Belfast, where he studied mechanical engineering from 2017 until 2019.

His crimes were discovered in November 2023 when one victim – a Chinese national – told police he dragged her into a bedroom during a party at his flat, made her drink vodka spiked with drugs and raped her as she screamed.

The other victim identified said she was with Zou and friends in Chinatown in 2021. Her last memory before being raped in his flat was being sick in the street.

Jurors were visibly upset as they had to watch footage of nine of the rapes during his four-week trial at Inner London crown court.

In what will be a delicate situation, Mr Southworth said officers are waiting to hear from potential victims with a view to ‘supporting and understanding’ what has happened.

He said the detectives are looking to understand ‘what may have happened without wishing to revisit the trauma, but in a way that enables (the potential victims) to give evidence in the best possible way’.

The Metropolitan Police is appealing to anyone who thinks they may have been targeted by Zou to contact the force either by emailing survivors@met.police.uk, or via the major incident public portal on the force’s website.

Zou will be sentenced on June 19.

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Convicted sex offender Gary Glitter is bankrupt after failing to pay £500,000 in damages to one of his victims.

The woman sued Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, in 2015 for abusing her when she was a 12-year-old girl, as well as two other young people between 1975 and 1980.

The sum includes £381,000 in lost earnings and £7,800 for future therapy and treatment.

Richard Scorer, head of abuse law at Slater and Gordon, representing the woman, said: ‘We confirm that Gadd has been made bankrupt following our client’s application.

‘As he has done throughout, Gadd has refused to cooperate with the process and continues to treat his victims with contempt.

‘We hope and trust that the parole board will take his behaviour into account in any future parole applications, as it clearly demonstrates that he has never changed, shows no remorse and remains a serious risk to the public.’

The court heard that the woman had not worked for decades due to the trauma of being repeatedly raped and ‘humiliated’ by the disgraced singer, who is now 80.

Judge Mrs Justice Tipples said Gadd had subjected his victim ‘to sexual abuse of the most serious kind’.

The judge said the woman had not been able to find ‘any meaningful employment throughout her life’ as a result, and awarded her damages for complex psychological therapy and treatment and loss of earnings.

She said: ‘Her education was ruined and she has suffered severe psychiatric injury for the rest of her life.’

Glitter was put behind bars in 2015 for 16 years after sexually abusing three schoolgirls.

His sentence will end in February 2031.

Glitter was automatically released from HMP The Verne, a low-security prison in Portland, Dorset, in February 2023.

He had served half of his fixed-term determinate sentence but was imprisoned less than six weeks after walking free.

This was after police monitoring showed he had breached his licence conditions by reportedly trying to access the dark web and viewing downloaded images of children.

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The moment armed men tried to force their way into an upmarket London nightclub has been caught on camera.

Four men have been arrested after people ‘armed with machetes’ tried to gain access to Tabu nightclub in Mayfair in the early hours of Sunday morning, leaving two people injured.

Footage of the chaotic incident showed a small group of men shouting and brandishing what appears to be weapons above their heads in front of security staff.

Amid the confusion a car alarm was triggered, while one of the men picked up a metal post and threw it over his head towards bouncers and onlookers.

Police were called at 3.11am and one man was arrested at the scene on Dover Street.

Three more men were arrested in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told Metro: ‘Police were called to a venue on Dover Street, W1 following reports of a disturbance and three people in possession of weapons. 

‘Officers attended and one man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon.

‘Following initial enquiries, three men were arrested in Hertfordshire in the early hours of this morning in connection with this investigation. All four men remain in custody.

‘At this time, it’s believed that this was an isolated incident.

‘Two people sustained injuries which are not life changing.’

UK News and Pictures, whose photographer took photos of officers at the scene, reported a nearby venue manager witnessed the moment the men tried to force their way in.

The unnamed worker said: ‘It was pure chaos. The men tried to charge the door with large blades. How anyone wasn’t hurt was just pure luck.’

Praising the swift response from police, he said: ‘The officers dealt with it very quickly, and we saw a number of people being arrested.

‘It’s not good for business to have this kind of trouble, but thankfully the situation was brought under control.’

Tabu nightclub describes itself as ‘the home of Tokyo Nightlife, located in the heart of Mayfair’.

It adds that ‘for the best experience and the easiest way to gain access into our Tokyo inspired universe, a table reservation is highly encouraged’.

The Met has asked anyone with footage or other information about the incident to get in touch.

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Six teenage boys have been arrested after a ‘vulnerable’ 15-year-old girl was raped in a ‘horrific attack’.

The girl was attacked in Chichester, West Sussex, close to the Roman wall and stream by the A286 Avenue De Chartres between 7pm and 8.30pm on March 19.

Specialist officers have been supporting the young girl after she reported the rape to the police.

The six teenage boys, four 16-year-olds and two 15-year-olds, have been arrested on suspicion of rape. 

They have been released on bail pending further investigations until the end of June.

Detective Constable Gemma Mulloy said: ‘This was a horrific attack on a vulnerable victim and we recognise the concern this will cause in the community.

‘We swiftly arrested six suspects – some of whom are known to the victim – in connection with the incident, and we are now appealing for anyone with any information to please come forward, as we seek to establish the exact circumstances.

‘Were you in the area around that time and did you witness any suspicious activity? Did you capture anything on camera, or have you seen any relevant footage circulating online?

‘Contact us online or via 101, quoting crime reference 47250052298.’

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Since the dawn of expense claims, workers have been adding a few extra drinks for themselves on the company card (legal disclaimer: of course never us).

But the possibilities for dodgy claims are getting much more sophisticated, with businesses warned to take note.

Image generation by AI is now so advanced that fake but convincing receipts can be created in seconds.

OpenAI released its latest image generation model last week, an update which caused so many people to create Studio Ghibli-style drawings that its servers ‘melted’.

But a less wholesome use case also emerged, as users showed how easy it is to create fake receipts.

Many companies ask employees to upload photos of invoices they need reimbursing for, before their expense claims are approved.

Metro quickly made our own fake receipt using ChatGPT, for an Italian restaurant called Mikey’s on West Street in London.

We had minestrone, lasagne, tiramisu and a bottle of house red according to the receipt, costing £63.80 including the service charge.

However, not only did we not really visit, but the restaurant doesn’t even exist.

Sure, you could work this out by googling it, or you might have suspicions from the commas and full stops being confused, but many times this would just be waved through.

Jon Clay, VP in threat intelligence at Trend Micro, told Metro that realistic AI images will take fraud and scams to the next level.

He said: ‘When you submit submit stuff for HR, if you’re an employee that’s a little shady, for example, you could potentially get some some money from fraudulent receipts.’

This isn’t the only headache for businesses, however, with business e-mail compromise attacks a lucrative target for scammers.

This is when a criminal gains access to a company email account with the intention to trick a worker with the ability to transfer funds, often a senior executive or account manager.

Jon explained: ‘A scammer could potentially impersonate an employee, submit a whole bunch of receipts, get payment for those receipts, and make money that way. They could definitely defraud businesses.’

