Update on Tragic Deaths of Three Children in Sea Mills
In a heartbreaking development, Chief Inspector Vicks Hayward-Melen has provided an update on the ongoing investigation into the deaths of three young children in Blaise Walk, Sea Mills, on Sunday, February 18. In his statement, Chief Inspector Hayward-Melen confirmed the identities of the deceased children as seven-year-old Fares Bash, three-year-old Joury Bash, and nine-month-old Mohammed […]
Former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells Stripped of CBE Amid Horizon Scandal Fallout
The former chief executive of the Post Office, Paula Vennells, has had her CBE award formally stripped from her.
This was due to “bringing the honours system into disrepute” following the fallout from the Horizon Post Office scandal.
Ms Vennells received the CBE in 2019 but was widely criticised, and earlier this year said she would give up the honour.
The issue of the Post Office scandal was brought to wide attention with the airing of the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office back in January.
A petition was launched shortly afterwards to have Vennells’ honour stripped, with it having attracted more than one million signatures.
What was the Post Office Horizon scandal?
More than 700 sub-postmasters and mistresses had their reputations ruined by allegations of theft and false accounting, with many left bankrupt or in prison, as a result of a computer system called Horizon, Sky News reports.
Between 1999 and 2015, many people who ran branches were found guilty, and despite years of campaigning, only a small number of them had their convictions quashed.
The government has since pledged to exonerate those who were wrongly convicted.
Paula Vennells and her role at the Post Office
Paula Vennells is an ex-businesswoman who worked for the likes of L’Oréal, Dixons Retail, Argos, and Whitbread before working at the Post Office.
She joined them as a group network director in 2007, then became managing director in 2010 before getting the position of CEO in 2012.
After seven years as CEO of the Post Office, she stepped down in February 2019 and then took over as chair of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in April of the same year.
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What is the Mr Bates vs Post Office Horizon scandal about?
MPs plan to raise Horizon scandal in Commons as calls grow for victim redress
In December 2019, a group of post office operators won a high court case in which their convictions were ruled wrongful and the Horizon IT system was ruled to be at fault.
Then in 2021, the ruling was upheld on appeal, quashing the convictions of some workers who were wrongly accused of committing crimes, paving the way for compensation.
Following that ruling Vennells stepped down from a number of positions, including at the NHS and as a minister with the Church of England.
Vennells was heavily criticised following the ending of the High Court case.
Tragic Discovery: Body of Missing Five-Year-Old Girl Found in Canal
The heart-wrenching search for a missing five-year-old girl came to a devastating end as her lifeless body was discovered in a canal just moments after she disappeared from her home. The young girl went missing from her residence in Islington, north London, last Saturday. Within a mere 10 minutes, the child was found submerged in […]
Oxford Resident Convicted: Scarlet Blake’s Dark Obsession Led to Murder
TSC News
6 hours ago
After an extensive investigation by Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Unit, Scarlet Blake, a 25-year-old resident of Crotch Crescent, Oxford, has been found guilty of the murder of Jorge Martin Carreno. The verdict was delivered today at Oxford Crown Court following a three-week trial.
Blake faced multiple charges related to the tragic incident. The jury unanimously convicted her on the following counts:
Murder: The primary charge against Blake was for the murder of Jorge Martin Carreno.
Criminal Damage: Blake was also convicted of causing criminal damage.
Animal Cruelty: Additionally, she faced charges related to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, specifically a cat. These charges were admitted prior to the start of the murder trial.
Jorge Martin Carreno, a 30-year-old Spanish national, had been living and working in Oxford. His life was tragically cut short when he was found dead on Monday, July 26, 2021. His lifeless body was discovered face down in the water at Parsons Pleasure.
Jorge had been out with friends on a joyful night, but he became separated from them and subsequently lost. CCTV footage captured a mysterious figure dressed in dark clothing approaching Jorge as he sat in the city center. The two walked together until they were last seen on camera heading towards the Marston cycle path around 4:27 am on Sunday, July 25.
Initially, there was no clear evidence of third-party involvement in Jorge’s death. Pathology findings were inconclusive, and the coroner recorded a narrative verdict. However, Thames Valley Police persisted in their investigation, determined to identify the person seen in the CCTV footage and understand Jorge’s movements.
In April 2023, crucial information arrived from the United States, claiming to identify the mysterious individual captured on the CCTV. This breakthrough led to extensive work, ultimately resulting in the arrest of Scarlet Blake on suspicion of murder in August 2023. Subsequent forensic analysis linked Blake to the unidentified person seen walking with Jorge at the scene of his death.
As the investigation deepened, it revealed a disturbing aspect of Blake’s life—an obsession with violence and death, particularly a fascination with strangulation.
The case against Blake unfolded like a chilling thriller, exposing a hidden world of darkness.
