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Crime Articles
Disqualification for plant hire director who failed to keep adequate records (30 December 2015)
The director of a plant hire company has been disqualified as a director for a period of seven years for failing to ensure that adequate books and records of the company were maintained, preserved and/or delivered up to the Liquidator. Read more...
Company sentenced over corporate manslaughter charges (29 December 2015)
Preston Crown Court has sentenced a crane company to a £700,000 fine after the company was found guilty of corporate manslaughter and health and safety offences. Read more...
Prison sentence for man convicted of terrorism offences (24 December 2015)
The Old Bailey has sentenced a man convicted on 13 counts of terrorism to four-and-a-half years in prison. Read more...
Community order for fly tipping in Buckinghamshire (23 December 2015)
A 25-year-old man from west London has pleaded guilty to three offences of fly tipping. Read more...
Suspended sentences handed down, after Staffordshire Trading Standards recover £1.5m worth of fake goods (23 December 2015)
An investigation by Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards team has led to suspended sentences and community orders for four men who planned to flood the Midlands and other areas with counterfeit goods with a street value of £1.5 million. Read more...
Knightsbridge restaurateur disqualified from holding directorship for 12 years (22 December 2015)
A London restaurateur who owed £1.3 million to HMRC has been disqualified from acting as a company director for 12 years. Read more...
Welsh Government launches National pathway to prevent homelessness among ex-offenders (22 December 2015)
The Welsh government has launched new measures to ensure that prisoners who leave prison will have access to secure accommodation, rather than being placed in bed and breakfast accommodation on their release. Read more...
Director of solar energy firm disqualified for eight years (21 December 2015)
The director of a solar energy company involved in supplying energy efficient insulations has been disqualified for eight years, after an investigation by the Insolvency Service found that he had failed to account for more than £90,000 in assets purchased by his company – and had transferred in excess of £122,000 to his partner, at a time when he knew the company owed a customer money it had received erroneously and had no prospect of repaying. Read more...
Carbon credits company liquidated after “delivering misery to vulnerable investors” (21 December 2015)
A London company which offered the public the opportunity to invest in carbon credits or diamonds has been ordered into liquidation in the High Court on grounds of public interest, following an investigation by the Insolvency Service and video-linked court evidence from investors. Read more...
THINK! warns drivers they may still be over the limit the morning after a “big night out” (21 December 2015)
The annual Christmas THINK! campaign to prevent drunk driving is warning drivers about the risks of driving the morning after a big night out. Read more...
Three jailed for cocaine offences (21 December 2015)
Liverpool Crown Court has sentenced three men a total of nearly 19 years in jail for conspiracy to supply cocaine. Read more...
West Midlands gang may have sentences for supplying guns increased (21 December 2015)
The Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, has referred the sentences of 14 members of a Birmingham gang to the Court of Appeal, on the grounds they were too lenient. Read more...
Retired doctor given suspended sentence for selling illegal medicines for male pattern baldness (21 December 2015)
Southwark Crown Court has given a retired doctor a suspended prison sentence, after he pleaded guilty to illegally selling medicines for the treatment of male pattern baldness. Read more...
Life for man who killed Good Samaritan in bottle attack (18 December 2015)
Liverpool Crown Court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment, after he killed a woman acting as a “Good Samaritan”, who tried to protect a baby caught up in a row between him and another woman. Read more...
Greengrocer fined for defective fruit and mislabelling offences (18 December 2015)
A greengrocer in Burnley, Lancashire has been prosecuted for selling defective fruit and for mislabelling offences. Read more...
Two men who beat Chatham father to death given total of 30 years in jail (15 December 2015)
Canterbury Crown Court has jailed two men for a total of 30 years, over the killing of a man in Chatham, Kent. Read more...
Disqualification for director who mis-sold insurance policies (15 December 2015)
A director who mis-sold insurance policies which were not underwritten by an insurer has been disqualified from acting as a director for 11 years. Read more...
Sentence increases for two convicted robbers (14 December 2015)
The Court of Appeal has increased the jail terms of two men convicted on charges of robbery to a total of 19 years’ imprisonment each, with an extended four-year licence period for a number of violent offences. Read more...
Nine-year disqualification for director, after failing to deliver up accounts to the Liquidator (14 December 2015)
A company director has been disqualified for nine years, after failing to maintain, preserve and deliver up accounting records after a company was placed into Liquidation. Read more...
Jail and driving ban for motorist who caused fatal pile up on motorway (14 December 2015)
Liverpool Crown Court has sentenced a Cheshire lorry driver to 30 months in jail and has and banned him from driving for six years, after a crash that left one man dead and two people with serious injuries. Read more...
Council finance officer and seven others sentenced for £400,000 fraud (14 December 2015)
Southwark Crown Court has sentenced eight defendants who defrauded the London Borough of Haringey in a fraud totalling more than £400,000. Read more...
Unlicensed private vehicle hire drivers prosecuted (11 December 2015)
Uttlesford District Council has successfully prosecuted two drivers for illegally operating as a private hire vehicle without a licence at Stansted Airport. Read more...
Directors disqualified for mis-selling carbon credits as investments (10 December 2015)
The directors of two London-based companies have been disqualified, after an investigation by the Insolvency Service found that Voluntary Emission Reductions (VERs) certificates – a type of carbon credit certificate –
were mis-sold to members of the public as an investment. Read more...
Suspended sentence for benefit claimant who failed to declare income from employment (10 December 2015)
Wyre Council has prosecuted a benefit claimant who fraudulently income-based claimed benefits over several years. Read more...
Director disqualified for failing to submit full tax and VAT returns (9 December 2015)
The director of an electrical installation company which went into liquidation has been disqualified for failing to advise HMRC of VAT and tax figures. Read more...
Council prosecutes unlicensed tattooist who put customers at risk of infection (9 December 2015)
Peterborough City Council has prosecuted an unlicensed tattoo artist in the first case of its kind in Peterborough. Read more...
Border Force warns Christmas shoppers about counterfeit goods entering UK (9 December 2015)
Border Force officers are warning shoppers not to buy counterfeit goods at Christmas, after seizing thousands of fake products at UK ports, airports and postal hubs. Read more...
Jail for director who acted as MD for firm while disqualified (8 December 2015)
A director who acted as managing director (MD) for a company while disqualified has been jailed and disqualified at Worcester Crown Court. Read more...
Court of Appeal imposes extended sentence on violent criminal (8 December 2015)
The Court of Appeal has imposed an extended sentence of imprisonment on Swansea armed robber Robert Quinn, after finding him to be a dangerous offender. Read more...
Welsh Secretary of State says efforts to cut re-offending must be central to criminal justice system (7 December 2015)
The Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Crabb has said that the government’s efforts to improve rehabilitation will reduce re-offending, cut crime and make the UK’s streets safer. Read more...
Prison for homeless man who breached injunction order for begging (7 December 2015)
A homeless man in Wigan Borough who breached an injunction order has been sentenced to prison, after being caught begging. Read more...
Disqualification for managing director of stockbrokers left with £3m client cash shortfall (7 December 2015)
The managing director of a stockbrokers has been disqualified for eight years, after misleading the then Financial Standard Authority (FSA) – and causing his company to trade while in breach of financial rules and regulations regarding use of client monies. Read more...
Home financier given 13-year bankruptcy restriction and fined £945,277 for SRB offences (7 December 2015)
A home financier from Walsall in the West Midlands has been given a 13-year bankruptcy restriction, after breaching the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) regulations relating to “sale and rent back” (SRB) agreements. Read more...
Kent shopkeeper prosecuted for selling defective fruit (7 December 2015)
A Kent shopkeeper has been prosecuted, after an investigation by the Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate (HMI) found quality defects and labelling offences in fruit and vegetables sold at his store. Read more...
Water company fined £300,000 for polluting Devon stream (7 December 2015)
South West Water has been ordered to pay more than £300,000 in fines and costs, after polluting a Devon watercourse. Read more...
Durham Council gets tough with those who commit environmental crimes (4 December 2015)
Durham City Council is warning that more people than ever are “paying the price” for committing environmental crimes – from dog fouling to fly tipping. Read more...
Suspended sentence for Worthing man who counterfeited film DVDs to support gambling (3 December 2015)
West Sussex Trading Standards have prosecuted a Worthing man caught illegally downloading and selling copied DVDs of unreleased films. Read more...
Food business closed by Swindon Borough Council after emergency closure order is granted (3 December 2015)
Swindon Borough Council has shut down a local business – which claimed to supply around 1,000 samosas a day to shops and other businesses – because it posed an immediate threat to public health.
Read more...
Medway Trading Standards finds 90% of e-cigarette retailers sell to under-18s (2 December 2015)
Medway Trading Standards says that nearly 90% of shops in Medway selling e-cigarettes are breaking the law by selling nicotine products to children. Read more...
GMC raises alarm that new passport to practice will allow unqualified or inexperienced medics to practise in UK (1 December 2015)
The General Medical Council (GMC) has called on the European Commission and UK government to act over patient safety concerns about a proposed new “passport to practise” for medical staff. Read more...
Cumbria tackles legal high trade in Barrow-in-Furness (1 December 2015)
Cumbria County Council Trading Standards and Cumbria Police have joined forces to crack down on so-called legal highs or novel psychoactive substances being supplied in Cumbria. Read more...
12-week suspended sentence for fly tipping on Gateshead bridle path (30 November 2015)
A County Durham man who admitted fly tipping on a scenic bridal path in Gateshead has been given a suspended prison sentence – and ordered to pay more than £1,400 in court costs and compensation. Read more...
Liverpool gang jailed for total of 101 years for aggravated burglary and wounding (30 November 2015)
A five-member gang from Liverpool has been jailed for a total of 101 years for their parts in a domestic robbery, during which two men were subjected to extreme violence and the pet dog of one of the victims was stabbed. Read more...
Over £250,000 in fines for dumping more than 60,000 tonnes of construction waste (30 November 2015)
The Environment Agency has prosecuted three businessmen for illegally dumping more than 60,000 tonnes of waste on two farms near Callington in Cornwall. Read more...
12-year disqualification for company director who diverted funds and “abandoned” company’s pensioners (27 November 2015)
A company director has been disqualified for 12 years from acting as a director for failing to make sure the company met its obligations to the Carrington Wire Limited (CWL) Defined Benefit Pension Scheme – and causing a dormant company to facilitate a series of transactions which enabled an unconnected Russian company to avoid its liabilities to the CWL pension scheme. Read more...
Shadow director given 8-year ban for directing monies to associate company (26 November 2015)
The shadow director of a company has been disqualified from holding a directorship for eight years, after directing £84,444 to an associated company. Read more...
Former shopkeeper prosecuted over selling alcohol to children and storing fireworks without a licence (25 November 2015)
A former Derbyshire shopkeeper has been fined £1,458 for selling alcohol to a person under the age of 18 and storing fireworks without a storage licence. Read more...
Ealing Council crack down on Blue Badge fraud (25 November 2015)
A crack down on Blue Badge fraud by Ealing Council has resulted in 26 badges being used fraudulently being seized since July. Read more...
Old Bailey sentences drugs gang to more than 25 years in jail (24 November 2015)
The Old Bailey has sentenced two Essex men to more than 25 years in jail for a major drug smuggling operation. Read more...
London council to ban lorries parking overnight in residential streets (24 November 2015)
Hounslow Council is to introduce an overnight parking ban on lorries weighing more than 5 tonnes, following complaints from residents. Read more...
Harrow Council prosecutes two shops breaches of tobacco sales regulations (24 November 2015)
Harrow Council’s Trading Standards team has prosecuted two businesses in Harrow for selling cigarettes to children and not displaying health warnings. Read more...
Ealing Council crack down on Blue Badge fraud results in 26 seizures (23 November 2015)
A crack down on Blue Badge fraud by Ealing Council has resulted in 26 badges being used fraudulently being seized since July. Read more...
