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‘Monster’ who beat baby to death stays behind bars as third parole bid fails

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Manchester Evening News

A convicted child killer has failed in his third bid for freedom. A report by the Parole Board reveals that Trevor Stoker, who was jailed for life in November 2006 for the murder of his niece still maintains his innocence.

A former soldier, Stoker was supposed to be babysitting Mollie Norman. Instead, he subjected the defenceless nine-month-old to a series of vicious and vile assaults.

His sole motivation for attacking Mollie at his home in Briarhill Avenue, Little Hulton, Salford, was his hatred of her father. The then 38-year-old ended her life and then lied about what happened.

His behaviour after her death then amplified the agony for her heartbroken parents. He lied about what had happened to her, then confessed, then changed his original plea of guilty to manslaughter to not guilty and not guilty to murder forcing her family to endure the stress and torment of a trial.

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Now a Parole Board panel has decided he should not be released after a third review of his case. They also decided he should not be transferred to an open prison.

Mollie’s mother, Rachel Webb told the MEN: “He should never come out, he’s a monster. He will never change. He’s evil.”

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The mother-of-two added: “Stoker is living in his own world still denying what he has done. He is a hard-faced horrible person.

“I have never been asked to make an impact statement for the Parole Board – I wish I had been asked. I want to make one if he tries again to get out.

“My daughter was nine months old when she was cruelly murdered by her uncle Trevor Stoker – 21 years has gone by and it’s still as raw today as the day she was brutally attacked and died four days later due to severe head trauma and broken eye sockets and broken brain stem.

“Trevor Stoker is an evil man who to this day is still denying doing it and has now gone up for a third time for parole. My fear is that he would do this again and I never want another family to go through what I have..

“It still traumatises me everyday and will still everyday of my life to come. I fear he would come for me and my other children and not think twice of hurting us.

“He should remain in jail for the rest of his life. He still has no remorse for what he did and what he took away from me that day. He broke my family that day and we are still grieving the loss of our beautiful baby girl who should now be living her life to the fullest.”

As required by law Mr Stoker’s case was referred to the Parole Board by the Secretary of State for Justice to determine whether he could be safely released on parole licence. If not, the panel had to consider whether transfer to open conditions could be recommended.

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The panel could only direct release if it was satisfied that it was no longer necessary for the protection of the public that Mr Stoker remained in prison.

In a summary report the Parole Board says: “In reaching its decision, the panel considered the contents of Mr Stoker’s dossier, prepared by the Secretary of State. This included up-to-date reports from Mr Stoker’s probation officer based in the community and other assessments and documentation from the establishment.

“The panel did not have the benefit of a victim personal statement but appreciated there was continuing engagement with the victim liaison scheme.”

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On 15 November 2006 Mr Stoker received a mandatory life sentence with a minimum tariff of 15 years, seven months and six days’ imprisonment, following his conviction for murder.

He was 38 years old at the time he was sentenced and was aged 57 when his case was reviewed for a third time by the Parole Board. Stoker first became eligible to be considered for release in June 2022.

The report says: “Having considered the index offence and the other evidence before it, the panel listed as risk factors those influences which made it more likely that Mr Stoker would reoffend.

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“At the time of his offending, these risk factors had included not being able to control extreme emotion, not thinking what will happen as a result of his actions, difficulties in relationships.

“Evidence was presented in the dossier regarding Mr Stoker’s progress and custodial conduct during this sentence. He maintains his innocence and has not undertaken any accredited programmes. Key report writers could not support his release.

“The panel examined the release plan provided by Mr Stoker’s probation officer and weighed its proposals against assessed risks. The panel concluded this plan was not robust enough to manage Mr Stoker in the community at this stage as necessary core risk reduction work remained outstanding and his risk had not been effectively reduced.

“After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and the evidence presented in the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public. Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that Mr Stoker should be transferred to open prison. He will be eligible for another parole review in due course.”

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Stoker’s trial left jury members at Manchester Crown Court in tears. But the death of nine-month-old Mollie would ultimately change the way police investigate child homicides.

