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A Crime Stoppers website on how to spot people being exploited for County Lines.

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What are County Lines?

County Lines is a term used for organised illegal drug-dealing networks, usually controlled by a person using a single telephone number or 'deal line'.

They operate out of major UK cities such as London, Liverpool and Birmingham, and they distribute illegal drugs across rural and suburban counties via 'runners'.

Vulnerable children and adults are recruited as runners to transport drugs and cash all over the country, so that the criminals behind it can remain detached and less likely to be detected.

This crime is often associated with other serious crimes such as sexual exploitation, violence, money laundering and human trafficking.

How to spot possible victims

There are several signs to look out for when someone has been lured into this activity; these include:

Change in behaviour

Signs of assault and/or malnutrition

Access to numerous phones

Use of unusual terms e.g. going country

Associating with gangs

Unexplained bus or train tickets

School truancy or going missing

Unexplained gifts (clothes, trainers) and cash

give information 100% anonymously - Call 0800 555 111 or click here for our online form
#LookCloser is a partnership campaign between The Children's Society, the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre and the British Transport Police, encouraging everyone to learn the signs of child exploitation and how to report it if worried, including here on our anonymous online form. The campaign also seeks to highlight that child exploitation can happen anywhere, and any young person can be a victim.
Find out more at the campaign webpage.
What happens?

Criminal gangs establish a base in a particular location, sometimes by taking over the homes of local vulnerable adults by force or coercion in a practice referred to as 'cuckooing' (see below). They then target vulnerable local children and adults to become involved in selling drugs through a process of grooming. Once someone is involved with a criminal gang, it becomes difficult for them to escape.

We know that County Lines exploitation is a widespread problem, with gangs from big cities operating throughout England, Wales and Scotland.

What's 'cuckooing'?

Criminals running County Lines will set up a base in a rural area or small town for a short time, taking over the home of a vulnerable person, 'cuckooing' them (named after the cuckoo's practice of taking over other birds' nests for its young).

Victims of 'cuckooing' are often drug users but can include older people, those suffering from mental or physical health problems, female sex workers, single mums and those living in poverty. Victims may suffer from other forms of addiction, such as alcoholism.

Some people may be forced to leave their homes, making themselves homeless and leaving the gangs free to sell drugs in their absence.

What are the signs of cuckooing?

Signs that cuckooing may be going on at a property include:

An increase in people entering and leaving

An increase in cars or bikes outside

Possible increase in anti-social behaviour

Increasing litter outside

Signs of drugs use

Lack of healthcare visitors

Suspicious vehicles or people at an address?

A neighbour has not been seen for a while? Or they are more distance than usual (with more visitors)

Short term or holiday lets - unusual activity

Older member of the community unexpectedly driving around unknown individuals

If you suspect cuckooing contact Crimestoppers. You can speak to our Contact Centre on 0800 555 111 or use our non-traceable online form. You will remain 100% anonymous. Always. We will never ask for your name, and your phone call or online report will never be traced.

If you have the name, address or car registration number of the potential perpetrator of the crime you're off to a good start. We'll ask you further questions to learn more about what you know, such as:

Can you see a pattern of days/times these people visit your neighbour?

Can you describe what they look like?

What is their address?

Who is the potential vicitim?

What is their car make and registration?

Early intervention

To counter this problem early intervention is essential. We invest in raising public awareness of this crime in the local community, encouraging people to step forward and report it.

We also help to train those on the ground to spot the signs of this problem in the young people they work with.

Crimestoppers' youth programme Fearless visits schools to educate teachers and youth workers, by providing them information and resources on County Lines and other crime issues.

Fearless also empowers young people to report their concerns 100% anonymously via the Fearless website.

Those working on the ground with young people can use this resource to learn about County Lines and the resource can be used to challenge young people's preconceptions and raise awareness of this exploitation.

What to do if you have information

If you have any information about somebody who has recently moved to set up an illegal drugs network and who may be using violence or abuse to carry out their activities, please let us know.

You can speak to our Contact Centre on 0800 555 111 or use our non-traceable online form. You will remain 100% anonymous. Always. We will never ask for your name, and your phone call or online report will never be traced.

Home Office guidelines

The Home Office also provides guidance for frontline professionals on dealing with County Lines, as a part of the government's approach to ending gang violence and exploitation.

Click here to see details of their advice.

PDF flyers
County Lines Flyer - English

County Lines Flyer - Welsh

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County Lines is a term used for organised illegal drug-dealing networks, usually controlled by a person using a single telephone number or 'deal line'. They operate out of major UK cities such as London, Liverpool and Birmingham, and they distribute illegal drugs across rural and suburban counties via 'runners'.

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Sexual Exploitation is a Form of Modern Slavery

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Sexual Exploitation is a Form of Modern Slavery

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And it's happening in Grimsby.

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(Image: PA)

'Pop-up brothels' have been appearing on residential streets in North East Lincolnshire, according to the council.

In a social media post, North East Lincolnshire Council confirmed that there have been brothels popping up in the area, and provided some signs to look out for.

The authority is worried about sexual exploitation - a form of modern slavery - and want to crack down on it to help keep people safe and away from harm.

Some of the signs listed by the council include young adult females of different ethnic origins living by themselves or in pairs. women wearing bead wear or lingerie at all times of the day, regular male visitors coming and going at the same address, and taxis dropping off people at different times of the day to the same address.

If you suspect a house near you if being used as a brothel, you're advised to call Humberside Police on 101 or report them to the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700.

A spokesperson for North East Lincolnshire Council said: "Sexual exploitation is a form of modern slavery and it's happening here in North East Lincolnshire.

"A number of pop up brothels have been established in residential streets across North East Lincolnshire.

"Signs to look out for are

Young adult females of different Ethnic Origin living by themselves or in pairs

Females wearing bed wear/lingerie at all times of the day

Regular male visitors coming and going at the address at differing times (every half hour, every hour etc)

Taxis dropping off different people at differing times of the day to the same address

Groups of men attending the address at any one time at different times of the day

Shopping deliveries being made by non-delivery staff

A number of females arriving at night/early hours with suitcases

Find out the latest crime stats in your area

"Keeping people safe from exploitation and harm is everyone's business .

"If you suspect a house near you is being used illegally as a brothel call Humberside Police on 101 or report to the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700"

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'Pop-up brothels' appearing on streets in North East Lincs

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'Pop-up brothels' have been appearing on residential streets in North East Lincolnshire, according to the council. In a social media post, North East Lincolnshire Council confirmed that there have been brothels popping up in the area, and provided some signs to look out for.

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This article is aimed at Health Care Professionals but serves as a good source of current information regarding County Lines.

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County Lines exploitation: applying All Our Health

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This guide is part of ‘All Our Health’, a resource which helps health professionals prevent ill health and promote wellbeing as part of their everyday practice. The information below will help front-line health and care professionals use their trusted relationships with patients, families and commun…

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Mental Health Awareness Week in May 2021

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Mental Health Awareness Week in May 2021

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Read this to help you and your staff.

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The theme of Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 was anxiety.

Anxiety is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem.

Lots of things can lead to feelings of anxiety, including exam pressures, relationships, starting a new job (or losing one) or other big life events. We can also get anxious when it comes to things to do with money and not being able to meet our basic needs, like heating our home or buying food. But anxiety can be made easier to manage.

Focusing on anxiety for this year's Mental Health Awareness Week will increase people's awareness and understanding of anxiety by providing information on the things that can help prevent it from becoming a problem. At the same time, we are keeping up the pressure to demand change - making sure that improving mental health is a key priority for the government and society as a whole.

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The Mental Health Foundation is the home of Mental Health Awareness Week. Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 is taking place 13 to 19 May. Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event where there is an opportunity for the whole of the UK to focus on achieving good mental health.

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Read the latest news on County Lines.

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Breaking news headlines about County Lines, linking to 1,000s of sources around the world, on NewsNow: the one-stop shop for breaking news

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Keep up to date with Government information.

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England Summary | Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the UK

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Official Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease situation dashboard with latest data in the UK.

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Boy groomed for County Lines work.

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The mother of a boy who was groomed and later stabbed by a drug gang fears "he's going to end up dead."

The 16-year-old boy, who survived the stabbing, became part of a county lines gang while still at school.

In an anonymous interview with the BBC, his mother recalled what it was like to be told her son had been stabbed.

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Mother's fear after son's county lines stabbing

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The mother of a boy who was groomed and later stabbed by a drug gang fears "he's going to end up dead." The 16-year-old boy, who survived the stabbing, became part of a county lines gang while still at school.

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More than 1,000 people have been arrested and an estimated £1.2m worth of drugs seized in a police crackdown on so-called "county lines" gangs.

It sees young and vulnerable people used as couriers to move drugs and cash between cities and smaller towns.

British Transport Police and partners have been working to tackle drugs gangs to protect the vulnerable.

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'They are made to work in horrific circumstances'

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More than 1,000 people have been arrested and an estimated £1.2m worth of drugs seized in a police crackdown on so-called "county lines" gangs. It sees young and vulnerable people used as couriers to move drugs and cash between cities and smaller towns.

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A week of intensive action against County Lines gangs in northern Lincolnshire has led to seven people being arrested, a large cannabis factory being discovered and a surge in intelligence from the public.

Humberside Police have promised to be relentless in pursuing the ringleaders of the gangs importing drugs to Grimsby and Scunthorpe.

20 people were arrested across the force area last week - seven of them in northern Lincolnshire - as five warrants were executed between Monday, September 14 and Sunday, September 20.

Police were successful in taking large amounts of drugs off the streets and recovering £9,500 of cash.

A warrant executed on Wendover Road in Messingham led to the discovery of a large cannabis factory with around £235,000 of drugs, and £800 in cash.

Three men were arrested and have been released pending further investigation.

Police also identified 29 vulnerable people - including those who have been 'cuckooed' and had their houses taken over - who are now being safeguarded or referred to other agencies.

A man was also arrested in Scunthorpe on suspicion of money laundering after he was found to have almost £1200 in cash, which was seized.

DCI Iain Glenn of Humberside Police said that they were receiving far more information from the public as they became aware of the threat.

"County Lines is a priority for the force, and intensification weeks like these allow us to educate the wider public on the signs to look out for, protect those who may have become victims of child criminal exploitation, signpost those at risk of becoming victims to support services and put pressure on these gangs by disrupting their activity," he said.

"We have seen a 100 per cent increase in intelligence from members of the public over the last 12 months. This information is crucial in some of the successful arrests that have occurred this week.

"People are becoming more aware of the signs that people are being exploited by County Lines gangs, and there has been a significant amount of work nationally to raise awareness of this problem.

"Since the week of action, we have seen another significant rise in the people telling us about problems in their community, showing the message is getting through.

"The public has been very supportive in providing us with information which can disrupt criminal activity and stop further offences, and we can build on that information in the future.

"If people don't see any action straight away, that doesn't mean we aren't seriously looking into it."

The enforcement action was carried out with the Operation Galaxy taskforce and the Roads Crime Team. High visibility patrols were also carried out in hotspots for gang activity.

Police and Crime Commissioner Keith Hunter said: "What we have seen over recent years is that the exploitation of people has become the number one commodity for organised crime groups.

"The young people recruited by these groups for their trade in drugs are victims first and foremost, and it is vital that we, as adults, learn how to spot the signs of possible exploitation and know how to raise our concerns.

"My office funds the Not In Our Community programme which is an innovative service aimed at raising awareness of these issues, particularly through the recent 'Alfie's Story' video, and I would urge everyone to be aware of the signs of exploitation to protect our young people and help them to recognise what is happening, and be resistant to this kind of lifestyle."

Warning signs that young people are being exploited by County Lines gangs include unexplained wealth, new relationships with controlling groups and sudden disappearances or trips to other areas.

Gemma Gibbs, the Regional Manager for Crimestoppers charity, said: "If young people don't feel able to tell parents, teachers or even the police about what they're seeing or involved in, they can come to us completely anonymously.

"The may fear retribution, or worry because those involved are too close to home. We won't ask them how they know anything and it is impossible for us to trace them.

"If people are seeing crime or are caught up in it themselves, it's really important that they speak up about what they know."

The public can give information to the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency. Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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£230,000 cannabis factory discovered in County Lines operation

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A week of intensive action against County Lines gangs in northern Lincolnshire has led to seven people being arrested, a large cannabis factory being discovered and a surge in intelligence from the public. Humberside Police have promised to be relentless in pursuing the ringleaders of the gangs importing drugs to Grimsby and Scunthorpe.

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Grimsby in the news after County Lines arrests.

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(Image: BBC)

County Lines drug dealers in Grimsby and Scunthorpe have been targeted in a major police operation which has led to hundreds of arrests across the county.

Humberside Police said seven men and two women were arrested and 'a significant amount of drugs' recovered in the region.

Across the UK in a week of raids, police said 652 men and 91 women were arrested as part of the operation.

And police also said almost 400 "vulnerable adults" and 292 children were referred for 'safeguarding' as a result. Police said 41 cases were regarded as suspected human trafficking and modern slavery.

Police said vulnerable individuals - often children - are 'exposed to physical, mental and sexual abuse, and in some instances will be trafficked to areas a long way from home as part of the network's drug dealing business.'

Northern Lincolnshire has become an increasingly active area for County Lines gangs operating from major cities like Manchester and Liverpool who look to exploit new 'markets' for drugs like heroin and crack cocaine in smaller towns with less established organised crime.

The announcement today follows two significant raids in northern Lincolnshire, the Reso24 gym in Scunthorpe and a house in Grimsby where drugs and firearms were found.

National Police Chiefs' Council lead for County Lines, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Duncan Ball, said: "During the past week we have made further strides in tackling and dismantling the activities of County Lines gangs. The large number of arrests and weapons seized is testament to the joined-up work between law enforcement and our partners.

"We will not treat the criminals who run these lines just as drug dealers. We will work tirelessly to prosecute them for these offences but also, where we have the evidence, we will seek to prosecute them for child trafficking under modern slavery laws to reflect the devastating nature of their exploitation of young and vulnerable people."

In Humberside, Detective Chief Inspector Emma Heatley said: "Specialist teams on both side of the Humber spent their week carrying out warrants, searching people, seizing drugs and weapons, making arrests and protecting vulnerable people.

"Across the week we had a total of nine arrests, with seven men and two women spending time in our cells.

"We also seized a significant amount of class A and B drugs, almost £4,000 in cash and various dangerous weapons, including numerous knives, all of which can now never be used in crime.

"This was a fantastic opportunity to work with forces across the country to share information and identify offenders, helping us to disrupt the supply of drugs."

DCI Heatley said the crackdown had included speaking to businesses and schools about the risk of people and children being caught up in County Lines drug gangs.

She said: "Drug dealing and the crime that comes with it can have a huge impact on communities and the vulnerable people that often find themselves caught up in it."

DCI Heatley urged people concerned about drug dealing in the community to contact Humberside Police.

She said: "We rely on information from the public to help us piece together the bigger picture and take action to tackle drug crime.

"If you have any information about crime or are concerned that someone you know is being exploited please call our non-emergency number 101 to report it. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers."
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Nine arrested after major County Lines police operation

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County Lines drug dealers in Grimsby and Scunthorpe have been targeted in a major police operation which has led to hundreds of arrests across the county. Humberside Police said seven men and two women were arrested and 'a significant amount of drugs' recovered in the region.

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After some terrible attacks in mainland Europe the UK Government raises the Terror Threat Level to Severe.

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He said the JTAC, which brings together analysts from across transport, health, intelligence and the military, were constantly analysing the ongoing threat to UK citizens anywhere in the world, and will have looked at what has happened in Vienna and at all the postings from al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, encouraging people to carry out attacks.

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UK terrorism threat level raised to 'severe'

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He said the JTAC, which brings together analysts from across transport, health, intelligence and the military, were constantly analysing the ongoing threat to UK citizens anywhere in the world, and will have looked at what has happened in Vienna and at all the postings from al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, encouraging people to carry out attacks.

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As we enter Lockdown 2.0 someone you know may be suffering from poor mental health.  Check out this website for some guidance and signposting.

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Feeling stressed, anxious, low or struggling to sleep? Every Mind Matters and One You can help with expert advice and practical tips. Start the fightback to a healthier you today.

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YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People

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YoungMinds are a mental health charity for children, young people and their parents, making sure all young people can get the mental health support they need.

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A short video on Money Mules.

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Criminals may ask you to receive money into your bank account and transfer it into another account, keeping some of the cash for yourself. If you let this happen, you're a money mule. You're involved in money laundering, which is a crime.

You might be approached by criminals online or in person. They might post what looks like a genuine job ad, then ask for your bank details.

Once you become a money mule, it can be hard to stop. You could be attacked or threatened with violence if you don't continue to let your account be used.

Don't Be Fooled by offers of quick cash.

Criminals need money mules to launder the profits of their crimes. Mules will usually be unaware of where the money comes from - fraud, scams and other serious crime - or where it goes.

Watch this film to see the devastating crimes you enable by acting as a money mule.

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Money Mules - If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.

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You might be approached by criminals online or in person. They might post what looks like a genuine job ad, then ask for your bank details. Once you become a money mule, it can be hard to stop. You could be attacked or threatened with violence if you don't continue to let your account be used.