Artificial intelligence expert Raphael Chenol shared photos on LinkedIn of a real receipt and a fake one he created with ChatGPT.

He said: ‘I just asked it to change the date and price… and my expense report entry application doesn’t see anything. It only takes a few seconds where before you needed Photoshop skills.’

Clarifying that he ‘wouldn’t risk being fired for fraud by my employer’ , he said he was sharing the images to denounce possible abuses of the technology.

Mr Chenol suggested that to avoid ‘montains of false invoices’, they should include a QR Code-style cryptogram as standard, or that they should be submitted with proof of purchase such as via Blockchain.

Meanwhile, to reduce the risk from scammers Mr Clay called on businesses to have a two step verification process by which someone is asked on a different platform if it is really them asking for money to be transferred.

He said that AI photos are becoming so realistic that it will be very difficult for people to spot them just by looking at them, and although metadata will say they were edited by AI, this is easy for scammers to strip out.

One way to reduce the risk would be to insist that AI generated images contain a visible watermark, potentially due to laws that insist on it.

‘As this technology gets out there and if there if we see a lot more abuses of the technology, we might see lawmakers start to recognise that,’ he said.

‘But then again, if I’m a bad actor, I’m not going to follow the law.’

The makers of Chat GPT, Open AI, explicitly ban the use of the service to harm others, including using any output to defraud or scam.

Spokesperson Taya Christianson told TechCrunch that their ‘goal is to give users as much creative freedom as possible’ and that fake receipts aren’t necessarily fraudulent as they could be used for ‘teaching people about financial literacy’ as well as for art.

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US prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the Ivy League graduate accused of shooting dead a UnitedHealthcare CEO.

Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday morning directed prosecutors to pursue capital punishment for Mangione, 26, who has a sizable fanbase supporting his alleged anti-insurance company greed message.

‘Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson – an innocent man and father of two young children – was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,’ stated Bondi.

‘After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.’

One federal charge that Mangione faces, murder through use of a firearm, carries the death penalty if convicted. Federal prosecutors had been mulling whether to seek it since Mangione was accused of killing Thompson, 50, outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel on December 4.

Mangione has not entered a plea to the federal charges, but has pleaded not guilty to state charges which do not make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted. Mangione faces possible life in prison without parole for a first-degree murder charge brought by the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

President Donald Trump on the first day of his second term signed an executive order for the Justice Department to seek the death penalty for ‘crimes of a severity demanding its use’. By contrast, former President Joe Biden in 2021 placed a moratorium on executions at the federal level.

Mangione’s lawyers did not immediately comment on Bondi’s announcement.

A fundraiser for Magione’s legal defense has received more than $720,000 in donations.

Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after Thompson was gunned down while walking to his company’s investors’ conference at the New York Hilton Midtown.

Federal prosecutors in murder charges filed on December 14 alleged that Mangione ‘meticulously’ plotted the shooting. Authorities recovered a manifesto and notebook writings in which Mangione allegedly wrote of his intent to ‘wack’ an insurance company chief executive.

Mangione’s state case was expected to go to trial before his federal one, and it is not immediately clear if Bondi’s decision will affect that plan.

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A dad’s holiday plans could be in jeopardy because he says his two-year-old son’s passport has been stolen.

Nathan Nethercot, 33, who lives in York with his wife and son Stephen Nethercot, said he was contacted by HMRC Childcare Services to send across his son’s passport and birth certificate to claim for tax-free childcare.

He sent Stephen’s passport and birth certificate off on March 7 and he said HMRC Childcare Services verified this on March 13.

But when Nathan received the envelope back on March 15, it only contained his son’s birth certificate, not his passport.

The dad says he was told by HMRC Childcare Services that both would be returned in the same envelope rather than separately.

Nathan believes that the passport has been stolen because photos show how the envelope appears to have been opened by a knife or letter opener.

It was reported to South Yorkshire Police by Nathan on March 18.

Once he realised that the passport was missing, he contacted HM Passport Services to cancel it.

The situation has left the dad who has recently moved from Sheffield searching for answers and an apology from those responsible.

He told Metro: ‘This has left me feeling stressed and annoyed because I don’t know where my son’s passport is.

‘It hasn’t helped because I feel like I’ve been going around in circles.

‘If somebody has stolen my son’s passport, it is worrying to know what they might end up doing with it.’

Nathan is meant to be going on holiday in June to the Dominican Republic, where his son is originally from – a trip that is expected to cost £4,000.

In the UK, around 400,000 British passports are reported lost or stolen each year, according to government figures.

This means that more than 83,000 applications for emergency travel documents to replace lost or stolen UK passports were made between 2019 and 2023.

A lot of the time, passports are stolen from people while they are abroad, so the Foreign Office has teamed up with crime experts to advise people about how to avoid becoming a victim to passport theft.

Nathan continued: ‘I’ve spent at least 10 hours on the phone with various different organisations trying to get this resolved.

‘Some of the people I’ve talked to as well have been rude to me which makes the situation even more frustrating.

‘It’s taken up so much of my time now and it would be nice to get an apology or money back for this happening.’

A Royal Mail spokesperson told Metro that items go through a whole network and process, through machines, automatic sorters, and eventually are manually handled.

They added there may be some few occasions where an item might be damaged like when a letter might get clipped and ripped by a letter sorting machine.

But what should usually happen is the item will be put into a ‘damage bag’ and then delivered.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: ‘We are sorry to hear of the customer’s experience. This issue has been escalated and we will be carrying out searches at the relevant delivery offices and mail centres.’

A HMRC spokesperson told Metro: ‘We’re sorry to learn about this issue Mr Nethercot has faced.

‘We’ve advised him to contact the postal service and offered to reimburse him for the cost of the passport.’

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police added to Metro: ‘On Friday (21 March), we received a report of a theft in Sheffield.

‘It is reported that between 8am and 5pm on 18 March, a child’s passport was stolen from High Street, Sheffield.

‘Officers have spoken to the child’s parent and enquiries are ongoing.’

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A man has been shot dead at Milton Keynes railway station after reports he was carrying a firearm.

Police officers were called to Milton Keynes Central station at Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, just before 1pm today after a man ‘was spotted carrying a firearm’.

The man was then challenged by armed Thames Valley Police personnel before shots were fired.

Despite attempts to save his life, the man was pronounced dead at 1.44pm.

Milton Keynes Central Station has reopened to the public, but extra barriers have been put up to obscure some of its exits, with multiple doors closed to the public and passengers staggered entering and leaving the station at times.

Thames Valley Police do not believe there is any further risk to the public.

A source near to the incident told Metro: ‘I just heard a bang and then the ambulances arrived.’

A worker at a store close to the station said the whole area was cordoned off and three or four police cars are still present.

He told Metro: ‘I have never known anything like it. It is obviously concerning, we have never heard anything happen like this before.’

‘The station has been closed for a couple hours now.’

Thames Valley Police said in a statement: ‘Officers from Thames Valley Police and British Transport Police were called to reports of a man carrying a firearm at Milton Keynes railway station, Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, at 12.55pm today.