Car dealer family fined £3,700 for mis-selling used cars (23 November 2015)
A father and his two sons who admitted charges involving mis-selling used cars have been ordered to pay £3,700 following prosecution by Buckinghamshire Council and Surrey County Council, which operate a joint trading standards service. Read more...
Jail for gas engineer found guilty of the manslaughter of partner and her daughter from CO poisoning (23 November 2015)
A registered gas fitter has been sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted of the manslaughter of his partner and her daughter on board his houseboat, who died from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning as the result of a poorly fitted generator. Read more...
Motorway speed cameras to be yellow by October 2016 (23 November 2015)
The government has announced that all working speed cameras on motorways will be yellow by October 2016 and grey speed cameras will be phased out. Read more...
Technology companies pledge to continue work to eliminate online child sexual exploitation (23 November 2015)
The world’s leading technology companies have announced that they will continue to work towards eliminating child sexual exploitation online. Read more...
Southwark Council prosecutes food outlets for dumping commercial waste (23 November 2015)
Southwark Council has prosecuted the managers of a branch of the Subway food outlet and a KHF Chicken takeaway for dumping commercial waste on the streets of Southwark. Read more...
London man convicted on terrorism charges (23 November 2015)
A man who booked flights to Syria for himself and four others to join ISIS has been convicted on two counts of preparing to commit acts of terrorism. Read more...
Woman given suspended sentence for racially aggravated harassment (23 November 2015)
A woman who subjected fellow bus passengers to a “torrent” of anti-Muslim and racist abuse has been given a suspended jail sentence. Read more...
Takeaway owner to be prosecuted over hygiene breaches (20 November 2015)
Darlington Borough Council has closed a takeaway in the town, after hygiene concerns were raised by Darlington Borough Council^s Environmental Health team. Read more...
Manchester City Council prosecutes illegal street trader (19 November 2015)
A Manchester street trader operating illegally in Manchester city centre has been ordered to pay £644.59 and forfeit his goods, which were seized by council officers. Read more...
Life sentence for murder of 18-year-old from Birmingham (18 November 2015)
Birmingham Crown Court has sentenced three men to life imprisonment for the murder of an 18-year-old man in April 2015. Read more...
Private hire driver loses licence appeal, after knocking down customer after alleged altercation (18 November 2015)
A private hire driver convicted of running down a customer has lost his appeal against losing his private hire licence. Read more...
Shropshire fire fighter pleads guilty to arson (17 November 2015)
A fire fighter from Shropshire who deliberately set a series of fires around Shropshire and Staffordshire – which he later attended as a member of the emergency services – has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cause damage to property by fire. Read more...
West Midlands man sentenced for hate crime (17 November 2015)
A 68-year-old man from Pleck in the West Midlands has been convicted of a criminal offence relating to racially/religiously aggravated intentional harassment/alarm/distress – words/writing. Read more...
UK signs compulsory prisoner transfer agreement with Ghana (16 November 2015)
The Ministry of Justice has announced that the UK has signed a compulsory prisoner transfer agreement with Ghana, to allow transfer of prisoners between each country. Read more...
Fine for Derbyshire man who fraudulently claimed Housing Benefit (16 November 2015)
A man who wrongly claimed benefits over a 19-month period has been prosecuted for failing to declare a change in his circumstances while receiving Housing Benefit. Read more...
Ealing Council Trading Standards seizes counterfeit goods destined for the Christmas market (16 November 2015)
Ealing Council’s Trading Standards team has smashed a major counterfeiting ring, after seizing thousands of suspected fake goods and prescription-only medication in Southall, Middlesex. Read more...
Eight points on licence and £1,000 fine for illegal taxi driver in Manchester city centre (16 November 2015)
An illegal taxi driver operating in Manchester’s city centre has been prosecuted after being caught having illegally picked up passengers. Read more...
Southampton cuts first-time youth offender numbers by half (16 November 2015)
The number of young people in Southampton entering the criminal justice system for the first time has reduced by almost half in two years. Read more...
Derbyshire firm prosecuted after meat past its sell-by date is seized (16 November 2015)
A meat company based in Derbyshire has been fined £1,000 after meat for human consumption past its sell-by date was found on its premises and condemned. Read more...
East London man landed with £10,000 legal bill for dumping commercial waste (16 November 2015)
A man from east London has been fined £10,000, after illegally dumping waste across several London boroughs. Read more...
Gateshead Council and Northumbria Police use PSPO to stop motorcyclists off-roading on rural bridleway (12 November 2015)
Authorities in Gateshead have used a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to tackle anti-social behaviour in the area. Read more...
£1,000 fine for Bedford restaurateur who ignored food hygiene warnings (12 November 2015)
A restaurant owner who ignored repeated warnings about the cleanliness of his business has been fined more than £1,000.
Read more...
Benefit fraud and error at record low, says government (11 November 2015)
New figures published on Thursday (05/11/15) show that benefit fraud and error fell to 1.8% of overall welfare spending in 2014 -2015, compared with 2.1% since 2010 –2011. Read more...
Wirral Council prosecutes 18 people who failed to pay fixed penalty notice for litter offences (11 November 2015)
Wirral Council has brought the first prosecutions of those who have failed to pay a fixed penalty notice for littering. Read more...
Daventry Council warns residents to beware Council Tax rebate fraudsters (9 November 2015)
Daventry Council is warning residents about a phone scam targeting people by telling them they are due a Council Tax rebate. Read more...
Suspended sentence and community order for trader selling counterfeit designer goods (6 November 2015)
A Stockton Borough trader who sold counterfeit designer goods has been prosecuted under the Trade Marks Act 1994.
Read more...
Former owner of retail store fined for selling alcohol to underage customers and counterfeit cigarettes (5 November 2015)
The former operator of a Stockton convenience store which sold alcohol to underage children – as well as selling counterfeit cigarettes – has been prosecuted. Read more...
Former owner of takeaway fined £5,500 for food hygiene offences (5 November 2015)
The former owner of a takeaway business in Derbyshire has been fined £5,500 after pleading guilty to 11 food hygiene charges. Read more...
Aerial fitter prosecuted for misleading consumers (4 November 2015)
An investigation into an aerial fitter from Wareham in Dorset has resulted in prosecution, after Dorset Council Trading Standards found evidence that he failed to give a price to customers before carrying out work – and failed to provide details of their right to cancel contracts. Read more...
Chinese takeaway prosecuted for food safety failings (3 November 2015)
A Chinese takeaway in Stansted, Essex has been fined nearly £3,000 after failing to meet food safety hygiene standards. Read more...
Companies wound up after US oil well investment scheme fails to deliver (3 November 2015)
An Insolvency Service investigation into two companies offering investments in US oil wells has resulted in both companies being closed down. Read more...
Brent Council prosecutes third store in two months for selling alcohol to underage customers (2 November 2015)
A convenience store in Kilburn, northwest London, has become the third shop in Brent to be fined a four-figure sum, after the retailer was caught selling alcohol to a child. Read more...
Fine for Council Tax support claimant who failed to declare husband’s income (2 November 2015)
Bedfordshire County Council has prosecuted a benefit claimant who failed to declare that her husband was working when she applied for Council Tax support. Read more...
Sandwell Council launches knife surrender bin in West Bromwich (2 November 2015)
Sandwell Council in the West Midlands has launched a knife surrender bin on West Bromwich High Street, to enable people to voluntarily give up weapons and help save lives. Read more...
Director of garage banned for failing to keep records (2 November 2015)
The director of a car repair garage which started trading in 2007 has been disqualified from holding a directorship, after an investigation by the Insolvency Service found he had failed to keep accounting records. Read more...
Six years for man convicted of terrorism and immigration offences (2 November 2015)
A man convicted of terrorism and immigration charges has been sentence to six years in jail. Read more...
Disqualification for director who avoided alcohol duty and filed false VAT returns and accounts (2 November 2015)
The director of a wholesaler supplying alcoholic drinks has been disqualified from holding a directorship after an investigation by the Insolvency Service found he had who failed to declare alcohol duty and had filed false VAT returns and false accounts. Read more...
14-year bankruptcy restriction for financial controller who misappropriated funds (30 October 2015)
A financial controller who misappropriated £90,326 from his employer has been given a 14-year Bankruptcy Restrictions Undertaking, following an investigation by the Insolvency Service. Read more...
Birmingham woman jailed for 16 months for misleading the court (29 October 2015)
A woman from Birmingham who lied to the court about her personal circumstances to avoid a prison sentence has been jailed for 16 months at Birmingham Crown Court. Read more...
Director disqualified after submitting incorrect tax returns (29 October 2015)
The director of a company which sold and repaired musical instruments has been disqualified from holding a directorship for seven years, after an investigation by the Insolvency Service found that he had submitted incorrect Corporation Tax returns. Read more...
Brothers found guilty of helping others to prepare for acts of terrorism (28 October 2015)
Kingston Crown Court has found two brothers guilty of helping others preparing for acts of terrorism, after a retrial. Read more...
High Court winds up two “opaque” LLPs, after investigation finds evidence of false accounting (27 October 2015)
The High Court has ordered two opaque limited liability partnerships (LLPs) into liquidation, after an investigation by the Insolvency Service found that each LLP had filed false accounts at Companies House. Read more...
New report finds reduced staffing at weekends may mean young offenders spend longer periods in isolation (27 October 2015)
The Youth Justice Board (YJB) has responded to a report on the use of isolation in youth justice settings by stating that that isolation should primarily be used if a young person poses a risk to themselves or others. Read more...
UK and China to co-operate on tackling smuggling and Customs fraud (27 October 2015)
The UK and China have signed an agreement to tackle international smuggling and the organised criminal groups who operate in direct contravention of customs laws. Read more...
Rapist who fled UK arrested under EAW to face 20-year jail term (26 October 2015)
A rapist who fled to Slovakia to escape justice has been given a 20-year extended sentence at Leeds Crown Court. Read more...
Suspended sentence for cyber attacker who hacked into Home Office and FBI websites (26 October 2015)
A hacker who accessed both the UK Home Office website and the website of the FBI in the US has been given a suspended jail sentence at Birmingham Crown Court. Read more...
Council prosecutes over noise intrusion from resident’s dog (26 October 2015)
Sheffield City Council has prosecuted the owner of a noisy dog, after neighbours complained frequently of noise intrusion caused by barking. Read more...
Sheffield man given £540 fine for fly-tipping (26 October 2015)
Sheffield Council’s Environmental Protection Service has prosecuted a Sheffield resident for fly-tipping, after bags of waste were found dumped on parkland at Cammell Road in Sheffield. Read more...
Fine for Notts man caught out by unlicensed waste carrier (23 October 2015)
A man from Mansfield in Nottinghamshire has been prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act for dumping garden waste. Read more...
Hammersmith and Fulham Council work with Met Police to take young drug dealers off the street (22 October 2015)
Hammersmith and Fulham council officers have helped the Metropolitan Police identify and jail drug dealers operating in White City in west London. Read more...
Leicester Trading Standards warns consumers about online car scam (21 October 2015)
Trading Standards Officers in Leicester are warning consumers not to fall for an online scam in which customers pay up-front for high-value cars that turn out not to exist. Read more...
Court of Appeal increases sentences for two convicted rapists (21 October 2015)
The Court of Appeal has ruled sentences given to two rapists were unduly lenient – and has increased them by 11 and five years. Read more...
Devon and Somerset Trading Standards crackdown on illegal tobacco sales (19 October 2015)
Devon and Somerset Trading Standards are to patrol the streets of Exeter on Monday (19/10/15) in an exercise to crack down on illegal tobacco. Read more...
Birmingham’s youth justice service records fall in offenders and re-offenders (19 October 2015)
The Birmingham Youth Justice Plan 2015-2016 has been drawn up setting out the priorities for the city’s youth justice service. Read more...