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Black History Month 2023 - Celebrating our Sisters | Matriarchs of Movements #WEMATTER

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In recognition of their leadership, talent, and impact, this year's Black History Month 2023 will highlight pioneering black women who have blazed a trail in literature, music, fashion, sport, business, hair, catering, academia, social and health care, and more.

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NHS workers who work in this country on a visa have to apply to renew their visas and pay £700 to do so. The Private Members Bill seeks to allow them to stay with their families.

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Lib Dem Christine Jardine introduces her Immigration (Health and Social Care Staff) Bill.

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An interview with a 14 yr old boy who was missing for 6 weeks during Lockdown. He was returned home to his abusive father, and ran away again. Hear his story.

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I've never interviewed anyone like Ben before.

A 14-year-old boy with a story of neglect, gang life and a system that seems to have lost him. The day before we met, he'd been picked up by police and returned home to an abusive father.

Having been missing for six weeks, his father didn't even bother to ask where he'd been.

The next day, he ran away again.

"He didn't ask where you'd been?" - I kept repeating to Ben, while trying to imagine how I'd feel if my 14-year-old daughter had vanished for six weeks.

"No," he replied.

That's when he told me his story.

He's just a kid, but to me this tale is more important than the transcript from any politician or celebrity I've interviewed.

Because wrapped up within it are the real concerns of youth knife crime, the pressures of lockdown, the issues raised about school closure, as well as the very crux of the Black Lives Matter movement - and many of the problems we are storing up for the future.

Ben is black. His mother and father had split up six years earlier.

His mother "had problems", so - aged eight - Ben was put in care outside of London. He says the other children in the home, and even the staff, were sometimes violent. He got stabbed once. He didn't make friends.

"I was always alone. I felt on my own. It grew on me, I started to like it, being on my own," he said.

Then after three years he was returned to his father, who had a new girlfriend and a new baby.

"They thought my dad could take care of me - they thought it was the right move," he told me.

"At first it was okay, but then abuse happened - I used to get hit by my dad. I thought it was a normal thing, because of all the violence I experienced in the past.

"But I used to go to school, and I was always angry and always misbehaving. I wasn't myself."

At this stage, Ben got involved in a gang.

His school in south London was in a different area to the one in which he lived, so he was considered an outsider and when he got on the wrong side of a gang member, he sought to join a gang himself.

Ben tells me: "I grew up in an area. I've seen all my friends, I've seen a couple of people die, I've known a couple who have died, you know, to gunshots.... being stabbed.

"You know to me that's just a normal day in the neighbourhood."

We have agreed not to name the gang Ben joined, but I had heard the name before - and it is one heavily associated with violence. In recent years, members have been murdered and gone to prison for murder.

"I felt safe, like they couldn't touch me," says Ben.

"But then in the end I realised anyone can be touched, you can get hurt whoever you are."

Gang life began to change him. He started to carry a knife.

"You are scared that you might get stabbed or shot or even die," he added.

"Every single time you step outside your house there's a chance you are going to die on that day, and you don't know.

"So, it's worrying - but at the same time there is a thrill to it. If you do a shooting or a stabbing - people know you, that you are not to be messed with.

"People want that respect and the only way you will get that is respect by doing dirt on the road."

Ben admits that he has stabbed people and says he wouldn't be alive if he hadn't.

He didn't carry a gun, but he travelled in cars with gang members who carried firearms, and he describes quite casually the violence they would administer if they spotted a rival on the street.

"You can jump out on them and shoot or stab them and just hop back in the car," he says.

"And then just make sure your name ain't tagged to the car."

At this point I remind him that he's only 14. I ask: "Do you ever not just think - I'm a kid I'm too young for all of this?"

"Well - not anymore," says Ben. "I had to grow up fast because I was alone."

Ben's home life was deteriorating during this time.

The physical abuse stopped, but what hurt more was the mental and verbal abuse. His father and partner would often insult him - referencing his mother's mental illness.

Then under lockdown, the pressure of being cooped up and a ramping up of the verbal abuse caused Ben to run away from home.

To begin with he just ran away for a day, but then disappeared for longer and longer periods.

In answer to the question his father didn't ask - he was staying with a man who'd recently come out of prison. But Ben insists he felt safer with that person than at home.

Also, during this time it appears Ben had some contact by phone with a social worker, but that person did not know where Ben was and they didn't meet face to face.

"They just think as long as I'm alive they're doing their job," he tells me.

The school was also out of contact with Ben. One teacher had been speaking to Ben's father - but the school had no idea that he had gone off the radar.

This is the worry about lockdown - children are going missing for longer.

James Simmonds-Read from The Children's Society told me: "I work closely, as do my colleagues, with police officers, with safeguarding and exploitation leads in social care around the country.

"And we work closely with grassroots and larger charities and we are receiving numerous reports of children going missing for longer - the high-risk children have become even higher risk during COVID."

Emily Konstantas from the Safeguarding Alliance says there is evidence that a whole new cohort of children are falling into this situation.

She told Sky News: "Children are becoming invisible, they're falling off the statutory radar, not being known to schools and social services.

"Our biggest concern is around a new frontier of vulnerabilities - these are the children that may not be known to social services. These are children who may be experiencing poverty for the first time, a mental health crisis for the first time or other safeguarding issues."

Nevres Kemal, who is aware of Ben's case, runs the north London charity Raising My Voice Foundation.

"We have got social workers, we do have police," she said.

"People are out there. He's passed through them, they've met him. They've spoken to him and what have they done?

"They've passed the responsibility on to the father, who is abusive. And he's been abandoned, so what do you do?

"You go find a family on the street, which is gangs - drug dealing, knife crime, gun crime. Then we wonder as a society how we let a generation fall."

As I mentioned at the beginning, the day before the interview, Ben told me how he was picked up by the police.

He didn't explain why. They took him back to his father.

Ben said: "They were just like - this is the best place for me to be - which really annoyed me because they didn't know the full story. They just met me - they didn't really know. But they knew I'd run away from home."

"What did your dad say?" I ask.

Ben replies: "My dad didn't really say anything - he just said all right. He wasn't really bothered to be honest."

"He wasn't bothered?"

"No."

"Was he interested in where you'd been?"

"Well, he didn't ask where I'd been."

"He didn't ask?"

"No"

"You'd been away six weeks and he didn't ask where you'd been?"

"He didn't ask, no."

And this is where I start thinking about my own daughter, the same age as this boy. She wouldn't have the first clue about the street life he was living. I asked him if he could imagine swapping places with someone like that.

"I feel like I am where I am," he replies.

"There is a reason why, you know, I'm leading this life. I know that at the end of the day people just say gang life, ends up leaving you dead or in prison.

"Sometimes yeah it does - but other times it gives you a good result, through music and other things.

"People get involved in this gang life because they know what they are doing. You might have done a couple of stabbings, yeah, and then stop. And then think about... Let's think about how to use this gang affiliation to turn my life into something I actually want - money.

"You know - providing for my family. That's what certain people use this gang life for. It's not all about just seeing the opposition and trying to kill them. That's not what all gang members think about."

"But you are 14?", I say.

"Yeah, I know."

On the day of my interview with Ben, a serious case review in Waltham Forest found officials failed to capitalise on a "reachable moment" with Jaden Moodie, who was murdered as a result of gang violence in January 2019.

The 14-year-old was arrested three months before his death, more than 100 miles from his home, in possession of 39 wraps of crack cocaine.

He was clearly being exploited by a county lines drug gang, but it seems authorities didn't reach out at this point, perhaps not identifying his vulnerability.

Maybe Jaden Moodie didn't see himself as vulnerable? I ask Ben: "Do you see yourself as a vulnerable child?"

"No, I don't," he says.

"How do you see yourself?"

"As a 14-year-old kid that had to grow up fast."

When I've been among Black Lives Matter protesters, no one said anything to me that was more impactful for my understanding of the movement than what Ben just told me.

Isn't this the nub of it?

What chance has Ben got of making something of his life? Why are 80% of London's gang members black?

The answer? Circumstances.
Sky News was alerted to Ben's plight by a local charity, who agreed we could talk to him. He is now being looked after by the charity and since the interview has been engaging with social services.

:: Listen to the New Lines podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

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Ben was missing for six weeks. His abusive father didn't ask where he had been

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I've never interviewed anyone like Ben before. A 14-year-old boy with a story of neglect, gang life and a system that seems to have lost him. The day before we met, he'd been picked up by police and returned home to an abusive father.

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Learn more here about who the Windrush Generation are and how they answered the "Mother Country's call".

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The commemoration of this important anniversary provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the close to five hundred Caribbean migrants who arrived, settled and provided well needed assistance in the rebuilding of a post-war Great Britain. At the same time,...

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Who are the Windrush Generation?

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The Windrush generation arrived in the UK between the late 1940s and early 1970s, invited to help rebuild Britain after the second world war. Since 2012, however, when the then home secretary Theresa May launched a crackdown on immigration, many members and their children have faced uncertainty and had their access to public services blocked

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Who are the Windrush generation? - video explainer

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The Windrush generation arrived in the UK between the late 1940s and early 1970s, invited to help rebuild Britain after the second world war.

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The BBC have a wide range of Podcasts linked to LGBT issues including interviews with sports stars.

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She's a two-time Paralympian, a world and European medallist - and a brilliant guest.

Devon's Jude Hamer was meant to be spending 2020 in Tokyo, competing at her third consecutive Paralympic Games as part of Britain's wheelchair basketball team.

Instead, she's still in the UK - training on her own and, amongst other things using her love of sewing to make kit for frontline NHS workers, all as a result of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

It all means Jude has a little bit of spare time on her hand - and we're delighted she's used some of it to have a chat with us for a brand-new episode of the podcast.

There's so much in this episode -finding a sport you love when you have a disability; why 'fitting in' can be overrated; testing the water when it comes to coming out; educating yourself to become a better ally to others; life after sport; and of all things, The Great British Sewing Bee!

We really, really enjoyed this episode - and we think you will as well.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?
@hamer_jude

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?
@jack_murley
jack.murley@bbc.co.uk

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BBC Radio Jersey - The LGBT Sport Podcast, The One with Jude Hamer

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She's a two-time Paralympian, a world and European medallist - and a brilliant guest. Devon's Jude Hamer was meant to be spending 2020 in Tokyo, competing at her third consecutive Paralympic Games as part of Britain's wheelchair basketball team.

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From the BBC - #BLM

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What are the aims of Black Lives Matter UK? Adam Elliott-Cooper, an activist with Black Lives Matter UK, speaks to Adam and Laura about where the movement goes next.

Producers: Frankie Tobi, Jo Deahl, Nat Ktena, Georgia Coan
Assistant Editor: Sam Bonham
Studio Director: Emma Crowe

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BBC News - The Coronavirus Newscast, Rhodes Rage

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What are the aims of Black Lives Matter UK? Adam Elliott-Cooper, an activist with Black Lives Matter UK, speaks to Adam and Laura about where the movement goes next. Producers: Frankie Tobi, Jo Deahl, Nat Ktena, Georgia CoanAssistant Editor: Sam BonhamStudio Director: Emma Crowe

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Is this just a publicity stunt?

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The popular tea company replied to a Tweet suggesting it did not endorse the demonstrations taking place globally in defence of the movement against racism. On Monday, one Twitter user wrote: "I'm dead chuffed that Yorkshire Tea hasn't supported BLM."

Yorkshire Tea's official account replied: "Please don't buy our tea again.

"We're taking some time to educate ourselves and plan proper action before we post. We stand against racism.

The brand then added the hashtag "#BlackLivesMatter" to express their support.

The tweet received over 10,000 likes and 3,000 retweets within just a couple of hours.

Former rugby union England international Brian Moore also replied to Yorkshire Tea's tweet, simply writing: "Well done."

However, some did not approve of the brand becoming involved in a political matter.

The protests over the last week were sparked by the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, when a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee onto Mr Floyd's neck for a prolonged period of time.

Footage of Mr Floyd saying he could not breathe while being arrested was immediately shared across social media causing outrage worldwide.

READ MORE: China trade war: Donald Trump faces 'biggest geopolitical challenge'

Mr Floyd was a father to two daughters, one aged six and one aged 22.

Following his death and as protests started taking place across the US and globally, brands began to show their support for the movement.

Other companies have openly shown their support for Black Lives Matter including sportswear giants Adidas and Nike, with the latter destination $40 million towards black communities.

Shaun Bailey slams 'half-cocked' report on BAME COVID-19 deaths Royal expert shock claims about Prince Charles' fight against COVID-19 Alok Sharma to hold "recovery roundtables" this week [INSIGHT]

Aurora James, the creative director and founder of Brother Vellies, urged fashion industry's big firms to commit to purchasing 15 percent of their goods from Black-owned businesses.

"So many of your businesses are built on Black spending power," Ms James wrote on Instagram.

"So many of your stores are set up in Black communities.

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Yorkshire Tea issues surprise response to Black Lives Matter comment - 'Don't buy our tea'

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The popular tea company replied to a Tweet suggesting it did not endorse the demonstrations taking place globally in defence of the movement against racism. On Monday, one Twitter user wrote: "I'm dead chuffed that Yorkshire Tea hasn't supported BLM." Yorkshire Tea's official account replied: "Please don't buy our tea again.

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Priti Patel warns that justice will follow the thuggery.

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Home Secretary Priti Patel has said "justice will follow" some of the violence seen during anti-racism protests across the UK.

Ms Patel echoed Prime Minister Boris Johnson's comment that the protests had been "subverted by thuggery" after some demonstrators clashed with police.

She will make a statement in the House of Commons later.

Meanwhile, the Voice newspaper's director Paulette Simpson called for restraint from protesters.

Anti-racism protests have taken place across the world, following the death of George Floyd, 46, in Minneapolis, in the USA, after a white police officer was filmed kneeling on his neck.

Thousands of people attended largely peaceful demonstrations across the UK over the weekend, including in London, Manchester and Glasgow.

Unrest in the capital on Sunday led to 35 officers being injured and 36 people being arrested, the Metropolitan Police said on Monday.

While in Bristol, police are continuing to investigate the "criminal damage" of a bronze statue of Edward Colston - a prominent 17th Century slave trader - which was ripped down by protesters, a move Ms Patel called "utterly disgraceful".

In Parliament Square in Westminster, a statue of Sir Winston Churchill was sprayed with graffiti, and a Black Lives Matter sign was attached.

Ms Patel told the Daily Mail that the "vandals" responsible for the desecration of Churchill's statue were "repulsive criminals who I want to see brought to justice immediately".

Dame Cressida Dick, Commissioner of the Met Police, condemned the "violent criminality" by a "minority of protesters" as "disgraceful" and said it was "never acceptable" to attack police officers or damage property.

She said given the potential risk of coronavirus being spread at mass gatherings, people should find alternative ways to express their anger and frustration.

Avon and Somerset Police told the BBC that 17 people have been identified in connection with the toppling of Colston's statue. No arrests have yet been made.

Ch Con Andy Marsh defended the decision taken by commanders on the ground not to intervene when the statue was torn down and dumped in the harbour.

He said arresting suspects could have had "very serious ramifications" for the city of Bristol, including injuries to protesters, police and bystanders.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told LBC radio that the statue should not have been torn down by protesters - but added that it was wrong for the monument to have remained in place for so long.

Mr Johnson condemned the violence on Twitter on Sunday, saying people have a "right to protest peacefully" while maintaining social distancing, but "no right" to attack police.

He said the violence was a "betrayal" of the message of the protests.

Ms Simpson, the director of the Voice, one of Britain's top black newspapers, said people had a "legitimate right" to protest issues that have "reached boiling point", but urged people "to restrain themselves" and to try to "contain" their emotions.

She said she did not feel the violence had "hijacked" the protests' message.

Addressing protesters, she said: "We know that you're angry, we know that you're in pain, we know that the you feel there's no other route to express yourself."

Ms Simpson questioned why the UK still has statues, symbols and names of streets "that remind us of a very dark place in history", and urged the government and others to "listen" to those who call for their removal.

It was because of a "lack" of listening and action that "people feel compelled in a pandemic to go and demonstrate", she added.

John Apter, national chairman of the Police Federation, said while he understood there was "an awful lot of anger and frustration" his "concern and sadness" was that the "legitimate message" of the protests had been "hijacked by some who are intent on violence" against police.

He told BBC Breakfast it was "unforgivable" that some people have been "laughing and joking" about violence faced by police - and warned it could lead many people to "lose sympathy" for the protests.

Crime and policing minister Kit Malthouse told BBC Breakfast there was "no doubt" people would be arrested following the "disgraceful acts of vandalism and desecration".

Asked whether the protests should have been prevented from taking place, he said No 10 had made it "very clear" beforehand that they breached coronavirus lockdown rules - but that the "strength of feeling" over Mr Floyd's death meant "people were going to come anyway".

How George Floyd's death resonated in the UK

Asked why some police officers were seen without face masks, he said all officers have personal protective equipment (PPE) available to them, and it was up to them to make a "dynamic risk assessment" over whether or not to wear it.

It comes as the head of the Metropolitan Police Federation called on bosses to apologise for failing to protect officers injured in the protests.

Ken Marsh, the chairman of the organisation that represents rank-and-file officers, called for urgent action from Dame Cressida and demanded his colleagues were properly equipped with public order gear, including helmets and shields.