‘Armed officers from Thames Valley Police responded and challenged the man, before shots were fired by police.

‘Life-saving actions were immediately taken at the scene, but the man was pronounced dead at 1.44pm.

‘There is not believed to be any further risk to the public at this time.

‘We will provide more details as soon as we are able to.’

The police conduct watchdog have confirmed they are launching an investigation into the fatal shooting.

A spokesperson for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said: ‘We can confirm we have begun an independent investigation into the fatal shooting of a man by Thames Valley Police (TVP) at Milton Keynes railway station today.

‘We were notified by TVP shortly after the incident and IOPC investigators have been sent to the station and the police post-incident procedure to begin gathering information.

‘Our thoughts are with the family of the man who died and all those who have been affected by this incident.

‘Our role in these circumstances is to independently investigate all of the circumstances surrounding this incident, including the actions and decisions taken by the police.

‘We declared an independent investigation at 2.26pm. It is in its very early stages and no further information is available at this time.’

British Transport Police said: ‘BTP received a report from Thames Valley Police at 1pm today, of a man carrying a firearm at Milton Keynes station.

‘Armed officers from Thames Valley Police responded and he was shot and pronounced dead outside of the station.

‘BTP officers are on scene to assist our colleagues from TVP, and the station is open as normal.’

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A murder investigation has been launched after a 57-year-old was killed and a woman and child were seriously injured during a knife attack.

Detectives said the knife attack happened at a home on Hartfield Avenue in Brighton, East Sussex, around 7.30 am Tuesday morning.

A 19-year-old was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and serious assaults and taken to police cells for questioning.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: ‘We have launched a murder investigation following the death of a man in Brighton. Officers attended and found a 57-year-old man inside the property with significant injuries. Sadly, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

‘A woman and a boy were also located at the address with serious injuries and have been taken to hospital for treatment. We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident.’

A post-mortem will be carried out on the murdered man’s body and an inquest will be opened later by the East Sussex Coroner.

The victims have not yet been named by police.

Local business Sonia Campos Inner Healing told Metro: ‘I heard the road was blocked this morning due to an incident, but I haven’t seen or heard anything.’

Officer Rachel Carr said: ‘Following an emergency call to police, an immediate response was sent to Hartfield Avenue, where sadly, a man was found deceased, and a woman and child were found seriously injured.

‘A suspect is in custody and a fast-moving investigation is underway to establish exactly what happened and why.

‘This is a tragic incident and we understand it will cause shock and alarm among the local community. However there is not believed to be a wider threat to the public at this time.’

A cordon has been placed around the property in Brighton and forensic science experts were called to the scene to collect evidence about the incident.

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A man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly ‘attacking a prisoner with a claw hammer.’

Damien Bendall, 35, is accused of bludgeoning an inmate’s head in a prison workshop at Frankland Prison in Durham.

Bendall has been charged with attempted murder after the attack allegedly happened in May last year.

Sources told The Sun was ‘allegedly hit three or four times with a claw hammer’.

Durham Constabulary said: ‘A man has been charged following a serious assault at Frankland prison, in Durham, on Friday, May 10, last year.

‘Damien Bendall, of no fixed abode, has been charged with attempted murder.

‘The 35-year-old has been remanded in custody and will appear at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday, May 21.

‘The victim sustained serious head injuries and was taken to hospital but is now recovering.’

Bendall appeared at Teesside Crown Court on 4 March but did not enter a plea.

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An Indian restaurant has sounded the alarm about an alleged ‘dine and dash’ couple who ploughed their way through £130 worth of alcohol and food before casually leaving one after the other.

The Agra Palace in Nuneaton has shared CCTV images of a man and woman who are said to have left after saying they were going for a smoke.

The couple dined on a Saturday night, with the woman knocking back two bottles of wine and her partner four or five pints of Cobra beer.  

She then left a few minutes before the man — who left behind his jacket containing nothing but a packet of Rizla.

They are also thought to have struck at two other dining venues in Warwickshire, using the same ruse.

Restaurant owner Jamal Ullah told Metro: ‘It was about 8.45pm when they came in with no booking.

‘They came in, they sat down, they were a very polite couple.  

‘They ordered lots of starters and main courses and had plenty to drink.  

‘Towards the end the lady said, “I’m going for a smoke” and went outside.  

‘The man was there and then he suddenly said, “I’m going for a smoke as well.”  

‘We didn’t think much of it. He had left his jacket there as well. 

‘There is nothing in it other than a pack of Rizla.

‘Then that was it, they were gone. We went out and couldn’t see them. 

‘From what it looks like, they planned it.’

Mr Ullah wants to alert other venues about the alleged culprits, who visited the award-winning restaurant on March 22. 

After he shared the pictures on social media, other users commented that the couple had carried out the same trick elsewhere.  

‘We’ve found out that they’ve done this to other restaurants and pubs, and it looks like they’ve been doing this for quite a while,’ he said.  

‘This isn’t going to make or break us but it’s the principle.

‘They need to be stopped.’

Another dining establishment in Warwickshire, which did not want to be named, told Metro: ‘They racked up a bill, told the waitress they were going for a cigarette and drove off, thats all there is to it really.’

The Red Lion in Corley, near Coventry, described a couple using a ‘thought out plan’ on March 17. 

A spokesperson for the pub told CoventryLive: ‘I’m angry and disappointed. They’ve clearly done it at many other places.

‘They come in and once ordered pop in and out for a smoke, so when they do run I guess it’s so you think they’re just going for a smoke. 

‘But the bill was an excessive amount for two people, including bottles of wine, pints of beer and even shots of gin.

‘Starters, the most expensive mains and sides.

‘So it’s a thought out plan they have.

‘They had no intention of paying.’ 

A Warwickshire Police spokesman said: ‘Enquiries are ongoing as officers work to identify the individuals involved.’

Do you have a story you would like to share? Contact josh.layton@metro.co.uk 

MORE: Restaurant owner shames ‘dine and dashers’ who walked out on £390 bill

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MORE: Moment dine-and-dashers speed off with waiter hanging onto their car

Three people have died after a bus and a car crashed outside a prison in Feltham, west London. 

The Mercedes hit a single-decker bus outside Feltham Young Offenders Institution just after midnight. 

The H26 bus was heading towards Hatton Cross at the time of the incident that happened on the brow of a railway bridge. 

It is understood that the three who died in the crash were teenagers. Two were male and one female. 

Another girl in the car survived the crash, and a friend of one of the boys who died told Metro: ‘He was a lovely guy he would give you anything he had.’

He added: ‘He was generous and hardworking. He lived close to where the crash was. He must have been going home.

‘His family are heartbroken, absolutely devastated. When the mother lays the table for dinner there will be one less place.

‘It’s terrible.

The bus driver was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.

The charred shell of the bus remained at the scene today while the burned car was covered with a blue tarpaulin. 

A prison worker told Metro: ‘There was a crash there just last week. Cars are always speeding down here.’

