Cambridge University has defended its handling of Jason Arday and said he was provided with range of support before and after his resignation, The Times reports.

Prof Arday, who resigned earlier this month after a plagiarism row, was pronounced dead after emergency services were called an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday to reports that a man had been found unresponsive inside a property.

Prof Arday, a professor of sociology of education who became Cambridge’s youngest black professor in 2023, quit following a series of media reports alleging he plagiarised his PhD thesis – completed at Liverpool John Moores University – and other research.

Further questions were asked in the press about the truth of other claims he made, including saying he ran 600 miles in six days and that he had raised £5.5 million for charity.

An investigation at Liverpool John Moores University cleared Prof Arday of wrongdoing.

Academics and politicians have argued that Cambridge failed to take Prof Arday’s vulnerability seriously when he was appointed to a senior public-facing role in 2023, despite allegations being raised at the time. The allegations resurfaced last month and were widely reported in the press.

In a statement released to The Times, a university spokesperson said Prof Arday was given “the provision of counselling, support and advice, and ­security measures, including the installation of panic alarms and the screening of racist emails and post.”

The spokesperson added: “Our support continued in the face of intense public and media ­scrutiny and after his resignation.”

Following news of Mr Arday’s death, his family said they were “in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son”, in a statement issued through his publisher Simon & Schuster UK.

Reacting to news of his death, some MPs blamed the media for “hounding” Mr Arday, with Jeremy Corbyn saying the 41-year-old had been “turned into a pawn for vicious culture wars”.

But others, such as Conservative MP James Cleverly, said academic institutions had “serious questions to answer” for elevating Mr Arday into “positions he was clearly not qualified for”.

Cambridge’s vice-chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice said on Saturday: “My thoughts and deepest condolences are with Jason’s family and loved ones who, as they said last night, have lost a father, partner, brother, uncle and son.

“My immediate thoughts are also with colleagues and students who worked with Jason in the Faculty of Education, and at Jesus College where he was a Fellow.”

A police forensics tent has been erected in Levenshulme

A large cordon is in place as police are tonight responding to a major incident in south Manchester.

Pictures from the scene show a forensics tent erected in a park off Chapel Street in Levenshulme. Scene of crime officers were also spotted on Chapel Street, which has been taped off by police.

Concerned residents in the area started contacting the Manchester Evening News when they spotted a significant emergency service presence around the park on Saturday evening.

Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter

The Manchester Evening News has asked Greater Manchester Police for a comment. This story will be updated when more information comes to light.

—

Day in day out, our reporters in the Manchester Evening News newsroom bring you remarkable stories from all aspects of Mancunian life. However, with the pace of life these days, the frenetic news agenda and social media algorithms, you might not be getting a chance to read it.

That’s why every week our Features and Perspectives editor Rob Williams brings you Unmissable, highlighting the best of what we do – bringing it to you directly from us. Make sure you don’t miss out, and see what else we have to offer, by clicking here and signing up for MEN Daily News.

To celebrate the launch, Five Sisters Zoo was delighted to welcome its new friends from Livingston FC for a special World Lion Day celebration.

Five Sisters Zoo has announced a new partnership with Livingston FC, bringing together two local organisations that are right on each other’s doorstep and share a strong connection with the West Lothian community.

To celebrate the launch, Five Sisters Zoo was delighted to welcome its new friends from Livingston FC for a special World Lion Day celebration.

There was no better day for the visit, with Livingston FC’s very own lion mascot, LiviLion, joining staff, players and visitors at the zoo.

Members of Livingston FC’s men’s first team, club staff and LiviLion spent the afternoon meeting visitors, joining in with the celebrations and handing out tickets for an upcoming match. The team also had the chance to meet some of the zoo’s residents, including capybaras and penguins.

As part of the new partnership, Five Sisters Zoo is also supporting Livingston FC’s Lions Roar Kids Club. Children who join the club will be entered into a draw to win an Annual Family Pass to Five Sisters Zoo, as well as receiving a day pass to visit the zoo.

Members will also enjoy a range of exclusive club benefits and matchday experiences, including opportunities to meet the players and management team.