Car dealer who posed as high-flying professional to con women jailed for eight years for romance fraud (19 October 2015)
Worcester Crown Court has sentenced a man who conned women out of £185,000 in a string of romance frauds to eight years in prison. Read more...
Life sentence for murder after unprovoked attack on club goer (19 October 2015)
A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 43-year-old Greek national Menelaos Aligizakis. Read more...
Life for father-to-be who murdered pregnant wife and unborn son (19 October 2015)
A father-to-be who attacked his pregnant wife and caused her to lose their child has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, child destruction and assault. Read more...
Two years in jail for self-styled healer who sexually assaulted client (19 October 2015)
Birmingham Crown Court has sentenced a self-styled “Holy Man” who sexually assaulted a woman during a healing ritual to two years^ imprisonment. Read more...
HMRC taskforces recover £109m from tax evaders (19 October 2015)
A crackdown on tax cheats by HMRC has netted £109 million in the last six months – including £64.9m recovered in the first three months of this year, more than double the figure for the same period in 2014. Read more...
£4,000 fine for failing to submit electronic sales notes for fish purchases (16 October 2015)
A company has been fined more than £4,000 after purchasing fish without an electronic sales note. Read more...
Multi-agency approach to reduce unsafe lorries on London’s roads (16 October 2015)
A new joint enforcement partnership aims to reduce the number of unsafe lorry drivers and operators in London. Read more...
£1,500 fine for Birmingham man convicted of fisheries offences (15 October 2015)
A man from Birmingham has been fined £1,500 at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court, after being found guilty of fisheries offences. Read more...
Reading Council seizes illegal cigarettes and fake alcohol (14 October 2015)
Reading Council has seized a large haul of illegal alcohol and tobacco from a total of 13 different off licences and convenience stores across the borough. Read more...
Fraudulent companies liquidated after investigation by the Insolvency Service (13 October 2015)
The Insolvency Service has ordered into liquidation three companies with assets of more than £445 million, which were formed and run with a fraudulent intent. Read more...
Bromley Council prosecutes over sheep mutton labelled as goat meat (12 October 2015)
Bromley Council’s Food Safety Team has prosecuted two shops in the Penge area for selling sheep mutton meat as goat meat. Read more...
Company director disqualified for eight years for failing to keep proper accounts (12 October 2015)
The director of a Cardiff computer supply company which went into liquidation owing £492,790 to creditors has been disqualified from acting as a director for eight years, after failing to keep proper accounting records. Read more...
Gang convicted on charges of false imprisonment, after kidnapping 15-year-old boy (12 October 2015)
Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London has convicted three men who forced a 15-year-old boy into a car on charges of conspiracy to commit false imprisonment. Read more...
All-Wales Hate Crime Awareness Week launched (12 October 2015)
Gwynedd Council is working with the Welsh Government and other local authorities in support of the all-Wales Hate Crime Awareness Week from 10-17 October. Read more...
London council obtains its first youth injunction (9 October 2015)
Islington Council in north London has used new legal powers to prevent a youth from visiting a neighbourhood in the borough where he would be in danger of falling into a criminal lifestyle. Read more...
Community Supervision Order handed down for £11,400 benefit fraud (9 October 2015)
A 58-year-old woman from Northallerton in West Yorkshire has pleaded guilty to fraudulently claiming £11,400 in benefits. Read more...
Guilty plea for commuter who subjected ticket inspector to homophobic abuse (8 October 2015)
A man who subjected a female ticket inspector to verbal abuse has pleaded guilty to a charge of making homophobic and abusive remarks. Read more...
Jail for bankrupt City trader who concealed assets from Official Receiver (7 October 2015)
A City worker from Luton has been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment after being found guilty of concealing property from the Official Receiver, following a trial at Luton Crown Court. Read more...
Prison sentence for attempted kidnap of a child (7 October 2015)
A 37-year-old man who pleaded guilty to attempting to kidnap a child has been given a four-and-a-half year prison sentence at Wolverhampton Crown Court. Read more...
Suspended sentence for benefit fraudster (5 October 2015)
Isleworth Crown Court has sentenced a woman who fraudulently claimed Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit to a six-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months. Read more...
London Digital Security Centre launched to support SMEs against cyber-crime (5 October 2015)
England’s first specialist centre dedicated to helping small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) protect themselves from cyber criminals has opened in central London. Read more...
Multi-agency taskforce racks down on environmental crimes across Lincolnshire (5 October 2015)
A multi-agency operation involving The Environment Agency, Lincolnshire Police, Immigration Enforcement – and officers from other agencies – has helped the Environment Agency crack down on illegal waste carriers in Lincolnshire. Read more...
Vehicle breakers firm fined for using land illegally (5 October 2015)
A company whose operations spilled out onto land illegally has been prosecuted by the Environment Agency. Read more...
Nine months in jail for optician who fraudulently transferred assets after bankruptcy (2 October 2015)
An optician and former bankrupt who fraudulently transferred his interest in a property to his children in an attempt to deny this asset to his creditors, has been sentenced to nine months in jail. Read more...
Government launches consultation on banning referral fees in criminal cases (2 October 2015)
The Legal Aid Minister Shailesh Vara has announced proposals for a new statutory ban on referral fees in criminal cases. Read more...
UK signs Compulsory Transfer Agreement with Jamaica (1 October 2015)
Under an agreement signed between the UK and Jamaica on Wednesday (30/09/15), more than 300 Jamaican prisoners serving time in British prisons will be returned to Jamaica to serve their sentence from 2020 onwards. Read more...
Two men plead guilty to supplying defective cough syrup (1 October 2015)
Winchester Crown Court has sentenced two men convicted of supplying defective medicines. Read more...
25 years for gang who used smuggled antique guns to carry out violent crime (30 September 2015)
Chester Crown Court has sentenced four men from Merseyside convicted of possessing firearms for a total of more than 25 years in jail. Read more...
Appeal against revenge porn conviction rejected (30 September 2015)
A man who appealed his sentence for a conviction for revenge porn has lost his appeal. Read more...
Bristol shopkeeper prosecuted for breaching EU marketing rules (29 September 2015)
A Bristol shopkeeper has been prosecuted for selling rotten fruit and vegetables with obvious signs of mould on them, as well as labelling offences. Read more...
£2.3m-worth of cannabis seized by Border Force officers (28 September 2015)
Border Force officers at London Gateway have discovered 1.1 tonnes of the Class B drug cannabis, following the search of a container which arrived at the port from Ghana. Read more...
Severn Trent Water fined more than £480,000 for pollution (28 September 2015)
Severn Trent Water has been fined more than £480,000 after repeated pollution incidents where raw sewage leaked into a farmer’s field and a pond in a private fishery. Read more...
Jail sentence for repeat offender convicted of grooming (28 September 2015)
A 48-year-old man convicted of grooming young girls has been jailed for more than three years at Isleworth Crown Court in Middlesex. Read more...
Carbon credit “trader” disqualified as a director for 15 years (28 September 2015)
A company director convicted of selling carbon credits as an investment when they had no genuine secondary resale market – and of failing to keep adequate records – has been disqualified as a director for 15 years. Read more...
Success in tackling IP crime (28 September 2015)
The Department for Business Innovation & Skills says a new report shows that measures to tackle intellectual property (IP) crime have been successful in reducing IP crime. Read more...
Jail for £80,000 benefit fraudster (25 September 2015)
A benefit claimant who falsified multiple benefit claims against Barnet and Haringey Councils has been jailed for more than three years. Read more...
London shopkeeper fined over counterfeit alcohol labels (25 September 2015)
A London shopkeeper has been fined £2,300, after he was convicted of selling wines and spirits with fake labels on the bottles. Read more...
Minister warns UK businesses to protect themselves against cyber crime (24 September 2015)
Minister for the Digital Economy Ed Vaizey has warned UK businesses to protect themselves against cyber crime and hacking by taking up the government’s Cyber Essentials scheme. Read more...
Nine arrested on suspicion of drugs offences in dawn raids (24 September 2015)
Police officers have arrested nine people in London on suspicion of drugs offences, following a three-month intelligence operation. Read more...
Blue Badge anti-fraud operation nets four drivers and four expired badges (24 September 2015)
Kent County Council’s internal audit team and Dover District Council’s Civil Enforcement Team have held a Blue Badge anti-fraud day in Dover and Deal – and found that out of 41 drivers stopped, four were not using a Blue Badge correctly. Read more...
Suspended sentence for man convicted of revenge porn (21 September 2015)
A 40-year-old man convicted of revenge porn charges has been given a four-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months at St Albans Magistrates^ Court. Read more...
Life for teen who fatally stabbed 15-year-old in attempted bike theft (21 September 2015)
An 18-year-old found guilty of murder and robbery after a 15-year-old was stabbed while riding his bicycle in North London has been sentenced to life imprisonment at the Old Bailey. Read more...
Kent companies fined for illegal tipping on flood plain (21 September 2015)
An Environment Agency investigation into illegal tipping on a flood plain near the River Medway in Kent has resulted in two waste companies being prosecuted. Read more...
Police warning after three men are jailed for drugs offences in Kingston- upon-Thames (17 September 2015)
Police in Kingston-upon-Thames have warned that drug dealers in the area will face criminal charges if found. Read more...
Bromley Council prosecutes two more benefit fraudsters (16 September 2015)
Bromley Council has successfully prosecuted two benefit claimants for fraud – in separate cases brought to the attention of the council by a tip-off and information received from HMRC’s Real Time Information (RTI) data matching exercise. Read more...
Nottingham’s youth justice programme calls for more volunteers (16 September 2015)
Nottinghamshire County Council’s youth justice programme is calling for new volunteers. Read more...
Cancer diagnosis “within 28 days” by 2020 (15 September 2015)
The Department of Health (DoH) has announced that by 2020, NHS patients with suspected cancer with receive a diagnosis within 28 days of being referred to a specialist by a GP. Read more...
“Inconsistent” gun controls may be putting public at risk (15 September 2015)
A new report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has found that inconsistencies in firearms licensing may pose a risk to public safety. Read more...
Suspended sentence for former director convicted of cartel offences (15 September 2015)
A former company director convicted of charges relating to a criminal cartel has been sentenced at Southwark Crown Court. Read more...
Welsh Assembly consultation on “managed” reduction of smoking in prisons (14 September 2015)
The Welsh Assembly has launched a consultation on smoke-free prisons across Wales. Read more...
Jail for Islamic teachers convicted of child cruelty (14 September 2015)
A court has sentence two teachers at an Islamic school to 12 months in jail for inflicting corporal punishment and physical abuse on a pupil. Read more...
Nottinghamshire County Council revises counter-fraud strategy (14 September 2015)
Nottinghamshire County Council has revised its counter-fraud strategy, encouraging employees to be on the lookout for fraud. Read more...
Jail sentence for hate crime involving homophobic abuse (14 September 2015)
Manchester Magistrates’ Court has sentence a 29-year-old man to 13 weeks in jail, after he launched a tirade of homophobic abuse at two men on a tram in Manchester city centre. Read more...
Suspended sentence for shopkeeper convicted of selling counterfeit cigarettes (9 September 2015)
A shopkeeper from Nottingham has been given a six-month suspended sentence, after pleading guilty to selling illegal cigarettes at his shop. Read more...
Further arrests made over Nottinghamshire “legal high” drugs factory (8 September 2015)
Police officers from London Regional Organised Crime Unit and the National Crime Agency have arrested two people in connection with a Nottingham-based manufacturing unit producing new psychoactive substances (NPS) – also called “legal highs”. Read more...
£6m cocaine consignment seized by Border Force officers at Tilbury docks (7 September 2015)
Border officers at Tilbury docks in Essex have seized a consignment of cocaine with an estimated street value of £6 million. Read more...
Jail for former bank worker who defrauded customers of £300,000 (7 September 2015)
A former employee of Halifax and Lloyds Bank has been convicted of a £300,000 fraud and jailed at Plymouth Crown Court. Read more...