Local Alan McCandless, 70,said: ‘They speed over the bridge I have lived here 25 years there are accidents there and deaths.

‘There are always flowers there for the dead. 

‘What a shame it’s heartbreaking. There were police everywhere overnight. ‘Specialist accident investigators are on the scene. 

A witness Nero Verbickas, 45, said: ‘We heard boom like a bomb then I saw a fire. There were people screaming

‘It was terrible. The police told me a woman was driving the car.’

Jessica Fell-Hicks, 22: ‘The bus was smoking ambulances police everywhere. The front of the bud exploded it was like a fireball.

‘There’s accidents all the time. We saw a motorcyclist fire there recently.’

A London Ambulance spokesperson said: ‘At around 23.55 hrs on Monday, 31 March officers in a response vehicle came across a car alight on Bedfont Road, Feltham.

‘The vehicle had been involved in a collision with a bus at the location.

‘Very sadly, three occupants from the car were pronounced dead at the scene. A fourth occupant was taken to hospital. We await an update on their condition.

‘The bus was also alight and officers led the driver and all passengers to safety.

‘Some were treated for injuries at the scene and two were taken to hospital. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

‘London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service were in attendance to assist with the incident and roads in the area will remain closed while an investigation continues.

‘Anyone with information which could assist is asked to contact 101 quoting CAD 8411.’

A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘At around 23.55 hrs on Monday, 31 March officers in a response vehicle came across a car alight on Bedfont Road, Feltham.

‘The vehicle had been involved in a collision with a bus at the location.

‘Very sadly, three occupants from the car were pronounced dead at the scene. A fourth occupant was taken to hospital. We await an update on their condition.

‘The bus was also alight and officers led the driver and all passengers to safety. Some were treated for injuries at the scene and two were taken to hospital. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

‘London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service were in attendance to assist with the incident and roads in the area will remain closed while an investigation continues.

‘Anyone with information which could assist is asked to contact 101 quoting CAD 8411.’

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Paddy’s Day drinking landed a New Jersey mayor in handcuffs after she was allegedly caught driving her toddler home while drunk.

‘Oh I’m sorry’, Gina LaPlaca, 45, told officers outside her home when they told they’d had multiple calls claiming she ran a red light and was swerving.

Bodycam footage showed a smashed-up wing mirror and a scrape the length of her blue BMW parked behind her on the drive around 5.40pm on March 17.

‘What happened to your mirror here,’ an officer asked. LaPlaca replied ‘that’s not good’ while stumbling over to try and bend it back into shape.

Asked what she hit on the way there, the Mayor of Lumberton told police: ‘I don’t know.’

Crying, LaPlaca said ‘I’m sorry’ while police placed her handcuffed in the back their car.

She had allegedly been filmed on a mobile phone driving erratically and nearly colliding with a utility pole, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

LaPlaca has been charged with driving under the influence, child endangerment and neglect, and driving with an expired license. She is due to appear in court next month.

She has been mayor of Lumberton, a township home to 13,000 people 25 miles east of Philadelphia, since 2023.

Her husband, firefighter Jason Carty, said: ‘Millions of Americans struggle with addiction and never get help.

‘Gina is someone who has struggled, and is now getting the help she needs.

‘I ask that everyone keep her in their thoughts as she moves forward on her road to recovery.

‘Please ignore the exaggerated political hyperbole and keep in mind her passion for helping others. This should not erase all the things she has accomplished for our community.

‘Gina is a loving and caring mother and stepmom to our son and her stepson.

‘Our oldest is a teenager and can see the unkind things being said online. I ask simply that you respect our privacy, be better humans and please show some compassion, thank you.’

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A woman survived a car crash but mysteriously went missing and was found dead at the bottom of a deep well.

Shirley Obert, 67, got into a car accident on Saturday morning while wearing a Chick-fil-A uniform red shirt and black pants.

Amid an active search for her, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook that she was last seen around Abercrombie and Oxford Road in Georgia.

A GPS Aviation Unit as well as the Department of Natural Resources joined in the search in the county near Atlanta.

On Sunday afternoon, the sheriff’s office provided a tragic update stating that they located Obert.

‘It is not the outcome that we were hoping for,’ wrote the agency.

‘She was found deceased at the bottom of a deep well that was surrounded by very thick brush, near where her car was found.’

A GoFundMe page for her states that ‘she was found deceased in a deep, unmarked well that was covered in thick brush nearby the area where her car went off the road’.

Images from the scene showed rescue crews gathered around a hole in a wooded area, with one man wearing a helmet getting hoisted down.

It appeared that Obert had ‘been trying to go for help when this accident occurred’, added the sheriff’s office.

‘This appears to be a tragic accident,’ wrote the agency.

‘Please keep her family and her co-workers in your thoughts and prayers.’

Anyone with information on Obert’s death is urged to contact the sheriff’s department.

Obert was a ‘devoted Christian, wife, mother, and friend to many’, according to the GoFundMe page.

She is survived by her husband, whom she was the sole provider for, four sons and a daughter. She did not have life insurance for her husband.

The GoFundMe had raised more than $7,700 as of Monday evening.

Obert died a few months after a grandmother is believed to have fallen into a sinkhole after parking her car to look for her cat in Pennsylvania.

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A teacher who ran off with one of his students is believed to be in a relationship with a woman 15 years younger than him.

Jeremy Forrest, 42, was jailed in 2012 after leaving his wife to elope to France with a pupil, aged 15, from Eastbourne, East Sussex.

He was jailed for five-and-a-half years the following year for child abduction and five charges of sexual activity with a child.

Forrest was also placed on the sex offender register for life and ditched by his first wife, Emily, after the scandal unfolded.

He remarried after his release from prison, where he trained as a baker, and moved in with his second wife in Canterbury.

Now he is reportedly in a relationship with a 27-year-old he met at a bakery where he worked.

Forrest, who also goes by the name Jeremy Buonocore, has now left the marital home, The Sun reports.

He is believed to be living with his brother and sister-in-law in Sidcup, Kent.

A close source told The Sun he had fallen for the woman a few months ago and they had been keeping their romance secret because of ‘the fact he is married’.

One of Forrest’s co-workers revealed he had left his wife, saying: ‘He is divorcing. He’s met someone else.’

Forrest’s new partner reportedly did not know about his dark past when the two began dating.

He allegedly told her he was planning on getting a divorce.

Forrest was sacked from another bakery in 2023 when bosses discovered his past.

Meanwhile, the schoolgirl’s father said he would be ‘proud’ to walk her down the aisle.

The girl, who has written to Forrest’s parents to declare her love for their son, also said she intended to visit him in prison.

The pupil eventually moved on in 2013 and found a new boyfriend of a similar age.

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A woman beat a man to death with a kettle so severely his injuries could have been mistaken for being from a ‘high-impact road collision’.

Elizabeth Sweeney, 36, denied murdering Neil Jolly, 49, at his Aberdeen flat in June 2023.

