Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a fresh tax cut to remove VAT from domestic electricity bills from October 1.

The 5 per cent VAT rate currently on household electricity will be reduced to 0 per cent in the Autumn.

As one of the first new changes made by the new Prime Minister, Mr Burnham said the measure would ‘give people breathing space’ and ‘put more money in people’s pockets.’

The lost tax revenue will be made up by the cancellation of the Digital ID Programme, which Mr Burnham said yesterday would save an estimated £850million this financial year.

The government has said the cut will reduce a typical annual bill by around £45 and lower inflation by a percentage point. It is the first of several major announcements expected today.

The new Chancellor of the Exchequer, the former Defence Secretary John Healey, 66, said the announcement will ‘provide some reassurance this winter.’

He added: ‘For too long, too many people have struggled with the cost of living.

‘Today’s energy tax cut will give families some breathing room on bills, and provide some reassurance this winter.

New Chancellor John Healey said: ‘This measure is funded this year from cancelling the Digital ID programme, and it will help bring down inflation while supporting households in every postcode.’

‘This measure is funded this year from cancelling the Digital ID programme, and it will help bring down inflation while supporting households in every postcode.’

The cost of living has been brought front and centre from the get-go of this brand new government.

Mr Burnham said in his very first speech as Prime Minister yesterday: ‘Westminster has not been working for people for too long, with families struggling with the cost of living. That needs to change.

‘I said I wanted to give people breathing space, and that’s what I’m announcing on my second day as Prime Minister.

‘We’re taking immediate action to cut taxes on energy bills, put more money in people’s pockets and bring back hope.’

The new PM revealed his plans to scrap Keir Starmer’s controversial £1.8billion digital ID scheme over the weekend.

However, the changes have come under criticism for Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who said the cuts don’t go far enough.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast this morning, Davey said: ‘I don’t think it’s the best way to help people with energy bills and it doesn’t go far enough, but at least it’s something, isn’t it.’

He also called for Burnham to produce a budget ‘as soon as possible’ so that people can see ‘the real Mr Burnham’. 

Financial expert April LaRusse, who is head of investments specialists at Insight Investments, was similarly critical of the £45 annual saving.

She said the new measure was ‘probably not enough by itself’, though it was ‘moving in the right direction’.

But she applauded the fact that Mr Burnham had scrapped Digital ID to pay for the changes, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme this type of accountability was ‘absolutely what the bond markets were looking for’.

She added: ‘It’s just an acknowledgement that if you’re going to spend more money or make some changes, that the money needs to come from somewhere.’

The VAT cuts will help some more than others – high electricity users will see the biggest drop in costs when the 5 per cent reduction kicks in.

This could mean larger homes see significant decreases in bills, or vulnerable people who use a lot of electricity for medical equipment.

The move to cut household electricity VAT has been floated through government before by Mr Healey’s predecessor Rachel Reeves, but instead she reduced energy bills by removing a green levy and moving others onto general taxation.

Mr Healey’s appointment to No. 11 came as a shock to Westminster and signals a likely move to increase defence spending.

The former Defence Secretary crashed out of the cabinet in June and issued an exoriating criticism of Starmer’s defence spending pledges, which he said fell ‘well short of what is required and ‘could make the country less safe’.

But JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon warned Andy Burnham against raising taxes on banks to raise funding for spending projects.

He added that it could have adverse consequences for investment and he threatened changes could potentially affect his own company’s plans for a new £3billion London headquarters.

Mr Burnham’s government shake-up has sparked much speculation as to what direction the new Labour PM is planning to take the UK.

Ed Miliband, who was previously a favourite to take the Chancellor job, has now been made Foreign Secretary – a likely flashpoint with Donald Trump over net zero and migration.

Former Deputy PM and Justice Secretary David Lammy has also been sent back to the back benches, replaced by Alex Norris for his latter role.

Wes Streeting, a previous frontrunner to be Labour leader, now takes his place as Defence Secretary, replacing Dan Jarvis after just five weeks.