Director of wine fraud company disqualified for 11 years (7 September 2015)
The director of a company shut down in 2014 on the directions of the court has been disqualified as a director for 11 years. Read more...
Lancashire motorway cabling given anti-theft treatment to deter cable thieves (7 September 2015)
A SmartWater solution is being applied to cables being laid along a 17-mile stretch of motorway between Junction 8 of the M60 near Sale and Junction 20 of the M62 near Rochdale as part of the smart motorway scheme, in order to reduce cable thefts from the UK’s road system. Read more...
Jail for romance fraud conman who netted £120,000 from victims (4 September 2015)
A conman who cheated women out of £120,000 in a romance fraud scam has been jailed at Birmingham Crown Court. Read more...
Council childminder convicted of £34,000 benefit fraud, after being found with £48,000 in 17 bank accounts (3 September 2015)
A childminder from Hampshire has pleaded guilty to claiming more than £34,000 in benefits fraudulently – by not declaring that she held £48,000 in saving accounts. Benefits claimants are not allowed to have more than £16,000 in savings. Read more...
Jail sentence for £68,000 benefit fraud (2 September 2015)
A 64-year-old benefits fraudster who claimed £68,000 by saying that he suffered panic attacks and was unable to work has been jailed for two years. Read more...
First woman convicted of revenge porn receives suspended sentence (2 September 2015)
The first woman to be convicted of revenge porn has been spared jail and received a six-week suspended sentence instead. Read more...
Labour Mayoral hopeful vows to further reduce use of stop and search (2 September 2015)
Tooting MP and Mayoral hopeful Sadiq Khan has said that if he is elected to City Hall, he will drive down the use of stop and search by the police in London. Read more...
Jail for men who bought firearms online (1 September 2015)
A court in Manchester has jailed two men who bought firearms online for a total of nearly ten years. Read more...
11 years in jail for teenage burglar who raped victim (1 September 2015)
A judge has branded a “baby faced” burglar as one of the country’s most dangerous criminals. Read more...
Deprived London boroughs “being used a dumping ground” for homeless (1 September 2015)
Anti-poverty charity Z2K has said that affluent London boroughs are using deprived boroughs in the east end of London as a “dumping ground” for homeless families. Read more...
20 years in jail for “burka” robbers (1 September 2015)
A court has jailed two men who robbed a pawnbroker’s shop, while wearing burkas to conceal their identity. Read more...
Chairman of tenant housing management company jailed for eight years for child abuse (1 September 2015)
A 51-year-old IT consultant from Islington has been jailed for eight years at the Old Bailey, after pleading guilty to inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and other charges. Read more...
15 months for drug producer busted after police are called to domestic incident (28 August 2015)
A personal trainer discovered to have a cannabis factory at his home after police attended a domestic violence incident has told a court he grew the drug as a medication to help him overcome his own attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Read more...
Deutsche Bank employees “questioned over Libor rate fixing” (28 August 2015)
A report from Bloomberg has alleged that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is questioning current and former employees of Frankfurt-based German bank Deutsche Bank over Libor rate-rigging. Read more...
Unregistered gas fitter handed suspended prison sentence (27 August 2015)
A chef who carried out gas fitting work using a fake Gas Safe registration has been given a suspended sentence at Norwich Crown Court. Read more...
Unregistered gas fitter handed suspended prison sentence (27 August 2015)
A chef who carried out gas fitting work using a fake Gas Safe registration has been given a suspended sentence at Norwich Crown Court. Read more...
Jail for stag party guest who admitted threatening behaviour and criminal damage (27 August 2015)
A stag party guest who smashed up a bar has been jailed for 16 weeks at Preston Magistrates’ Court.< Read more...
16-year-old Manchester girl pleads guilty to terrorism charges (27 August 2015)
A 16-year-old schoolgirl from Manchester has pleaded guilty to two offences under section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 at Manchester Magistrates’ Youth Court. Read more...
Elderly benefit fraudsters spared jail (24 August 2015)
A court has spared an elderly couple from jail, after they committed a £75,000 benefit fraud. Read more...
Jail for money laundering bar worker with fake driving licences and passport (20 August 2015)
Council officers who visited a shisha bar in Huddersfield to check smoking regulations uncovered fake documents, including fake driving licences, which were being used to launder money. Read more...
Police who use stop and search without reasonable suspicion may face sanctions from community panels (19 August 2015)
Police officers who make unnecessary stop and searches will face a community panel if a member of the public complains – and will have to apologise face-to-face to the complainant. Read more...
Suspended sentence for £33,000 benefit fraud (19 August 2015)
A 57-year-old woman from Cumbria has been spared jail after being convicted of a £33,000 benefit fraud. Read more...
Company accountant hands himself in after defrauding firm of £20,000 (19 August 2015)
A company accountant who handed himself into police on the day there was an audit of the company he worked for managed to defraud his employers of £20,045.78, a court has heard. Read more...
Lambeth Council bans use of “laughing gas” in public places (18 August 2015)
Lambeth Council has become the first local authority to ban the use of nitrous oxide – laughing gas – as a recreational drug in public places. Read more...
Fine for woman after bull mastiff breaks man’s shoulder and attacks his dog (18 August 2015)
A woman who was walking her daughter’s bull mastiff dog has admitted a charge of having a dog dangerously out-of-control causing injury, after the dog attacked another owner and his dog in a country lane. Read more...
Seven arrested in UK’s largest gun smuggling seizure (17 August 2015)
Police have arrested seven people in the UK’s largest ever seizure of gun smuggled into Britain. Read more...
“Hound of Hounslow” City trader released on £2.5m bail (17 August 2015)
A City trader who was dubbed “The Hound of Hounslow” has been released on bail, after admitting he had £30 million-worth of assets. Read more...
Magistrates’ Courts “in crisis” over Criminal Court Charge (17 August 2015)
Magistrates are warning that the Criminal Court Charge introduced by the Ministry of Justice earlier this year has resulted in the resignation of 30 magistrates in the last few weeks. Read more...
Mesothelioma patient “dies with dignity” at Swiss clinic, after calling for decriminalisation of assisted suicide (17 August 2015)
A man who wanted his death to bring about a change in assisted death laws has died at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland. Read more...
Pair jailed for fraudulent whiplash claim (13 August 2015)
A semi-pro football player and former Miss England contestant has been jailed for two months, after being convicted of making a fraudulent insurance claim for whiplash following a car accident in Birmingham City Centre. Read more...
Glasgow bin lorry driver may face prosecution in England or Wales (13 August 2015)
An inquiry into the Glasgow bin lorry crash has heard that the driver of the refuse lorry, Harry Clarke, 58, may be tried in England or Wales after escaping prosecution in Scotland. Read more...
Police force refuses to name suspects wanted for violent crimes, citing data protection rules (12 August 2015)
West Midlands Police have refused to give the names of suspects on the run for serious crimes like murder and rape, saying that revealing their identities would breach data protection laws. Read more...
14-year-old receives 11-year extended sentence for stabbing teacher (11 August 2015)
Bradford Crown Court has handed down an 11-year extended sentence to a 14-year-old boy who stabbed a teacher in a racially motivated attack. Read more...
Gang plead guilty to £30,000 crash for cash motor insurance scam (10 August 2015)
A gang which nearly netted £30,000 from a crash for cash insurance scam was caught out when a motorist who had heard about the scams installed a dash-cam in his car and filmed one of the road collisions. Read more...
Former senior council manager spared jail for £21,000 fraud (10 August 2015)
A senior manager at Manchester City Council has been spared jail after being convicted of fraud against the council. Read more...
Jail for former detective who committed mortgage fraud to pay gambling debts (10 August 2015)
A former Norfolk police officer has been convicted of charges relating to mortgage fraud and an endowment policy he and his former wife held. Read more...
Three UK fans arrested after rival football supporters clash in Netherlands (7 August 2015)
Southampton football club supporters have been involved in a violent clash with Dutch football fans in Arnhem, leading to the arrest of three Southampton fans and 50 supporters from the Netherlands. Read more...
More than one-third of UK motorists “oblivious to speed limits on roads” (7 August 2015)
A new survey by Co-op Insurance has found that many motorists do not know the speed limits on Britain’s roads, with 36% not able to say what the national limit is on a dual carriageway – 70mph. Read more...
Phoney US general facing jail, after scamming £300,000 out of British women in romance fraud (6 August 2015)
A Nigerian national is facing a jail sentence after Scotland Yard uncovered a “sophisticated global network” which defrauded British women out of thousands of pounds in a romance fraud scam. Read more...
Jail sentence for fraudulent claimant who claimed £85,000 in benefits to fund lavish lifestyle abroad (5 August 2015)
A benefits claimant who fraudulently claimed thousands of pounds while living in the Philippines has been jailed for 32 months by Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. Read more...
Total of 38 years in jail for Bolton drug gang (3 August 2015)
A court in Manchester has jailed two brothers who ran a criminal network for more than 25 years, along with three accomplices. Read more...
Two convicted of manslaughter, following brawl which left off duty police officer dead (3 August 2015)
A court has convicted two men on manslaughter charges, after killing an off duty policeman in Liverpool last December – while a third man was acquitted of all charges. Read more...
88-year-old pensioner “tormented by local youths” is jailed after police officer spots antique gun in his car (3 August 2015)
An 88-year-old grandfather from Norfolk has been jailed for two years, after an antique gun was found fully loaded in his car, after he stopped to speak to a police officer about youths who were tormenting him. Read more...
Former housing association employee told to expect jail sentence for £66,000 social housing fraud (3 August 2015)
A former housing association employee is likely to be jailed for a £66,000 fraud she committed using her knowledge of the social housing sector. Read more...
Disabled pensioner fights parking fine after ticket machine was “out-of-order” (3 August 2015)
A disabled woman who was unable to buy a parking ticket at Shoreham Airport in Sussex because the nearest machine was out of order is fighting a parking fine of £60. Read more...
CPS to apologise for not rescheduling trial because witness was on holiday (3 August 2015)
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is to apologise to a school, after a case in which a man charged with stealing iPad tablet computers from the school was acquitted, after a member of staff who was a witness was found to be on holiday during the trial. Read more...
Met Police child abuse unit investigates children’s charity (31 July 2015)
The Metropolitan Police are investigating allegations involving the children’s charity Kids Company. Read more...
Claimant avoids jail for £36,000 benefit fraud (30 July 2015)
A woman who falsely claimed £36,000 in benefits as a single claimant when she was living with her partner and enjoying luxury holidays abroad, has been given a suspended sentence and ordered to pay £2,300 in costs. Read more...
Switching off streetlights at night “has no effect on crime or road accident figures” (30 July 2015)
Research published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health has found no evidence of an association between turning street lighting off at night and a rise in crime or the number of road traffic accidents. Read more...
Concern over number of drivers under 35 who admit taking “selfies” while driving (28 July 2015)
A new survey by the Institute of Advanced Motoring has found that in the last month an average of nearly 10% of drivers questioned admitted they had taken a photo of themselves while driving their car. Read more...
Facebook loses challenge to US benefit fraud investigators targeting suspects on social media (27 July 2015)
A new benefit fraud campaign in the US is targeting Facebook members – with the activities of nearly 400 Facebook users suspected of committing disability benefit fraud being investigated on the social media website. Read more...
Jail for men who used guns and pepper spray in robbery (27 July 2015)
A court has jailed two men after they and another man robbed a jewellery store in February, spraying pepper spray in the faces of staff who worked there. Read more...
Council apologises after six men are jailed for child sex offences (27 July 2015)
Buckinghamshire County Council has apologises, after six men were jailed on Friday (24/07/15) for long-term abuse of teenage girls, some of whom were known to social services in Aylesbury Read more...
15-year-old from Blackburn charged with terrorism offences (24 July 2015)
A judge has delayed sentencing in the case of a 15-year-old boy from Blackburn convicted on terrorism charges, so that a report on the circumstances of the boy’s radicalisation can be prepared. Read more...