A Five Sisters spokesperson said: “Five Sisters Zoo looks forward to working alongside Livingston FC and creating exciting experiences for children, families and supporters across West Lothian.

“A huge thank you to everyone at Livingston FC for coming along and helping us celebrate World Lion Day. With LiviLion leading the way, it was certainly a roaring start!”

Don’t miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier. Sign up to our free newsletter

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has regularly targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure with missile attacks. The strategy adopted by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and his generals is two-fold: to increase the cost of continuing to resist and to erode civilian morale.

The attacks have aimed to disrupt and destroy Ukraine’s military supply and logistics capabilities, its power generation and civilian housing.

The war on the front lines has reached a bloody stalemate, with ever-increasing casualties, especially on the Russian side where more troops are being killed or injured each month than can be recruited and trained. So Russia’s air campaign conducted behind the front line is clearly seen by the Kremlin as having major strategic value.

Major-General Vadym Skibitsky, the deputy head of Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, said on August 10 that Russia has restructured its defence production to prioritise the production of long-range ballistic and cruise missiles. It is also reportedly receiving missiles from allies such as North Korea (which is also sending 50,000 more troops to fight in Ukraine).

With the ground war in Ukraine not developing as they wish, Moscow’s military planners increasingly view the Ukrainian homeland as a potential weak link.

Russia will be well aware of reports that the war in Iran has massively depleted US stocks of air defence systems, particularly the Patriot (which stands for phased array tracking radar for intercept on target) and Thaad (terminal high altitude area defense). These are both costly and take a considerable time to replace. US-based thinktank the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates it could take between three and eight years for America to replenish its stocks to the levels they were at before the conflict began at the end of February.

A single Thaad interceptor missile is reported to cost US$12.77 million (£9.5 million), while Patriots cost around US$4 million each.

With no end to the US conflict against Iran in sight, Patriot missiles will be prioritised for this theatre. And, while there has been discussion of Ukraine being licensed to build its own Patriots, this would take years. The coming winter looks to be extremely challenging for Ukraine.

As combat operations slow on the front lines, Russia will look to use its missile capability to cause increased hardship and suffering. As in previous years, there will be a concerted campaign targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. A lack of air defence systems means more Russian missiles will be able to hit their targets.

In early August, Ukraine’s defence minister, Mikhailo Federov (who has since been removed from post) said “Over the last few months, Russia fires more missiles a week at us than we get from partners over months.”. Only 29 out of 195 Russian ballistic missiles were successfully intercepted in July.

Kyiv’s European allies are trying to go at least some way towards filling the gap. But they need to maintain their own stockpiles to ensure their own security and fulfill their Nato obligations.

Drones: advantages and limitations

But this doesn’t mean Ukraine is unable to mount its own offensive strategy. Kyiv has been using drones to attack key targets: oil storage and refinery facilities, designed to increase pressure on the Russian economy and its ability to export oil on the black market. It is also hitting road and rail infrastructure and bridges, particularly in and around Crimea in a bid to isolate the peninsula.

And, as of August 8, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces claim to have struck 218 Russian shadow fleet vessels, including 134 in the Sea of Azov and 84 in the Black Sea – another blow to Russia’s oil economy.

Ukraine has also conducted strikes on at least 20 Wildberries warehouses. Wildberries is an e-commerce giant, Russia’s answer to Amazon and an important supplier of battlefield equipment for the Russian military. It also stores and sells goods produced by third-party small and medium-sized firms. The loss of inventory and lack of compensation for those losses, is putting a lot of private business under threat of collapse.

These attacks will take time to have a material effect on the Russian economy. But Russia’s central bank has downgraded its economic growth forecasts, inflation is at an average of 7% a year and interest rates are running at 14%

The use of drones as an instrument of strategy, however, is limited. While they are cheaper and easier to replace, most drones don’t have the same firepower as most ballistic missiles. Ukraine is reportedly developing and deploying improved drones with greater range, enabling Kyiv to hit targets deep inside Russia. But on the whole the power of Ukraine’s drones, thus far at least, is considerably less devastating than Russia’s missiles.