The High Court in Aberdeen heard how the ‘murderous assault’ occurred at Jolly’s flat in Marischal Court, a high-rise in Castlegate.

Jolly suffered more than 70 blunt force injuries to his head, neck, arms, hands and torso, including several self-defence wounds.

Sweeney was given a mandatory life sentence for murder and will spend at least 18 years in prison following a 10-day trial.

Judge Miller told Sweeney: ‘You inflicted a severe and fatal brain injury and other head injuries which, according to the medical evidence given at your trial, were of a kind which might be expected to result from a high-impact road traffic collisions or a fall from height, along with fractures to a rib and to a structure in his throat.’

Sweeney and Jolly were alleged to have been partners or ex-partners – Jolly had assaulted Sweeney twice in the weeks leading up to his death, the trial was told.

Sweeney woke up the morning of June 22 with the belief she was in danger, her defence said.

The murder happened between that evening and the early hours of the following morning, with CCTV footage showing Sweeney outside the housing complex shortly after.

Sweeney, the court heard, soaked the victim’s body in water and allegedly tried to clean the blood from the bathroom and kettle.

Judge Miller told Sweeney: ‘During the intervening weekend, you did nothing to seek help for Neil Jolly or to allow his body to be recovered.

‘Instead, you appear to have spent that weekend in much the same way as you might have spent any other weekend, apparently giving little, if any, thought to Neil Jolly’s fate or your part in it.

Police discovered Jolly’s body on June 26 after Sweeney phoned 999.

The judge added: ‘Statements written by Neil Jolly’s mother, son and sister powerfully express the enormous loss which his death represents to his family, which includes his three children.

‘It is clear that the family’s distress has been magnified by the knowledge of how Mr Jolly died and the knowledge that you left him where he lay for three days after you murdered him before contacting emergency services.’

Sweeney claimed that the murder was an act of self-defence after Jolly allegedly sexually assaulted her in her sleep.

But jurors found her guilty last month following a trial at Aberdeen’s High Court.

Judge Miller said: ‘Although you maintain your general description, which the jury rejected, of how this incident began, the report states that you take full responsibility for Neil Jolly’s death and that you feel remorse for your actions.’

Detective Inspector William Murdoch said: ‘We acknowledge this sentence today and hope that this brings some comfort to the family and friends of Neil Jolly.

‘I would like to thank all officers involved for their dedication and commitment throughout the investigation as well as those members of the public who assisted with our enquiries.’

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A GCHQ intern put the UK’s national security at risk when he downloaded top secret data onto his phone and took it home.

Hasaan Arshad, a 25-year-old from Rochdale, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Computer Misuse Act at the Old Bailey today.

While doing a year-long placement at the intelligence agency, Arshad connected his work mobile to a supposedly secure, top secret computer on August 24, 2022.

He then downloaded data onto the phone and took it home, where he transferred it to a hard drive connected to his personal home computer.

This ‘unauthorised act’ had the potential to cause ‘serious damage’ to national security.

Sensitive information, where compromise might cause widespread loss of life or threaten the security or economic wellbeing of the country or friendly nations, is given the classification ‘top secret’, according to Ministry of Justice security guidance.

A month later, on September 22, Arshad was arrested and his home was charged.

His sheet said: ‘Between August 23, 2022 and September 23, 2022 [he] did an unauthorised act in relation to a computer and at the time of doing the act knew that it was unauthorised; and the act caused, or created a significant risk of a material kind, this being damage to the national security of a country; and he intended by doing the act to cause serious damage of a material kind or was reckless as to whether such damage was caused.’

Arshad admitted the charge on the ‘basis of recklessness’, his lawyer Nina Grahame KC said.

The 25-year-old had previously admitted two charges of making an indecent photograph of a child in relation to a number of images found between September 7 and 23, 2022, the court heard.

He has been granted conditional bail ahead of his sentencing for all charges on June 13. The conditions include not accessing the dark web.

Mrs Justice McGowan said: ‘I want you to understand because of your age I am making the request for the pre-sentence report in this case but that does not mean there will not be a custodial sentence.’

Previously, the senior judge had ruled that some parts of Arshad’s case would be heard behind closed doors, in the absence of the press and public.

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A woman as been arrested on suspicion of concealing a birth, neglect and infanticide after a baby boy was found dead outside a Notting Hill Church.

The child was found in a Marks and Spencer’s bag near All Saints Church in Notting Hill.

The infant was declared dead at the scene on Talbot Road in Notting Hill shortly before 1pm.

A woman in her thirties was found by police on Saturday and arrested in connection with the death.

She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and still receiving care there.

Medical experts will conduct a forensic post-mortem later this week to assist in investigations into the baby’s death.

Superintendent Owen Renowden, who leads policing for Kensington and Chelsea said: ‘This is an ongoing, fast-paced investigation, with officers working tirelessly to ascertain the circumstances of the baby boy’s death.

‘We believe that the woman is the baby’s mother and I am reassured that she is receiving the support she needs, while officers continue their work to understand what took place.

‘I recognise that the news of this arrest may cause concern among our community, but when dealing with investigations of this nature our priority is to ensure the welfare of all involved and ensure that all lines of enquiry are fully explored.

‘I appreciate the high level of attention that this investigation has received, but we politely ask for the public not to speculate.’

The deputy warden at All Saints’ Church in Notting Hill said she had ‘never heard anything like this in my life.’

Marcia Haynes told reporters: ‘I came here to prepare for the food bank and I just saw loads of police arriving, and when I came out it was all taped over.’

Marcia added the news a baby had died ‘just freaked me out, and I just I had to abandon what I was doing and go home because I thought I was going to be ill, to be honest’.

‘I’ve been here since 1966, I’ve never heard anything like this in my life.’

Moving tributes were later placed outside the church, including bunches of flowers and a toy bunny.

A note, left under a lit candle, read: ‘God bless the little Baby x’.

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A five hour police hunt for a corpse ended in shock when the body turned out to be a lifelike sex doll.

The ‘dead body in a blue plastic bag’ was first spotted on Saturday evening by a dog walker at a demolition site in Rostock, northern Germany.

It was only once homicide investigators, police drones and fire engines were at the scene for five hours did they discover the human remains were actually something entirely different.

The alleged corpse was in fact a lifelike female sex doll.

The love buddy had even been set on fire in several places and stuffed into a blue IKEA bag.

Bemused police officers then carted off the synthetic doll and a funeral director, hired to transport the body to a morgue, was told to go home.

The cordon and crime scene were hastily deconstructed, what has already been labelled ‘one of the most bizarre police operations in criminal history’.

This is not the first time a human sex toy has been mistaken for a dead body.

Police officers in the US state of Georgia responded to a call of a female body found along a hiking path in the Hitchiti National Forest.

After racing to the trail they unearthed a discarded human-sized sex doll.

The blonde-haired doll was dressed in a short blue shorts and a pink tube top and appeared remarkably lifelike when partly submerged in the woodland.

Cops quickly dubbed the doll Selena and collected her as evidence.