Home Secretary launches inquiry into deaths in police custody (24 July 2015)
Home Secretary Theresa May has set up an inquiry into why deaths in police custody have reached a five-year high. Read more...
Eight arrested after police find £70m worth of cocaine at Tilbury Docks (23 July 2015)
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police’s Special Intelligence Section have arrested eight people, after seizing 200 kilos of cocaine with a street value of more than £70 million at Tilbury Docks in Essex. Read more...
Two men remanded over terrorism charges (22 July 2015)
An uncle and his nephew have appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on charges of planning to kill US military personnel based in the UK, BBC News reports. Read more...
HMRC publishes consultation on new measures to prevent corporate tax avoidance (22 July 2015)
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is expected to announce new proposals under which companies which try and avoid paying tax would be placed in special measures. Read more...
G4S-run prison to ban smoking in cells by February (21 July 2015)
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced that a privately run prison in south Wales is to ban prisoners smoking in their cells by February 2016. Read more...
Jail term for drug dealer who tried to smuggle cocaine into UK in coffee beans (20 July 2015)
A drug dealer who tried to smuggle crack cocaine through Manchester Airport by mixing it with coffee beans has been jailed for six-and-a-half years at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester. Read more...
Met’s “super recognisers” team reduces pickpocketing in the capital (20 July 2015)
A Scotland Yard-based team of police officers and civilians with the ability to remember and pick out faces in a crowd has been successful in reducing the number of pickpocketing crimes in the capital. Read more...
Mayfair shops hire former Gurkha soldier to target shoplifters (20 July 2015)
Stores in Mayfair have hired a former Gurkha soldier in a bid to deter shoplifters in high end retail stores. Read more...
Police warn of “Zombie killer knives” in London, as two strikes knife law is launched (20 July 2015)
The Trident Gang Crime Command (Operation Trident) has warned that criminal gangs are arming themselves with 2ft “Zombie Killer” knives, in what is described as a “worrying new trend”. Read more...
Government sets out proposals to “call time” on tax evasion (17 July 2015)
The government has set out proposals for closing loopholes used by investors to avoid paying tax. Read more...
Men wrongly identified as paedophiles after errors in monitoring public’s phone and computer records (17 July 2015)
A new report into the way in which the police and other law enforcement authorities use personal data and access public communications has revealed that as a result of police blunders, five men were wrongly identified as paedophiles – with four of the men’s homes being searched by police and one innocent man being arrested. Read more...
“Earned release” may be introduced for prisoners (17 July 2015)
Justice Secretary Michael Gove is expected to say in a speech that education for prisoners must improve to help them become “employable”. Read more...
Home Secretary vetoes use of water cannon (16 July 2015)
Home Secretary Theresa May has announced that the Metropolitan Police will not be able to use water cannon – and the devices will not be used elsewhere in England, Wales or Scotland. Read more...
Children must return to “penniless” mother in Australia, despite their pleas to live with wealthy father in UK (16 July 2015)
The High Court has ruled that four children who begged to be able to remain in the UK and live with their wealthy father must go to Australia and live with their mother, who is described as “penniless”. Read more...
Court issues £1 confiscation order in pyramid scam case (16 July 2015)
The promoter of a £21 million pyramid investment scam has been ordered by a court to repay just £1. Read more...
Teenagers stand trial for brutal killing of 17-year-old on the streets of Hackney (15 July 2015)
The Old Bailey has heard how a 14-year-old boy was part of a group who chased, caught and stabbed to death another teenager on the streets of Hackney in east London. Read more...
Climate protesters facing aggravated trespass charges after Heathrow “invasion” (15 July 2015)
Police have charged 13 people after activists cut their way through wire into Heathrow Airport to stage a protest over climate change and Heathrow’s planned expansion. Read more...
Justice Secretary scraps ban on book parcels for prisoners (13 July 2015)
Justice Secretary Michael Gove is to scrap a ban on books being sent to prisoners in jail, after saying prisoners should not be “sitting around idly in their cells”. Read more...
Government introduces “two strokes” jail policy for knife possession (9 July 2015)
The government is to introduce a “two strikes and you’re out” policy for those who carry knives. Read more...
Prisoners’ charities challenge Legal Aid cuts at Court of Appeal (9 July 2015)
Charities the Howard League for Penal Reform and the Prisoners’ Advice Service have appealed against Legal Aid restrictions imposed by the coalition government, which they claim are preventing thousands of prisoner from starting rehabilitation. Read more...
Libor trader tells court managers and CEO “knew of rate fixing” (8 July 2015)
Southwark Crown Court in southeast London has heard how a City trader facing charges involving manipulating the Libor rate “acted with complete transparency” and out of a “hunger” to make money for the bank he worked for, rather than greed. Read more...
Jail for accountant who killed cyclist while texting at the wheel (8 July 2015)
A 26-year-old accountant has been jailed for killing a cyclist he collided with while exchanging texts with a woman he had met online. Read more...
Man died after police used “unreasonable force” during arrest, inquest rules (7 July 2015)
An inquest has found that a 23-year-man man who was unarmed died after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers “inappropriately and unreasonably" Tasered and restrained him. Read more...
MoJ green lights electronic tags for offenders convicted of alcohol-related crimes (6 July 2015)
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is to allow Magistrates’ Courts and judges to order those convicted of alcohol-related offences to be electronically tagged with ankle bracelets which measure alcohol levels in an individual’s perspiration every 30 minutes. Read more...
Call for all UK councils to fine motorists who are litterlouts (6 July 2015)
Councils in England and Wales are pushing for new laws to fine car owners who drop cigarette ends and other refuse from car windows. Read more...
Birmingham man loses appeal against 16-year jail term (6 July 2015)
A Birmingham man convicted for a terrifying armed raid on a family’s home has lost his appeal to have his sentence reduced. Read more...
Jail for heroin addict who helped depressed man to end his life (6 July 2015)
A 36-year-old heroin addict who helped a man to die by injecting him with heroin has been jailed on a conviction of negligent manslaughter at Manchester Crown Court. Read more...
Lincolnshire councils crack down on Housing Benefit fraud and overpayment errors (6 July 2015)
Councils across Lincolnshire have launched a new campaign, in an attempt to crack down on housing benefit fraud and error. Read more...
Takeaway owner fined £4,000 for EU food safety and hygiene breaches (3 July 2015)
A court has heard how a fast food takeaway in Wigan was contaminated with sewage and inspectors found a dead rat wedged between equipment. Read more...
Career criminal given four year in jail, after court is told of 40-year burglary spree (2 July 2015)
A career burglar has been sentenced to four years and one month in jail and his accomplice daughter given a two-year suspended sentence, after Southwark Crown Court heard how they worked together to steal property from homes where the father posed as a decorator. Read more...
Teachers and schools have new legal duty to watch for signs of radicalisation among pupils (1 July 2015)
From Wednesday (1 July) teachers and schools will have a legal duty under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act to be on the lookout for signs of radicalisation among schoolchildren – and reports concerns to the Department for Education (DfE). Read more...
More motorists prosecuted for not having car tax, after paper tax disc is scrapped (1 July 2015)
Changes from the paper tax disc to electronic records have resulted in thousands of motorists being prosecuted for not having car tax. Read more...
Teenage boy admits to GBH with intent, after stabbing supply teacher (30 June 2015)
A teenager has been remanded in custody after he admitted stabbing a supply teacher in a Bradford school on 11 June. Read more...
Cocaine ring financed lavish lifestyle for couple on benefits (29 June 2015)
Swansea Crown Court has heard how a couple who claimed benefits lived a lavish lifestyle funded by running a cocaine ring. Read more...
July launch for EU police taskforce to track down Islamic State online (29 June 2015)
A new police unit will come into force across the EU on 1 July, to identify and block social media accounts linked to Islamic State (IS). Read more...
Jail for benefit fraudster who obtained council house by deception (29 June 2015)
Isleworth Crown Court has jailed a man who obtained a council house by deception and falsely claimed housing benefit and Council Tax benefit.< Read more...
Serco and G4S “still being paid” by MoJ after electronic tagging scandal (26 June 2015)
Analysis of Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies has revealed that the government is still paying security companies Serco and G4S millions of pounds for electronic prisoner tagging services, despite both companies being barred from running the contract. Read more...
Inspection of HMP Pentonville reveals “shocking squalor” and culture of violence (24 June 2015)
A report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons has found “shocking” squalor at Pentonville prison in north London, with high levels of drug abuse and violence. Read more...
Suspended sentence and community order for mother who claimed £43,000 in benefit fraud (24 June 2015)
A hairdresser who falsely claimed £43,000 in benefits as a single mother was caught out when she posted her wedding photographs on social media, Mold Crown Court has heard. Read more...
Justice Secretary expected to call for reform of criminal courts in first speech (23 June 2015)
Michael Gove is expected to say in his first speech as Justice Secretary today (23/06/15) that victims of crime are being let down. Read more...
Motorist becomes first driver convicted of hogging the central lane (22 June 2015)
A motorist has become the first person to be convicted of “hogging “ the middle lane of a motorway when the slow lane was available. Read more...
Couple jailed for child neglect plead guilty to animal neglect (22 June 2015)
A Gloucestershire couple jailed last year for child neglect have pleaded guilty to animal neglect at Stroud Magistrates’ Court. Read more...
Eight-month jail sentence for Tube worker who made false rape allegations (22 June 2015)
A Tube worker who phoned police from outside a nightclub and falsely claimed she had been raped has been jailed for eight months. Read more...
Record level of counterfeit drugs seized by MHRA (22 June 2015)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as said it has seized a record number of counterfeit drugs entering the UK as a result of criminal gangs. Read more...
Drugs gang jailed for total of 154 years (19 June 2015)
Maidstone Crown Court had jailed a gang of nine men for 154years, after they were convicted of flooding the UK with heroin, cocaine and cannabis. Read more...
Motorist prosecuted for being 13 times over drug driving limit (18 June 2015)
A young motorist has been found to be 13 times over the limit for drug driving – one of the worst ever drug-driving cases recorded. Read more...
50 percent rise in child sexual offences since 2008-09 (17 June 2015)
Children’s charity the NSPCC has said that the number of sex offences committed against children across England and Wales has risen again. Read more...
New drug driving laws net 400 new arrests a month (16 June 2015)
New figures from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) show that since the law on drug driving changed in March, more than 400 motorists are being arrested for the offence every month. Read more...
Councils housing violent and sexual ex-offenders at hotels and guesthouses “without warning proprietors” (16 June 2015)
The landlady of a bed and breakfast has told the BBC that her local council’s policy of housing violent or sexual ex-offenders there is putting her and her guests at risk. Read more...
Knife crime in London peaked in March (15 June 2015)
Tottenham MP David Lammy has criticised London Mayor Boris Johnson for failing in his pledge to tackle knife crime in the capital. Read more...
Retrial for couple charged with outraging public decency (15 June 2015)
A couple accused of performing a sex act during a concert in London’s Hyde Park in September 2014 are to face a retrial, after an Old Bailey jury failed to reach a verdict. Read more...
Sham marriages and immigration fraud “growing at an alarming rate” (15 June 2015)
New figures from the Home Office show a steep rise in sham marriages and immigration fraud in the last year to March 2015, with more than 2,900 sham marriage operations, resulting in at least 1,700 arrests – and more than 600 removals from the UK. Read more...
Suspended sentence and five-year driving ban for 90-year-old motorist, after motorcyclist dies in road crash (10 June 2015)
A 90-year-old motorist has been sentenced after he admitted causing death by driving without due care and attention. Read more...
Teacher cleared of historic rape charge (10 June 2015)
A part-time violin teacher who admitted to having a number of consensual but inappropriate sexual relationships with pupils has been cleared of one charge relating to allegations he raped a girl in a car in the 1980s. Read more...