The case was a landmark for UK policing. Detectives, forensic officers, and medical experts pushed the boundaries of investigation to prove that Stoker had killed Mollie. Their work showed Stoker’s explanation that he fell downstairs with Mollie accidentally was a lie.

The brutal truth was that Stoke had punched Mollie in the face and body through a pillow, and then lifted her by her ankles into the air and swung her down against a bed.

The brain injuries she suffered made medical history due to their severity on a baby so young.

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Stoker later told police when he was punching the child he was “trying to take the hate out on Mollie”. After the verdict, Mollie’s parents, Rachel Webb and Carl Norman, said: “We trusted him and he was evil.”

Mollie died in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool on June 16, 2005, four days after Stoker attacked her at his home in Briar. That day, he confessed to killing Mollie during a dramatic phone call to police.

But at first he claimed the fatal injuries Mollie suffered were due to a fall down stairs. He also pretended to use his life saving skills picked up in the armed forces to reassure Mollie’s family she would be okay.

Stoker was arrested at a service station on the M5 as he made his way to Bristol with the intention of jumping from a bridge. He later confessed to killing Mollie in a police interview and in a letter to a detective.

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But he then said the confessions were false as he wanted to take the blame as he was concerned Mollie’s family might attack his wife.

When confessing, Stoker said that during the evening before the attack he squeezed Mollie tightly, causing her distress. This was to get anger out of his system. He also spoke of his hatred towards Mollie’s father, Carl Norman, describing him as a ‘dead leg’.

Manchester Crown Court was told Stoker’s motive for attacking Mollie was to get at her father. He resented what he believed was his idle nature and thought it a “bit of a cheek” that he and his wife had been asked to babysit Mollie when his in-laws had babysat the previous weekend.

The officer in charge of the investigation was Detective Chief Inspector, Geoff Wessell, based in Salford, who went on to become an Assistant Chief Constable with Avon and Somerset Police force before retiring.

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Mr Wessell said: “”What Stoker did to Mollie will live in my memory for a long time. For years. And as a senior investigating officer, it’s one of the most significant cases I’ve dealt with. It was a great team effort to get the conviction with how Stoker messed around after his despicable act.

“But also, I can remember the impact on Carl and Rachel and the wider family, which will live with me for a long time.”

To his wife and two children, Stoker was a hard-working HGV driver and a caring father. A non-smoker and almost teetotal, he would get up at 5.30am to workout with weights or go for a run, a legacy of his military training.

But at Stoker’s trial it was revealed that 18 years earlier, when he was a 20-year-old Army private, he had assaulted a 10-month-old boy who was the child of his then girlfriend, Susan Rackley, in London.

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He was left alone with Aaron at Susan’s London flat after she went to work. During his murder trial Stoker told the court what he did on that occasion: “While I was changing his bottom he kept crawling away. I ended up losing my temper. I felt bad, guilty at what I had done.”

He admitted giving Aaron a couple of slaps and leaving him with a mark on his head where he had kept pulling him back along the carpet. Later that day he went out for a drink with friends, telling them Aaron had been “a little b*****” and he had “nearly killed him”.

Mr Wessell said: “You look back now and add the years on of where Mollie should be in terms of her life, now in early 20s – enjoying all the things that a 20 year old should do, that’s been taken away from her.

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“We’re guided by society in terms of whether he’s (Stoker) dangerous he’s obviously clearly got a temper, he’s clearly got some issues. Whether he’s a changed person I don’t know my thoughts always come back to Mollie and comes back to Carl and Rachel and what they’ve lost.”

When Stoker spoke to a police officer as he drove south, seemingly with the intention of leaping from a Bristol bridge, he referred to himself in the third person, saying “Trevor” was a kind and devoted father-of-two, but a “demon” inside his mind was responsible for his appalling crime.

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Perth shark attack: Beaches shut as deadly attack prompts rare kill order

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Police officers stand on Sorrento Beach while a police boat patrols offshore during search and recovery operations after a fatal shark attack

A rare catch-and-kill order has been issued for a great white shark off the coast of Western Australia, after a man was killed while on a morning swim at a popular beach on Friday. His body has still not been found.