They department then joned on Facebook that Selena was ‘a little under the weather’ but ‘has been having a nice day and is expected to make a full recovery.’ 

The Police assured Selena’s owner that their DNA would not be collected, but stressed the importance of not littering.

The post went viral and received more than 39,000 likes; 35,000 shares and 7,500 comments.

Sex Dolls have become increasingly popular over recent years as the sex toy market has expanded worldwide.

There are 130,000 monthly searches on Google for “sex doll” and “sex dolls” in the US alone.

In the UK, sex toy companies reported that sales of the dolls skyrocketed during lockdown.

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Two people have been arrested after a toddler was found alone at a busy junction at night.

The young girl, believed to be aged between three and five, was found in the Wakefield Road area of Dalton, Huddersfield, last night.

West Yorkshire Police said in a statement: ‘A report was received at 6:51pm this evening of a young child in the street in the Dalton area.

‘The child was taken to a place of safety and house to house enquiries made in the local area.

‘The child has now been identified, and enquiries are ongoing into the circumstances of the incident.

‘Two people have been arrested as part of this investigation and are currently in police custody.’

A Dalton local, who said police knocked on their door last night about the incident told Metro: ‘I have a daughter around the same age so the thought of her alone walking the street was pretty shocking to be honest.’

This comes after a toddler was found wandering the streets alone in Wales.

The boy, who is believed to be around two or three-years-old, was found by somebody in Newport just before 7am on March 20.

The kid was then given back to his parents. There is no suggestion these incidents are linked.

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Mick Philpott, who killed his own children in a house fire, has been attacked in prison, an insider claims.

The devastating fire in Allenton, Derby, killed siblings Jade, 10, John, nine, Jack, seven, six-year-old Jessie and five-year-old Jayden.

Their older brother Duwayne, 13, succumbed to his injuries in hospital three days after the arson attack on May 11, 2012.

Parents Mick Philpott and Mairead first appeared heartbroken by the deaths until it emerged they were responsible for the blaze together with a friend, Paul Moseley.

While Mairead was freed in November 2020 after serving around half of her 17-year sentence, Mick remains behind bars, where he has complained about ‘hard prison life.’

He was allegedly ambushed by fellow inmates at HMP Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

The beating left the 68-year-old ‘battered and bruised,’ according to the Sun.

Another inmate jumped him armed with a heavy metal container or flask, causing lumps and bruises on his head, which could have been serious if the guards hadn’t intervened.

A source told the Sun: ‘Philpott was in a bad way after the attack – battered and bruised and with two large and noticeable lumps on the back of his head.

‘The other lad pounced on him and whacked him quite a few times from behind.

‘It was one bloke on his own – someone quite a bit younger than Philpott and it happened really quickly on the landing.’

After an alarm went off and ‘a huge commotion,’ the guards came to help him. But without their intervention, ‘it could have been a lot worse for Philpott,’ the insider said.

Now, the killer dad is said to be ‘feeling very sorry for himself,’ while ‘no-one had much sympathy’ for him, the source said.

Philpott is thought to be unpopular in prison, where he is ‘the lowest of the low’ and has got ‘a target on his back,’ they said.

He has previously blamed the deadly fire in 2012 on a neighbour and claimed to be devastated by the loss of his children.

Writing in a letter to complain about his incarceration in 2018, Philpott said he ‘can’t believe I’m still here.’

The arson is believed to have been orchestrated so that the damage would result in the parents getting a bigger council house in Derby.

However, after the flames started by using petrol grew bigger, the Philpotts were unable to get to their children inside.

The semi-detached family home on Victory Road, Allenton, was demolished in September 2013.

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A mum said she feels ‘violated’ and ‘betrayed’ by a neighbour and friend who stole CCTV footage of her naked in her own home.

Pete Tomlinson, 56, had got to know the mother-of-two, who wants to remain anonymous, after he moved next door to her in Broxtowe, Nottingham 15 years ago

They became good friends, and she let him into her home to help with odd jobs, clean, look after her pets and even gave him his own key.

However, after he helped set up CCTV cameras in her home, he started secretly taking an SD card from one of them and downloading photos of her.

Police later discovered around 2,000 images of her on his device that he had stolen over eight months, including a number where she was either naked, partially dressed or on the toilet.

Tomlinson, who has previously served time in jail for child sex offences, pleaded guilty to a charge of unauthorised access to computer material as an alternative to voyeurism.

He was handed 16-month prison term suspended for two years at Nottingham Crown Court.

The woman has slammed the justice system for allowing him to walk free.

‘After everything he has done to me and my children, the fear, the trauma, the lasting damage and he is still walking free while we are left to pick up the pieces of our lives.

‘The system that was supposed to protect us has instead made us feel invisible, as if what we have suffered does not matter.

The woman said Tomlinson had been well liked in the area, and often helped neighbours with DIY and other jobs, the Mirror reports.

She became close, even describing him as ‘family’, and her sons would often play with his children.

When she noticed a wad of cash was missing in 2022 she asked Tomlinson to install internal security cameras for her.

Around a year later, in 2023, the app on her phone that was connected to her home security system appeared to be glitching.

While she checked the camera roll she noticed Tomlinson looking back at her through the lens and became suspicious.

She decided to install hidden cameras and told Tomlinson she was going out one evening, but instead went to a hotel to watch the footage live.

It was then she caught him unplugging a camera and taking the SD card.

She said: ‘At this point I don’t know who he is anymore. He’s broken my trust, he’s not who I thought he was, he was family, but he’s not anymore. He’s stolen from me and he’s watching us secretly.’

The mum reported him to police and officers searched his house. He was arrested and charged.

Sentencing him, recorder Sacha Ackland said: ‘It is not a sex offence but the offence clearly had a sexual motive. There were over 2,000 images of the victim naked, and partially-dressed.

‘She trusted you and your actions abused that trust. In her victim impact statement she talks about her anxiety and how she feels unsafe in her own home. She says she is now scared and in her own words “she feels destroyed”.’

Speaking after the sentencing, the woman said: The mum, who has asked not to be named, said: ‘I have so many unanswered questions. Why did he do this to me? Why did he save those photos of me? Has he shared those images with anybody?

‘He has left me feeling scared to trust anybody and I feel violated and vulnerable. I feel so hurt, betrayed and extremely sad and I feel stupid for trusting him.’

Nick Walsh, mitigation, said his client has not lived in Broxtowe Lane since the offence came to light two years ago. He said Tomlinson now only has access to his two children through social services.

The defence barrister said: ‘He knows it was a deliberate decision to take the SD card and his actions have turned his life and the lives of his family upside down.’

As part of the suspended sentence order, the judge ordered him to attend 40 rehabilitation sessions and a programme designed to address his offending.

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Staff were confronting alleged dine and dashers when the family of four sped away with their car door open.

They left without paying after a meal at Pangs, a Chinese restaurant on Long Lane in Uxbridge, London, on March 23.

Footage from inside the restaurant showed two woman, one of them carrying a child in her arms, the other holding another child’s hand, as they walked out the door.