Public Health Bill in Wales will make it an offence to “hand over” tobacco and e-cigarettes to children (9 June 2015)
A new Public Health Bill in Wales will see e-cigarettes banned in enclosed spaces such as offices, workplaces and bars and restaurants – and tattoo parlours and piercing salons will also be required to obtain a licence. Read more...
Dog attacks in London rise by 50% in one year (9 June 2015)
New figures from the London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime show dog attacks in London have risen by half as much again in just 12 months. Read more...
DVPNs issued in Cheshire “protecting more vulnerable people from harm” (8 June 2015)
New figures show that the area of Halton in Cheshire has seen more Domestic Violence Protection Notices (DVPN) handed out over the last year than any other area of the county. Read more...
Mail order drugs gang jailed at Bolton Crown Court (8 June 2015)
Bolton Crown Court has jailed a drugs gang operating from old warehouses, which supplied drugs worth more than £3 million via a website called Wide Mouth Frogs.
Read more...
Grand Chamber to review whole life sentence of notorious killer (4 June 2015)
The European Court of Human Rights has agreed to re-examine the whole life sentence of one of the UK’s most notorious killers, Arthur Hutchinson. Read more...
Calls for blood test to show whether rape victims were too intoxicated to give consent (4 June 2015)
A former Lord Advocate in Scotland has called for a change in consent law to cover cases where one party may be too intoxicated to give consent to sexual relations. Read more...
Hackney council investigation into bribery and corruption allegations (3 June 2015)
The Metropolitan Police are investigating allegations of bribery and corruption at Hackney Council’s affiliated housing organisation, Hackney Homes.< Read more...
DoH issues guidance to GPs on advising families that FGM is illegal (2 June 2015)
The Department of Health (DoH) is to issue an information pack to GPs setting out the law surrounding female genital mutilation (FGM) – and asking them to warn families that in the UK, FGM is illegal. Read more...
Met Police tasering children and the elderly (2 June 2015)
New figures obtained under a Freedom of Information request have revealed that the Metropolitan Police have aimed Tasers at suspects as young as 13 –and also people over the age of 80. Read more...
Criminal Bar Association votes for more action over Legal Aid reforms (2 June 2015)
The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has voted “overwhelmingly” for direct action in protest at the government’s cuts to Legal Aid. Read more...
Greater Manchester Police stage antisocial behaviour crackdown (1 June 2015)
Greater Manchester Police took part in a crack down on antisocial behaviour in Manchester on Friday (29/05/15) night in response to reports that a gang of up to 100 “unruly” youths were causing problems for local residents and businesses. Read more...
Banning legal highs “will drive dealers underground” (1 June 2015)
Government plans to ban all legal highs have raised concerns among those who sell legal highs that the industry will be pushed underground and will continue to operate. Read more...
Paper counterpart of driving licence ends 8 June (1 June 2015)
The DVLA is reminding drivers that after 8 June the paper counterpart of the driving licence will no longer have legal status – and motorists should destroy the paper counterpart after that date, unless they live in Northern Ireland, which is not affected by the change. Read more...
Benefit fraud costing Wolverhampton Council £650,000 a year (29 May 2015)
A new report has revealed that Wolverhampton Council has lost more than £650,000 as a result of benefit fraud in the last 12 months. Read more...
Arrests made in year-long benefit fraud investigation in Redbridge (29 May 2015)
A total of 13 arrests have been made in a joint operation between the Metropolitan Police, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Redbridge Council’s benefit fraud investigation team. Read more...
Six-year sentence for causing death by dangerous driving and other charges (29 May 2015)
A man who boasted about driving a hire car at 142mph has been jailed for six years, after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving – as well as causing death while unlicensed, causing death while uninsured and dangerous driving. Read more...
First rate-fixing fraud trial gets underway (27 May 2015)
A former City trader with investment banks UBS and Citigroup is standing trial at Southwark Crown Court over alleged conspiracy to rig global interest rates. Read more...
Guilty verdict for Coventry student who dropped out of school to go to Syria (27 May 2015)
A jury has returned a unanimous guilty verdict in a case involving an Imam’s son who travelled to the Syrian border – and claimed he did so because he was “stressed” over his A levels. Read more...
Two-thirds of London boroughs “fall prey to cyber-crime” (26 May 2015)
London boroughs responding to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request have revealed that two-thirds have suffered data breaches as a result of cyber-crime, potentially putting the security of London residents at risk from identity theft. Read more...
Research shows many young drivers “unaware” of changes in drug-driving law (26 May 2015)
A new study by Carrot Car Insurance has found that one in eight young drivers is not aware of a change in the law surrounding drug-driving. Read more...
Self-styled lord repays £13.5m after being jailed for fraud (22 May 2015)
A self-styled “lord” who was jailed for fraud after setting up a scam investment scheme has repaid £13.5 million after selling a central London mansion where he once hosted sex parties for wealthy friends and clients, who were not aware of his fraudulent activities. Read more...
Home Secretary announces review into police “tick box” culture (21 May 2015)
Home Secretary Theresa May has criticised police forces which concentrate on targets, taking frontline officers away from serious crime. Read more...
Disabled victims of hate crimes “still let down by justice system” (21 May 2015)
A new report by the Criminal Justice Inspectorate has concluded that victims of disability hate crime are still being let down by the system – with police, prosecutors and probation services failing to bring about “much-needed change” in the past two years. Read more...
UK and Dutch scientists pioneer fingerprint drug testing (19 May 2015)
Scientists at the University of Surrey and colleagues have pioneered a test which detects whether an individual has snorted cocaine or who has simply handled the drug. Read more...
Inquest told that failings in prison service contributed to death of vulnerable prisoner (19 May 2015)
An inquest in Norfolk has been told that failings in the prison service contributed to the death of a prisoner who had protested his innocence for 11 years before admitting killing a pensioner, online publisher EDP24 reports. Read more...
Mother-of-two facing jail for £30,000 benefit fraud (19 May 2015)
A 37-year-old woman who falsely claimed £30,000 in benefits by saying she was a single mother has been told by a judge that she could face a jail term for the fraud. Read more...
Survey shows widespread support for “tougher drink-driving controls” for young motorists (19 May 2015)
A new survey by insurance group Direct Line has found that many adults feel drink-drive limits should be lower for young and novice motorists. Read more...
RAC head calls for “graduated driving licence” to prevent teen deaths on the road (19 May 2015)
RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister has said that new figures on road traffic accidents involving teenage motorists show a need for the introduction of a “graduated driving licence”, which would place restrictions on teenage motorists, including night curfews, limits on the number of passengers in a vehicle, late-night curfews – and a minimum one-year learning period. Read more...
Four years in jail for Manchester drug dealer (18 May 2015)
A drug dealer in Manchester has been jailed for four years, after a police raid on his city centre flat uncovered cocaine, heroin and £10,000 in cash. Read more...
Teenage smash and grab gang jailed for total of 30 years (14 May 2015)
Kingston Crown Court has jailed a teenage gang from Islington in north London for a total of 30 years, after they carried out smash and grab raids on two of London’s top hotels. Read more...
Conservatives to introduce counter-extremism bill to tackle radicalisation (13 May 2015)
Newly re-elected Prime Minister David Cameron is to introduce a counter-extremism bill to tackle radicalisation, after saying that the UK has been a “passively tolerant society" for too long. Read more...
Met Police arrest three men in body in suitcase inquiry (13 May 2015)
Police have confirmed that three men have been arrested in connection with the discovery of the body of a woman in a suitcase at Little Venice, in west London on Sunday (10/05/15). Read more...
Six men arrested by Spanish police, after “drunken behaviour” on flight from Scotland to Palma (11 May 2015)
Ryanair has confirmed that six passengers travelling from Prestwick Airport in Scotland to Palma in Majorca have been arrested by the Guardia civil police on arrival in Spain, after they allegedly subjected other passengers and crew to rowdy and drunken behaviour during the flight. Read more...
Mother and daughter jailed for drugs offences (11 May 2015)
A mother and daughter from Cumbria have been jailed after conspiring with the boss of a drug gang to flood the streets with cannabis and amphetamines. Read more...
Three Staffordshire men remanded in custody over manslaughter and kidnap charges (11 May 2015)
A court has remanded in custody three men facing charges relating to the kidnap and manslaughter of a man found lying in a road with serious head injuries who later died. Read more...
Michael Gove new Justice Secretary in Conservative Cabinet (11 May 2015)
David Cameron has announced that the new Justice Minister will be Michael Gove – formerly Chief Whip and Education Secretary – who takes over the position from Chris Grayling, who is now Leader of the House of Commons. Read more...
Norwich teenager found guilty of arson after church hall is gutted by fire (11 May 2015)
A 16-year-old from Norwich has been found guilty of arson, after starting a fire which destroyed a church hall. Read more...
Army recruitment sergeant “guilty of sexual offences” (6 May 2015)
A jury at Southwark Crown Court in south London has convicted a 46-year-old Army sergeant of ten sexual assaults, two rapes and one count of assault – and is still deliberating over four counts of sexual assault and one charge involving rape. Read more...
Teenager killed in police chase subjected to weekly stop and search in three years before his death (5 May 2015)
The family of a teenager killed in a police chase allege that their son was subjected to a campaign of harassment by police – and was stopped and searched at least once a week in the three years leading up to his death in December 2014. Read more...
£200 fine after motorist pleads guilty to misusing Blue Badge (5 May 2015)
A motorist has pleaded guilty to Blue Badge misuse, after police found she was using a disabled parking badge belonging to another motorist. Read more...
Criminal Behaviour Order bans petty thief from using coin-operated machines for five years (1 May 2015)
Bury Magistrates has issued a Criminal Behaviour Order to a petty thief caught raiding a parking meter at Fairfield Hospital. Read more...
Former drugs boss unable to repay £1.73m because criminal record “hampers” employment chances (30 April 2015)
The form boss of a London drugs gang who owes more than £1.7 million under a Confiscation Order has told Westminster Magistrates’ Court that he is unable to repay the money because he is not in regular work and because of his current household bills. Read more...
Nearly half of all drivers break traffic laws (29 April 2015)
A new poll from road safety charity Brake and insurers Direct Line has revealed that nearly half (49%) of all motorists break traffic laws if they think they can get away with doing so – and male drivers are twice as likely as women drivers to break the law because they feel they can get away with it. Read more...
Police figures show 2,000 incidents of drug possession in schools in last four years (28 April 2015)
New data from West Midlands police has revealed that, in the last four years, 140 children in the West Midlands have been found to be in possession of dugs on school premises. Read more...
Fraudster who sold counterfeit DVDs must repay £495,000 (27 April 2015)
A fraudster who sold copies of fake DVDs online has been ordered to repay £500,000 after earning £593,000 from his criminal activities. Read more...
Police use CS spray at anti-gentrification protest in Brixton (27 April 2015)
Police in Brixton, south London had to use CS spray to control protesters campaigning against the gentrification of the borough and spiralling rents and property prices. Read more...
Millionaire businessman pleads guilty to shoplifting (24 April 2015)
A court has heard how a millionaire business was caught trying to shoplift £200 worth of meat from a branch of Tesco. Read more...
NCA investigation smashes UK paedophile gang (23 April 2015)
A paedophile gang of seven men are facing long jail sentences after the National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation ended in prosecution and the conviction of all seven men. Read more...
Paedophile “vigilante” arrested on suspicion of assault and blackmail (22 April 2015)
A man has been arrested in Manchester in connection with a vigilante attack on two men suspected of paedophile activities. Read more...
Model to stand trial on charge of spiking woman’s drink with MDMA (22 April 2015)
A male model has appeared at Isleworth Crown Court to face charges that he spiked a woman’s drink with the drug MDMA at a London nightclub so that he could later have sex with her. Read more...