Authorities have said that beaches along the state’s coast, including in the capital Perth, will remain closed until at least Sunday as the search for the shark continues.

It is the second shark attack in Western Australia (WA) this week, and the third fatal attack in the state this year.

The incident, at Sorrento Beach in Perth’s north, has reignited debate about how to keep beachgoers safe in Australia.

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The swimmer has been identified as 63-year-old Greg O’Neill, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has reported.

“Greg loved the ocean and was known as a passionate swimmer, sports lover, dedicated worker and an all-round generous, witty guy,” his family said in a statement to the broadcaster.

Witness Jacqui Rapaic told the ABC that two men were swimming, but only one made it back to shore, and that she could see “a pool of blood” in the water.

Another witness told WAtoday that she saw the man being “mauled” as the shark “tossed him around like a fish”.

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Members of the public reported seeing a 2.5m-long (8ft 2in) shark at around the same time.

Authorities in Perth’s Joondalup area, where Sorrento is located, said all beaches were closed “as a precautionary measure” and would remain so until at least midday on Sunday.

Pictures on Saturday showed the coastline being patrolled by a police boat and helicopter.

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Joanne Sheen’s close friend says ‘nothing can prepare you’ as missing mum found seven years after disappearance

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Manchester Evening News

The mum-of-three was last seen in Southampton in December 2019

A close friend of a mother-of-three whose remains were found nearly seven years after she disappeared said “nothing could prepare” her for the tragic news.

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Rachel Roussel, from Southampton, said the discovery of the remains of Joanne Sheen – affectionately known as “Little Jo” – was “absolutely devastating”.

The Metropolitan Police were called on the evening of August 12 after bones, thought to belong to a woman aged between 25 and 45, were found at shrubland known as The Pits near Padstow Walk in Feltham after the area was affected by a blaze. Detectives had launched a murder probe, but Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary have taken over the investigation after the remains were identified as those of Ms Sheen.

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A 56-year-old man from Southampton was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder on Thursday (17 September).

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Of the police update, Ms Roussel told the Press Association (PA): “It’s something that everybody’s heavily anticipated, and you kind of get yourself ready and prepare yourself for it. But nothing could prepare you for that, nothing at all.”

The 47-year-old said the years of uncertainty had been particularly difficult for Ms Sheen’s three daughters, two of whom she said have since become mothers themselves.

“Her daughters are mums themselves now, so they’ve had their babies, and their mum wasn’t there for that,” she said. “To have to go through something like this and to have to be going through it for so long, seven years, is just unfathomable.”

Ms Roussel, who met Ms Sheen in 2003, has launched a fundraiser on GoFundMe to help give her friend “a send-off that she so rightly deserves”.

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“Now we can focus on helping the girls, bringing her home, and set about laying her to rest finally, which is what they’ve wanted to do,” she said. The two became close while raising their children in Townhill Park in the Hampshire city, with Ms Roussel describing her friend as a “devoted mum” with a “wicked sense of humour”.

“She was just lovely, she’d do anything for you, if you needed to nip to the shop, she’d stay and watch the children,” she told PA. “If you needed to borrow some money, and all she had was £5 in her pocket until the next income support payment dropped, she’d lend it to you.

“She was just lovely, and a devoted mum, a completely devoted mum, every ounce of her energy went into those girls, it was amazing.”

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Ms Roussel continued: “Jo was just so much fun to be around, she had a personality that was a bit crazy, but you loved her for it. She had a wicked sense of humour, a fantastic laugh that I’ll never forget, she could make you belly laugh until your belly hurt.”

Ms Roussel recalled them celebrating birthdays, Halloween and New Year’s Eve together. Explaining why she set up the fundraiser, Ms Roussel said she had found herself asking: “What can I do?”

“She was my friend and I loved her very much and I wanted to do something to help the girls,” she said. Ms Roussel said she wanted Ms Sheen to be remembered above all as a mother and friend.

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Ms Roussel added: “She was just an amazing human being who’d light up a room, I know that’s a very cliche thing to say about people but she really was. She was a big, big personality, an amazing friend, and she will be very sadly missed, very greatly missed by lots of people.”