When staff realised what was happening, they chased them outside in an attempt to have them settle their bill.

But just as one man was stood holding the car door open for a chat, the driver hit the acceleration and sped off, leaving the staff members holding on for a brief chase.

‘Dine and dash… this is crazy’, the restaurant wrote on Facebook, describing the car as a white Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

‘Can’t believe they had two kids with them. Incident has been reported to the local authorities and they are looking out for the pair.

‘This is why we need to take payment up front for their sitdown meals, from now on. Fed up chasing the people out the door.’

A police spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of an incident at a restaurant in Uxbridge where a family left without paying their bill.

‘Enquiries are ongoing, and we urge anyone who may have seen something or has information to come forward.’

Dine-and-dashers can be a major headache for restaurant owners, who can lose hundreds of pounds each time.

An Italian restaurant West Sussex was down £390 after a group refused to pay food they described as ‘awful’. They left £60 for the alcohol they drank.

One couple racked up bills of £1,000 across five restaurants before using their children to walk out without paying between August 2023 and April last year.

Bernard McDonagh, 41, and his wife Ann, from Sandfields, Port Talbot, were jailed for eight and 12 months respectively for their stunts.

Ann had also pleaded guilty to thefts from two supermarkets and obstructing or resisting a police officer.

While some brazenly walk out without paying, some people go to great lengths to avoid settling up.

CCTV footage appeared to show one woman pluck a strand of hair from her head and place it on her plate at the Oriental Garden in Northampton.

She then allegedly left with her companion, without paying the £77 bill.

Like Pangs in Uxbridge, that Chinese restaurant said it would ask unfamiliar customers to pay when they order to avoid further losses.

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Several ‘Turkish’ barber shops across the UK have been raided by authorities overs fears they could be laundering drug money.

The National Crime Agency (NCA), which is leading a major investigation, has seized tens of thousands of pounds from shops in several towns and cities over the past month.

As well as money laundering, some are suspected of tax fraud and illegal migrant work.

Raids were carried out by the NCA, together with local police officers, immigration enforcement officers and HM Revenue and Customs inspectors

At some shops tax inspectors would reportedly note the number of chairs in use and check if the profits declared by the owners corresponded to customers coming in.

One official who spoke to the Sunday Times, said there were streets with several barber shops and all were declaring large takings even though they were often empty.

Last year more than 750 barber shops opened across the UK, according to retail analytics company Green Street.

There are more than 18,000 outlets today, 15% more than there were in 2018.

The shops targeted in this month’s operation were mainly cash-only.

Although they are generally known as Turkish barber shops, several are run by Albanians and Kurds who have links to criminal gangs.

Alongside raids, the NCA and its partners are also making ‘friendly’ visits toget more information.

A spokesperson for the NCA said: ‘Intelligence linking the use of barber shops, as well as other cash-intensive businesses, to money laundering and other criminality has risen in recent years.

‘To respond to this threat, the NCA has co-ordinated multi-agency law enforcement action targeting barber shops where suspicious activity has been identified, and where there are possible connections to organised crime.

‘This has involved a large number of police forces across England and Wales, as well as other partners, including HMRC and the Home Office’s immigration enforcement department.’ 

Barbers in the UK can register as a sole-trader, instead of as a business with Companies House and they can let out chairs to hairdressers, which makes it harder for investigators to find out who is operating legitimately and who isn’t.

One former London barber, Hewa Rehimpur, 31, was arrested in 2022 for trafficking offences.

He had been a key figure in a pan-European smuggling ring that brought as many as 10,000 migrants to the UK on small boats over the channel.

After being extradited to Belgium and standing trial with other gang members he was jailed for 11 years.

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Men refused entry to an upmarket nightclub allegedly tried to storm it ‘armed with machetes’ last night.

Two people were injured during the incident at Tabu nightclub in Mayfair, around the corner from the celebrity favourite Annabel’s.

Police arrested one man at the scene and then detained another three men in Hertfordshire later in the night.

Photographs from the scene show officers outside the venue, with their vehicle parked nearby.

A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘Police were called at 3.11am on Sunday, 30 March to a venue on Dover Street, W1 following reports of a disturbance and three people in possession of weapons. 

‘Officers attended and one man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon.

‘Following initial enquiries, three men were arrested in Hertfordshire in the early hours of this morning in connection with this investigation. All four men remain in custody.

‘At this time, it’s believed that this was an isolated incident.

‘Two people sustained injuries which are not life changing.’

Police appealed for any witnesses to come forward.

UK News and Pictures, whose photographer took photos of officers responding last night, reported that a nearby venue manager witnessed the moment the men tried to force their way in.

The unmamed worker said: ‘It was pure chaos. The men tried to charge the door with large blades. How anyone wasn’t hurt was just pure luck.

‘Our customers come out for a good evening, and they don’t expect to see something like this.’

Praising the swift response from police, he said: ‘The officers dealt with it very quickly, and we saw a number of people being arrested. It’s not good for business to have this kind of trouble, but thankfully the situation was brought under control.’

Metro has contacted Tabu for comment on the incident.

The club’s website describes it as ‘the home of Tokyo Nightlife, located in the heart of Mayfair’.

It adds that ‘for the best experience and the easiest way to gain access into our Tokyo inspired universe, a table reservation is highly encouraged.’

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A pedestrian was knocked down and killed before the driver abandoned the vehicle and left it on fire in a ‘very serious incident’ yesterday evening.

The alleged murderer is still at large, with no arrests yet made and the road in Harlow still sealed off as police try to work out what happened.

The victim was a man in his twenties, who was walking on a cycle path near the Harefield Church on Morples Road in Essex around 5.30pm yesterday.

The vehicle is thought to have come off the road and hit him, before being abandoned a short distance away in an underpass at the Clock Tower Roundabout.

Essex Police said: ‘With the help of firefighters, the fire was extinguished and this vehicle has been forensically seized.

‘We are investigating the possibility that this incident is linked to the theft of a black Ford Fiesta in nearby Pennymead, Harlow, reported to us earlier that day at around 4pm.’

The man’s family have been informed.

Detective Inspector Alison Hooper said: ‘At the centre of this incident is a person who has lost their life in terrible circumstances.

‘We are supporting a grieving family.

‘I have a dedicated team working hard to establish the sequence of events which led to this fatal collision and this investigation is making progress.

‘We’re particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have seen the vehicles in question in the Harlow area in the hours leading up to this collision.

‘I appreciate this is a very serious incident which will cause concern in Harlow, but I’d ask that the public refrain from any unhelpful speculation which could cause further upset.

‘We will continue to update on the progress of our investigation.

‘For now I would urge anyone with information which could assist us to please come forward.’

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A mum and dad say they were locked up for 11 hours after they complained about the recruitment process at their daughter’s school on WhatsApp.

Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine were arrested on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications at their home on January 29.

Five weeks later, Hertfordshire Police confirmed there was no case against them.

Video footage shows the moment the pair were led away by six police officers in front of their crying three-year-old daughter Francesca.