Another pretender to the Labour throne, Angela Rayner, has now re-entered government in her old role as Housing Secretary – from which she had to resign over a scandalous £40,000 underpayment of stamp duty on a property she owns. 

Shabana Mahmood retains her position as Home Secretary while Louise Haigh – who was forced to resign as Transport Secretary over a historical fraud conviction – will sit as First Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to force through Mr Burnham’s agenda.

Yvette Cooper was shifted over from being Foreign Secretary to move into Mr Streeting’s old role as Health Secretary.

Mr Burnham appears to have entirely done away with the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology – removing Liz Kendall as its head and apparently merging its function with the Department of Business and Trade, now headed by Jonathan Reynolds, who replaced Peter Kyle.

This is a breaking news story; more to follow. 

Campaigners have welcomed progress on planning controls but warn against shifting the problem to other areas

Cambridge City Council is set to introduce restrictions on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) following cross-party consensus that action is needed to stop rogue landlords cramming tenants into substandard housing.

Donna Ferguson, chair of Guest Road Residents’ Association, called on the council to introduce an Article Four direction and a limit on the percentage of HMOs in an area. HMOs for six residents or less are currently allowed under permitted development rules but the Article Four direction would remove this, meaning all HMOs will need full planning permission.

Councillor Katie Thornburrow, leader of the council, agreed that “this is a highly important tool” but said it would need “watertight, comprehensive evidence” to be implemented “legally and robustly”. The Labour councillor told a council meeting on Thursday (July 16) that officers spent the last year preparing a report to be put to cabinet in autumn, when they will “map out” how the direction will be implemented.

Cllr Katie Porrer said that she and fellow Lib Dem councillor, Imogene Blackburn-Horgan, had first called for an Article Four direction two years ago. She said: “This is not, for us, about trying to remove them from the housing stock or demonising those who live in them.

“This for us is about better living standards for tenants and better behaviour from the minority of landlords who fail to manage their HMOs properly and who give a bad name to this type of housing provision in our city. What we need in Cambridge is well-managed, decent and livable HMOs which integrate into our wider community and this means landlords and management companies need to step up and provide this.”

Cllr Beth Gardiner-Smith said: “I think we’re in danger of violently agreeing with each other – all of us, this evening.” The Labour councillor said that HMOs are “part of the fabric” of her ward of Romsey and have been “for a very long time”.

But, she said she was “particularly concerned about the standards of these HMOs”. She said: “Carved up into six, seven, rooms with no living space and only a galley kitchen as the communal space.

“These are not acceptable standards for anybody in the city – just because it’s affordable housing doesn’t mean it should be substandard housing. We should demand the best for all residents in this city.”

Cllr Kathryn Fisher said: “A lot of people in this room have said HMOs are an important part of our housing mix, and I don’t disagree that they currently are – but I don’t think they should be.” The Green councillor said: “The fact that they are proliferating, and that we have so many, is a sign that this council has failed to provide enough council housing.

“I’m reluctant on the brutal 10 per cent cut because it feels like it’s not actually solving the root of the problem, which is if you make it so it’s easier to make more money by cramming more people into a building that’s what landlords will do. I don’t really want to see 10 per cent bad housing with people crammed in – we shouldn’t be happy to accept any level of substandard housing.”

Donna, speaking after the meeting, said she was pleased to see “so much cross-party support”. She said: “It doesn’t look like they’re going to support the ten per cent threshold, but in some ways the article four is more important.

“They just need to be clear with some sort of clarity for residents on what over-concentration means in practice. The most important thing is that we keep up the pressure to make sure it’s city wide and not just where HMOs are already concentrated. If we only have the article in parts of Cambridge it will just shift the problem to other areas.”

Drivers are facing delays and a diversion is in place

A fire involving a boat and shed has closed a major Cambridgeshire road on Monday (July 20) as drivers face delays. The A1 is closed in both directions between the A121 at Black Cat and the A603 at Sandy due to the fire as of 1.45pm.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue were called at 11.28am to reports of a fire in the open at Kelpie Marine, off Great North Road. The blaze involves a boat and a shed.