The 44-year-old had not been seen since travelling from Fareham towards her home city of Southampton on December 5, 2019.

A Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesperson said more than 4,000 lines of inquiry have been raised, more than 300 statements taken, and detailed searches carried out at more than 10 addresses and on numerous vessels.

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Detective Chief Inspector Toby Elcock said the identification of Ms Sheen’s remains is a “significant development” in a “long and complex investigation”. Crimestoppers has reinstated a £20,000 reward for information.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed that the remains were found by a member of the public after the nearby land was affected by a recent wildfire. The site is close to Bedfont Lakes Country Park.

Shrubbery appeared to have been burned at a woodland area close to where the police crime scene was in place last month and a large patch of the ground was charred.

An incident log on The London Fire Brigade’s website showed that four fire engines and about 25 firefighters had tackled a grass fire in the area on August 5. About two hectares of shrubland were damaged in the blaze.

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Earl Spencer’s Diana book opens old wounds royals would rather forget

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Princess Diana, wearing a light blue dress and hat, sits in between a young Prince William on the left (holding his hand to his mouth) and Harry to the right. Diana is looking into the distance to the left.

At issue is Earl Spencer’s account of a conversation with the then Prince Charles after the death of Diana, with the prince accused of telling Earl Spencer: “We’ll forget her soon enough.”

He is accused of sounding “giddily elated” and like a “lottery winner” after the news of her death.

Buckingham Palace hit back with a response, which although dressed in courtier-like politeness, was essentially saying the conversation had never happened like that.

The King was said to be “mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways that others do not recognise”.

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Anyone who has lost someone knows how feelings can run high, people can hear different things about the same conversations – and families can fall out, or come together, in the wake of a death.

Psychotherapist Nick Hatter says he doesn’t have a view on which version of events is correct, but he says that during traumatic events memories can be “distorted”. A phone call doesn’t have any of the visual clues or body language to give a fuller picture, he adds.

Hatter says there can be very different and unpredictable responses to grief, including a condition known as “bereavement mania” where someone can seem inappropriately hyper or even euphoric after the loss of a loved one.

The first opinion poll on who to believe has been published by YouGov – and it suggests a very split view, with 31% believing Earl Spencer’s allegations, 36% suspecting it’s not true and 33% saying they don’t know.

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Low thinks the book is unlikely to change many opinions, as “people have settled into their camps about how they regard Charles, how they look back on the Diana years”.

There could also be a feeling that it’s “tawdry” to rake up these claims so many years later, he says.

That’s echoed by historian and author Sir Anthony Seldon who says Earl Spencer showed great courage at the time of Diana’s funeral, but says his memoir is a “sad and unnecessary publication”.

Royal commentator Richard Palmer says the book threatens to take the royals back to the difficult days of 1997.

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“This book and the run-up to next year’s 30th anniversary of Diana’s death threaten to undermine the Royal Household’s three decades of work to rehabilitate Charles and Camilla’s image,” he says.

Veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby, who led the BBC’s coverage of Diana’s funeral, said it seemed “odd” Earl Spencer would release the book now.

“Why 30 years later for god sake you should do it, well again you have to ask him,” he said, adding he wished the appetite for the “cycle of gossip” would decline and instead focus would shift to what kind of monarchy the country needs.

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Cardiff City v Charlton Athletic LIVE: TV channel, kick-off time and team news

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Cardiff City return to Championship action this lunchtime as they welcome boyhood Bluebirds fan Nathan Jones and his Charlton Athletic side to Cardiff City Stadium.

The Bluebirds are still searching for their first league win of the season, having drawn four and lost three of their opening seven games under Brian Barry-Murphy. Charlton, meanwhile, are also looking to end a four-game winless run after making a strong start to the campaign.

Kick-off is at 12.30pm, with the game being shown live on Sky Sports+.

We’ll have all the build-up, team news, action and reaction from Cardiff City Stadium right here.

