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Woman in her 80s stabbed to death

April 01, 2026 at 16:37

A woman in her 80s has been stabbed to death in southeast London, police have said.

Police were called to reports of a man with a knife at Red Lion Place, Plumstread, at 8.50am.

Emergency crews found the woman with serious injuries and she was taken to hospital where she died.

Another man was also threatened with a knife but was not hurt, the Metropolitan Police said.

A man in his 60s attended a police station at 9.10am and he was arrested on suspicion of murder.

He was taken to hospital by officers, where he is receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.

It is believed the suspect and the woman who died were known to each other - officers are not looking for any further suspects.

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BBC knew about police investigation into Scott Mills in 2017

April 01, 2026 at 14:12

The BBC knew about a police probe into DJ Scott Mills in 2017 but sacked him after receiving "new information" in the weeks before he was dismissed.

The corporation said in a statement it "acted decisively" at the weekend to terminate Mills' contract after initially saying he was dismissed due to claims over his "personal conduct".

It emerged that the BBC was asked about the allegations by a freelance journalist last year, but did not respond.

The Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday that officers investigated "allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy" who was under 16, said to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.

However, the Crown Prosecution Service ultimately decided "the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges" and the case was closed in May 2019.

In a statement on Wednesday, the BBC confirmed it knew about the claims nine years earlier and dismissed Mills when new information came to light.

A BBC spokesperson said: "Scott Mills had a long career across the BBC, he was hugely popular and we know the news this week has come as a shock and surprise to many.

"We also recognise there's been much speculation in the media and online since Monday. We hope people understand that there is a limit to what we can say because we have to be mindful of the rights of those involved.

"What we can confirm is that in recent weeks, we obtained new information relating to Scott and we spoke directly with him. As a result, the BBC acted decisively in line with our culture and values and terminated his contract on Friday 27 March.

"The BBC has made a significant commitment to improve its culture, processes and standards. Last year, following an independent culture review, we set out the behavioural expectations for everyone who works with or for the BBC and we were clear action would be taken if these were not met.

"Separately, we can confirm the BBC was made aware in 2017 of the existence of an ongoing police investigation, which was subsequently closed in 2019 with no arrest or charge being made. We are doing more work to understand the detail of what was known by the BBC at this time."

Mills, who has not yet commented on his sacking, was taken off air by the BBC last Tuesday.

Met Police launched an investigation into Mills, 53, in 2016 and was questioned under caution by officers in July 2018, and it is reported by The Sun that Mills denied the claims at the time and informed the BBC.

BBC bosses decided not to take him off the air, the newspaper added. The case was later dropped in May 2019 due to a lack of evidence.

Hampshire Police said the sexual offence allegations were first reported by a third party, in 2016, and that it logged the details and passed them on to the Met Police for investigation.

Met Police, which does not identify people under investigation pre-charge, said it closed its investigation in May, 2019, after advice from the Crown Prosecution Service that "the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges".

Yellow warning of very strong winds issued for parts of UK over Easter weekend

April 01, 2026 at 16:22

A warning for very strong winds that could cause damage and travel disruption has been issued for parts of the UK over the Easter weekend.

The Met Office said delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport were likely from 6pm on Saturday until midday Sunday for Scotland, Northern Ireland, North Wales and an area of northern England stretching from Liverpool to Newcastle.

Winds of up to 90mph could be possible in western Scotland, with gusts of 70mph more widely.

Forecasters added that there was a chance of power cuts, with the potential to affect other services such as mobile phone coverage.

There were likely to be delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges, which could also close, the Met Office said.

Areas in Wales affected by the weather warning include Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd and Isle of Anglesey.

In North West England - Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Cheshire West and Chester, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside would be affected.

In North East England, affected areas include Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland.

Nearly all of Northern Ireland and Scotland are covered by the warning.

Woman charged over death of great-grandmother, 87, who was assaulted at train station in Birmingham

April 01, 2026 at 16:42

A woman has been charged over the death of an 87-year-old great-grandmother who was assaulted at Birmingham New Street railway station.

Dorothy Chiles suffered a broken hip after the attack on the station's concourse at about 11am on 19 November 2024, according to British Transport Police (BTP).

Ms Chiles had surgery and was discharged from hospital on 2 December 2024, but she later died at home on 27 December.

Charlie Lane, 26, has been charged with manslaughter and a racially aggravated public order offence, BTP said.

Lane, of Marlborough Road, Gloucester, was released on conditional bail.

She is due to appear at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court on 30 April.

In a statement released by police after her death, Ms Chiles's family said she was "a lively, outgoing lady whose energy was contagious".

They said: "Dorothy was more than a mom, grandmother and great-grandmother - she was a best friend, a guiding light, and a source of endless joy."

Lamine Yamal angered by 'ignorant and racist' chants at Spain-Egypt friendly

April 01, 2026 at 16:02

Lamine Yamal has criticised "racist and ignorant" chants heard during Spain's friendly against Egypt that have led to a police investigation.

The anti-Muslim chants at the RCDE Stadium, on the outskirts of Barcelona, prompted officials to display an anti-discrimination message on a screen to people inside the ground.

The messages reminded supporters that taking part in acts of racism and xenophobia was a crime, but the chants continued.

Lamine Yamal, who started for Spain, called the chants "ignorant and racist".

On Instagram, the player wrote: "I know it was directed at the opposing team and wasn't personal against me, but as a Muslim, it's still disrespectful and intolerable."

The 18-year-old Barcelona star said he understood "not all fans are like that", but in a message to those who chant "these things" he added: "Using a religion as a taunt on the field makes you ignorant and racist.

"Football is for enjoying and cheering, not for disrespecting people for who they are or what they believe."

Spain's manager Luis de la Fuente strongly condemned the behaviour of some fans.

He said: "They are not representative of football. They take advantage of football, as they do in other areas of life.

"We need to isolate these people from society.

"I feel total and absolute repulsion towards any xenophobic or racist attitudes. They are intolerable."

The Egyptian FA said in a statement: "We firmly reject and condemn such behavior, including the lack of respect shown toward the national anthem. These actions are entirely unacceptable in football stadiums and represent a negative phenomenon that must be collectively addressed and eradicated."

It added: "What happened is completely unacceptable, and FIFA remains committed to combating racism and discrimination in football."

The chants during Tuesday's 0-0 draw at the home ground of La Liga club Espanyol highlighted increasing concerns about racism in Spanish football.

In a strongly-worded social media post, Spanish justice minister Felix Bolanos blamed the far right.

He wrote: "Racist insults and chants shame us as a society.

"The far right will not leave any space free of its hatred, and those who remain silent today are complicit."

The Spanish Football Federation said it "stands against racism in football and condemns any act of violence inside stadiums".

Catalonia's regional police force said it had opened an investigation into the incident.

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