The drama started in May last year when Mr Allen, a former governor at the school, questioned why an open recruitment process was not carried out, six months after the headteacher at Cowley Hill Primary School in Borehamwood had announced his retirement.

He hoped there would be a meeting to discuss it but his worries were left unanswered.

Jackie Spriggs, chair of governors, then told parents that ‘inflammatory and defamatory’ comments had been seen on social media.

She warned that the school would take action against anyone who caused ‘disharmony’.

It was then that Mr Allen and Ms Levine were banned from the school for ‘casting aspersions,’ according to Mrs Spriggs.

This meant they missed their daughter’s parents evening and also a Christmas performance by her.

The parents then contacted the school over Sascha’s needs because she has epilepsy, is neurodivergent and registered disabled.

An officer issued a warning to the family in December, and told them to take Sascha out of school, which they did the next month, a week before the arrests.

Mr Allen has accused the school of trying to ‘silence parents’.

‘I was just in complete disbelief,’ he said.

‘It was just unfathomable to me that things had escalated to this degree.

‘It was absolutely nightmarish. I couldn’t believe this was happening, that a public authority could use the police to close down a legitimate inquiry.

‘We’d never used abusive or threatening language, even in private, and always followed due process. Yet we have never even been told what these communications were that were supposedly criminal, which is completely Kafkaesque.

‘I believe the school tried to use the police to close down legitimate inquiries, and for some reason the constabulary played along.’

Other allegations against the couple included causing a nuisance on school property. 

But Mr Allen, a Times Radio producer, and Ms Levine, a television producer, both claim they didn’t step foot in the school since July.

Ms Levine recalled the events that happened and said: ‘I saw six police officers standing there. There were two cars and a police van. My first thought was that Sascha was dead. I could not think of any other reason why six police officers would be at my door. Francesca was cowering in the corner, she was terrified.’

A spokesperson for Cowley Hill Primary School said: ‘We sought advice from the police following a high volume of direct correspondence and public social media posts from two parents, as this was becoming upsetting for staff, parents and governors.

‘We’re always happy for parents to raise concerns, but we do ask that they do this in a suitable way, and in line with the school’s published complaints procedure.’

Hertfordshire Constabulary said: ‘Following reports of harassment and malicious communications, which are criminal offences, a man and a woman from Borehamwood, both aged in their 40s, were arrested on Wednesday 29 January.

‘The arrests were necessary to fully investigate the allegations as is routine in these types of matters.

‘Following further investigations, officers deemed that no further action should be taken due to insufficient evidence.

‘In relation to the police visit on 20 December, a complaint was submitted which was reviewed by our Professional Standards Department.

‘It was deemed that the service provided by officers was appropriate.’

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A driver has been charged with murder after another motorist died in an alleged road rage incident.

Paul Bowles, 50, was declared dead at the scene close to the Elk Mill roundabout on Broadway in Chadderton, Greater Manchester, at around 6.40pm on Wednesday.

Officers had been called to reports of an altercation there, saying one of the drivers got back into his vehicle and struck the other man.

Andrew Robson, 32, from Chadderton has been charged with murder over the incident.

He is due to appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

In a tribute, Mr Bowles’ family described him as a ‘kind, loving, family man and true gentleman who always put others before himself.

‘He was intelligent and quick-witted, had a brilliant mind and generous heart.’

The family continue to be supported by police, Greater Manchester Police added.

A spokesperson said: ‘We initially responded to reports of a fight between two drivers close to the Elk Mill roundabout.

‘The victim, a man aged 50, sadly died at the scene despite the best efforts of emergency services.’

In an appeal for information earlier this week, the force said: ‘It is believed that the drivers of two vehicles had an altercation close to the roundabout, before one of the drivers got back into his vehicle and struck the other man.’

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A man is critically ill in hospital after being punched in the face outside a McDonald’s last night.

The man, aged in his 30s, suffered a serious head injury after the blow caused him to collapse on the pavement at the junction of Hanover Street and Ranelagh Street in Liverpool.

He was visiting the city for a night out, police said, with four men from the Midlands believed to be known to him now in custody accused of GBH with intent.

They are a 19-year-old man from Redditch, a 26-year-old man from Birmingham, a 37-year-old man from Birmingham, and a 31-year-old from Hollywood, Worcestershire. 

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Parry said: ‘This assault has left the victim in a critical condition during what should have been an enjoyable night out in Liverpool.

‘People should be able to visit our city centre without any fear of being a victim of – or even witnessing – an incident such as this.

‘If you were in the area of Church Street and Hanover Street at around 7.30pm on Friday and believe you may have witnessed any part of this incident, we appeal for you to come forward to police.

‘It is vital that anyone responsible for bringing violence to the streets of Merseyside is brought to justice, and we appeal to the public to assist with our enquires into the incident.

‘The information you have could prove vital to our enquiries.’

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A pensioner who was ‘struggling to manage his son’s behaviour’ stabbed him in the neck with a kitchen knife during an argument.

Teesside Crown Court was told that Peter Simpson, 68, had ‘snapped’ before going to the kitchen for a knife and stabbing his adult son in the neck.

The court heard that the son has autism and ADHD and that Simpson found it difficult to cope with his behaviour.

Police had been called to his home in Stockton on multiple occasions following violent incidents from both Simpson and his son.

Prosecutor Michael Budge told the court that on July 29 last year, shortly after 4.00 pm, Simpson rang the police telling them that he had stabbed his son in the neck during an altercation and that his son was heard in the background saying the blood was ‘gushing’.

When officers arrived, Budge said: ‘(The son) was in the living room with a blood-soaked tea towel pressed against his neck.’

Simpson’s son told officers there had been an argument over a bank card.

Budge said: ‘He told his dad he did not want him to be arrested or go to jail.’

But, Simpson insisted on telephoning the police and reporting what he had done.

The son was taken to hospital where he was treated for the injury, which thankfully had not damaged any major vessels and he made a good recovery.

The court heard that Simpson told police during an interview: ‘I wasn’t going to murder him, I wouldn’t do that.’

Simpson appeared in court after admitting a charge of wounding with intent.

Defending lawyer Isabella Denn-White said her client struggled to manage his son’s behaviour and regular requests for money.

She said there was a ‘loss of control and ability to cope’ and cited bouts of depression, for which he never sought any medical attention.

She said it was due to him struggling to manage his son’s behaviour that ’caused him to act the way he did on that particular evening. Something snapped’.

Denn-White said: “He regrets everything that has happened and if he could take it away he would.”

She said his son has been struggling without his dad and that although the relationship is difficult the pair rely on each other. The barrister said her client had also been drinking alcohol at the time of the incident.

Judge Jonathan Carroll said that although the son did not want his father prosecuted the decision was taken out of his hands.

He said: ‘It is a great relief to everybody involved that in fact the injury was relatively low level. That is a matter of chance. This case could just have easily ended up in his death.’

Simpson was sentenced to four years and five months in jail and an order was made that any future contact with his son would have to be supervised.

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