Mr Marsh said police should be dealing with disorder "far more robustly", adding: "We need to have the correct equipment on to deal with what is in front of us."

Meanwhile, opposition MPs have criticised comments made by Health Secretary Matt Hancock that protests were fuelled by events in America "rather than here".

Shadow justice secretary David Lammy said that racism and prejudice exist in the UK, as well as across the Atlantic, and that to suggest there is only a problem in the US "shows real ignorance".

Mr Lammy tweeted: "People in this country are not only showing solidarity with George Floyd and other African Americans. We must turn this moment into one of change and justice in the UK too."
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist.

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'Justice will follow' anti-racism protest clashes

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Home Secretary Priti Patel has said "justice will follow" some of the violence seen during anti-racism protests across the UK. Ms Patel echoed Prime Minister Boris Johnson's comment that the protests had been "subverted by thuggery" after some demonstrators clashed with police. She will make a statement in the House of Commons later.

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In light of the George Floyd death in America, there have been numerous protests throughout the UK. Statues are being toppled and memorials defaced.

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UK Black Lives Matter protests live: Oxford demo to target Rhodes statue

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Live coverage and reaction from around the UK as Oxford demonstration against Cecil Rhodes statue expected this evening

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Mental Health Awareness - Heads Together

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Mental Health Awareness - Heads Together

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We are proud to be a part of Mental Health Awareness Week, and support the incredible work of our charity partners and other individuals and organisations working to change the conversation on mental health.

And we kicked it all off with the Mental Health Minute. For the third year running, we teamed up with Radiocentre and at 10:59 on Monday the 18 th of May, the Mental Health Minute played to over 20 million people across every radio station in the UK.

It was the biggest year yet, with more stations involved than ever before and an incredible group of people sharing this important message.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were joined for the one minute message by England captain Harry Kane, singer-songwriter Dua Lipa, two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, and actor David Tennant, as well as inspiring mental health advocates, ambassadors and volunteers from our charity partners who all came together to voice this important message.

"If you're struggling, it's important to talk about it. Or if someone you know is acting differently, it's OK to ask how they are. Use this moment to send a message." - The Duchess of Cambridge

Through the Mental Health Minute, we want to remind everyone that whoever you are and whatever you're going through, we're all connected and you are not alone.

It's important you know that it's ok to reach out for help if you need it, and our charity partners are there for you.
Talk to someone about how you're feeling
If you're feeling anxious, worried, or stressed, and want to talk to someone but don't know where to turn, SHOUT are always here for you. Their fully confidential, free text service connects you with a trained crisis volunteer who is there to support you.
Visit SHOUT now
Self-care and self-kindness cannot be overvalued in these difficult times. If you're looking for tips and advice for looking after your mental wellbeing, try getting a personalised Mind Plan from Public Health England's Every Matters platform. Designed specifically to help manage your mental wellbeing during coronavirus, it includes a tailored COVID-19 Mind Plan, COVID-19 specific content for individuals and their loved ones, and support for specific mental wellbeing issues such as anxiety, stress, low mood and trouble sleeping.
Get your personalised Mind Plan

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Mental Health Awareness Week 2020: Mental Health Minute | Heads Together

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We are proud to be a part of Mental Health Awareness Week, and support the incredible work of our charity partners and other individuals and organisations working to change the conversation on mental health. And we kicked it all off with the Mental Health Minute.

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Unlock hundreds of mood-boosting meditations, relaxing sleep exercises, focus music, and more with our biggest offer of the year.

It's the healthiest, happiest deal you'll find this Black Friday, and it won't last long.

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Meditation and Sleep Made Simple - Headspace

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Live a healthier, happier, more well-rested life in just a few minutes a day with the Headspace app.

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Prioritising happiness and kindness influences how we approach everything - including our personal lives, families, communities, schools and workplaces. It also shapes our views on public policy and helps us to consider the wellbeing of future generations too.
We have no religious, political or commercial affiliations and welcome people of all faiths (or none) and all parts of society. Our members make a simple pledge: to create more happiness and less unhappiness in the world.

Our patron is The Dalai Lama.

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Action for Happiness is a charity that promotes a happier and more caring society. We promote how to be happy, kindness, connection & wellbeing

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The theme of Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 was anxiety.

Anxiety is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem.

Lots of things can lead to feelings of anxiety, including exam pressures, relationships, starting a new job (or losing one) or other big life events. We can also get anxious when it comes to things to do with money and not being able to meet our basic needs, like heating our home or buying food. But anxiety can be made easier to manage.

Focusing on anxiety for this year's Mental Health Awareness Week will increase people's awareness and understanding of anxiety by providing information on the things that can help prevent it from becoming a problem. At the same time, we are keeping up the pressure to demand change - making sure that improving mental health is a key priority for the government and society as a whole.

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The Mental Health Foundation is the home of Mental Health Awareness Week. Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 is taking place 13 to 19 May. Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event where there is an opportunity for the whole of the UK to focus on achieving good mental health.

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A reminder that diversity is what makes this country Great!

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A couple of weeks ago, a young black man from south London stood up in front of tens of thousands of people and delivered one of the most celebrated performances in the history of Glastonbury. A few days later, an England cricket squad - almost half of whom were born abroad or are from an ethnic minority background - made it into the semi-finals of the World Cup. Meanwhile over at Tate Modern, a British artist of Nigerian origin is displaying an artwork made up of thousands of books imprinted with the names of migrants who have made significant contributions to British culture.

Today, some of our most brilliant prospects in art and culture are from minority ethnic or migrant backgrounds. We present a gloriously multicultural face to the world. And that is important not just for the story we tell to others, but for the stories we tell ourselves. Think of the cultural power of the first Asian families on EastEnders, the breakthrough of Soul II Soul in the 1980s, or the nation-defining literary output of Zadie Smith.

The British actor Riz Ahmed refers to this as "stretching the flag, so it's big enough to embrace all of us". He is talking about how art can remould how we see ourselves and the country that we live in. The Pakistani-British heritage of his youth is just as much a part of our modern national story as the playing fields of Eton, remote Shetland communities or the multi-ethnic melting pots of Leicester, Birmingham and London. But it is only through the representation of that experience in our national culture that those truths are cemented across the whole country.

'Think of the cultural power of the first Asian families on EastEnders, the breakthrough of Soul II Soul in the 1980s, or the nation-defining literary output of Zadie Smith (above).' Photograph: Dominique Nabokov

We should be confident and proud about this story - yet it is too rarely told.

Now a report from Global Future does exactly that, demonstrating not only the increasing diversity of our cultural industries, but how popular that diversity is. According to the report, nearly 40% of our leading cultural figures are from migrant or minority ethnic backgrounds. In other words, diversity is making an outsized contribution to British culture. And the size of the contribution is going up all the time: five years ago it was less than a third.

Global Future's survey of 2,000 UK adults suggests nearly seven in 10 of us agree that diversity has improved our culture, against 15% who disagree. Food, music and sport are the cultural industries where people believe diversity has had the greatest impact.

This is music to my ears, of course. Britain is my home. I was born here, I have lived my whole life here, and I have pursued my life's passion here. As a dancer, Britain has been my stage.

It is our culture that makes me most proud to be British. That same culture has been a welcoming home for my own work: where a British dancer of Bangladeshi origin can pursue a career blending the Indian kathak style with contemporary forms. This openness to diversity is visible in many arenas: just look at the Notting Hill carnival every year. Or take the Turner prize, where the artists shortlisted in the last two years have been of German, Fijian, Israeli, Zanzibari, Palestinian, Jamaican and Bengali heritage.

'We are united in our admiration for the acting of Idris Elba (above), the athleticism of Jessica Ennis-Hill, and the artistry of Anish Kapoor.' Photograph: Des Willie/BBC

Diversity is what makes Britain's culture great. But recently it has felt as though we have lost sight of this self-evident truth. Brexit, polarisation and the poisonous debate about immigration threaten to turn our diversity into division. That would be a historic disaster for the country.

And yet when it comes to our culture, we are not really divided at all. We are united in our admiration for the acting of Idris Elba, the athleticism of Jessica Ennis-Hill and the artistry of Anish Kapoor and many more. It is essential that we remind ourselves of that fact, at a time when our politics seems geared towards making us forget it.

We can - and should - always do more. There are still serious barriers to entry for people of a minority ethnic background into our major cultural industries. In some cases, exclusivity in the arts is increasing rather than decreasing. Our culture should be ours collectively, not reserved for a few - and we have to work tirelessly to make sure that is the case.

But let's never lose sight of what makes Britain so special. Our differences fuel our creativity. And our exposure to all the cultures of the world does nothing but improve our own.

Akram Khan is an award-winning British dancer and choreographer, and artistic director of the Akram Khan Company

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Ethnic diversity makes Britain's culture great. It would be a disaster if we lost it | Akram Khan

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Figures show nearly 40% of our top cultural figures come from migrant or minority ethnic backgrounds - but barriers still exist, says Akram Khan

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This is the new policy. What impact will this have on UK Immigration?

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Introduction

The United Kingdom (UK) exited the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020. This policy statement sets out how we will fulfil our commitment to the British public and take back control of our borders.

We are ending free movement and will introduce an Immigration Bill to bring in a firm and fair points-based system that will attract the high-skilled workers we need to contribute to our economy, our communities and our public services. We intend to create a high wage, high-skill, high productivity economy.

We will deliver a system that works in the interests of the whole of the UK and prioritises the skills a person has to offer, not where they come from.

For too long, distorted by European free movement rights, the immigration system has been failing to meet the needs of the British people. Failing to deliver benefits across the UK and failing the highly-skilled migrants from around the world who want to come to the UK and make a contribution to our economy and society.

Our approach will change all of this. We are implementing a new system that will transform the way in which all migrants come to the UK to work, study, visit or join their family. It will also revolutionise the operation of the UK border, tighten security and deliver a better customer experience for those coming to the UK.

From 1 January 2021, EU and non-EU citizens will be treated equally . We will reduce overall levels of migration and give top priority to those with the highest skills and the greatest talents: scientists, engineers, academics and other highly-skilled workers. Importantly we remain committed to protecting individuals from exploitation by criminal traffickers and unscrupulous employers.

We will replace free movement with the UK's points-based system to cater for the most highly skilled workers, skilled workers, students and a range of other specialist work routes including routes for global leaders and innovators.

We will not introduce a general low-skilled or temporary work route. We need to shift the focus of our economy away from a reliance on cheap labour from Europe and instead concentrate on investment in technology and automation. Employers will need to adjust.

However, the Settlement Scheme for EU citizens, which opened in March 2019, has already received 3.2 million applications from EU citizens who will be able to stay and work in the UK. This will provide employers with flexibility to meet labour market demands.

We recognise that these proposals represent significant change for employers in the UK and we will deliver a comprehensive programme of communication and engagement in the coming months. We will keep labour market data under careful scrutiny to monitor any pressures in key sectors.

Initiatives are also being brought forward for scientists, graduates, NHS workers and those in the agricultural sector, which will provide businesses with additional flexibility in the shorter term.

For the first time in decades the UK will have full control over who comes to this country and how our immigration system operates. This policy statement sets out how we will grasp this unique opportunity by introducing a new points-based system.

Alongside this policy statement we will shortly be publishing our response to the Law Commission Report on Simplification of the Immigration Rules which will set out how we propose to provide the foundations for a streamlined and simplified system.

The UK's points-based system

1. From 1 January 2021, free movement will end, and we will introduce the UK's points-based system. This is part of a wider multi-year programme of change, led by the Home Office, to transform the operation of the border and immigration system.

2. These changes will be followed by further improvements to the UK's sponsorship system and the operation of the UK border, including, in the longer-term, the introduction of Electronic Travel Authorities to ensure those coming to the UK have permission to do so in advance of travel. We are taking a phased approach to ensure the smooth delivery of this new system and to allow sufficient time for everyone to adapt. This policy statement focuses on the first phase of changes being introduced in 2021.

Salary and skills thresholds

3. The Migration Advisory Committee ( MAC) published its report on salary thresholds and points-based systems on 28 January. We are grateful for its considered work.

4. We accept the MAC's recommendation on salary thresholds, including to lower the general salary threshold from £30,000 to £25,600. Migrants will still need to be paid the higher of the specific salary threshold for their occupation, known as the 'going rate', and the general salary threshold. However, as set out below, under the points-based system for skilled workers, applicants will be able to 'trade' characteristics such as their specific job offer and qualifications against a lower salary. There will continue to be different arrangements for a small number of occupations where the salary threshold will be based on published pay scales. We will set the requirements for new entrants 30% lower than the rate for experienced workers in any occupation and only use the base salary (and not the allowances or pension contributions) to determine whether the salary threshold is met. Additionally, in line with the MAC 's recommendations, we will not introduce regional salary thresholds or different arrangements for different parts of the UK.

5. We will implement the MAC 's recommendation to bring the skills threshold down from RQF6 to RQF3. We will suspend the cap on the number of people who can come on the skilled worker route and remove the resident labour market test. These changes will ensure that a wide pool of skilled workers will be able to come to the UK from anywhere in the world and the process will be made simpler and quicker for employers. These are important changes signalling that the UK is open for business.

Skilled workers

6. The points-based system will provide simple, effective and flexible arrangements for skilled workers from around the world to come to the UK through an employer-led system. All applicants, both EU and non-EU citizens, will need to demonstrate that they have a job offer from an approved sponsor, that the job offer is at the required skill level, and that they speak English. In addition to this, if the applicant earns more than the minimum salary threshold then the individual would be eligible to make an application. However, if they earn less than the required minimum salary threshold, but no less than £20,480, they may still be able to come if they can demonstrate that they have a job offer in a specific shortage occupation, as designated by the MAC, or that they have a PhD relevant to the job. In effect, applicants will be able to 'trade' characteristics such as their specific job offer and qualifications against a salary lower than the minimum salary or the 'going rate' in their field.

A total of 70 points is required to be eligible to apply; some characteristics are tradeable.

7. For example, a university researcher in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subject wishing to come to the UK on a salary of £22,000, (which is below the general minimum salary threshold), may still be able to enter the UK if they have a relevant PhD in a STEM subject. Likewise, a nurse wishing to come to the UK on a salary of £22,000 would still be able to enter the UK on the basis that the individual would be working in a shortage occupation, provided it continues to be designated in shortage by the MAC.

8. The MAC will be commissioned to produce a shortage occupation list covering all jobs encompassed by the skilled worker route and to keep the list under regular review. Allocating extra points for occupations that the MAC determines to be in shortage in the UK will provide immediate temporary relief for shortage areas, making it easier to recruit migrants. However, we expect employers to take other measures to address shortages and the MAC will look at this when they review whether an occupation is still in shortage.

9. It is also important to recognise that in some higher paid occupations, the 'going rate' will be above the general salary threshold. Migrants will still be awarded points for holding a relevant PhD or if the occupation is in shortage, which they will be able to trade against a salary lower than the 'going rate': 10% lower if they have a relevant PhD in a non-STEM subject; 20% lower if they have a relevant PhD in a STEM subject; or 20% lower if the occupation is designated in shortage by the MAC. In line with the MAC 's advice, there will continue to be reduced salary requirements for new entrants to the labour market.

10. The Home Office will publish further detail on the points-based system in due course, including detailed guidance regarding the points tables, shortage occupations and qualifications. As now, skilled workers will be able to be accompanied by their dependants.

11. The scheme will be implemented from January 2021. This is just the first stage in our plans for a points-based system. The Home Office will continue to refine the system in the light of experience and will consider adding further flexibility into the system including additional attributes that can be 'traded' against a lower salary. For example, this might include a greater range of qualification levels or other factors such as age or experience studying in the UK. However, we need to guard against making the system too complex.

Highly-skilled workers

12. From January 2021, we will extend the current Global Talent route to EU citizens on the same basis as non-EU citizens. The most highly skilled, who can achieve the required level of points, will be able to enter the UK without a job offer if they are endorsed by a relevant and competent body. This scheme has recently been expanded to be more accessible to those with a background in STEM subjects who wish to come to the UK.

13. Additionally, in line with the recommendations from the MAC, we will create a broader unsponsored route within the points-based system to run alongside the employer-led system. This will allow a smaller number of the most highly-skilled workers to come to the UK without a job offer. We will explore proposals for this additional route to the points-based system with stakeholders in the coming year. Our starting point is that this route would be capped and would be carefully monitored during the implementation phase. Example characteristics for which points could be awarded include academic qualifications, age and relevant work experience. This route will take longer to implement; we want to learn from previous experience of similar schemes in the UK that have highlighted certain challenges. The scheme will need to be designed to make sure it adds value and does not undermine the skilled worker route or create opportunities for abuse.

Lower-skilled workers

14. As part of the significant changes we are making to the operation of the border and immigration system, we are delivering on our manifesto commitment to reduce overall migration numbers. We will therefore end free movement and not implement a route for lower-skilled workers. We have reached this conclusion based on a number of factors set out in this paper.

15. UK businesses will need to adapt and adjust to the end of free movement, and we will not seek to recreate the outcomes from free movement within the points-based system. As such, it is important that employers move away from a reliance on the UK's immigration system as an alternative to investment in staff retention, productivity, and wider investment in technology and automation.