So it’s harder for Ukraine drone strikes to break the will of either the government or population the way Putin is hoping Russia’s onslaught of ballistic missiles might.

The Russian president and his military planners will see Ukraine’s challenges in maintaining its missile defence capability as an opportunity to put Ukraine under severe pressure.

Unless President Volodymyr Zelensky and his war planners can find a way to solve this increasingly urgent problem, this winter could be the harshest of the war to date for the Ukrainian people.

People will have to apply to the courts to get their seized e-scooters and e-bikes returned to them

Police have warned that they could destroy e-scooters and e-bikes that are being ridden illegally in Northern Ireland.

Over the past week officers have seized a number of e-scooters and e-bikes across Northern Ireland as they deal with reports of anti-social and danagerous behaviour involving the vehicles.

Following this, a number of officers took to social media to highlight the seizures and say that the owners of the e-scooters and e-bikes will have 14 days to apply to the courts, at their own expense, to have them returned or they will be destroyed.

Police have said that e-scooters and e-bikes are deemed to be motor vehicles and riders must have a driving licence and the vehicle must be taxed, insured and fitted with lights and a number plate. This means that many people who ride them, including children, are committing offences when they do so.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Under existing legislation, e-scooters are deemed to be a motor vehicle, meaning the rider must have a driving licence and the vehicle must be taxed, insured and fitted with lights and a number plate.

This means e-scooters on roads and in public spaces are being ridden illegally and, so, a large number of individuals – many of them children – are committing offences in that the machine they are riding is not legally allowed to be in a public space.

“Dependent on the circumstances when our officers engage with riders, they use the four ‘Es’ approach – Engage, Explain, Encourage and Enforce.

“We are also asking people to report inappropriate use so that we can seize machines safely, however, we recognise that on some occasions there can be public safety risks with enforcement, especially if the detection is made in a busy, built-up area. We will engage with the rider and seize the e-scooter when it is safe to do so.

“Long term, we believe the only durable, long-term solution to dealing with issues in relation to e-scooters is through legislative reform, and we are actively engaging with government departments to explore these options.

“Overall, it will require a co-ordinated approach by sellers, parents, users/owners, PSNI and partners to reduce the number of e-scooters on our roads and encourage their responsible and legal use.

“Information was circulated to officers last week reminding them of the power of seizure for uninsured motor vehicles, which includes e-scooters.

“This information outlined some of the tactical options available to officers when responding to reports of e-scooters on roads, or in public places. For example, use of drones, CCTV or a planned policing operation.

“It reminded officers of the offence of no insurance and the powers of seizure and disposal under the relevant legislation under the Road Traffic Order.

“This information is not part of any new Police Service instruction, and was contained in an internal document for officer-use only, and not for public dissemination.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

The University of Cambridge has announced an independent review of all relevant university processes to run alongside its ongoing inquiry into how Professor Jason Arday was appointed by the Faculty of Education, following his resignation amid plagiarism allegations.

The University of Cambridge is to hold an independent review of “all relevant processes” alongside an ongoing investigation into how a professor who stepped down amid a plagiarism row was appointed by its Faculty of Education.

Last week, the university confirmed it would press ahead with its investigation into the circumstances surrounding Professor Jason Arday’s “appointment and tenure” following his resignation, adding that the findings would inform a broader review of the procedures for appointing senior academic posts.

Scores of academics at the world-famous university put their names to a letter demanding an independent inquiry into the processes surrounding his appointment. Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice announced the independent review on Thursday (August 13).

She said in a statement: “I have – taken the step of asking the Deputy Chair of the University Council and the Council’s Audit Committee to establish the terms of an independent review of all relevant University processes, with the outcome to be reported directly to the Council.

“This will operate independently of, but alongside, the investigation into the circumstances around Jason Arday’s appointment and time at Cambridge. I am also aware of calls from some members of our community for an audit of our HR procedures and practices, which I will ask that this review addresses. I will also stress the importance of this review proceeding at pace and concluding as quickly as is possible.”

In an update on Wednesday (August 12), Prof Prentice confirmed that the inquiry into Prof Arday’s employment would be conducted “independently by senior academics from within and beyond Cambridge”.