The fire service said “a number of” fire engines and specialist vehicles are at the scene. Bedfordshire Police has urged the public to “avoid the area and use alternative routes where possible”.

National Highways has confirmed motorists are facing delays of around 10 minutes and one mile of delays on the approach. Road closures are in place on both carriageways of the A1, and on School Lane while emergency services deal with the incident, the force stated.

Traffic monitoring site Inrix said: “A1 in both directions closed, slow traffic due to a boat fire from Tempsford Road (Tempsford) to the A421 (Black Cat, Roxton). Congestion to St Neots on the southbound side.”

A spokesperson for National Highways said: “The A1 is closed in both directions between A421 (Black Cat) and A603 (Sandy) due to a fire. Emergency services are on scene. There are delays of around 10 minutes and 1 mile of delays on the approach.”

A diversion route is in place.

Road users travelling northbound are advised to follow the hollow triangle diversion symbol:

• From the A1, Sandy Roundabout, take the exit onto the A603 to Bedford.
• Continue on the A603 through Moggerhanger and Willington to the A603/A421 Cardington Cross Roundabout.
• At the Cardington Cross Roundabout take the exit onto the A421.
• Continue on the A421, Great Barford Bypass and re-join the A1 at the Black Cat Roundabout near Roxton.

Road users travelling southbound are advised to follow the hollow diamond diversion symbol:

• From the A1, Black Cat Roundabout take the exit onto the A421.
• Continue on the A421, Great Barford Bypass to the A603/A421 Cardington Cross Roundabout,
• At the Cardington Cross Roundabout take the exit onto the A603.
• Continue on the A603 through Willington and Moggerhanger and re-join the A1 at Sandy Roundabout.

Kiena Dawes took her own life after a campaign of domestic abuse by her partner

The mother of a young woman who took her own life after a prolonged campaign of domestic abuse has backed a campaign to create a new law in her daughter’s name.

23-year-old Kiena Dawes took her own life on a railway line in Lancashire in July 2022, after enduring a two-year relationship with Ryan Wellings, from Bispham.

In the wake of her death, Wellings was tried for manslaughter, with Preston Crown Court hearing that he regularly physically assaulted her, slapping her, ‘ragging’ her by her hair, and subjecting her to verbal and financial abuse.

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In her suicide note, Kiena wrote: “I was murdered. Ryan Wellings killed me. He ruined every bit of strength I had left. I had dreams. I had a future at one point. That was taken away from me.”

Wellings was acquitted of manslaughter but was convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour and assault, and was jailed for six-and-a-half years in January 2025.

Now, Kiena’s mother, Angela, has given her support to a campaign calling for a new law. The Kiena’s Law petition, which has almost 19,000 signatures, calls for the introduction of a new and specific criminal offence of ‘domestic abuse-related suicide’.

Angela believes the proposed law could help save lives. “To have a standalone charge for things like what Kiena went through, I do feel is so important,” she said at an event in Blackpool this month.

“Nothing is ever going to bring my baby back, but if we can change things moving forward, I’d hate to see another family go through what we’ve been through.

“My girl didn’t want to die. My girl wanted to live. But she lived in fear. We’ve lost a beautiful, very special, kind young girl who’s missed so much, not just by me but by so many other people.

“Please make changes before girls have to die to be heard. I can’t personally save any other girls, but I hope I can help by saying this.

“Please don’t give up, all of you who are working so hard for these changes. Please don’t give up. Let’s stop losing girls in this way.”

Since Kiena’s death, Angela has vowed to be a voice for Kiena and other people who have died in similar circumstances. “Changes need to be made. Girls shouldn’t have to die to be heard, and my daughter had to die to be heard. There was so much victim blaming,” she said.

The campaign for Kiena’s Law also for the inclusion of coercive and controlling behaviour within the ‘dangerous offender’ framework.

‘We owe it to Kiena’

Lancashire Police said the campaign been spearheaded by Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw, who has worked closely with Angela and Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA) to raise awareness of domestic abuse-related suicide and press for reform.

Frank Mullane MBE, CEO of Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA), said that Kiena’s case ‘exposed a serious gap in the law’.