Second appearance in court for man arrested in Staffordshire under European Arrest Warrant (20 April 2015)
A Polish national arrested in Tamworth in Staffordshire under a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) has appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London and is due to appear again on Monday (20/04/15) after being remanded. Read more...
Mother who failed to declare partner must repay £30,000 in overpaid benefits (20 April 2015)
A mother from Dover who committed a £30,000 benefit fraud has received a community order to carry out 50 hours of unpaid work – and will also have to repay the money she claimed fraudulently. Read more...
Gang accused of postbox fraud to stand trial (20 April 2015)
A gang of four men and one woman will stand trial for nationwide postbox fraud, despite denying all the charges against them. Read more...
Glen Parva YOI criticised by coroner over young offender’s suicide (20 April 2015)
A Leicester coroner has criticised Glen Parva young offenders’ institution (YOI) over the death of an 18-year-old remand prisoner. Read more...
Britain top judge calls for colleagues to be unbiased towards less privileged and different cultures (20 April 2015)
The President of the Supreme Court, Lord Neuberger, has warned the UK’s “white and wealthy” judges that they must not inject a subconscious bias into their courtroom dealings with members of society who are “less privileged”. Read more...
Stealth cameras double the number of motorists caught for speeding in five years (16 April 2015)
The introduction of stealth cameras on the UK’s motorways has led to a 25% increase in the number of motorists caught speeding in the last 12 months – and more than doubled the number caught since 2010. Read more...
Cowboy builder sent back to jail for breaching ASBO (15 April 2015)
A cowboy builder who breached an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) banning him from carrying out roofing work has been sent back to prison after he tried to start trading again weeks after being released. Read more...
Norfolk and Suffolk Police launch anti-speeding campaign (14 April 2015)
Police in Norfolk and Suffolk have launched a week-long, anti-speeding initiative with the aim of catching motorists travelling at more than 100mph. Read more...
Mum with autistic son forced to repay £56,000 after admitting benefit fraud (13 April 2015)
A 53-year-old woman from Leominster in Herefordshire who admitted benefit fraud has been told she must repay £56,000 she received fraudulently between 2008 and 2013 to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Read more...
Man charged with murdering his 95-year-old mother (13 April 2015)
Police in Doncaster have arrested a 73-year-old man, after the body of his 95-year-old mother was found at an address in Doncaster. Read more...
Judge critical of CPS over case involving teenagers who had consensual sex (13 April 2015)
A judge has apologised to a 17-year-old boy, after he was convicted of having underage sex with a 15-year-old girl and had to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register. Read more...
Police inquiry into why intruder alarm at Hatton Garden safety deposit premises was ignored during robbery (13 April 2015)
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that officers were alerted to an intruder alarm sounding at the Hatton Garden Safety Deposit premises over the Easter weekend when a multimillion pound raid occurred – and are looking into why no officers attended the scene at the time. Read more...
New criminal court fees for defendants apply from Monday (9 April 2015)
From Monday (13/04/15), defendants who plead not guilty to criminal charges may have to pay a court fee of up to £1,200 if they are later convicted. Read more...
One man arrested on suspicion of affray, after 30 men brawl in West Yorkshire car park (7 April 2015)
Police in West Yorkshire are searching for up to 30 men who were caught on video brawling near a children’s playground, where children were playing on an inflatable slide. Read more...
Jail for woman who stole dementia patient’s Premium Bonds (7 April 2015)
A woman who ransacked a dementia sufferer’s home and cashed in nearly £20,000-worth of Premium Bonds she found has been allowed to repay just £5 by a court in South Wales. Read more...
Teachers hold “refusal to teach” ballots to exclude violent pupils form schools (7 April 2015)
Teachers faced with violent pupils are taking ballots to boycott teaching them. Read more...
New Court Fees if Pleading Guilty or Convicted of a Criminal Offence (2 April 2015)
Did you know that the Government will be introducing new court fees for anyone convicted of a criminal offence? This will include someone found guilty after a trial or someone who is thinking of pleading guilty. Read more...
London Mayor defiant over water cannon purchase, despite failing to win Home Secretary’s approval (2 April 2015)
London mayor Boris Johnson has again defended his purchase of three secondhand water cannon from Germany, which he is unable to deploy on the streets of the capital because Home Secretary Theresa May has not given her approval for their use in the UK. Read more...
MoJ to appeal High Court ruling on policy preventing transfer of violent criminals to open prisons (2 April 2015)
The High Court has ruled that banning violent criminal from open prisons in case they escape is illegal. Read more...
Fraudster must repay £1m within six months or face jail under Proceeds of Crime Act (2 April 2015)
Southwark Crown Court has ordered a convicted fraudster to repay nearly £1 million within six months – or spend another four years in jail. Read more...
NCA arrests third member of child trafficking gang in Nigeria (2 April 2015)
A woman arrested in Benin City in Nigeria on suspicion of child trafficking offences is likely to be extradited to the UK to face charges, after she and her accomplices used Heathrow Airport to traffic children into Europe. Read more...
Six staff jailed for £300,000 “back to work” programme fraud (1 April 2015)
A court has jailed six employees of a company hired by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to get claimants back into work, after a training fraud which netted them nearly £300,000. Read more...
Grandfather jailed for eight months for £23,000 benefit fraud (1 April 2015)
A father and grandfather who sold his £88,0000 pound house and kept the proceeds as a nest egg for his family has been jailed for benefit fraud, after he claimed nearly £24,000 in pension credits. Read more...
Met Police liable for £400k legal costs, after Taser victim wins court battle (26 March 2015)
The Metropolitan Police are to pay £400,000 in legal costs, after a court ruled they had used unreasonable force when officers used a Taser on a man they had stopped. Read more...
Law Society fears advising witnesses about defence case might prejudice fairness of trials (24 March 2015)
The Law Society has said that informing witnesses in criminal cases of the general nature of the defence case might jeopardise the fairness of trials. Read more...
Jail for mother who cannot remember killing her partner (23 March 2015)
A mother who killed her partner in a drunken row has been jailed for seven years and told she must serve half the sentence, even though she cannot remember attacking him. Read more...
Calls to scrap police discretionary disposal powers (23 March 2015)
Police have been accused of creating a “charter for criminals” by introducing a scheme under which a crime can be dismissed if the cost of investigating it outweighs the value of the item stolen or damaged. Read more...
Fears that scrapping paper driving licence counterpart may increase fraud (23 March 2015)
The AA has warned that scrapping the paper counterpart of the driving licence could cause confusion – and lead to an increase in fraud and scams to steal a driver’s personal details. Read more...
Crime hotspots to be protected using SmartWater anti-burglary liquid (23 March 2015)
London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced that in the next three years 440,000 London households will be issued with anti-burglary “water” which marks items with a unique code that will link criminals to burglaries. Read more...
Call for lower drink-drive limit for women “to reflect effect of alcohol on women’s bodies” (23 March 2015)
Stress in the lives of women is making professional women in their forties more likely to be caught for drink-driving than men of the same age. Read more...
Ministers call for anonymity for rape suspects – and a cap on police bail (20 March 2015)
A report by the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee says that men accused of rape and later acquitted of the charges can face irreparable damage to their lives. Read more...
New laws on tax avoidance target offshore tax dodgers (20 March 2015)
The government has unveiled a raft of new measures to make bankers and company bosses criminally liable if they help clients avoid paying tax. Read more...
“Torture chamber” serial rapist jailed for life (19 March 2015)
A serial rapist who evaded justice after his first victim could not testify has been jailed for life at Blackfriars Crown Court. Read more...
Arrests made in £21m money laundering investigation (19 March 2015)
The police have arrested seven people on the Isle of Man and Guernsey and across the UK in connection with a £21m money laundering fraud. Read more...
NHS to record cases of vaginal piercings, amid calls to outlaw cosmetic procedures on female sex organs (18 March 2015)
In a further move to ban female genital mutilation (FGM) in Britain, the Department of Health has ruled that women with vaginal piercings must be recorded as having undergone FGM. Read more...
Met Police under investigation for alleged cover-up of child sex abuse by VIPs (17 March 2015)
The Metropolitan Police are to be investigated following allegations that a paedophile ring was covered up because senior police officers and MPs were involved. Read more...
Cocaine use “firmly embedded in UK society” (16 March 2015)
A new report by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has found that cocaine use has trebled among the general population in the last two decades – with peak usage occurring between 2008 and 2009, when an estimated 885,000 people aged 16 to 59 were users. Read more...
Jail for two men guilty of “biggest operation” to import Class B drugs (16 March 2015)
Luton Crown Court has jailed two men for what is thought to have been the biggest ever operation to import cannabis into the UK. Read more...
Couple cleared of Benefit Fraud after DWP archives change in circumstances letter (16 March 2015)
A couple charged with benefit fraud totalling £42,500 have been cleared after a court heard that staff at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had lost letters that would have supported their fight against the charges. Read more...
Just 28% of recorded rapes sent to CPS, says HMIC (16 March 2015)
New figures from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) show that nearly three-quarters of rapes against adults and children in England and Wales are not passed to the Crown prosecution Service (CPS) by the police. Read more...
Mortgage Market Review “causing delays to mortgage applications” (16 March 2015)
Homebuyers are being made to wait for up to two months for the result of their mortgage application, as lenders examine paperwork detailing their outgoings, including spending on leisure activities such as gym membership. Read more...
Ealing Council obtains “exceptionally robust” SPO to tackle drug dealing (16 March 2015)
Ealing Council has announced that officers from its safer communities team have obtained an “exceptionally robust” Suspended Possession Order (SPO) to tackle a household in the borough known as a centre for drug dealing. Read more...
Home Secretary postpones decision on use of water cannon in London (12 March 2015)
The controversial decision to allow the Metropolitan Police to deploy water cannon in the event of civil disorder has been put on hold by the Home Secretary until after the General Election in May. Read more...
12-month community order for £25k benefit fraud (5 March 2015)
A woman who claimed benefits fraudulently by claiming she had separated from her husband has been sentenced to a 12-month community order for falsely claiming £24,137.98 in benefits. Read more...
Gang jailed for selling stolen cosmetics on eBay (27 February 2015)
An employee at a cosmetics factory has been jailed after pilfering thousands of pounds worth of beauty products, which were sold on eBay. Read more...
MP calls for longer prison sentences for repeat drug offenders (26 February 2015)
Figures revealed in response to a Parliamentary question tabled by Conservative MP Philip Davies have revealed that 68% of offenders jailed immediately after sentencing for a drugs conviction have an average of ten previous convictions – including those convicted of offences involving Class A drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine.
Read more...
Millions owed under the Proceeds of Crime Act “may never be recovered” (25 February 2015)
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has warned that the £1.3 billion owed by leading crime bosses is unlikely ever to be recovered because most of it has been channelled abroad. Read more...
Woman jailed over fake rape claims (24 February 2015)
A mother of four has been jailed after falsely claiming she had been raped in an attempt to gain attention from her mother. Read more...
Met Police defend record on rape prosecutions (19 February 2015)
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said that figures suggesting fewer men in London are being prosecuted for rape – despite a rise in the number of reported rapes – are “shocking”. Read more...
Met Police defend record on rape prosecutions (19 February 2015)
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said that figures suggesting fewer men in London are being prosecuted for rape – despite a rise in the number of reported rapes – are “shocking”. Read more...
London Mayor extends A&E support services for victims of gang crime (18 February 2015)
London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Stephen Greenhalgh, has announced a major expansion of a scheme, which offers support to victims of gang crime who end up in A&E departments. Read more...
NCA head calls for end to illegal banking activity in UK (17 February 2015)
The director general of the National Crime Agency (NCA) Kevin Bristow has said that UK banks must end illegal banking activities such as money laundering and financial fraud, as the crimes could pose a risk to UK national security. Read more...
Home Secretary warns law will change if stop and search is used excessively (17 February 2015)
Home Secretary Theresa May has said that she will change the law if police officers do not stop using “stop and search” powers excessively. Read more...