In her statement, she said: “I fully understand the concerns being raised across the university and well beyond it regarding Jason Arday’s appointment and I share them. I know there is anger and anxiety around this damaging and difficult case.

“We will now investigate the circumstances around his appointment by the Faculty of Education back in 2022 and his time here in Cambridge since his appointment nearly four years ago.”

Prof Prentice added: “In light of the focus on this troubling case and the widespread commentary around it, I want to be very clear that we do not need the outcomes of an investigation to clearly and loudly affirm that our staff of colour are highly valued, for their scholarship, their achievements and the contributions they make to the institution and the wider academic community.

“This particular case is an aberration and should not be used to cast aspersions on their work or the legitimacy of their roles at Cambridge.”

Professor Priyamvada Gopal, professor of postcolonial studies at Cambridge’s English faculty and one of the signatories who called for an independent inquiry, told the Press Association last week that Prof Arday’s case had “acted as a gift to people and forces who have been targeting equality, diversity and inclusion in universities for a long time now”.

Prof Arday, a professor of sociology of education who became Cambridge’s youngest black professor in 2023, stepped down following a series of media reports alleging he had plagiarised his PhD thesis – completed at Liverpool John Moores University – as well as other research.

Further scrutiny emerged in the press regarding the veracity of other assertions he had made, including claims that he ran 600 miles in six days and had raised £5.5 million for charity.

A subsequent investigation at Liverpool John Moores University cleared Prof Arday of any wrongdoing. Durham and Glasgow universities are examining the circumstances surrounding Prof Arday’s appointment to academic positions there, while Cambridge’s Jesus College has accepted his resignation from his fellowship, according to Prof Prentice.

In his open resignation letter, Prof Arday stated that the “only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away”.

He said: “This decision should not be interpreted as a loss of faith in scholarship or in the values that first brought me to Cambridge. Nor should it be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me. It is simply the decision of someone who has reached the limits of what any person should reasonably be expected to endure.”

At the weekend, he pulled out of engagements arranged to promote his upcoming memoir. Publisher Simon & Schuster had previously confirmed that the book, Great And Unfortunate Things, was due for release in the UK on August 27.

Failure to follow strict rules can lead to the loss of a licence but it is free to do

Older drivers have been put on notice that they risk losing their right to drive if they fail to act. The number of motorists born before 1956 who are still taking to the roads has been on the rise.

The DVLA has now issued a reminder that drivers must renew their licence every three years once they hit 70. Reaching that milestone doesn’t mean hanging up the car keys for good, but their standard driving entitlement does expire – and they must renew it, confirming they still meet the required vision standards, if they wish to continue driving.

The DVLA confirms the process is completely free and can be done online, with a replacement licence typically arriving within a week. The rule has been in place since 1976, when the Government overhauled the licensing system so that standard driving licences would remain valid until the age of 70, rather than requiring everyone to renew every three years.

Beyond that age, three-yearly renewals were kept in place given that advancing years can bring health and fitness changes that may impact a person’s ability to drive safely.

The Department for Transport states that the renewal process serves as a regular prompt for older motorists to reflect on their health, including their eyesight, and to declare any medical conditions that could have a bearing on their driving, reports Wales Online.

What happens when you turn 70?

The DVLA will ordinarily dispatch a D46P renewal form roughly 90 days before the driver’s 70th birthday. Alternatively, motorists aged 70 or over, or within 90 days of their 70th birthday, can complete the renewal process online.

The online application asks drivers to confirm they satisfy the minimum eyesight standards and aren’t barred from driving for any other reason. They can also refresh their licence photograph while renewing.

A separate procedure exists for Northern Ireland.

What older drivers must do

The crucial point is that turning 70 doesn’t trigger an automatic driving prohibition. However, motorists must ensure they:

• Renew their licence at 70 and every three years afterwards.
• Meet the legal eyesight standards.
• Tell the DVLA about medical conditions which could affect their ability to drive.
• Continue to meet those standards between renewals — drivers have an ongoing legal responsibility to be medically fit to drive.
• Wear glasses or contact lenses when required.
• Check that their licence remains valid rather than assuming it automatically continues.