16. The points-based system will provide significantly greater flexibility for skilled workers wishing to come to the UK. The requisite salary thresholds and skill levels will provide employers with greater scope to employ skilled migrants from overseas.

17. The EU Settlement Scheme ( EUSS) is operating effectively. As at the end of January, over 3.2 million applications have been made to the scheme. We have been clear that we want EU citizens already in the UK to stay and to continue to make important contributions to our economy and society. Both pre-settled and settled status under the EUSS allows unrestricted rights to work, providing employers with flexibility to meet labour market demands.

18. The MAC also noted that even in the current absence of a route for lower-skilled migration from outside the EU, there are estimated to be 170,000 recently arrived non-EU citizens in lower-skilled occupations. This supply, which includes people such as the dependants of skilled migrants, will continue to be available.

19. We have committed to expanding the pilot scheme for seasonal workers in agriculture which will be quadrupled in size to 10,000 places. The UK also enjoys youth mobility arrangements with eight countries and territories which results in around 20,000 young people coming to the UK each year. Both routes will provide employers with further ongoing flexibility in employing individuals into lower-skilled roles.

Students and specialist occupations

20. Students will be covered by the points-based system. They will achieve the required points if they can demonstrate that they have an offer from an approved educational institution, speak English and are able to support themselves during their studies in the UK.

21. Under the current immigration rules, there are a range of other immigration routes for specialist occupations, including innovators, ministers of religion, sportspeople and to support the arts. Our broad approach for January 2021 will be to open existing routes that already apply to non-EU citizens, to EU citizens (the current 'Tier 5').

Other routes

22. The rules for family reunion, asylum and border crossing checks are outside of the points-based system. However, they will remain integral to the transformation of the UK's new immigration system programme.

23. In addition, we will continue our generous visitor provisions, but with simplified rules and guidance. We expect to treat EU citizens as non-visa nationals meaning they can come to the UK as visitors for six months without the need to obtain a visa. We will also unilaterally allow EU citizens to continue to use e-gates, but we will keep this policy under review. There will be no change to the arrangements for the Common Travel Area.

24. The future system will also deliver on 'Mode 4' commitments for temporary service suppliers, in line with existing and future trade agreements. Individuals will achieve the required points if they meet the requirements for the specific routes.

25. We will not be creating a dedicated route for self-employed people. We recognise that there are several professions where there is a heavy reliance on freelance workers. They will continue to be able to enter the UK under the innovator route and will in due course be able to benefit from the proposed unsponsored route. The UK already attracts world class artists, entertainers and musicians and we will continue to do so in the future. The UK's existing rules permit artists, entertainers and musicians to perform at events and take part in competitions and auditions for up to six months. They can receive payment for appearances at certain festivals or for up to a month for a specific engagement, without the need for formal sponsorship or a work visa.

Criminality

26. From the end of the transition period we will introduce a single, consistent and firmer approach to criminality across the immigration system. We will apply this to everyone seeking to come to the UK, wherever they are from. Currently, EU citizens are subject to different thresholds for criminality than those from the rest of the world. Existing UK rules for non-EU citizens are both stricter and more specific. The application of the current EU public policy test is less certain and predictable in practice than we would like.

The visa process

27. People coming to the UK from any country in the world for the purpose of work or study, other than some short-term business visitors and short-term students, will need to obtain a visa for which they will pay a fee. We will levy the Immigration Skills Surcharge on employers and the Immigration Health Surcharge on the same basis as now. For employers sponsoring skilled migrants, the process will be streamlined to reduce the time it takes to bring a migrant into the UK by up to eight weeks. We intend to further reduce this through additional enhancements to the system.

28. Migrants will make their application online and most EU citizens will enrol facial biometrics using smartphone self-enrolment; fingerprints will not initially be required. Non-EU citizens will submit biometrics at a Visa Application Centre, as they do now. All migrants will need to comply with the UK's strict criminality rules.

29. Most EU citizens will be issued with an e-visa which confirms their right to be in the UK. The online checking service will be used by EU citizens to demonstrate their immigration status and their rights and entitlements, where permitted, when accessing work and services. For many EU citizens, their status will automatically be available when seeking to access benefits or the NHS. Non-EU citizens, including those who are the family members of EU citizens will, for the time being, continue to be provided with physical evidence of their status. Access to income-related benefits will be the same for EU and non-EU citizens arriving after January 2021; it will only be permitted after indefinite leave to remain is granted, usually available after five years of continuous residence. There will be exceptions for those who arrive outside of the points-based system. Ensuring migrants can evidence their status is at the heart of our new system and underpins an approach to compliance that is fair and robust when responding to those that abuse our hospitality.

30. EU citizens living in the UK by 31 December 2020 are eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme and will have until 30 June 2021 to make an application. As a transition measure, employers, landlords and public service providers will continue to accept the passports and national identity cards of EU citizens as evidence of permission during this period, up until 30 June 2021.

31. We intend to open key routes from Autumn 2020, so that migrants can start to apply ahead the system taking effect in January 2021. Employers not currently approved by the Home Office to be a sponsor should consider doing so now if they think they will want to sponsor skilled migrants, including from the EU, from early 2021.

32. Annex A sets out the typical user journey for a migrant entering the UK, regardless of whether they are an EU or non-EU citizen.

Crossing the border

33. Our vision for our border system is to both protect the public and enhance prosperity. We will continue to invest in biometrics and technology which will improve security and the passage of legitimate travellers through the border. This transformation will result in a fully digital end to end customer journey, requiring everyone (except Irish nationals) to seek permission in advance of travel.

34. We intend to phase out the use of insecure identity documents for newly arriving migrants and will set out further details on this shortly. This means most migrants will use a passport when arriving at the border. The citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United States of America, Singapore and South Korea, who possess biometric passports, will continue to be able to use e-gates to pass through the border on arrival. We will also unilaterally allow EU citizens to continue to use e-gates, but we will keep this policy under review.

Engagement and outreach

35. The government, in delivering on its manifesto commitments, has considered relevant views, evidence, and analysis in finalising this policy.

36. A programme of engagement will begin in March 2020 to raise awareness of the new system, ensuring those affected by the changes are fully aware of what it means for them and understand how the system will operate. We will also work closely with stakeholders to understand their views on the implementation of the points-based system.

37. Engagement will be via multiple methods, across the whole of the UK, and will focus upon those sectors most impacted including small and medium sized enterprises. We will build on the success and experience of implementing the EU Settlement Scheme with opportunities for face to face engagement with officials, who will go to every region of the UK, alongside traditional communication and media channels. We will work with key countries around the world, including EU Member States, to explain how the new system will operate.

MAC analysis of a points-based system, and salary thresholds for immigration

38. In its latest report, the MAC modelled the impact of salary and skills thresholds on the EEA migrant population. It estimated that, under their recommendations, around 70% of resident EEA citizens arriving in the UK since 2004 would be found ineligible for either a skilled-work, family or Tier 4 visa given their current (2016-18) characteristics. The MAC suggest that these changes could bring both costs and benefits to the UK, and highlight 'estimated impacts at the macro level are small'.

39. Although the MAC modelling is based on the stock of migrants (and is a 'backwards-looking' approach) it is important to note that EEA citizens who came after 2004 will have a right to remain in the UK. Although the MAC expect an increase in non-EEA migration, given the difficulties in forecasting migration flows it did not attempt to predict future non-EEA migration flows. These will be affected by a wide range of factors including and beyond migration policy.

40. The MAC modelling gives a broad overview of impacts but does not include detailed eligibility rules within each route - for example the impact of any additional fees or changes to administration costs which will affect behaviour.

41. More detailed analysis on the points-based system and individual routes will be published shortly.

UK Government

Annex A: Migrant journey from January 2021

2

Getting permission

For those who need a visa, migrants will make their application online. Most EU citizens will complete their application online, while non-EU citizens will continue to go to Visa Application Centres ( VACs) to enrol their biometrics.

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The UK's points-based immigration system: policy statement

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The United Kingdom (UK) exited the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020. This policy statement sets out how we will fulfil our commitment to the British public and take back control of our borders.

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The National Crimes Agency clearly explains what county lines are.

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Listen to the incredible story of the Woolwich Boys, a largely Somali-led south London street gang involved in county lines drug distribution.

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Woolwich Boys | From Gangs to Extremism.

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Listen to podcasts about LGBT+ histories

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The Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) is the oldest surviving LGBT organisation in the UK. With more than 150 local branches and over 6,000 members, it has...

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What are the re-offending rates in the UK?

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What are the re-offending rates in the UK?

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This data needs to be assessed sensitively.  A balanced and unbiased view of the stats should be managed by the teacher.

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Skip to main content

1. Main facts and figures

Black offenders had the highest rates of reoffending in 2016/17, at 33.3%

for the same period, offenders in the Other ethnic group had the lowest rate of reoffending, at 21.3%

across all ethnic groups, juveniles had a higher rate of reoffending than adults

in 2016/17, White offenders had the highest average number of reoffences per reoffender at 4.12 reoffences

Things you need to know

Ethnicity is decided by the police based on the offender's appearance and is not confirmed by the offender or the Court.

Findings do not take into account important factors such as the nature of the crimes or the number of previous crimes. This should be taken into consideration when making any conclusions based on findings.

Proven reoffending statistics are produced using 3-monthly cohorts. This means that data reports on offenders who are released from custody (or received a non-custodial conviction or caution) in a 3-month period and who subsequently went on to reoffend within 12 months. Annual figures are calculated by taking an average of the four preceding three-month offender cohorts and so this means that a reoffender may appear more than once in the annual average figures

The statistics presented here are annual figures and therefore show the percentage of offenders who were released from custody (or received a non-custodial conviction or caution) within a 12-month period, and who then went on to reoffend over a 12 month follow-up period (or 18 months including time for the reoffence to be proven in court)

Figures for a given 12-month period (from April 2016 to March 2017, for example) do not mean the reoffences were committed during that period. It means that the offender was released from custody (or given a non-custodial conviction or caution) during that time.

Care should be taken when comparing figures from 2015/16 and 2016/17 to all earlier years, as the methodology and data source changed in October 2015. Reoffending rates may vary by up to 5 percentage points using the new method.

Measuring reoffending is difficult. Official records are taken from either the police or courts, but they underestimate the true level of reoffending. This is because not all crimes are detected and not all crimes and sanctions are recorded on one central system.

What the data measures

This data measures the percentage of adult and juvenile offenders who reoffended within 12 months of:

being released from custody

receiving a non-custodial conviction at court

receiving a caution

Only proven reoffences are counted. These are reoffences that led to a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning within the 12 month period (or up to 18 months if needed to allow the reoffence to be proven in court).

The data also measures the average number of reoffences per reoffender. Both sets of findings are broken down by ethnicity and age group.

Data is presented for financial years (12-month period between April and March). Annual figures are calculated by taking an average from the four preceding 3-month cohorts of reoffenders. The percentage for each year is the percentage of offenders who were released from custody (or received a non-custodial conviction or caution) during that year and reoffended within 12 months. The number of reoffences committed by that group is also shown.

The ethnic categories used in this data

Ethnicity is decided by the police based on the offender's appearance and was not confirmed by the offender or the Court. The data is broken down into the following broad groups:

Summary

This data shows that:

from October to December 2015, Black offenders had the highest rate of reoffending, at 33.3%

offenders in the Other ethnic group had the lowest reoffending rate, at 21.3%,

White offenders had the highest average number of reoffences per reoffender, at 4.12

Asian offenders had the lowest average number of reoffences per reoffender, at 3.33

Summary

This data shows that:

in 2016/17, 42.6% of juvenile offenders reoffended, compared with 29.5% of adult offenders (excluding where ethnicity was unknown)

the average number of reoffences per reoffender was higher for adults (4.03) compared with juveniles (3.92)

Black offenders had the highest rates of reoffending for both juveniles and adults, with 48.6% of juveniles and 31.5% of adults reoffending

Summary

The data shows that:

reoffending rates remained fairly consistent across all ethnic groups between 2006/07 and 2016/17

Black offenders had the highest rates of reoffending for this period, and offenders from the Other ethnic group had the lowest rates

due to a change in methodology and data source, take care when comparing recent figures with those from before 2015/16 as reoffending rates may vary by up to 5 percentage points using the new method

Summary

This data shows that:

the average number of reoffences committed per reoffender increased across all ethnic groups between 2006/07 and 2016/17

White reoffenders consistently had the highest average number of reoffences

due to a change in methodology and data source, take care when comparing recent figures with those from before 2015/16 as reoffending rates may vary by up to 5 percentage points using the new method

6. Methodology

A proven reoffence is defined as any offence committed within 12 months following release from a custodial sentence, a non-custodial conviction or a caution that leads to a subsequent court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning within those 12 months (or within 18 months to allow the offence to be proven in court).

Proven reoffending is measured using a number of data sources including an extract of the Police National Computer (PNC) held by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ).

The process involves matching offender details from the prison and probation data to the personal details recorded on the PNC. Administrative datasets of this size tend to be very high quality, however there may still be inaccuracies due to errors when collecting the data. Some offenders who could not be matched to the PNC have been excluded from the figures.

Proven reoffending statistics are produced using 3-monthly cohorts. This means that data reports on offenders who are released from custody (or received a non-custodial conviction or caution) in a 3-month period and who subsequently went on to reoffend within 12 months. Annual figures are calculated by taking an average of the four preceding three-month offender cohorts and so this means that a reoffender may appear more than once in the annual average figures.

Due to a methodology and data source change in October 2015, users should be careful when using the April 2015 to March 2016 cohort and any subsequent annual figures to compare to the April 2014 to March 2015 cohort and earlier years.

Further information about the change of data source and methodology can be found in MOJ's publication How the measure of proven reoffending has changed and the effect of these changes (PDF).

The estimates in this measure can be used to calculate a relative rate index of the proportion of offenders who reoffend, as published in the Lammy review. The index provides an estimate of how more likely or less likely offenders from a particular ethnic group are to reoffend, relative to white offenders. To calculate the relative rate index, divide the proportion of offenders who reoffend for the ethnic group of interest by the proportion of offenders who reoffend for the White group.

Suppression rules and disclosure control

Proportions and averages based on fewer than 30 offenders are removed as they make estimates unreliable. Number of reoffenders, reoffences and previous offences based on fewer than five offenders are suppressed. This is to prevent the disclosure of individual information.

Rounding

Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal place. Reoffences per reoffender are rounded to 2 decimal places.

Further technical information

Proven reoffending statistics.

Guide to proven reoffending statistics (PDF).

7. Data sources

Source

Proven reoffending statistics: April to June 2017

Type of data

Administrative data

Type of statistic

National Statistics

Publisher

Ministry of Justice

Publication frequency

Yearly

Purpose of data source

Reoffending data is used by the government to aid in the development of policy and the delivery of services to reduce re-offending.

8. Download the data

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Skip to main content Black offenders had the highest rates of reoffending in 2016/17, at 33.3% for the same period, offenders in the Other ethnic group had the lowest rate of reoffending, at 21.3% across all ethnic groups, juveniles had a higher rate of reoffending than adults in 2016/17, White offenders had the highest average number of reoffences per reoffender at 4.12 reoffences Things you need to know Ethnicity is decided by the police based on the offender's appearance and is not confirmed by the offender or the Court.

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London Continues to suffer from Terror attacks

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London Continues to suffer from Terror attacks

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The Streatham attacks add to a list of terrorist activities in the UK.

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The attack in Streatham in which a suspect stabbed two people before being shot dead by the police and the incident being declared terror-related, is the latest in a line of terror incidents in the UK.

9 January 2020

Two inmates wearing fake suicide vests and armed with improvised blades are accused of attacking an officer at HMP Whitemoor.

Convicted terrorist Brusthom Ziamani, 24, has been named as one of the men allegedly involved. The second man is said to be a Muslim convert jailed for a violent offence.

29 November 2019

Two people were stabbed to death when a convicted terrorist launched a frenzied knife attack at an event in central London.

Usman Khan killed Cambridge graduates Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones at an event on prisoner rehabilitation called Learning Together.

The incident spilled out onto nearby London Bridge as former prisoners and members of the public tried to tackle Khan using a fire extinguisher and an ornamental whale tusk.

Police shot Khan, who was wearing a fake suicide vest, dead. It emerged that he had previously been jailed in 2012 for plotting a separate terrorist attack.

15 September 2017

Ahmed Hassan's homemade bomb partially exploded on a London Underground rush hour train at Parsons Green, injuring more than 50 people. He was sentenced to life with a minimum jail term of 34 years.

19 June 2017

A group of Muslim worshippers were hit after a van slammed into them near Finsbury Park mosque, north London, after many of them had attended evening prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. One person died. Darren Osborne was jailed for at least 43 years after being found guilty of murder and attempted murder.

3 June 2017

Eight people were killed during a car and knife attack in London Bridge terror attack in central London.

Three men drove into pedestrians on the bridge and then stabbed people in nearby Borough Market.

22 May 2017

Around 10.30pm British-born Salman Ramadan Abedi, 22, walked into the foyer of Manchester Arena as crowds streamed out of an Ariana Grande concert and detonated a device packed with shrapnel, killing 22 people, including children.

22 March 2017

Five people were killed when an Islamist extremist launched a car and knife attack in central London.