“Too often, when a victim dies by suicide following prolonged domestic abuse, coercive control and intimidation, the full impact of that abuse is not recognised by the criminal justice system,” he said.

“Angela’s courage and determination have helped shine a light on this issue, but this campaign is about much more than one family.

“Kiena’s Law represents an opportunity to recognise the devastating and sometimes fatal consequences of coercive and controlling behaviour, improve accountability and help prevent future deaths. We owe it to Kiena and to every family affected by domestic abuse-related suicide to make that change.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said Angela had been ‘courageous and inspiring’. “Kiena’s story has touched people across Lancashire and beyond,” he said. “We must continue to learn lessons, improve protections for victims and ensure that women and girls are supported when they seek help.

“I would encourage people to support the petition and help keep this important conversation at the forefront of public and political debate.”

You can sign and share the petition here: www.change.org/kienas-law

David Whan, 60, of Old Barber, Harrogate, is alleged to have told fellow jurors information relating to the case they were sitting on that was not given in the courtroom. The offence allegedly occurred in 2024.

He denied the charge of disclosing information to other jurors when he appeared before Leeds Crown Court as a defendant.

Judge Neil Clark ordered that Whan’s trial start on August 26 next year.  It is expected to last for two days and will be held at Leeds Crown Court.

Whan was released on conditional bail until then.

A government ends and a new government begins, determined to make a splash with its early policy announcements.

We can expect to see and hear plenty from the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his senior ministers in the coming days, making arguments, travelling the country and trying to make an impact.

Burnham’s new cabinet will meet for the first time at lunchtime.

Its appointment became something of a nocturnal affair.

At gone 22:00 BST on Monday night, there was still a minibus full of ministerial wannabes inside Downing Street waiting for their new positions to be confirmed.

One of the later posts to be filled was that of defence secretary, a role taken by Wes Streeting, whose resignation as health secretary two months ago contributed to the draining of Sir Keir Starmer’s authority as prime minister.

The story of the reshuffle can best be summarised as neither of the two ministers most widely talked up as chancellor – Shabana Mahmood and Ed Miliband – getting that job, it instead going to John Healey.

And there being a pretty significant cull of the ministers closest to and most loyal to the now former prime minister: think David Lammy, Darren Jones, Peter Kyle, Lord Hermer, Steve Reed and Rachel Reeves – albeit Reeves, I am told, was offered a cabinet post but turned it down.

A decision notice to approve the plans was published in July 2026

Plans for a huge industrial and logistics development in Cambridgeshire, described by some as an “eyesore”, have been given the go-ahead. Huntingdonshire District Council has granted Newlands Property Developments permission for the development at Hinchingbrooke Logistics Park.

The plans will see Newlands Property Developments deliver a “substantial industrial and logistics development”, including warehouses up to 24m high and a new bus depot. The A141 will also be remodelled with a new roundabout and underpass.

The majority of the site is currently used for arable farming. The developer proposes to create up to 205,000sqm of general industrial and storage and distribution space, with maximum building heights ranging from 18.5m to 24m.

A planning document says: “The site is in an optimal location for industrial and logistics development. The proposal will deliver high quality sustainable buildings, with supporting facilities and infrastructure, that will be accessible to employees, visitors, and the local community by sustainable modes of transport.”

The applicant says the proposal aims to deliver a “significant boost to the economy through the creation of new employment opportunities”. The proposals faced local backlash, with several objections against the project lodged with Huntingdonshire District Council.

One person said: “The height and extent of the logistics park will be a blight on the area, an ugly oppressive eyesore. The intimidating nature of the plan will be destructive to the natural beauty. The logistics park will inevitably negatively impact on house prices. Noise pollution, HGV traffic, the ugly visual intrusion, destroying the skyline will inevitably reduce desirability and value of my home that I recently bought.”

Another person objected: “Not only is this a clearly unsuitable development but it is additional development considered unnecessary adding to the more pressing development and disruption of the key local amenity of Hinchingbrooke Hospital.