MPs call for more data of effects of Legal Aid reforms on access to justice (16 February 2015)
A new report by the cross-party Public Accounts Committee has concluded that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) introduced civil Legal Aid reforms “without taking account of the potential consequences”. Read more...
Shadow Justice Secretary pledges reform of criminal Legal Aid under Labour government (16 February 2015)
Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan has said that a Labour government would undertake an immediate review of how Legal Aid for criminal cases is procured – and has accused the coalition government of “making a pig’s ear” of access to justice. Read more...
Police and teenage suspect rescued from mud after police chase (16 February 2015)
The Metropolitan Police has had to send a Marine Support Unit to rescue a teenager who went on the run and ended up stuck in mud on marshland after he absconded from his vehicle when it was stopped by police. Read more...
London Mayor says people have a right to “minimise” tax (16 February 2015)
London Mayor Boris Johnson has said that taxpayers have the right to minimise their tax liability to HM Revenue and Customs – although he accepts that every taxpayer should pay their “fair whack” of tax. Read more...
Secure YOIs may increase risk of sexual offending in adulthood (13 February 2015)
A new report by the Howard League for Penal Reform has said that youngsters who spend time in juvenile prisons may become sex offenders as adults as a result. Read more...
Tougher sentencing for child sex offenders and terrorists under Criminal Justice Act (13 February 2015)
The Ministry of Justice has announced that child rapists and terrorists will no longer be eligible for early release halfway through their jail term – and will not be released until it can be proved they no longer pose a threat to the public. Read more...
Revenge porn set to become criminal offence (12 February 2015)
Under the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, revenge porn is set to become a criminal offence in England and Wales once the Bill receives Royal Assent. Read more...
Woman jailed for £32,000 John Lewis fraud (10 February 2015)
A 55-year-old former nanny has been jailed by Aylesbury Crown Court, after defrauding high street store John Lewis of nearly £33,000 in a con which involved returning clothes for multiple refunds. Read more...
Salford council to use £100,000 government funding to help ex-offenders train as drugs counsellors (9 February 2015)
The government has awarded Salford City Council £100,000 which will help train former prisoners who have overcome drug addiction to help families tackle drug issues together. Read more...
Golfer convicted of £26,000 benefit fraud after claiming to be disabled (9 February 2015)
A champion golfer from South Wales has been convicted of benefit fraud after a court heard that he had exaggerated the severity of arthritis to claim a higher rate of disability benefits. Read more...
Woman arrested at Heathrow on suspicion of FGM offences (9 February 2015)
A spokesman for Scotland Yard has confirmed that police arrested a 42-year-old woman at Heathrow Airport on Friday (06/02/15) on suspicion of being about to commit female genital mutilation (FGM) offences. Read more...
South Wales police close “legal high” shop after antisocial behaviour reports (9 February 2015)
Police in Newport, South Wales, have shut down a shop selling legal highs after reports of noise nuisance, intimidation and antisocial behaviour linked to the premises. Read more...
Northumbria Police investigations into sexual offences against women and girls “ongoing” (9 February 2015)
Police in Northumbria say a major investigation into allegations of sexual offences against women and girls is ongoing, after more than 100 victims have come forward. Read more...
Public Accounts Committee report calls on HMRC to tackle tax avoidance schemes (6 February 2015)
A report by the government’s Public Accounts Committee has concluded that leading accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) helped hundreds of clients avoid paying corporation tax by setting up a base for companies in Luxembourg. Read more...
Parents may be committing fraud to save money on children’s motor insurance policies (5 February 2015)
Research by comparison website GoCompare.com has revealed that around one-quarter of parents whose child is a new driver are “fronting” a motor insurance policy for them to reduce insurance costs – but potentially may be committing fraud. Read more...
Strasbourg upholds Britain’s right to impose whole-life tariffs (5 February 2015)
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that UK courts have the right to impose whole-life prison sentences for some of the worst crime committed. Read more...
£500 fine for fly tipping in north London (4 February 2015)
A man from Tottenham in north London who was caught fly tipping has been prosecuted and fined a total of £525, after a waste contractor for the local council witnessed him dumping vehicle parts and refuse sacks at a hotpsot for fly tipping in Haringey. Read more...
Police launch week of action on keyless car theft gangs (4 February 2015)
Scotland Yard has launched a week of action against gangs involved in a rising trend of keyless car thefts – with thieves targeting high-value vehicles such as BMWs and Range Rovers, which are then shipped from the UK to Eastern Europe. Read more...
16-year-old become youngest person to be convicted of revenge porn (3 February 2015)
A 16-year-old boy has become the youngest person to be convicted of revenge porn, after he sold two images of his former girlfriend for a fee. Read more...
Asbo for 12-year-old who threw dog faeces (3 February 2015)
Stockport Magistrates’ Court has granted an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) against 12-year-old boy, after ALMO Stockport Homes applied for a court order after he threw dog faeces at a van and kicked a football at local residents’ properties and cars. Read more...
Father and son jailed for £15,000 fraud targeting the elderly (2 February 2015)
A court has jailed a father and son after they were convicted on charges of defrauding elderly people of large sums of cash. Read more...
“Police should carry Tasers” says Police Federation chief (2 February 2015)
The Head of the Police Federation Steve White has said that all frontline police officers should be offered the opportunity to carry a taser. Read more...
Calls for more “virtual courts” using video and email for defendants and witnesses (2 February 2015)
The publication of a study on cutting costs in the criminal justice system has recommended the introduction of more “virtual courtrooms” for criminal hearings, with defendants, victims and witnesses using video links and email. Read more...
Appeal Court rejects challenge to minimum term from schoolboy killer (30 January 2015)
The Appeal Court has rejected a schoolboy killer’s bid to have his minimum 20-year sentence reduced, after he was convicted of killing teacher Ann Maguire. Read more...
Senior judge warns that Internet porn is fulling violent and sexual crime (28 January 2015)
The Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas has warned that extreme forms of online pornography are encouraging people to commit rape and murder. Read more...
Man denies fraud charges relating to faith healing services (28 January 2015)
A man who posed as a devotee of Indian spiritual master Sai Baba – and who allegedly conned £650,000 out of people who became his followers – has denied charges of blackmail against him. Read more...
CPS publishes proposals for offering more support to witnesses in court (28 January 2015)
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Alison Saunders has published new proposals to offer witnesses giving evidence in court more help and support. Read more...
Thetford man facing jail for £25,000 benefit fraud denies charges (28 January 2015)
A man from Thetford in Norfolk who wrongly claimed £25,000 in welfare benefits may be facing a jail sentence for benefit fraud. Read more...
Fears that “driving test fraud” could compromise road safety (27 January 2015)
New figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) have revealed that an increasing number of learner drivers are hiring “look-a-likes” to sit their driving test for them.
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Postman jailed for 15 months and wife given community order for selling stolen goods online (27 January 2015)
A couple who netted more than £15,000 as a result of selling items on eBay which were stolen from the Royal Mail have been sentenced – with the husband receiving a 15-month prison sentence and the wife 120 hours of unpaid work. Read more...
Arrests made in European distribution fraud case (26 January 2015)
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have arrested two men in connection with European Distribution Fraud. Read more...
East London is UK hotspot for burglary (23 January 2015)
The postcode RM8 – Dagenham and Becontree – is the UK’s burglary hotspot, according to a survey by MoneySuperMarket. Read more...
Dawn raid in south London takes gang off the streets, with 13 arrests (22 January 2015)
Police in London led by Southwark’s gangs unit and Operation Trident have smashed a drugs gang responsible for a spate of burglaries in southeast London. Read more...
Confusion over child protection rules for school staff (21 January 2015)
Tougher child protection enforcement is leading to hundreds of staff at primary schools being suspended from their jobs because they have a family connection with someone who has a criminal record, BBC News reports. Read more...
DPP updates guidance to prosecutors on questioning witnesses about sexual history (20 January 2015)
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Alison Saunders, has said that witnesses in court should be forewarned if the prosecution intends to question them in court about their previous bad character – or their sexual history. Read more...
CPS drops case against 76-year-old who painted fence with anti-vandal paint (20 January 2015)
A 76-year-old man has criticised the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after a case against him involving criminal damage was dropped – but not before £10,000 in Legal Aid had been racked up by the justice system. Read more...
Doctors on trial for FGM surgery during childbirth (20 January 2015)
A doctor on trial for female genital mutilation (FGM) has denied one charge of carrying out the procedure on a woman, after she gave birth at the Whittington Hospital in north London. Read more...
Legal action launched over miscarriage of justice compensation restrictions (19 January 2015)
A case against the Justice Secretary has been launched, after changes to the law left some of those wrongly convicted of crimes without compensation. Read more...
West Midlands traffic officer on trial for causing death by careless driving (19 January 2015)
A West Midlands traffic officer has told a court that he felt the speed he was travelling at as he answered an immediate response call was legitimate – despite the act he failed to see a student on a pedestrian crossing until it was too late and ploughed into him, killing him. Read more...
Couple jailed for £300,000 employment fraud (19 January 2015)
A co-conspirator of a former council chief has been jailed at Newham Crown Court in south London, after being convicted of operating an employment fraud scheme in which “ghost” employees were added to the council’s temporary staff lists – and a total of £300,000 in bogus wage payments was claimed for them. Read more...
700 motorists caught breaking speed limit on M25 by stealth cameras (16 January 2015)
A new generation of traffic cameras introduced onto a stretch of the M25 in Kent has caught 700 motorists breaking the speed limit in just two months. Read more...
Young offenders in gangs “suffer more psychological trauma than soldiers fighting in Afghanistan” (15 January 2015)
The Governor of Feltham Young Offenders’ Institute (YOI) Glenn Knight has told London Assembly Members that young adults caught up in gang violence on Britain’s streets suffer more trauma than soldiers who fought against the Taliban. Read more...
Supply teacher convicted of benefit fraud suspended from job till September (15 January 2015)
A supply teacher who claimed benefits while teaching at a primary school has been suspended until September by the General Teaching Council for Wales, after being told she could bring the profession into disrepute. Read more...
Gang culture at Feltham YOI, says Chief Inspector of Prisons (14 January 2015)
The Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick has raised concerns over the safety of young inmates at Feltham Young Offenders’ Institution (YOI), after it was found that more than 48 separate gangs operate within the prison – with new inmates forced to join gangs as soon as they arrive. Read more...
Outcry over six-year jail term for new father who defended his own mother from abusive father (12 January 2015)
The mother of a 22-year-old man jailed for six years by Teesside Crown Court for a hammer attack on his abusive father has begged the court to release her son, saying that his actions saved her from another violent attack from her husband. Read more...
Former TV and radio presenter pleads guilty to benefit fraud (12 January 2015)
A former television presenter has been found guilty of a £65,000 benefit fraud. Read more...
Killer’s sentence cut after victim dies “because of time already spent in jail” (8 January 2015)
A man convicted of grievous bodily harm has had his sentence reduced after the man he assaulted died after two years in a coma. Read more...
Second Tory MP calls for anonymity for men accused of rape (7 January 2015)
Scotland Yard has confirmed that an investigation into rape allegations against a Conservative MP has been dropped with charges being brought because of lack of evidence. Read more...
Judge criticised for telling a Polish migrant in court to stop stealing and claim benefits (5 January 2015)
A judge has been criticised for telling a Polish migrant in court on charges of shoplifting to stop stealing and claim benefits. Read more...
Police offer six New Year’s resolutions to keep offenders out of court in 2015 (5 January 2015)
West Midlands Police have unveiled six suggested New Year^s resolutions for criminals and the public, by uploading CCTV clips of crimes to the force’s police website. Read more...
Nurse pleads guilty to £17,000 fraud involving shifts she did not work (5 January 2015)
A senior nurse has pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud at Cardiff Crown Court, after falsely claiming £17,000 for overtime and weekend shifts she did not work. Read more...