Khalid Masood drove a hired car over Westminster Bridge, near the Houses of Parliament, mounted the pavement and hit pedestrians before crashing into railings outside the Palace of Westminster.

He stabbed PC Keith Palmer, 48, to death and also killed US tourist Kurt Cochran, Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 31, plus Britons Aysha Frade, 44, and 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes. Masood was shot dead by police.

16 June 2016

Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered outside her constituency office in Batley, west Yorkshire.

The mother of two, 41, was shot and stabbed multiple times by rightwing extremist Thomas Mair. He was later handed a whole-life prison sentence for her murder.

5 December 2015

A lone attacker attempted to behead a passenger during an Islamic State-inspired rampage in the ticket hall of Leytonstone Underground station in east London.

Somali-born Muhiddin Mire targeted strangers at random during the attack on 5 December 2015 before slashing fellow passenger Lyle Zimmerman, 56, with a knife.

Mire, who had schizophrenia, was sent to Broadmoor hospital after being given a life sentence with a minimum term of eight years for attempted murder.

22 May 2013

Fusilier Lee Rigby murdered by Islamic extremists Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale.

The 25-year-old serviceman was walking near his barracks in Woolwich, south-east London, when the pair rammed him with a car before attempting to decapitate him.

The killers were jailed for life at the Old Bailey in February 2014.

14 May 2010

Stephen Timms, MP for West Ham, was stabbed by Roshonara Choudhry during one his constituency surgeries. She became the first British person inspired by al-Qaida to try and assassinate a prominent figure on UK soil.

She was found guilty of attempted murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years.

30 June 2007

Two men inspired by Islamist extremism rammed a 4x4 laden with petrol and propane tanks into the main terminal of Glasgow airport. One of the attackers died in the incident and five people were injured.

7 July 2005

Four suicide bombers killed 52 and injured hundreds in blasts on the London Underground network and a bus.

Twenty-six died in the bombing at Russell Square on the Piccadilly line, six in the bombing at Edgware Road on the Circle line, seven in the bombing at Aldgate on the Circle line, and 13 in the bombing on a bus at Tavistock Square.
Topics

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Streatham attack the latest in growing list of terror incidents in UK

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The attack in Streatham in which a suspect stabbed two people before being shot dead by the police and the incident being declared terror-related, is the latest in a line of terror incidents in the UK. Two inmates wearing fake suicide vests and armed with improvised blades are accused of attacking an officer at HMP Whitemoor.

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Take a look at the Coronavirus legislation.

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Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised): The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the 'Changes to Legislation' area.

Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

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The Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020

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These Regulations supplement the health protection regime found in Part 2A of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 ("the 1984 Act") in the event that there exists a serious and imminent threat to public health from the virus known as "Wuhan novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)".

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Emergency Laws rushed in to fight the Coronavirus

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Emergency Laws rushed in to fight the Coronavirus

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What does this mean for the UK? This is known as a Rule of Law. The Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 is being rushed through Government now.

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No tactics will be "off the table" in the UK government's plan to contain coronavirus, the health secretary says.

Matt Hancock said an emergency "battle plan", drawn up if the virus spreads further, includes banning big events, closing schools and dissuading people from using public transport.

He told the BBC's Andrew Marr the plans were for the "worst-case scenario".

Mr Hancock said the UK remained in the "containment" phase with 23 confirmed cases - but more are expected.

The government contingency plans, which will be published this week, include that newly-retired doctors and nurses could be asked to return to the NHS.

If the outbreak worsens, people could also be urged to work from home.

A minister in every government department will focus on tackling the virus, which causes the Covid-19 disease, while a team of experts will drive a public health campaign.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Hancock said there were four phases to the plan:

Containment - caring for any infected people and identifying their close contacts

Delay - deciding what actions to take to slow down the spread

Mitigation - damage limitation if the virus spreads widely

Research - constant and ongoing work to inform the three other phases

Currently, the UK is in the "containment" phase - which health leaders say may still be sufficient.

But the next phase could see broader "social distancing" measures.

Rules around class sizes in schools could also be relaxed in the event of widespread staff shortages.

Asked if UK cities could be shut down, as has happened where the virus originated in China, Mr Hancock said: "There is clearly a huge economic and social downside to that. But we don't take anything off the table at this stage because you have to make sure you have all the tools available if that is what is necessary."

He added: "Under the worst-case scenario we would have to take some quite significant actions that would have social and economic disruption."

Labour shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Mr Hancock must give more detail of any emergency powers he wants to bring in so that MPs "can properly scrutinise" the plans.

Emergency powers designed to restrict the virus if it became endemic would only be "temporary", Mr Hancock said - adding that it was "inevitable" the scale of the virus would worsen.

He also said "a lot more resources" were being put into the NHS 111 helpline as the number of calls rose by 50% over the last week.

On Saturday evening, Willow Bank Infant School in Woodley, Berkshire, issued a statement saying one of its members of staff had tested positive for coronavirus - and it would be closing for a deep clean.

Meanwhile, more than 200 British holidaymakers locked down at a quarantined hotel in Tenerife have been told they will be allowed to fly home, if they test negative for the virus.

The travellers have been quarantined at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel since Tuesday after four Italians contracted the virus. Some have already been allowed to leave but others are awaiting test results.

The Foreign Office is in contact with operators and travel agents about their plans to return Britons to the UK.

While the virus can be present but undetectable in a test, BBC correspondent Dan Johnson said advice for the hotel guests was that there is a 24-hour window after a negative test when people are not infectious, and are therefore safe to fly.

The government's response is based on existing plans for a pandemic flu outbreak - but has been adapted for the coronavirus.

What do I need to know about the coronavirus?

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? A simple guide

WAYS TO PREVENT CATCHING IT: How to wash your hands

WHERE ARE WE WITH A VACCINE? Progress so far

A VISUAL GUIDE TO THE OUTBREAK: Virus maps and charts

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR MY HOLIDAY? Your rights as a traveller

The plan includes holding extra meetings for the government's emergency committee, Cobra, which is already scheduled to meet on Monday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who will chair Monday's meeting, said: "Coronavirus may very well be a challenge in the weeks and months ahead.

"But I have no doubt that with the help of the NHS and its incomparable staff this country will get through it and beat it."

A team of scientists and media experts will also be set up to work on a public information campaign from a so-called "war room" in the Cabinet Office. This will see posters and social media adverts telling people to wash their hands for 20 seconds or more with soap and water.

Whitehall officials say they will be working closely with their counterparts in the devolved administrations.

Meanwhile, the Scottish government said it was increasing tests for coronavirus to all people with flu-like symptoms, even those who have not travelled to an affected area. No one in Scotland has so far tested positive.

Mr Hancock said "every part of government" was working together to tackle "the health, economic, and social impacts" of the virus - "but cannot do this alone".

"Every single person has a role to play in helping to manage the spread of the virus - whether that's washing your hands more often, catching your sneezes, and following clinical advice," he said.

More than 10,000 people have now been tested for the virus in the UK.

The Berkshire school staff member is thought to be among three UK coronavirus cases confirmed on Saturday.

Ten more cases of the virus in the UK in just over two days might raise eyebrows, but health officials say all but one can be easily explained because the patients have travelled from the most affected countries, including northern Italy and Iran.

Since the first UK cases were confirmed in York - two Chinese nationals - positive tests have been recorded in the south of England, Derbyshire, south Wales and Northern Ireland.

Of potential concern is the case in Surrey, a man who had not travelled abroad.

Public health officials are tracing his contacts to see if his infection can be explained by another individual who has arrived in the UK from abroad.

In other developments:

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has tested negative for the virus. The Foreign Office said he self-isolated after feeling unwell this week - and has returned to work since the test result

The Foreign Office has called on Iran to "immediately allow" health officials to examine Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe - a British-Iranian woman jailed in Iran - as state television reports the number of deaths in the country has risen to 54

The Republic of Ireland has confirmed its first case. Health officials said the man was associated with travel from an affected area in northern Italy

The first person in the US to die from coronavirus was a man in his 50s with underlying health conditions, officials say

Australia and Thailand also recorded their first fatalities from the virus on Sunday. A 78-year-old Australian man died after being infected on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. Thailand said the 35-year-old man who died of the virus had also been suffering from dengue fever

France has temporarily banned gatherings of more than 5,000 people "in confined spaces" as it reported a jump in cases

There has been a jump of cases in a South Korean religious sect which has been identified as a coronavirus hotbed. Some 8,946 members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus are now showing symptoms of the virus, according to officials

And Nasa images have shown air pollution in China has cleared dramatically in part because of the economic slowdown prompted by the virus

On Friday the World Health Organization raised its global risk assessment of the virus to its top level, "very high".

Globally, more than 86,000 people have been infected, with cases in more than 50 countries. About 3,000 people have died - the vast majority in China's Hubei province, where the outbreak originated in December.
Have you been affected by coronavirus? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

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'Nothing ruled out' in government's virus tactics

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No tactics will be "off the table" in the UK government's plan to contain coronavirus, the health secretary says. Matt Hancock said an emergency "battle plan", drawn up if the virus spreads further, includes banning big events, closing schools and dissuading people from using public transport.

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Does the Chinese Tech firm cause a threat to our intelligence relationship with the US?

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The head of MI5 has said he is confident that US intelligence sharing with the UK will not be jeopardised if Britain uses Huawei technology in future 5G mobile phone networks. A final decision on its inclusion is due shortly.

Andrew Parker said he had "no reason today to think that" the longstanding intelligence partnership would be affected - despite intensifying US lobbying against using the Chinese company in a critical piece of national infrastructure.

But the spy chief's remarks comes as a US delegation - including officials from the National Security Agency - are due to visit the UK in a last-ditch attempt to persuade Britain to introduce a blanket ban.

A final decision on Huawei by British ministers has been repeatedly delayed after a decision taken in principle last spring to allow the Chinese firm to supply "non-core" parts of the high-speed 5G networks was leaked.

The decision was only taken by 5 votes to 4 in a closed National Security Council meeting, and the ensuing leak was blamed on then defence secretary Gavin Williamson, who was subsequently fired by then prime minister Theresa May.

Britain's intelligence agencies have argued that any risks from Huawei can be managed, and the rare public comments from the head of domestic intelligence agencies will be interpreted as providing further support for Boris Johnson if he chooses to oppose Donald Trump on the issue.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Parker said that intelligence sharing between the US-UK was "very close and trusted". He added: "It is, of course, of great importance to us. And, I dare say, to the US too, though that's for them to say. It is a two-way street."

But senior ministers such as Williamson have in the past been concerned about possible surveillance risks if Huawei technology is deployed. Some have been heavily lobbied by their counterparts in the US.

A final decision will also be seen as a crucial early signal in how far the UK wants to move towards the US orbit as trade talks with both Washington and Brussels loom after Britain formally leaves the EU at the end of January.

Last month, Johnson said at the Nato summit that he didn't want the UK to be hostile to foreign investment - before suggesting that the impact on future intelligence sharing was critical to his final decision.

"On the other hand, we cannot prejudice our vital national security interests, nor can we prejudice our ability to cooperate with other Five Eyes [US, New Zealand Australia and Canada] security partners. That will be the key criterion that informs our decision about Huawei."

Huawei has consistently denied that it has ever been asked by the Chinese government to introduce secret "back doors" into its technology, and has even offered to sign a "no spy agreement" with countries adopting it.

Its position is strengthened by the fact that Vodafone and other mobile companies say it is the cheapest and most advanced supplier of 5G equipment in the market, a point acknowledged by the head of MI5.

"Perhaps the thing that needs more focus and more discussion is how do we get to a future where there's a wider range of competition and a wider range of sovereign choices than defaulting to a yes or no about Chinese technology," Parker said.

The UK's final decision is now expected in a few weeks.
Topics

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Huawei technology poses no threat to UK security - ex-MI5 head

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The head of MI5 has said he is confident that US intelligence sharing with the UK will not be jeopardised if Britain uses Huawei technology in future 5G mobile phone networks. A final decision on its inclusion is due shortly.

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Extinction Rebellion listed as Extremist Ideologists

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Extinction Rebellion listed as Extremist Ideologists

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Non-violent group added to Terrorist List

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Counter-terrorism police placed the non-violent group Extinction Rebellion (XR) on a list of extremist ideologies that should be reported to the authorities running the Prevent programme, which aims to catch those at risk of committing atrocities, the Guardian has learned.

The climate emergency campaign group was included in a 12-page guide produced by counter-terrorism police in the south-east titled Safeguarding young people and adults from ideological extremism, which is marked as "official".

XR featured alongside threats to national security such as neo-Nazi terrorism and a pro-terrorist Islamist group. The guide, aimed at police officers, government organisations and teachers who by law have to report concerns about radicalisation, was dated last November.

Share your experiences

We'd like to hear from anyone who was officially approached about XR. What guidance or documentation were you given about the group? You can get in touch by filling in the form below, anonymously if you wish. Only the Guardian can see your contributions and one of our journalists may contact you to discuss further.

It says that issues to look out for include people who speak in "strong or emotive terms about environmental issues like climate change, ecology, species extinction, fracking, airport expansion or pollution".

In the guide, people are advised to listen and look out for young people who "neglect to attend school" or "participate in planned school walkouts" - an allusion to the school strikes for the climate, a global movement of which the activist Greta Thunberg is a lead proponent. Thousands of UK pupils, and millions worldwide, walked out of school last year in protest at government inaction on the climate crisis.

The document also flags young people taking part in non-violent direct action, such as sit-down protests, banner drops or "writing environmentally themed graffiti".

The disclosure that XR has been listed alongside proscribed groups such as National Action and Al-Muhajiroun is likely to be deeply embarrassing for counter-terror chiefs. They have for years faced claims that Prevent can cross the line to stifle legitimate free speech, thought and dissent.

When the Guardian first asked police about the document, officials said they would review the guidance to clarify their position on Extinction Rebellion. But following further questions, counter-terrorism police confirmed it had been circulated to "statutory partners" and had now been recalled. They said they now accepted that the protest group was not extremist.

The guide, bearing the counter-terrorism policing logo, urges those in "regular, direct contact with young people or members of the public" to look out for various warning signs and consider a referral to Prevent if they believe someone is falling prey to "ideological extremism".

Setting out its purpose, the guide says: "This document is designed to help you recognise when young people or adults may be vulnerable to extreme or violent ideologies.

"Identification of any one of the signs presented here, in isolation, may not be indicative of vulnerability or radicalisation. However, in combination or in circumstances where they do not 'fit', they may indicate an individual at risk. In such cases, consider whether the individual is vulnerable to extremism and should be referred to the UK government's Prevent programme."

The guide runs through various extremist ideologies, and contains a whole page on XR.

Explaining why it is considered a threat, it states: "Anti-establishment philosophy that seeks system change underlies its activism; the group attracts to its events school-age children and adults unlikely to be aware of this. While non-violent against persons, the campaign encourages other law-breaking activities."

It adds: "While concern about climate change is not in itself extreme, activists may encourage vulnerable people to perform acts of violence, or commit such acts themselves."

The Guardian understands that counter-terrorism officials at a national level believe including XR in the guide was a mistake and insist they do not view its ideology as extremist. They say any such advice was issued by Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) in the south-east of England and not in any other part of the UK.

In its first statement, CTPSE said: "This document was produced at a local level to help our partners to spot the signs of vulnerability to radicalisation. By including Extinction Rebellion in this document, it gives the impression we consider them to be an extremist group, which they are not. We will review the guidance to make this clear."

Later, after further inquiries from the Guardian, police said they would recall the document.

DCS Kath Barnes, head of CTPSE, said: "I would like to make it quite clear that we do not classify Extinction Rebellion as an extremist organisation. The inclusion of Extinction Rebellion in this document was an error of judgment and we will now be reviewing all of the contents as a result.

"It was produced by CTPSE to assist our statutory partners - including police forces and government organisations - in identifying people who may be vulnerable as a result of their links to some organisations.

"The document was designed for a very specific audience who understand the complexities of the safeguarding environment we work within and who have statutory duties under Prevent. We are in the process of confirming who it has been shared with and recalling it.

"We as Counter Terrorism Policing, along with our partners, have a responsibility to protect vulnerable people. Officers are trained to spot those who may be vulnerable, and the membership of an organisation that supports environmental or animal welfare issues alone would not be a trigger."

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Extinction Rebellion is a global environmental movement with the stated aim of using nonviolent civil disobedience "in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimise the risk of social collapse". The group has won the backing of a range of MPs and celebrities.

A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion said: "How dare they? Children up and down the country are desperately fighting for a future. Teachers, grandparents, nurses have been trying their best with loving nonviolence to get politicians and big business to do something about the dire state of our planet. And this is how the establishment responds.

"In a world of misinformation, where lies travel faster than the truth, we can't help but wonder was this a deliberate attempt to silence a legitimate cause. Wouldn't it be nice if they focused on the real extremists, the fossil fuel companies and those that do their bidding?"

In an online response to what the group called the "terrorism slur", it also included objections from former police officers. Paul Stephens, a former detective sergeant with the Metropolitan police, said:"When are the police going to wake up? The climate and ecological emergency is the most serious threat to public safety in history and the longer this government fails to address it and continues to invest in fossil fuels, the greater the problem will be for the police. Who hasn't criticised our system of government in recent years? Are we all extremists?"