“The Hospital development is essential for local people unlike the logistics park. The Logistics park development requires major road access works to the A141, demonstrating that existing infrastructure is insufficient. This threatens increased congestion affecting hospital access — a critical public service.”

A decision notice was published on the council’s planning website on July 15.

Mr Lammy, until now the deputy prime minister and justice secretary, and previously foreign secretary, announced he was leaving Government on social media, while Mr Reed, seen as an arch-loyalist to Sir Keir Starmer, said he was “disappointed to be leaving Government now” in a letter to Mr Burnham.

Tottenham MP Mr Lammy said he “would have been proud to continue serving in Cabinet. But a new Prime Minister is entitled to build his own team”.

He added he would “support this Labour Government from the backbenches and do everything I can to help defeat Reform again at the next general election”.

In a post on X, Ms Reeves wrote: “It has been the privilege of my life to serve as the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

“The economy today is stronger, fairer and more resilient because of the choices we have taken as a Labour Government over the past two years.

“I wish the very best of luck to my successor, Andy and his Cabinet.

“You have my full support and I will continue to play my part in helping this Labour Government deliver the change the country needs.”

Mr Reed, who has served as environment secretary and housing secretary since the general election in 2024, said Labour “won power the hard way”, and in a rebuke to the incoming Prime Minister later added: “Keir Starmer showed loyalty to me by appointing me to his Cabinet.

“I make no apology for returning that loyalty.

“It’s what is expected of functioning teams, and I hope those who did not show loyalty to Keir will now show it to you.

“I’m proud I acted with integrity at every step over the turbulent past few months.”

Peter Kyle, who was business secretary, has also lost his job, the Press Association understands.

Sir Keir Starmer’s attorney general Lord Richard Hermer has confirmed he is leaving the Cabinet, saying he will support Andy Burnham’s Labour government from the backbenches.

Steve Reed has revealed he is no longer Housing Secretary, and said in a letter he is “disappointed to be leaving Government now”, after Andy Burnham entered Downing Street as Prime Minister.

Mr Burnham is expected to begin making appointments to major Cabinet positions on Monday afternoon.

Several junior ministers announced they were leaving Government earlier on Monday.

Prisons minister Lord James Timpson was the first to announce he had resigned, and was shortly followed by Lord Patrick Vallance, a science minister.

Millie Mackintosh officially moved out of the marital home she shared with her ex husband Hugo Taylor on Monday. 

The former Made In Chelsea stars split in early February after seven years of marriage, during which time they welcomed daughters Sienna, six, and Aurelia, four.

And opening up in her recent Instagram, Millie shared snaps from the moving process as she revealed that while divorce isn’t what she had imagined for herself, she has found the moving process a ‘healing’ one. 

Taking a swipe at Hugo, she shared that this next chapter will be ‘written entirely on my own terms’. 

She penned: ‘Moving day. Nervous, excited, everything all at once. And so it begins. New postcode, new front door, new chapter written entirely on my own terms this time.

‘Divorce isn’t the ending I imagined for myself, but this house, this next bit feels like proof that new beginnings really can be beautiful even when they start with cardboard boxes and lots of uncertainty.’

Taking a swipe at Hugo, she shared that this next chapter will be ‘written entirely on my own terms’

Sharing snaps of the empty rooms and packed boxes she continued: ‘This is what starting again actually looks like. Not glamorous, not perfectly styled, just honest, and mine. I’ve learned more about myself in this in-between that I have in years. 

‘Every room a little emptier today, and me a little lighter for it. Funny how a house holds so much of you without you ever realising, until you have to carry it all out the door. 

‘Slowly, slowly it starts to look like somewhere new. One chair at a time, one plant at a time, building a home that’s entirely mine feels like its own kind of healing.’ 

Admitting she had found the caption hard to write, she said: ‘I’ve put off writing this caption for a few days because I wasn’t quite sure how to sum it all up. 

‘This move has been so many things at once, exciting, overwhelming, sad, hopeful, all wrapped into one very long day surrounded by boxes. Starting again somewhere new has taught me more about who I am than I expected. 