The legal eyesight standard includes being capable of reading a number plate from 20 metres and possessing the necessary level of visual acuity and field of vision. Drivers who neglect to renew cannot simply presume they’re entitled to keep driving indefinitely.

There are situations in which someone may continue driving while a renewal application is being handled, though stringent conditions apply, including having held a valid licence and satisfying the other criteria outlined by the DVLA.

Why eyesight has become a big issue

The three-year renewal system faces renewed examination due to worries about ageing motorists and declining eyesight. The Government initiated a consultation in January 2026 on whether drivers aged 70 and above should face a compulsory eyesight test when renewing their licence.

Currently, older motorists essentially self-certify that they meet the eyesight benchmark. The consultation highlighted that eyesight deterioration is a natural consequence of ageing and conditions including glaucoma and macular degeneration become more widespread in later life.

The Government is yet to make eyesight tests compulsory for drivers. A Department for Transport evidence review, published in 2025, concluded there was relatively limited concrete UK evidence directly connecting visual impairment with the risk of collisions or casualties.

Nevertheless, it established that cataracts were clearly linked to considerably higher rates of motor vehicle collisions. The statistics in this area are striking.

A roadside vision screening exercise carried out in 2024, involving 3,010 drivers and riders, revealed that 1.7% failed the number-plate test. The failure rate was considerably greater amongst the oldest road users, with 10.2% of drivers aged 81 to 90 falling short. In total, 1.4% of those pulled over had their driving licence revoked, including 38 immediate revocations.

The same Government review references a study of police data conducted by the College of Optometrists, which found that uncorrected defective eyesight was recorded as a contributing factor in 77% of a substantial sample of collision reports involving people aged over 60. However, this figure warrants careful interpretation. It is drawn from a specific sample of police collision reports and does not indicate that 77% of all crashes involving older motorists are caused by poor vision.

Older drivers and road deaths

Official statistics reveal why the Government is scrutinising older motorists more closely, though they don’t confirm that poor eyesight was to blame for those deaths or injuries. In 2024, 115 older car drivers lost their lives and 1,109 sustained serious injuries in reported crashes. Overall, there were 4,669 casualties among older car drivers.

Older drivers represented roughly 24% of all car-driver fatalities in 2024, despite forming a considerably smaller share of all drivers. Crashes involving at least one older car driver led to 239 deaths and 3,061 serious injuries throughout the year.

The statistics also demonstrate that the danger isn’t solely about causing accidents. Older motorists face greater vulnerability to serious injury or death when crashes happen due to the impact of frailty.

The Department for Transport states that KSI – killed or seriously injured – casualty rates per billion miles are elevated for male and female drivers aged 76 and above compared to nearly every other age bracket, except for drivers aged 29 and younger.

There were approximately 6.3 million full driving licence holders aged 70 and over in Great Britain in 2025, representing a 60% increase from 3.9 million in 2012. Roughly 2 million over-70s renew their licences annually.

A woman who accidentally used her hosepipe during a ban was left “shocked” by the “stern” reaction of her neighbour, as 23 million people across the UK face hosepipe bans amid a drought

Advertisement

A woman who inadvertently used her hosepipe during a ban described feeling “shocked” by her “busybody” neighbour’s “stern” response. England and Wales have just had the fifth heatwave of the year, with drought conditions gripping large parts of both nations.

More than 23 million residents are subject to hosepipe bans and temperatures peaked at 38C on Thursday. Both Cambridge Water and Anglian Water, the two main providers of water to Cambridgeshire, enforced the rules last month.

Parched grassland, shrivelled plants and dwindling rivers paint a stark picture of just how arid the UK has become. While the temptation to reach for the hosepipe may be strong, it’s essential to check local restrictions first – a lesson one London resident learnt the hard way.

Sarah, from Uxbridge, was unaware of the ban in her area when she began watering with her hose, prompting her neighbour to appear over the fence requesting proof of an exemption.

She told The i Paper: “I was using my hose, but I genuinely hadn’t realised it had come into force in our area, as this was the first or second day. I’ve stopped using it since. I know it’s the right thing to do.”