The document from the CTPSE lists among ideologies to look out for that of the extreme right National Action, warning that followers idolise Adolf Hitler; and Al-Muhajiroun, which pledged allegiance to Islamic State and whose followers have carried out murders on Britain's streets.

Those behind Prevent argue it is an important part of the fight against violent extremism, some say the most important, seeking to identify and divert people before they carry out violent attacks. In its early years it focussed mainly on Muslims and faced claims of impinging on freedom of speech and thought.

It has recently been beset by problems. The government set up a review of Prevent hoping it would help restore confidence but its chair, Lord Carlile, stepped down amid claims of bias and a replacement is yet to be appointed.

Some senior policing figures believe Prevent needs to be more community focussed. In August Neil Basu, the head of counter-terrorism, accepted mistakes had been made with Prevent as he stressed its continued importance: "It started off as a safeguarding, vulnerability programme. It was, in my view, badly handled."

In September, the Guardian revealed a retired doctor who joined XR and took part in non-violent environmental protests was reported to Prevent by his NHS trust.

Police say XR's protests have cost tens of millions of pounds, diverted officers from crime fighting and caused disruption to the public. The group recently won a case against the police in the courts when a ban on protests in London was ruled unlawful.

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Terrorism police list Extinction Rebellion as extremist ideology

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Counter-terrorism police placed the non-violent group Extinction Rebellion (XR) on a list of extremist ideologies that should be reported to the authorities running the Prevent programme, which aims to catch those at risk of committing atrocities, the Guardian has learned.

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RuPaul's programme openly applauds diversity, yet can the same be said behind the scenes?

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RuPaul is a man of many colours: As a model, drag queen, and the host of RuPaul's Drag Race, he's often found draped in jewel-tone gowns, tucked into neon bodysuits, and under towers of platinum synthetic hair. To look at RuPaul in full drag is to acknowledge histories that are often forgotten, like the ballroom and drag scenes of the 80s and 90s or the performers and club kids who were vogueing long before Madonna. It's the legacy of communities made up of predominantly queer and transgender people of colour like RuPaul who made space for themselves at a time where they were told they didn't belong.

On Sunday evening, however, his out of drag look was more subdued: As RuPaul took to the press room to discuss his show's win at the Emmys, he was dressed in a glossy black shirt under a powder pink silk suit cut with wide lapels and patterned with inky-black poppies. Behind him stood a row of faces - his producers, his judging panel, his crew - and, as one journalist noticed, they were almost uniformly white.

"Do you feel like it's important for [diversity] to be represented behind the scenes as well for a show like yours that is so diverse?" asked Essence's Danielle Young. Fans of the show know what she meant: RuPaul's Drag Race has always platformed contestants from a broad panorama of cultural and racial heritages. The wall of white faces behind RuPaul as he accepted his Emmy told a different story: Who was the real winner here?

It's been four years since writer and activist April Reign starter #OscarsSoWhite to bring light to the racial imbalance in Hollywood, and we're starting to see incremental changes in the industry: Billy Porter made international headlines as the first Black gay man to win a Lead Actor Emmy on Sunday night, and the Academy recently pledged that it would double the number of members from marginalised backgrounds by 2020. Even the success of Drag Race indicates a moving needle, albeit at a glacial pace: As RuPaul told Young in his press conference, "First of all, the host of our show is Black, gay, and a drag queen".

Still, the sight of RuPaul bobbing in front of a mostly white and mostly male crew is not an exception in today's television, but rather the rule: An Ofcom report last week showed that only 8 per cent of senior management roles in the UK television industry go to people of marginalised racial backgrounds, even though they make up 12 per cent of the national labour market. While diversity might mean there are more minorities in a room, there's the very real danger that they'll be the ones stuck there, passed over for promotions and left uncredited for their work.

When we talk about representation, we put more faith in diversity than we should: Does diversity matter if those from marginalised backgrounds aren't afforded the same opportunities as their peers? Consider how easy it would be for a company to say that it employs the same number of men and women, when it would be more interesting to see where the women in an organisation work: Are they stuck in customer service and administrative support roles, or are they being offered the same opportunities to advance as their male colleagues are? Diversity without inclusion is false advertising: You might see our faces on a billboard, but when will you see our work and our stories celebrated?

Consider Pose, Ryan Murphy's television drama and the show for which Billy Porter won his Emmy own Sunday. It follows Black and Latinx people living and working in the ballroom circuits to which Drag Race owes deeply. The show is intentionally inclusive: From casting queer and transgender performers like Porter, Mj Rodriguez, Indya Moore, and Dominique Jackson to hiring ballroom-veteran Leiomy Maldonado as a choreographer and Janet Mock as a writer and producer, Pose elevates both its cast and crew, allowing them to tell their stories and stories like theirs. They're offered an opportunity to explore their perspectives on the screen, and they're paid more than the lip service that diversity efforts often result in.

Stars of Drag Race have since spoken out, naming the show's producers and executives of colour like Meesh Mills and Mandy Salangsang - the ones overlooked or in the background at the Emmys, and the ones who help to make the show what it is. They're the names we need to remember and the faces we need to see: It's thrilling to know that today's youth of colour have a broader palette of role models to draw inspiration from, but if we're stuck backstage or waiting in the wings, we risk being forgotten.

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Opinion: RuPaul's white Drag Race crew proves it - you can't have diversity without inclusion

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RuPaul is a man of many colours: As a model, drag queen, and the host of RuPaul's Drag Race, he's often found draped in jewel-tone gowns, tucked into neon bodysuits, and under towers of platinum synthetic hair.

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Immigrants will have to pass a new " British values test" to become UK citizens and speak English to a higher standard, the home secretary has announced.

Sajid Javid criticised the current test - which quizzes immigrants on history, traditions and everyday life - as too much like "a pub quiz".

Speaking to the Tory conference, Mr Javid insisted British people "welcome newcomers", but added: "The existing Life in the UK test for new citizens is not enough.

"Maybe it is helpful for people to know the name of the sixth wife of Henry VIII but, far more important to me, is that they also understand the liberal, democratic values that bind our society together.

" Citizenship should mean more than being able to win a pub quiz. We need to make it a British values test - and that's exactly what I will bring in."

On speaking English, Mr Javid added: "How can we possibly make a common home together if we can't even communicate with each other?

"So not only will there be a new values test, but we will also strengthen the English language requirements for all new citizens."

In his speech, the home secretary also announced he would strip dual nationals of their UK citizenship if they were involved in gangs that sexually exploit children.

"In recent years, we have exercised this power for terrorists who are a threat to the country," he said.

"Our message to the very worst criminals is clear - if you grossly abuse the laws of this country, you will no longer be welcome in our home."

The latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox

The latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox

And he pledged tougher measures to crack down on forced marriage, including refusing entry to immigrants "where there is evidence that the marriage is forced".

Evidence of forced marriage given anonymously would also be "admissible as closed evidence in the visa appeals process".

Forced marriage is already an offence, with a maximum penalty of seven years in jail.

"When women have the courage to come forward and inform us that they have been forced to sponsor a spousal visa against their will, we will not only protect their anonymity, but we will do everything we can to deny or revoke that visa.

"It is not liberal to stay silent about illiberal practices - that's just weakness."

Diane Abbott, Labour's shadow home secretary, poured scorn on the idea of a British values test, saying: "It's not clear this is any improvement on Theresa May's derided 'British values' test in 2015, or even Norman Tebbit's earlier cricket test.

"The idea that a government whose hostile environment policy and handling of the Windrush scandal has brought shame to the country, should be defining British values is deeply worrying."

Mr Javid also launched a fierce attack on Jeremy Corbyn, branding him a "threat to our national security".

"Imagine having someone in No 10 who has voted against vital counterterrorism legislation, someone who refuses to condemn the Kremlin over an attack on our soil," he said.

"Someone who seriously suggested sending a nerve agent sample to Vladimir Putin, to see if the Russians could tell us what it was. Who compared the actions of the US military, our closest ally, to Daesh [as Isis is also known]."

Mr Javid added: "If Mr Corbyn were ever to be prime minister this behaviour wouldn't just be naive, it wouldn't just be misguided, it would be downright dangerous. And it is our duty to stop him."

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Immigrants must pass new 'British values test' to become UK citizens, Home Secretary announces

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Immigrants will have to pass a new "British values test" to become UK citizens and speak English to a higher standard, the home secretary has announced. Sajid Javid criticised the current test - which quizzes immigrants on history, traditions and everyday life - as too much like "a pub quiz".

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Ofsted boss warns that schools are being used to indoctrinate students with extremist ideology.

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Schools are being used to "indoctrinate impressionable minds with extremist ideology", the head of Ofsted is warning.

Head teachers need to tackle those who "actively undermine fundamental British values " - instead of adopting a "passive liberalism" for fear of causing offence, the chief inspector of the schools' watchdog will say today.

In a speech at the Church of England schools conference, Ofsted's boss Amanda Spielman will offer her support to the head of St Stephen's primary school in London who faced backlash when she tried to stop girls under eight from wearing the hijab.

The school ended up reversing their decision after more than 19,000 people signed a petition against the move.

But Ms Spielman will say today that it is "regrettable" that the school has been subjected to abuse by the parents and community leaders.

She will say: "School leaders must have the right to set school uniform policies in a way that they see fit, in order to promote cohesion.

"It is a matter of deep regret that this outstanding school has been subject to a campaign of abuse by some elements within the community.

"I want to be absolutely clear, Ofsted will always back heads who take tough decisions in the interests of their pupils."

It is has been reported that Ofsted inspectors entered St Stephen's primary school yesterday even though the 'outstanding' school was not due a routine inspection.

Speaking later today at the conference in London, Ms Spielman will say: "Ofsted inspectors are increasingly brought into contact with those who want to actively pervert the purpose of education.

"Under the pretext of religious belief, they use education institutions, legal and illegal, to narrow young people's horizons, to isolate and segregate, and in the worst cases to indoctrinate impressionable minds with extremist ideology.

"Freedom of belief in the private sphere is paramount, but in our schools it is our responsibility to tackle those who actively undermine fundamental British values or equalities law."

She will add: "That doesn't just mean Ofsted, but everyone involved in education. Rather than adopting a passive liberalism, that says 'anything goes' for fear of causing offence, schools leaders should be promoting a muscular liberalism."

Speaking to the Church of England schools conference, Ms Spielman will warn against assuming that "the most conservative voices in a particular faith speak for everyone".

She will say: "Schools must not be afraid, to call out practices, whatever their justification, that limit young people's experiences and learning in school.

"In that regard schools must not, in their entirely correct goal of promoting tolerance, shy away from challenging fundamentalist practice where it appears in their schools or communities.

"Similarly schools must not allow pressure from certain elements of school communities to dictate school policy, nor should we allow vocal parental minorities to pressure other parents and children to act or dress against their wishes. Giving way to the loudest voices is the opposite of tolerance."
Additional reporting by PA

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Pupils are being indoctrinated with "extremist ideology", schools' watchdog warns

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Schools are being used to "indoctrinate impressionable minds with extremist ideology", the head of Ofsted is warning. Head teachers need to tackle those who "actively undermine fundamental British values" - instead of adopting a "passive liberalism" for fear of causing offence, the chief inspector of the schools' watchdog will say today.

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What is the government’s PREVENT strategy? - Qube Learning

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Boris Johnson's suspension of UK Parliament is unlawful, judges at Scotland's highest civil court rule

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As House of Commons Speaker John Bercow tried to suspend parliament on Monday night, well after midnight, a brief scuffle broke out near his chair as opposition lawmakers tried to stop him leaving his seat in protest at the prorogation

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As House of Commons Speaker John Bercow tried to suspend parliament on Monday night, well after midnight, a brief scuffle broke out near his chair as opposition lawmakers tried to stop him leaving his seat in protest at the prorogation. 'This is not a normal prorogation,' Bercow said. 'It is not typical, it is not standard. It is one of the longest for decades and it represents not just in the minds of some colleagues but huge numbers of people outside, an act of executive fiat,' he told a raucous chamber. As Conservative MPs filed out of the Commons, opposition MPs booed and cried out 'shame on you'.

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'An act of executive fiat': Chaotic scenes as UK parliament suspended - video

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As House of Commons Speaker John Bercow tried to suspend parliament on Monday night, well after midnight, a brief scuffle broke out near his chair as opposition lawmakers tried to stop him leaving his seat in protest at the prorogation. 'This is not a normal prorogation,' Bercow said.

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Parliamentary sovereignty is a principle of the UK constitution. It makes Parliament the supreme legal authority in the UK, which can create or end any law. Generally, the courts cannot overrule its legislation and no Parliament can pass laws that future Parliaments cannot change. Parliamentary sovereignty is the most important part of the UK constitution.

Parliamentary sovereignty and the UK constitution

People often refer to the UK having an 'unwritten constitution' but that's not strictly true. It may not exist in a single text, like in the USA or Germany, but large parts of it are written down, much of it in the laws passed in Parliament - known as statute law.

Therefore, the UK constitution is often described as 'partly written and wholly uncodified'. (Uncodified means that the UK does not have a single, written constitution.)

Developments affecting Parliamentary sovereignty

Over the years, Parliament has passed laws that limit the application of parliamentary sovereignty. These laws reflect political developments both within and outside the UK.

They include:

The devolution of power to bodies like the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru.

The Human Rights Act 1998.

The UK's entry to the European Union in 1973 - and subsequent exit in 2020.

The decision to establish a UK Supreme Court in 2009, which ends the House of Lords function as the UK's final court of appeal.

These developments do not fundamentally undermine the principle of parliamentary sovereignty, since, in theory at least, Parliament could repeal any of the laws implementing these changes.

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Parliamentary sovereignty is a principle of the UK constitution. It makes Parliament the supreme legal authority in the UK, which can create or end any law. Generally, the courts cannot overrule its legislation and no Parliament can pass laws that future Parliaments cannot change. Parliamentary sovereignty is the most important part of the UK constitution.

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Equality and Diversity - Gay dads' worry about their children starting primary school

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Equality and Diversity - Gay dads' worry about their children starting primary school

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Two gay fathers have described how encounters with parents at their son's nursery school have left them wondering how difficult it will be for them to be accepted as he starts primary.

"When we have turned up at the school gates, people have asked, 'Is Mummy having a day off, then?'" they said.

"It scares me that our children could grow up thinking we're circus freaks."

But the couple, Rich and Lewis, said addressing the issue in class had made a real difference.

'Dad and Daddy'

"We asked our son's nursery teacher to read a story-time book about two daddies," said Lewis, who preferred not to share their surname for their children's privacy.

"Suddenly, all of his classmates understood a bit more about him and why he might say things differently and why he might talk about his 'Dad and Daddy' to them.

"Our boy felt really good that day.

"We were expecting negativity from parents but we asked the teacher about it and nobody had made any comments.

"It really is a minority of people who are against inclusive education."

'Bad parents'

His beliefs are backed up by a survey for equality charity Stonewall that suggests 60% of British adults think primary-school children should learn about LGBT families.

Rich and Lewis are bringing up two young children they adopted, one of whom has just started primary school, and they are keen their children understand their relationship from an early age.

"We don't want to be hidden," Rich said. "I want our children to know that we exist and our family is valid and I would prefer for them to learn about LGBT people in school because it's safe."

As gay parents, they don't see themselves as different but are aware that it is a new experience for many.

"We purposefully try to make ourselves perfect because we're so worried about people looking at us," Rich said.

"And we specifically struggled with that when we had our first little boy.

"The first thing we were worried about was, 'Is he always clean, has he got his dummy and has he got what he needs,' because we didn't want to look like bad parents."

Opt out

England's schools are gearing up for a new relationship and sex curriculum, which comes into force in September 2020.

This will require:

primary schools to teach about different families

secondary schools to teach about sexual orientation and gender identity

Parents will be able to have their child opt out of sex education but there will be new rights for pupils to opt in after the age of 15.

There have been protests outside some primary schools in Birmingham against equality teaching already happening.

But in the survey, by nfpSynergy of a representative sample of 1,000 British adults, 60% said it was right teachers at primary schools talked to their pupils in a positive way about different kinds of families. Of them, 51% were men and 67% were women. Some 8% disagreed and 9% strongly disagreed.

And of those aged 16 to 24, 68% supported LGBT-inclusive teaching.

The survey was conducted for Stonewall, a charity founded 30 years ago to lobby against Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, which banned the teaching "of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship".

'Different shapes'

In Scotland and Northern Ireland, relationships and sex education (RSE) as a subject must be taught but schools decide their own approach.

The Welsh Government says it will introduce LGBT-inclusive RSE but has not yet released the final version of the curriculum.

Antonia Tully, from a group called Safe at School, has campaigned from the outset against RSE being made a compulsory school subject in England.

She said: "Parents are the best people to teach their children about different types of relationships.

"Compulsory relationships education in primary schools places parents in second place."

England's Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, himself in a long-term gay relationship, has said: "It's important that the next generation learns that families come in different shapes and sizes."

'Straight education'

Rich and Lewis believe their family is an example of the difference having an LGBT-inclusive classroom can make.

Rich said: "I didn't come out until I was 24 years old though, because it just was not the done thing in my school or in my area.

"It seemed like being the gay kid in school came with not doing well and suffering a lot of bullying.