© Copyright TSC International News Channel 2024
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Valencia Tragedy: Fire Engulfs Buildings, 10 Dead & Many Missing
TSC News
5 hours ago
In a devastating incident, a raging fire tore through two residential buildings in the heart of Valencia, leaving at least 10 people dead and many others unaccounted for. The tragedy unfolded on Thursday evening, engulfing the structures in flames and sending shockwaves through the community.
City officials, led by Mayor Maria Jose Catala, confirmed the grim news on Friday. The death toll has risen, and authorities are desperately searching for 14 missing individuals who were caught in the inferno. Among the missing are a young couple, their toddler, and a two-week-old baby. Their desperate messages to friends from the bathroom reveal the harrowing moments they faced as the fire consumed their refuge.
The blaze didn’t spare those who rushed to help. Thirteen people, including six courageous firefighters, suffered injuries ranging from burns to fractures and smoke inhalation. These brave responders put their lives on the line to save others, and their sacrifice will not be forgotten.
Valencia’s Assistant Emergency Services Director, Jorge Suarez, addressed the media, emphasising the ongoing challenges faced by firefighters. Even hours after the fire began, they battled to cool down the building’s exterior before attempting to enter. The intensity of the flames made their task treacherous, but their determination remained unwavering.
The fire originated in a block of flats and quickly spread to an adjacent smaller building, according to the Spanish news agency EFE. Witnesses described the terrifying scene as the flames consumed the structures, leaving devastation in their wake.
© Copyright TSC International News Channel 2024
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Emergency Alert Sent as WWII Bomb in Plymouth to be Detonated at Sea
Thousands of residents in Plymouth received an emergency alert on their mobile phones on Friday, urging them to evacuate before a suspected Second World War explosive device is moved for disposal at sea. Devon and Cornwall Police were summoned to St Michael Avenue in the Keyham area of Plymouth on Tuesday morning after the object […]
Urgent Witness Appeal After Crawley Assault Incident
Sussex Police are issuing an urgent call for witnesses following a disturbing assault incident that took place outside a local address in Crawley. The unsettling event occurred near Nokes Court on Commonwealth Drive, shortly after 3:10 pm on Wednesday, February 21, prompting an immediate police response.
According to reports, a group of five individuals, driving a black saloon car, allegedly approached and assaulted a man before hastily leaving the area. The vehicle involved in the incident was later found abandoned.
Sussex Police are urging anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to report online or contact them directly by calling 101, referencing serial 737 of 21/02.
Read more on www.Sussex.News
Grange Hill Actor Stuart Organ Passes Away at 72
The actor Stuart Organ, who was best known for playing the character of Peter Robson on Grange Hill, has died at the age of 72.
He played the firm but fair teacher on the children’s TV drama and was the longest-serving member of staff in the school.
The character was a PE and geography teacher before being promoted to headteacher across the course of the show.
Grange Hill ran from 1978 to 2008 and made headlines for its gritty social realism, tackling issues such as racism, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, mental illness and HIV and Aids.
Organ also portrayed Kevin Cross in the TV soap opera Brookside and featured in a host of shows including popular BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who, where he appeared alongside Sylvester McCoy.
His career also included appearances in medical dramas Casualty and Holby City and a number of films including 1990’s Those Glory Glory Days, 1994’s festive film Present Spirits and 1997’s Fork In The Road.
Organ started his professional career at Leeds Playhouse in 1975 in a performance of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead, a spin-off of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and would also tread the boards as Judge Turpin in Queens Theatre Hornchurch’s Sweeney Todd.
Tributes paid to Stuart Organ
Tributes were paid to Organ following the news of his death, with a Grange Hill fan account on X, formerly known as Twitter, posting: “Some extremely sad news today. Stuart Organ who played Mr Peter Robson in Grange Hill has sadly passed away.
“Stuart played Mr Robson from 1988 to 2003 and appeared in 265 episodes. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. RIP xxxx”.
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Another account shared: “#StuartOrgan, Mr Robson from #GrangeHill has died. I met him in a corridor in a hotel in Manchester back in 2000 and we had a nice chat.
“A solid and dependable actor, capable of such realism and great warmth. RIP.”
Meanwhile, another person wrote: “I spent many of my breakfasts last year, and the year before, watching the first 13 series of Grange Hill on BritBox, a massive nostalgia-fest. Stuart was a big part of the later series and was great as Mr Robson.”
Kent Police Appeal for Witnesses After Girl Bitten by Dog in Tankerton
Kent Police are appealing for witnesses after a girl was bitten by a dog outside a shop in Tankerton. The incident occurred on Tankerton Road at approximately 5pm on Tuesday, 23 January 2024. The girl was walking past a small dog tethered outside the shop door when she was allegedly bitten, sustaining puncture wounds to […]
Met Police Convict Millwall Fans for Offensive Gestures During Match
Two Millwall football fans have been convicted and given Football Banning Orders after making deeply offensive gestures during a match against Leicester City earlier this year. The convictions mark the first application of recently introduced legislation targeting “tragedy chanting”. Father and son, Peter and Freddie Brooks, were filmed making helicopter gestures towards Leicester City fans […]