UK

Tributes have been paid to former British Olympic swimmer Helen Smart after she died “suddenly” aged 43. Ms Smart, then known by her maiden name Don-Duncan, represented Great Britain at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and won bronze at the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in 1998. She was the 200m British backstroke champion in the

An asylum seeker taken off the Bibby Stockholm barge following the discovery of Legionella bacteria says the government is “endangering” migrants and treating them like “less than animals”. The man, who we are not naming, spoke to Sky News outside the hotel he was moved to following the evacuation by the Home Office on Friday

The number of online grooming crimes against children hit a record high in the last year, police figures show. A total of 6,350 crimes related to sexual communication with a child were recorded in the year to March 2023, a rise of 82% since the offence was first defined in 2017. In all, around 34,000

Five people have been arrested on suspicion of an offence under the Official Secrets Act, the Metropolitan Police has said. Three of the five arrested back in February were then charged with possession of false identity documents with improper intention, under section 4 of the Identity Documents Act 2010. The five arrested include: • A

Footage shows parents letting their toddlers play on live railway lines, young people doing one-armed press-ups, and dog walkers sitting their pets on the tracks for photos. Network Rail has released a compilation of CCTV footage showing people “risking their lives” at footpath level crossings in Worcestershire. Covert cameras captured six instances of “incredibly dangerous

A baby was inside the tent that was struck by a car after it veered off the road and crashed into campsite – leaving two people in a serious condition and seven others injured. Clare Harris, who runs the Newgale campsite in Pembrokeshire, has said the baby is “okay” after the ordeal. It is not

A leading member of the government’s health science team has died after falling in a cycling accident near Lake Garda in Italy. Susannah Boddie, 27, was killed while cycling downhill in the mountains above Toscolano Maderno at around 10am on Friday morning. She was on holiday with her partner at the time, and sustained catastrophic

At least one person has died and dozens of others have been rescued after a migrant boat crossing the English Channel capsized. Five other people were recovered in “serious condition” and taken to a hospital in Calais by helicopter and 50 people have been rescued, French authorities said. A search and rescue operation involving five

A woman who admitted manslaughter and was detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act has gone missing after threatening staff with a weapon. Laura Van Marle made off on foot while on escorted leave at about 5.10pm on Friday. A helicopter and specialist units – including a police dog and handler – are involved

A 16-year-old autistic girl who was arrested after being accused of making a homophobic comment to a police officer will face no further action.  The teenager was detained by seven police officers outside her home in Leeds in the early hours of 7 August. Her mother, who uploaded footage of the incident to TikTok, said

In the constituency of Mid Bedfordshire, most people have an opinion about their apparently AWOL MP Nadine Dorries. “She’s an acquired taste,” says a man with a grin and a snort as he trots off through Ampthill’s weekly market. The former culture secretary announced she was resigning “with immediate effect” in June after missing out

A murder investigation is under way after a 10-year-old girl was found dead inside a property in Woking, Surrey. Officers were called to an address in Hammond Road earlier on Thursday following a concern for safety. The girl’s family have been informed, Surrey Police said. They are being supported by specially trained officers. The senior

The Police Service of Northern Ireland is investigating a second data breach – this time relating to stolen documents and a laptop. Documents, including a spreadsheet containing the names of more than 200 serving officers and staff, are believed to have been taken from a private vehicle on 6 July. A police issue laptop and

Five people have been arrested after an incident on London’s Oxford Street following posts that circulated on social media appearing to encourage mass disorder. Police also issued 24 dispersal orders as crowds gathered on the busy street. Two young men were led away from an area near a McDonald’s fast food restaurant in handcuffs, close

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

Details of tens of millions of voters could have been accessed by hackers who targeted the elections watchdog. The Electoral Commission revealed on Tuesday it was targeted by a cyber attack which allowed “hostile actors” to access electoral registers. They apologised for the breach but said there was little risk it could influence the outcome

Obese and overweight people brains have different appetite control centres in their brains to those of normal weight, a new study suggests. Researchers say their findings add further evidence to the relevance of brain structure to weight and food consumption. According to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, almost two-thirds of adults in the

Tyres on at least 60 vehicles at a Land Rover dealership in Exeter have been ruined in retaliation over a crash in Wimbledon that killed two eight-year-old girls. The group, known as the Tyre Extinguishers, posted a video online appearing to show someone with a drill at the Devon garage. It comes after Nuria Sajjad

UK scientists have begun developing vaccines as an insurance against a new pandemic caused by an unknown “Disease X”. The work is being carried out at the government’s high-security Porton Down laboratory complex in Wiltshire by a team of more than 200 scientists. They’ve drawn up a threat list of animal viruses that are capable

A 12-year-old boy has died after being hit by a vehicle on the M62 as he tried to cross the motorway, police say. They added they are appealing for information after the vehicle failed to stop at the scene in West Yorkshire. Officers had earlier reports of one car being involved in a crash on