"If people could understand LGBT lives earlier, then maybe they'll be more accepted earlier. It just sets everyone up for the future.

"People still believe that teaching people about LGBT lives will teach them to be gay.

"I couldn't have had a more straight education - but my sexuality was already decided."

For more stories like this, follow the BBC LGBT correspondent Ben Hunte on Twitter and Instagram.

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Why gay dads worry about starting primary school

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Two gay fathers have described how encounters with parents at their son's nursery school have left them wondering how difficult it will be for them to be accepted as he starts primary. "When we have turned up at the school gates, people have asked, 'Is Mummy having a day off, then?'" they said.

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Fighting Knife Crime - North Lindsey College

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Fighting Knife Crime - North Lindsey College

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British professional boxer Tommy Coyle visited North Lindsey College to help inspire students to do their best, alongside support the #NoMoreKnives campaign.

The event took place on the 3 rd and 4 th September and was the second visit from the Tommy Coyle Foundation and #NoMoreKnives campaign team.

The Boxclever Bus come onto the Scunthorpe campus, complete with a boxing training area, weights and gym equipment, a lounge area with Xboxs, iPads and games consoles. Students also had the opportunity to spar with the professional boxer in the Foundation's portal boxing ring.

Tommy Coyle local said, "Talent only gets you so far. You need to work hard, make sacrifices and persevere and then success is inevitable."

Corey Jones, Level 2 plumbing student formerly of Frederick Gough School said, "Taking part in a sparing session with Tommy was really fun as I have done some boxing before. I've followed Tommy's career and it's really positive that he come into college and inspiring young people in the community."

In addition, the College was also visited by the No More Knives Campaign who ran two interactive workshops getting students to think about the dangers of knife crime.

Lead by Mo Timbo, Anti-Knife Crime Campaign Founder, the session included an interactive rap to get students motivated and a short presentation from Humberside Police.

Mo Timbo said, "Every choice has a consequence. The project No More Knives is huge. The government have officially recognised the campaign now and it will launch across the whole of the country."

Dean Southam part of the Early Intervention Team at Humberside Police said, "The workshops are being held in all secondary schools across North Lincolnshire. There has been a rise in reports of incidents with knives, so the Police Crime Commission has decided to run the workshops to engage young people."

Recently the Home Office approved funding following a bid from the Police and Crime Commissioner to help tackle young people becoming involved in violence and crime across the Humberside Police area. The Tommy Coyle Foundation and The Rich Foundation are partners working with the Commissioner's office that will offer a positive impact on young people, keeping them away from crime, showing them that there is help and other options out there.

Health and Social Care student Maisie Butler attended the workshop she said, "The session was really interesting. It was vibrant and interactive. It had a real impact as it was presented in a way that interested young people."

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Professional Boxer Fights Against Knife Crime ⋆ North Lindsey College

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British professional boxer Tommy Coyle visited North Lindsey College to help inspire students to do their best, alongside support the #NoMoreKnives campaign. The event took place on the 3 rd and 4 th September and was the second visit from the Tommy Coyle Foundation and #NoMoreKnives campaign team.

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World Suicide Prevention Day - 10 Sep 19

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World Suicide Prevention Day - 10 Sep 19

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Every year, on 10 September, organisations around the world get together to raise awareness about suicide prevention.

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Where to get help if you are having suicidal thoughts, and what to do if you are worried about someone else.

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Mental Health awareness - suicide prevention.

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'We were impressed with its forward-thinking ambition and reach. Through the development of a digital app and its imaginative campaigns to address the stigma of suicide, this community-based approach to suicide prevention offers an important and innovative response to this critical issue.'
GSK IMPACT Awards judging panel

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2019 GSK IMPACT Awards: Grassroots Suicide Prevention

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'We were impressed with its forward-thinking ambition and reach. Through the development of a digital app and its imaginative campaigns to address the stigma of suicide, this community-based approach to suicide prevention offers an important and innovative response to this critical issue.' GSK IMPACT Awards judging panel

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Tapping into the talents of disabled employees.

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The Disability Confident scheme helps employers recruit and retain great people, and to:

challenge attitudes and increase understanding of disability

draw from the widest possible pool of talent

secure high-quality staff who are skilled, loyal and hard working

improve employee morale and commitment by demonstrating fair treatment

It also helps identify those employers who are committed to inclusion and diversity in the workplace.

The scheme has 3 levels designed to support employers on their Disability Confident journey, these are:

Disability Confident Committed (Level 1)

Disability Confident Employer (Level 2)

Disability Confident Leader (Level 3)

All employers join the scheme at Disability Confident Committed (Level 1), and progress through the levels to achieve the one that's right for their organisation.

For more information about signing up for the Disability Confident scheme, and how it can help your business check out the detailed guidance on GOV.UK.

Pat Ashworth Director of AdviserPlus Learning Solutions, a Disability Confident Leader organisation, explains what you need to do to become Disability Confident Committed (Level 1)

Disability Confident pays off

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, is a Disability Confident Leader. Watch the video to see how they were able to support Mo into work after 18 years of unemployment, and how the reasonable adjustments they introduced have helped Christine stay in her role as Sales Manager, after her MS diagnosis.

If your organisation is already a member of the Disability Confident scheme

These two short videos contain step-by-step guidance to help your organisation move to Disability Confident Levels 2 and 3.

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Protected: Are you a disability confident employer?

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Highlights the key benefits and how to sign up to become a Disability Confident employer.

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Despite it coming into Law in April 2019, some organisations failed to report their pay rates. The Equality and Human Rights Commission Acted. Read their report.

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Formal investigations lead to 100% compliance on gender pay gap reporting

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'We cannot achieve gender equality in the workplace without first shining a light on the problem and understanding the underlying causes of inequality. That's why gender pay gap reporting is so important. It's also a legal requirement and changes in staff and poor organisation are no excuse for not complying with the law and withholding this vital information.

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New NUS Presidents calls for the scrapping of Prevent

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New NUS Presidents calls for the scrapping of Prevent

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Is Prevent in University causing discrimination and segregation?

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The new president of the National Union of Students (NUS) has called for the government's Prevent anti-radicalisation strategy to be scrapped and has urged universities to do more to tackle the black attainment gap and racism on campus.

In her first interview since taking up office last month, Zamzam Ibrahim said she had seen the impact of Prevent in universities first-hand, with events being cancelled and students being referred because of membership of the Palestinian or Islamic societies.

She said her overarching aim as NUS president was to campaign for a fully funded, fully accessible education system that is seen as a public and social good. "That's not an education system that includes surveillance of a particular minority group," she said.

Ibrahim, who was previously president of the students' union at the University of Salford, was elected at NUS annual conference in Glasgow in April and took up office last month. "I've dealt with many cases of Prevent when I was president of my students' union and when I came into NUS.

"There were one too many cases where they were referred because they were a member of a society. It's usually the Palestine society, or the Islamic society, and I think that's a clear route of allowing discrimination in our education system."

The government has agreed to an independent review of Prevent, in response to widespread concern that it fosters discrimination against people of Muslim faith or background and inhibits legitimate expression. "The Prevent agenda does not need a review," said Ibrahim, "it needs to be scrapped".

Ibrahim, who was born in Sweden and is the daughter of Somali refugees who fled civil war, has previously spoken out against the media for portraying her as a "fanatical Muslim and a threat to British society" on the basis of comments she wrote on social media as a 16-year-old.

In one she joked that if she was president she'd oppress white people "to give them a taste of what they put us through". In another she said everyone should read the Qur'an. The backlash was devastating. "I suddenly felt unsafe in my own campus, in my own space," she said.

Ibrahim, who came to the UK at the age of 10 and was brought up in Bolton, said her adolescent comments were twisted to make them seem more sinister than they were ever intended to be, and in no way represented her views today.

She said: "It was something that was blown out of proportion. I think people know and understand I'm a completely different person from the 16-year-old child that I was, who had no political training and no political education at all at that time."

Ibrahim said her experience was common among young people from Muslim backgrounds or people of colour who dared to step into the public sphere. "To me, what's been the most upsetting thing is to see young people who would be incredible in these roles to not even think of running because of the backlash that I faced. If it had been any of my white peers or colleagues they would never have experienced that."

Ibrahim said she worried about putting herself forward as a candidate to lead the NUS after witnessing the experience of Malia Bouattia, the first Muslim NUS president, who was subjected to Islamophobic attacks and hate-filled trolling on social media during her tenure.

She said: "When I was thinking about running, it was the biggest factor that was putting me off - the backlash and the vilification and all the horrors that would come with it.

"But at the same time I recognise it's not something I should be afraid to do and I want to be able to encourage young people - especially young girls that look like myself - to be able to come into these spaces and make decisions for the institutions they represent and be unapologetic for who they are."

Meanwhile, the Islamophobia directed at young women like Ibrahim continues. On Wednesday, she tweeted: "It doesn't matter how frequent it happens, what the context is, where it happens or who the perpetrators are, I will always be racially profiled and discriminated against. Who you are, what you've achieved and what you do will never matter."

Ibrahim takes over the leadership of the NUS at a difficult time for the union, which has has been forced to undergo a radical overhaul because of a £3m deficit. It has been slashing staff numbers, cutting officer roles and selling off its London headquarters in Gray's Inn Road in order to avoid financial collapse.

The union's considerably more modest new home is in a corner of Hackney community college. Despite the scaled-down nature of the organisation, Ibrahim is enthusiastic about campaigning for a fully funded education system that is accessible to all.

She said: "I want to change the narrative of the way we talk about education and for people to understand education is for the public good. I've been in the sector for years and seen the mess that it has got into, and the mess it's heading towards. Free education is not about me. I've got my degree. It's about future generations that are going to come after me."

* This article was amended on 12 August 2019 because Zamzam Ibrahim was previously president of the students' union at the University of Salford, not at the University of Bradford as an earlier version said. This has been corrected.
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New NUS president: I will always be racially profiled

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The new president of the National Union of Students (NUS) has called for the government's Prevent anti-radicalisation strategy to be scrapped and has urged universities to do more to tackle the black attainment gap and racism on campus.

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The Police and UK Security Services work hard to protect us against terrorist activities using various intelligence sources.

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The UK's most senior counter-terrorism officer has revealed that the number of attacks foiled since the Westminster atrocity has risen to 22, with seven relating to suspected far-right terror.

Speaking at a conference in Israel, assistant commissioner Neil Basu disclosed the updated figure as he laid out the law enforcement case in support of the government's divisive anti-radicalisation strategy, Prevent.

He said the number of foiled terrorist plots since the March 2017 attack by Khalid Masood on Westminster Bridge, in which five people died including a police officer, had risen from 19 to 22.

Basu urged Lord Carlile - whose appointment as independent reviewer of Prevent has itself been met with controversy - to ignore "malign detractors" of the programme and advocated a public health approach.

"Rather than just treat the symptoms of terrorism we must treat the causes. Prevent - which offers a bespoke programme of support for vulnerable individuals - is the closest thing to a public health solution we have," he said.

"Evidence indicates people with extremist views are more likely to be moved to violence when they feel excluded. We need to help people who see their position in society as hopeless to find hope - help them find a 'family' that believes in society, not a gang that wants to tear it apart."

The review was announced following years of mounting criticism of Prevent, which has become a toxic brand for many within Muslim communities, with some viewing it as a state tool for spying on them.
Prevent strategy on radicalisation faces independent review
Basu, the head of the national counter-terrorism policing network, conceded that the upcoming review would uncover shortcomings in the strategy.

"Critics are right to challenge ambiguity in the programme. It lacks clarity about thresholds for intervention - where safeguarding the vulnerable stops and pursuing a criminal starts," added Basu.

"These are issues I accept and will work with our new independent reviewer and critical friends to address. But I won't give ground to critics whose agenda is to discredit Prevent to suit their own ends. No one who has challenged Prevent to date has had a better idea."

The Prevent strategy includes a statutory duty on specified authorities, including those working in schools, health and social services, ​to report any signs of "extremism" and ​to ​make referrals to the government's counter-radicalisation Channel programme.

In a bid to reassure critics who accused him of being biased in favour of Prevent, Carlile said that "nothing would be off the table" during his review, which would take place next year, including scrapping the programme.

Brandon Lewis, the security minister, said: "We have seen how Prevent has supported many vulnerable people, stopping them from hurting others and themselves, and helping them turn their lives around.

"Since 2012, over 1,700 people have received tailored support through our Channel programme, with the vast majority leaving with no further CT [counter-terrorism] concerns.

"We know Prevent works best when delivered in partnership with communities which is why we support community groups to deliver projects against all forms of radicalisation.

"Last year 181 community projects were delivered, reaching over 88,000 participants. More than half of these were delivered in schools, aimed at increasing young people's resilience to terrorist and extremist ideologies."
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Foiled terrorist attacks on UK soil have risen to 22, says top officer

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The UK's most senior counter-terrorism officer has revealed that the number of attacks foiled since the Westminster atrocity has risen to 22, with seven relating to suspected far-right terror. Speaking at a conference in Israel, assistant commissioner Neil Basu disclosed the updated figure as he laid out the law enforcement case in support of the government's divisive anti-radicalisation strategy, Prevent.

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Safeguarding and Prevent in London School

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Safeguarding and Prevent in London School

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Counter-terrorism police interview 8 yr old boy in London school without his parents' knowledge.  Outraged parents seek justice.

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An eight-year-old boy was questioned by two counter-terrorism police officers and a social worker at a school in east London over alleged radicalisation fears, The Independent can reveal.

The Counter Terrorism Professional Standards Unit has now launched an investigation into the matter after the boy's parents logged a formal complaint about the treatment of their young son.

The parents, who wish to remain anonymous, said their child was left "frightened" and "traumatised" after he was separated from his classmates at a school in Ilford to be interviewed.

The father claims his son was asked about Islam, the mosque he attends, whether he prays, and his views on other religions. He was also asked to recite verses from the Quran.

No safeguarding issues were identified from the interview in July and no further action was taken by the police - but now the parents are seeking legal advice.

They argue they were targeted for being Muslim, but The Independent understands radicalisation concerns were sparked by the father's links to members of an Islamist group.

"We are absolutely shocked and appalled that our son was questioned alone and in this manner and without informing his parents," the father said.

He added: "We as parents have never asked our eight-year-old son some of these questions and are deeply upset some stranger would ask these questions of him.

"Our son is only in Year 3 and is significantly impacted by this. He has since asked us why he had been questioned and not any other children were questioned.

"He feels betrayed by his teacher, as it was someone he trusted who took him to the officers to be questioned in this manner."

The parents, who were also questioned about their religious beliefs and practices after their son was interviewed, were left "extremely upset" by the experience which they say made them feel like criminals.

They added that they were worried about sending their son back to school for fear of it happening again.

The family has issued complaints to Redbridge Council and the Metropolitan Police about the incident, which took place on the last day of the summer term, as they argue the questioning was "Islamophobic".

No concerns were raised by the school about their son prior to the interview, the parents say. It is understood that the child was interviewed without consent following concerns about the father's attendance at dawah stalls in 2014 - which allegedly had links to a Anjem Choudary 's al-Muhajiroun terrorist network.

Members and affiliates have planned and launched numerous terror attacks, with Choudary's followers including London Bridge attack ringleader Khuram Butt, Lee Rigby's killers and Isis executioner Siddhartha Dhar.

Relatives of known terrorists and extremists are routinely referred to Prevent over concerns they may have been radicalised, even if there are no concerns with their own behaviour.

The government says referrals, 42 per cent of which result in no further action, help safeguard children and can result in vulnerable people receiving support.

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the head of UK counterterror policing, told the Home Affairs Committee in October that safeguarding children was at the heart of Prevent.

He said: "We have got to challenge extremist behaviour even if it doesn't cross the criminal threshold because of the kind of intolerance it breeds."

The recent case involving a child in east London emerged after the latest government figures showed that more than half of people referred to Prevent in 2017-18 were aged 20 or under.

The Home Office figures revealed that 2,009 under-15s were flagged up over terror concerns in the year to March - a 20 per cent rise on the year before.

Since July 2015, nurseries, schools and universities are required to "have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism" as part of the government's Prevent strategy.

In August, Ofsted criticised a preschool in Hove for failing to spot if children as young as two were at risk of extremism. And in a separate incident in 2016, nursery staff suggested referring a four-year-old to Prevent after he drew a picture of a man cutting a cucumber and mispronounced it as "cooker bomb".

Corey Stoughton, advocacy director at civil rights' group Liberty, said "Our counter-terrorism legislation, particularly the Prevent duty, has consistently spread discrimination and distrust, pushing schools and other public authorities to question people based on their religion and skin colour.

"The new Counter Terrorism Bill is an opportunity to ensure that Prevent is independently reviewed."

On the incident involving an eight-year-old boy in a London school, she added: "This case is the latest example of why that review is urgently needed, to ensure we have a counter-terror strategy that protects us without stigmatising communities and traumatising children and their families."

Mohammad Khan, spokesperson for Prevent Watch, a group that supports people affected by the Prevent Duty, said: "This case again exposes how Prevent focuses on Islam and religious belief.

"A child asked to recite from a sacred text is wrong on so many levels and smacks of an authoritarian state. Prevent does little to prevent terrorism but instead sows deep and structural prejudices towards the Muslim community."