“But I was also quite shocked that she asked me for proof, and then was really stern with me. We’ve not lived here long and I sensed she was a busybody – now I know for sure.”

Following Anglian Water’s hosepipe ban, their head of strategic asset planning Dr Geoff Darch explained the reasoning behind it.

He said: “Every day of sustained hot weather increases the challenge of balancing supply and demand, and we are now at the point where we need to ask customers to help by hanging up the hosepipe, letting lawns go brown, cars go dirty and using water even more wisely to help protect the environment and ensure water remains available for all customers.

“Implementing a Temporary Use Ban for our customers has been a very difficult decision to make and one which we have not taken lightly but protecting supplies to our customers and protecting our region’s precious environment in the face of such unusually hot conditions and high demand means doing everything we can to limit our non-essential water use as much as possible. We are grateful for everyone’s support.”

Under the terms of the ban, there will be a small number of exceptions to protect jobs, livelihoods and those who are most vulnerable. Customers can still water their gardens and grow their own fruit and vegetables if they use a watering can instead of a hose or sprinkler.

Brittan said she had previously been offered compensation for another data breach by the Met, after they disclosed sensitive information about her first police interview by mistake to two people in Australia.

Speaking about the latest breach, the 61-year-old told the BBC: “It’s very shocking because they were meant to have learned all lessons and it would never happen again.

“And although the first one was far more egregious because it was very sensitive data that was sent to Australia, I was promised that they had learned and the same thing couldn’t happen again.

She added that many of Al Fayed’s alleged victims would be distressed by the breach, saying: “For me, it’s more of the same, really, and deeply re abusive, to be honest. It’s unbelievable.”

Jen Mills and Lindsay Mason, co-chairs of the Justice for Fayed and Harrod Survivors group – which represents a number of survivors – have demanded more explanations from the Met.

“For decades, survivors of Fayed had to carry what happened to them in silence, and every woman who eventually spoke had to find the courage to do so.

“Handing that over to the police is the hardest thing many of them have ever done, and this week they learned that information identifying them had been exposed to people they had never chosen to share it with.

“It is appalling, and the Met needs to explain how it happened.”

The organisation has also asked the Met to address how survivors’ information and privacy is being better protected since the incident, it said in a statement.

Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, an advocate for survivors of alleged abuse by Al Fayed, told the BBC: “I have had so many contacts today from survivors who have told me that they feel violated by the police in a space where there is already a lack of confidence in the police investigation.

“They said they received an insipid apology five hours later and, I am sorry, it is just not good enough.”

Brittan first reported allegations to police in 2017.

According to correspondence previously supplied to the BBC, she alleged she was sexually abused by Ahmed Obaidly, a former United Arab Emirates diplomat and associate of Al Fayed, after working for a company linked to the UAE royal family in the early 1990s.

The Met has said the original report, made to Devon and Cornwall Police in 2017, was transferred to London because the alleged offending took place within its jurisdiction. It said the case was initially investigated as a rape allegation against Obaidly, who died in 2015.

The force has also said criminal allegations concerning Mohamed Al Fayed were made in 2024 and now form part of Operation Cornpoppy, which remains ongoing.

In correspondence previously provided to the BBC, the Met said: “The live investigation into those who could have facilitated or enabled Mohamed Al Fayed’s offending continues.”

The force added that victim-survivors remained its priority and said it was committed to providing updates to those involved in the investigation.

The latest incident comes shortly after the ICO took enforcement action against the Metropolitan Police over two unrelated data breaches.

In a decision published on 5 August, the watchdog issued the force with a reprimand and enforcement notice after concluding it had failed to put in place appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information.

The ICO said its investigation had uncovered “serious and ongoing shortcomings” in data protection training.

It also found wider weaknesses in policies, procedures and assurance arrangements for handling sensitive personal data.

One breach involved an officer disclosing a stalking victim’s new address and telephone number to her alleged stalker.

As part of its enforcement notice, the ICO ordered the Metropolitan Police to improve its data protection training compliance, monitoring and governance arrangements.