‘Turns out you can grieve a chapter and be genuinely excited for the next one at the same time.’

Millie and Hugo have officially filed for divorce and have both appointed legal teams, with the pair said to be keen for a ‘clean break’ while continuing to co-parent.

Before their separation, Millie and Hugo spent months completing a full renovation on their £5million family home, regularly sharing updates about the project.

Before their separation, Millie and Hugo (pictured right) spent months completing a full renovation on their £5million family home, regularly sharing updates about the project

She penned: ‘Divorce isn’t the ending I imagined for myself, but this house this next bit feels like proof that new beginnings really can be beautiful’

Sharing snaps of the empty rooms and packed boxes she continued: ‘This is what starting again actually looks like’

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She added: ‘Turns out you can grieve a chapter and be genuinely excited for the next one at the same time’

In April 2025, Millie posted a year into their renovation, revealing that the past 12 months had included ‘time, energy and late nights’.

Millie said: ‘It’s wild to think it’s been a whole year since we started our renovation… sometimes you get so caught up in the day-to-day that you forget to stop and appreciate just how far you’ve come.

‘When I look back to the early days — the plans, the moodboards, the dust (so much dust!), the endless decisions and all the highs and lows that come with a project like this — it honestly feels like a lifetime ago.’

She continued: ‘It took time, energy, late nights and a lot of patience… but seeing it now, I’m so proud of everything we put into it.

‘The best part? We’re finally at the stage where it’s about the little things. Filling the space with art, books and those pieces you pick up over time that make a house feel like home.

‘There’s still plenty I want to do — but it feels really special to pause, look back and soak it all in.’

Months before, Millie had posted pictures of her old kitchen which she had transformed into a cosy snug.

But now Millie is ready to get stuck into a new project after moving into her new place following their split.

Flares were let off as mourners gathered in London to celebrate what would have been the 21st birthday of a British illegal immigrant who was shot dead in the US after allegedly trying to con a pensioner. 

Irish traveller Salis Hanrahan, from Essex, was fatally shot aged 20 on July 8 inside the home of ex-firefighter George Barr, 75, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Hanrahan was reportedly working on Barr’s house as part of a construction team in the days before his death. Local reports suggest he was shot after trying to charge the American £51,800 for repairs on the £190,000 property. 

The Briton had entered the US illegally after being denied a visa because government officials determined that he was affiliated with the ‘The Travelling Conman Fraud Group’. 

Members of that organised crime gang, as it has been designated by the FBI, are known for overcharging victims for building work which they have failed to complete.

Hanrahan collapsed on a pavement outside Barr’s home in the Roxborough neighbourhood of Philadelphia – and later died in hospital from a gunshot wound to his chest. 

The traveller’s body has since been repatriated back to London, where more than a hundred mourners gathered today in his memory.

Hanrahan’s body arrived at a west London funeral parlour in a £500,000 Rolls Royce as friends and family let balloons into the sky and held placards reading: ‘RIP Salis’.

Hundreds of mourners gathered in west London to celebrate what would have been Hanrahan’s 21st birthday on Monday

The deceased’s body arrived at a funeral parlour near Hanwell in a Rolls Royce thought to be worth £500,000

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Mourners appeared to have parked their vehicles across the street causing grid-locked traffic

Footage showed plumes of red and white smoke billowing into the sky after flares were let off on the busy road.

Mourners parked their vehicles across the street causing grid-locked traffic, and cars could be heard tooting their horns as crowds set up pictures of Hanrahan on the pavement. 

One showed a picture of the 20-year-old posing with his thumbs up, with golden messages surrounding his image reading: ‘Happy 21st birthday Salis Hanrahan.’

Barr, Hanrahan’s alleged killer, has been charged with murder, possession of an instrument of crime and recklessly endangering another person. 

He has not yet entered a plea and is being held at a Pennsylvania prison after being remanded into custody. 

Hanrahan appears to have wed his wife Roseann just months before his death, and the couple shared a one-year-old daughter together. Roseann posted on social media after his passing: ‘My beautiful husband. I love you so much.’ 