But Raffaello Pantucci, the director of international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said he could understand why the police had interviewed the boy in this way.

He told The Independent: "You can understand the need if the concern is that the parents are the ones who might potentially be radicalising the child. You would want to find a way of approaching the child in an environment that is safe but which is not necessarily in front of the parents.

"It is very difficult to know how many times this has happened in the past because the nature of this case is one that everyone will keep as quiet as possible because of the children involved.

"But I know it is a huge concern to authorities that you hear of radical influences on young children."

In March last year, unqualified teacher Umar Haque - who tried to recruit an "army of children" to launch simultaneous terror attacks across London - was jailed for life.

The 25-year-old groomed children to join a "mini militia" and made them keep it secret from parents who had paid for after-school classes at an east London mosque.

Mr Pantucci added: "We are seeing more examples of radical families with children growing up in them. [Radicalisation] has been a consistent concern but it has become much sharper recently."

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "We can confirm that counter-terrorism officers undertook a visit to an east London school earlier this year following concern raised about a child under 10 years old.

"This safeguarding meeting was conducted in the company of a social worker. Counter Terrorism Policing works with partners to safeguard the most vulnerable in our society.

"A public complaint has been received in relation to this matter and is now being investigated by the Counter Terrorism Professional Standards Unit.

"No safeguarding issues were identified as a result of the meeting with the boy and no further police action was taken in relation to this matter."

A Redbridge Council spokesperson said: "We're unable to comment on the circumstances of this matter but can confirm we have received a formal complaint, which is being fully investigated in line with the council's usual procedures."

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Boy, 8, questioned by counter-terrorism police officers over 'radicalisation' fears

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An eight-year-old boy was questioned by two counter-terrorism police officers and a social worker at a school in east London over alleged radicalisation fears, The Independent can reveal. The Counter Terrorism Professional Standards Unit has now launched an investigation into the matter after the boy's parents logged a formal complaint about the treatment of their young son.

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Activists within banned group are in court.

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A woman who entered a "Miss Hitler" beauty pageant was obsessed with "ethnic cleansing", a court has heard.

Alice Cutter has denied being a member of a banned neo-Nazi organisation.

The 22-year-old is standing trial alongside her partner, Mark Jones, who is accused of being a "leader and strategist" for National Action.

Birmingham Crown Court heard they shared an "obsession with knives, guns and the ideology of violent ethnic cleansing".

Mr Jones, 24, and Ms Cutter, both of Mulhalls Mill, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, have pleaded not guilty to being members of National Action between December 2016 and September 2017.

Garry Jack, 23, from Heathland Avenue, Birmingham, and 18-year-old Connor Scothern, of Bagnall Avenue, Nottingham, have denied the same charge.

Prosecutor Barnaby Jameson QC told the jury Ms Cutter "was a central spoke in the National Action wheel", having been photographed giving the Nazi salute on the steps of Leeds Town Hall in May 2016.

Mr Jameson said that, in a private chat group with a convicted National Action member, she said she wanted to play football with the head of a Jewish person.

Meanwhile, Mr Jameson said Mr Scothern "came to Nazism via a circuitous route".

"He was drawn apparently to communism at one stage, and for a short time when he was 12 or 13 practised Islam.

"But make no mistake, however, that when Scothern found Nazism he never looked back," he said.

The trial continues.

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A woman who entered a "Miss Hitler" beauty pageant was obsessed with "ethnic cleansing", a court has heard. Alice Cutter has denied being a member of a banned neo-Nazi organisation. The 22-year-old is standing trial alongside her partner, Mark Jones, who is accused of being a "leader and strategist" for National Action.

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While Ofsted want FBVs to be taught in schools some teachers are not so happy to be doing this. Why?

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Guidelines want to encourage children to appreciate British values

But teachers reject the move, which they say is linked to colonialism

Critics have accused teaching unions of waging 'ideological war'

Teachers are demanding that schools stop promoting 'fundamental British values' over claims it could make children think other cultures are inferior.

The National Union of Teachers said telling children about the country's democracy, law and traditions could encourage 'cultural supremacy' and urged a new focus on 'international human rights' instead.

Under government guidelines, which are aimed at tackling extremism in the wake of the Trojan Horse scandal, children must be taught about being a British citizen as well as tolerance other faiths and lifestyles.

However, union leaders said the term was demeaning to other cultures 'particularly in the context of multicultural schools and the wider picture of migration'.

Delegates passed a motion in favour of campaigning to scrap it during the NUT annual conference in Brighton today.

Christopher Denson, an NUT representative from Coventry, said: 'We need to fight to reject this notion of British values, to fight for notions of human values and human rights.

'We have to stand together across communities to bring down barriers, bring down borders, to say no to Islamophobia, no to anti-Semitism, no to fascism and any form of racism.'

The motion said that migrants make a 'huge economic, political and social contribution' to the country and that public services and businesses would 'face severe difficulties' without them.

It criticised the government for only taking in a 'minute fraction' of refugees and vowed to campaign for 'policies that welcome' them to the country.

The union agreed to 'gather and collate' teaching materials on migrants and refugees for members to use in classrooms from now on.

Mr Denson said he disliked using the term 'fundamental British values' in his classroom when many of his pupils had ancestry in countries which had encountered British colonialism.

He said: 'The inherent cultural supremacism in that term is both unnecessary and unacceptable.

'And seen with the Prevent agenda, it belies the most thinly veiled racism and a conscious effort to divide communities.'

He added: 'It's our duty to push real anti-racist work in all schools. And that doesn't mean talk of tolerating other's views, but genuine, inclusive anti-racist work.'

He said he had requested a week of themed assemblies every year in his school, with topics including apartheid and the rise of Islamophobia 'in the context of anti-Semitism in the 1930s'.

'This year we focussed on the migrant crisis in Calais, the Mediterranean and beyond,' he added.

'We organised a politics day for Year 8s [aged 12 to 13] in the week before Easter.

'They had a day to form a political party in their tutor groups to come up with a manifesto, film a broadcast, and make banners and take part in a debate.

'Apart from the quality of the work, the other thing that really made my proud was that every single tutor group had as a policy, 'refugees welcome, open the borders'.

'We need to be pushing at every level for anti-racism to be in the core curriculum for every child.'

Many of the activists at the conference said they had been to migrant camps over the channel to take food and provisions.

Christine Blower, general secretary of the NUT said: 'Schools and teachers play a key role in welcoming migrant and refugee children and young people to this country, and supporting their progress within schools.

'The NUT condemns the Government's inadequate response to the current migrant situation, which has exacerbated the suffering for so many, including school-age children and young people.

'The NUT has produced a guide to Welcoming Refugee Children to your School and has a dedicated section on its website for teaching resources which have been provided by teachers for teachers, on the issue.

'The NUT will continue to work with Show Racism the Red Card, Hope Not Hate and others, to campaign for Government policies that welcome migrants and refugees to this country. The NUT will also continue to press for anti-racism work to be enshrined within the curriculum of all schools.'

The requirement on schools to teach fundamental British values was introduced in 2014 in a bid to crack down on extremism in schools.

It followed the Trojan Horse scandal, in which state schools in Birmingham were infiltrated by hardliners who tried to impose an Islamic agenda.

Ofsted, the schools regulator, has been penalising schools which do not sufficiently show that they are promoting British values.

Chris McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said: 'Teachers should not be playing the role of fifth columnists in the ideological war currently being fought over our national identity and our national sovereignty.

'Teaching children that British values are part of "cultural supremacism" will, at best, make them feel guilty about being British and, at worst, radicalise them in order to 'make up' for the sins of their fathers.

'If one wishes to destroy a nation and build a "brave new world" you begin by indoctrinating and brainwashing the children.

'This process of 're-education' has started some years ago in our schools and we are, now, seeing its consequences in the suppression of free speech on our university campuses.

'The notion of 'value relativism' - that all views are equally valid - has reached saturation point in our schools.

'In many classrooms this has led to the views of terrorists being given equal weigh to those of the victim of terrorism. Against this background the latest motions from the NUT come as no surprise, at all.'

The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.

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Teachers complain about 'British values' lessons over supremacy fears

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Guidelines want to encourage children to appreciate British values But teachers reject the move, which they say is linked to colonialism Critics have accused teaching unions of waging 'ideological war' Teachers are demanding that schools stop promoting 'fundamental British values' over claims it could make children think other cultures are inferior.

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New Zealand experiences terrorism first hand. There is mention of the abuse cases in Rotherham as part of the reasons why the attack happened.

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New Zealand has broadcast the Islamic call to prayer and observed a two-minute silence in ceremonies to mark a week since the Christchurch attacks.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joined thousands of mourners near the Al-Noor mosque, one of two places of worship targeted in last Friday's shootings.

Addressing the Muslim community she said: "New Zealand mourns with you, we are one."

Fifty people were killed and dozens more wounded in the attacks.

Australian Brenton Tarrant, a self-proclaimed white supremacist, has been charged with one murder and is expected to face further charges.

On Thursday Ms Ardern announced a ban on all types of semi-automatic weapons.

What is happening on Friday?

Thousands of people have gathered in Hagley Park, near the Al-Noor mosque, to mark Friday's national day of reflection for the victims.

The Muslim call to prayer, or adhan, was broadcast on national television and radio at 13:30 (00:30 GMT) and was followed by a two-minute silence.

In an address beforehand, Ms Ardern cited Islamic scripture, adding: "When any part of the body suffers the whole body feels pain."

Imam Gamal Fouda, who was leading prayers, said the gunman "broke the hearts of millions around the world".

"Today, from the same place, I look out and I see the love and compassion," he said. "New Zealand is unbreakable."

Many mosques across the country are expected to open their doors to visitors and human chains will be formed outside some in symbolic acts of protection and solidarity.

Victims of the Christchurch shootings

Fifty people lost their lives in the shootings at two mosques in the city.

Earlier, Ms Ardern encouraged as many New Zealanders as possible to use the day to pause and reflect.

"I know many New Zealanders wish to mark the week that has passed since the terrorist attack and to support the Muslim community as they return to mosques," she said.

"How we choose to reflect during the silence will be different for each of us. Everyone should do what feels right for them, wherever they are - at home, at work, at school."

One social media campaign has urged non-Muslim women in New Zealand to wear a headscarf for the day.

Meanwhile, government officials worked into the night to prepare the mosque and the bodies of victims for a mass burial in Christchurch later on Friday.

One person who took part said: "All the bodies are washed. We finished around 1.30am. It was our duty. After we finished there was a lot of emotion, people were crying and hugging."

What is the gun ban?

Ms Ardern announced a ban on all types of semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles following the Christchurch attacks.

She said she expected new legislation to be in place by 11 April, saying: "Our history changed forever. Now, our laws will too."

"Six days after this attack, we are announcing a ban on all military style semi-automatics (MSSA) and assault rifles in New Zealand," Ms Ardern said in a news conference.

"Related parts used to convert these guns into MSSAs are also being banned, along with all high-capacity magazines."

An amnesty has been imposed so the owners of affected weapons can hand them in, and a buy-back scheme will follow.

The buy-back could cost up to NZ$200m ($138m; £104m), but Ms Ardern said "that is the price that we must pay to ensure the safety of our communities".

Ms Ardern has also announced that a National Memorial Service for victims is being planned for next week.

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NZ falls silent for mosque attack victims

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New Zealand has broadcast the Islamic call to prayer and observed a two-minute silence in ceremonies to mark a week since the Christchurch attacks. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joined thousands of mourners near the Al-Noor mosque, one of two places of worship targeted in last Friday's shootings.

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What do you know about Equality and Diversity?

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Equality and diversity (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia

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Equality and diversity is a term used in the United Kingdom to define and champion equality, diversity and human rights as defining values of society. It promotes equality of opportunity for all, giving every individual the chance to achieve their potential, free from prejudice and discrimination.

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The British Government's policy of preventing terrorism.

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David Anderson QC, the former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, examines the government's controversial counter-terrorism strategy Prevent.

Prevent is the government's policy designed to nip terrorism in the bud - and it has proved highly controversial. The former Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, David Anderson QC, explores the origins of the strategy, its original purpose, and how it has evolved over the past decade.

The public dialogue played out in the press and among politicians is often critical of Prevent - but how does that compare to its implementation and impact on the ground?

David Anderson meets a young former Extreme Far Right activist who has been through Prevent's de-radicalisation programme Channel and learns how it has led to a dramatic change in his behaviour, and speaks to Prevent professionals about how the strategy works in practice.

The programme explores the controversial statutory duty placed on public institutions, legally obliging staff - teachers, doctors, prison officers - to report concerns they might have about an individual. Students also share their views on how the Prevent policy has affected them, knowing that their teachers may be reporting their behaviour - and a mother shares the story of her two sons, who were wrongly referred by over-zealous school staff.

Critics claim the policy continues to unfairly target British Muslims, and has brought a whole community under suspicion and David Anderson speaks to critics from within Muslim communities - as well as British Muslims who support the policy too.

And for a policy which has been so widely discussed and debated, we still know little about it - so why has the government been so reluctant to release information? And what impact has this secrecy had on public perception and understanding of Prevent?

Producer: Richard Fenton-Smith.

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David Anderson QC, the former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, examines the government's controversial counter-terrorism strategy Prevent. Prevent is the government's policy designed to nip terrorism in the bud - and it has proved highly controversial. The former Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, David Anderson QC, explores the origins of the strategy, its original purpose, and how it has evolved over the past decade.

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Boris' comments on Muslim Women's dress causes offence!

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First Minister Carwyn Jones has stepped into the row about Muslim women's dress, denouncing "racist" comments.

Ex-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson faces a Tory party inquiry after saying women in burkas looked like "letter boxes" or "bank robbers".

UKIP's new Senedd group leader Gareth Bennett said women wearing the veil are "apparitions of pre-medieval culture".

Mr Jones accused the two politicians of being "dangerously irresponsible" while trying to raise their profiles.

The Muslim Council of Wales has said the comments by Mr Johnson and Mr Bennett fuelled hatred.

In response, Mr Bennett said he would not be "closed down" by minority groups or a "hypocritical left seeking their own political gain by trying to stifle free speech".

In an interview with ITV Wales on Sunday, Mr Bennett said seeing people wearing burkas in Wales made him feel uncomfortable, claiming it was an "alien culture".

He said it showed an unwillingness to integrate and called for a debate on the issue, adding: "It feels like I'm in Saudi Arabia but in Cardiff, in Canton."

Mr Bennett added: "It's certainly not a pleasant feeling for many people in Britain, who are British and regard themselves as having British values, to be confronted by these apparitions which seem to be of some kind of pre-medieval culture."

He made the comments while responding to the row over Boris Johnson's recent remarks in a newspaper article, which have a sparked a debate about freedom of speech and tolerance of minorities.

In a statement on Monday, the first minister said: "We have to ask why Gareth Bennett and Boris Johnson are attacking Muslim women.

"It is clear to me that they are doing this solely to raise their own profile, to gain political advantage.

"But, despite their purely selfish motivations, their language has a broader, dangerous impact - it results in Muslim women being abused in the street. It legitimises xenophobic conversation and, ultimately, leads to further division and mistrust.

"This benefits nobody except Bennett and Johnson.

"The language they are using is dangerously irresponsible. It is racist. This is not how elected politicians in positions of responsibility should behave."

Mr Jones said the Welsh Government would "not be silent in the face of these grim provocations".

"We will redouble our efforts to create cohesive communities, to help people feel safe, and not just to tolerate - but to celebrate diversity," he said.

Dr Abdul-Azim Ahmed, Deputy Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Wales said the comments were "cowardly" and fuelled hatred.

He said: "The unhealthy focus on the clothing of Muslim women is disturbing and undemocratic, it emboldens hate crime, further marginalises public participation of religious minorities, and is a cowardly attack on Muslim women largely denied the public platform used by their attackers.

"We call on all politicians, from all parties, to resist the creeping fascism entering British and Welsh politics."

But Mr Bennett, who has previously blamed litter problems in Cardiff on immigrants, told BBC Wales in a statement that he stood by his comments.

"If we are continually silenced and closed down by the shrill voices of minority group lobbyists then our right to free speech will gradually be destroyed", he said.

"I pledge to fight to uphold the rights of the majority to enjoy freedom of speech."

Meanwhile Christine Hamilton, the wife and diary manager of UKIP AM Neil Hamilton, sparked a backlash after posting a tweet on Friday reading "If the #burka is acceptable then presumably this is too?" accompanied by a picture of members of the US white supremacist movement the Ku Klux Klan in their hoods.

She has been dropped as a charity ambassador by Muscular Dystrophy UK which said it opposed "prejudice and discrimination".

Mrs Hamilton later said her tweet had been misunderstood and she had not meant to compare Muslim women with white supremacists. She has been approached by BBC Wales for comment.

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First Minister Carwyn Jones has stepped into the row about Muslim women's dress, denouncing "racist" comments. Ex-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson faces a Tory party inquiry after saying women in burkas looked like "letter boxes" or "bank robbers". UKIP's new Senedd group leader Gareth Bennett said women wearing the veil are "apparitions of pre-medieval culture".

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Terror strikes the heart of Westminster as a car swerves to hit pedestrians and cyclists.

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Man arrested as car crashes near Parliament

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Police are surrounding the vehicle after the incident in central London.