US police said last week that contractors were fitting sliding doors on Barr’s home shortly after 2pm on July 8 when gunfire was heard. 

Philadelphia police Captain James Kimrey told reporters: ‘They heard arguments or some kind of commotion inside and then they found the boss outside.’

Local outlet KYW said that the victim had been ‘asking for more money’ every day prior to his death.  

Hanrahan was ‘an illegal alien from the United Kingdom’, the US Department of Homeland Security said, and entered the country without a work permit.  

Balloons were lifted into the sky and friends and family held banners reading: ‘RIP Salis’

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Placards of the 20-year-old were set up outside the funeral parlour

George Barr, 75, has been charged with murder, possession of an instrument of crime and recklessly endangering another person

A spokesman said: ‘He entered the country illegally on an unknown date and location and was denied Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) as he was determined to have affiliation with ‘The Traveling Conman Fraud Group’, a transnational criminal organization’.

The victim’s family hit out at his alleged killer in the days after he was killed, describing Barr as ‘evil’ and ‘scum’. 

A relative called Paddy Hanrahan posted a news story about the incident on Facebook, writing: ‘Please look at the evil in he’s [sic] face. He couldn’t even give a reason why he done it. He cold-bloodedly killed him for nothing’.

Friend Martina McCarthy responded: ‘I said the same u can see the evil behind his eyes rip salis [sic]’.

Another friend, Michelle Bas, wrote: ‘He needs to rot in jail!!!’

Hanrahan’s sister Lisa-Marie posted a picture of Barr and wrote: ‘The scum that took my baby brother lord pls why us.’

Others, however, were quick to show their support for the 75-year-old. 

One local woman wrote: ‘Free George Barr, NOW! He is a retired Philadelphia Firefighter and a hero from [the] Vietnam War’.

Another woman posted: ‘I have known George for a very long time. Frankly, I can’t believe this. Always been so kind to me and my daughters’.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Tommy McKiernan, the vice president of the Philadelphia firefighter’s union, said that Barr joined the Fire Department in 1989 and retired in 2015, having last served at Ladder 11 in the South of the city.

McKiernan said that Barr’s wife Angela, who he married years after they began dating, had died in September.

He said: ‘He was an exceptional firefighter and this is something that’s way out of character for him.

‘I don’t know if he was diagnosed with PTSD from Vietnam but it’s likely something from being a firefighter, maybe a combination of the two.

Police said last week that contractors were putting sliding doors on Barr’s home (pictured) shortly before Hanrahan’s death

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‘I wasn’t there when it happened so I don’t know if any of that was triggered.

‘George isn’t the kind of guy who would just pull a gun out and shoot somebody. I’m wondering if there was a confrontation, maybe it got physical. I’m hoping it’s self-defence.

‘I’ve never seen him angry or argumentative. He was in control. That was not his character to get mad or confrontational.

‘The only time I saw him angry is if we had jobs back in the day and somebody got killed on the job’.

Court documents showed that the Travelling Conmen Fraud Group, of which Hanrahan was believed to be a part, is made up of UK or Irish nationals who enter the US on tourist visas and overstay. Others, however, enter the country illegally.

The documents state: ‘Once in the United States, Travelers go to different cities and states, soliciting construction work.

‘This is sometimes done door-to-door, by knocking and introducing themselves to homeowners, usually elderly individuals, claiming to have extra materials left over from a prior job or noticing a defect or damage to the home that needs to be repaired immediately.

‘The members often quote a low price, and then, after further inspection, demand much more money.

‘Travelers usually start with a small job (such as fixing brick entry steps or re-pointing chimneys) and then convince homeowners that their homes need major repairs, such as foundation work or waterproofing.

‘At this point, the Travelers overcharge homeowners and sometimes intimidate homeowners into paying them up front for work that is not completed.’

Barr’s family did not return calls and texts asking for comment.

The Philadelphia Police Department confirmed that Barr had been charged and that a firearm was recovered at the scene.

Its statement said: ‘The investigation remains active and is being conducted by the Philadelphia Police Department’s Homicide Unit.’