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Scroll down for live updates…

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Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he has ‘no confidence in the UK’ and country is ‘on the slide’

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Manchester Evening News

‘The risk you’ve got this winter is that we run out of gas’

The co-owner of Manchester United FC, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has said he has ‘no confidence in the UK’ and that the country is ‘on the slide’

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One of Britain’s wealthiest businessmen, Sir Jim said Britain was in decline because of high taxes and immigration.

The founder of chemicals giant Ineos, who moved to Monaco from the UK in 2020, told the BBC’s Big Boss Interview: “I think the UK, unfortunately, it was a fantastic place. We had the greatest empire in the world. We were a great people. We won two world wars. We’re good, honest folk.

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“But unfortunately, at the moment, I think the UK is on the slide. It’s quite difficult to see how we arrest it. Two things: we need politicians who are tough enough to deal with some very difficult problems, and we know what the problems are.

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“And we need politicians who will make decisions which are good for the country, not good for themselves and their party. And we haven’t had one of those for a long time.” Asked what issues politicians should focus on, Sir Jim said immigration was ‘clearly one’, as well as high taxes.

Earlier this year, Sir Jim told Sky News the UK had been ‘colonised by immigrants’ before he said he was sorry if those remarks had ‘offended some people’.

The billionaire also said failing to invest further in North Sea resources by handing licences for the Jackdaw and Rosebank oil and gas fields amounted to “insanity”, and warned the UK’s reliance on energy imports meant the country could “run out of gas” if there was a cold spell this winter.

He said: “The risk you’ve got this winter is that we run out of gas. If we have a really sharp cold spell, then there is conceivably the possibility that we’ll run out of gas and have to switch the industry off.”

It comes after Andy Burnham insisted he was “determined” to reach net zero by 2050. The Prime Minister faces pressure from both sides over looming decisions on whether to approve the controversial Jackdaw and Rosebank fields.

Climate campaigners have urged him to block the proposed new developments in the North Sea while the oil and gas industry and opposition politicians have argued they would create thousands of jobs and cut bills. Permission for one or both would throw his commitment to net zero into question.

Sir Jim also said the UK had “a bit of a green eye towards wealth at the moment”, “encouraging” the wealthiest to relocate.

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He told the podcast: “In America they applaud people who create wealth. And the good thing about those people who create wealth is that they then spend that wealth in the economy in which they’re resident. Unfortunately, the UK has got a bit of a green eye towards wealth at the moment.

“And, unfortunately, with the things that they’ve been doing, they’ve been encouraging the people who have created wealth to leave the UK because it’s just become uncomfortable for them for tax reasons or whatever. Also, crime on the streets has gone up as well, which doesn’t help.”

Asked if he was planning on returning to the UK, the businessman said: “Not at the moment, no. I don’t see growth being tackled. “I would like to see the benefits bill cut in half and all the savings spent on robotics and AI.”

Asked whether AI would have an impact on the job market and leave many jobless, Sir Jim said: “No, no. I mean, you think about the two biggest industries that are going to change our lives, at the moment, is AI and robotics. “I mean, it’s going to have fundamental changes to the way in which we live, the way in which we work, and the UK is nowhere at the moment in those two technologies.”

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Ed Sheeran protegees Katseye UNFOLLOW star… days after Macklemore was dropped from his tour over Free Palestine remarks

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Katseye have unfollowed Ed Sheeran on Instagram days after Macklemore announced that he¿d been dropped from the British singer¿s tour - Katseye members Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Yoonchae and Megan Skiendiel pictured September 11

Katseye have unfollowed Ed Sheeran on Instagram days after Macklemore announced that he’d been dropped from the British singer’s tour.

Eagle-eyed fans noticed that members Megan Skiendiel, Manon Bannerman, Yoonchae, Daniela Avanzini, Sophia LaForteza and Lara Raj were no longer in Sheeran’s followers list this week – amid a firestorm enveloping the British singer, with all his opening acts dropping out of his tour in the wake of the drama.

Raj then began following Macklemore on Instagram, while both she and Skiendiel liked the post the rapper shared revealing he was removed from the remaining Loop tour dates he was scheduled to perform at.

Now fans are speculating the girl group could boycott Sheeran, 35, on a larger scale.

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Sheeran co-wrote Katseye’s single, Animal, which was released in July. 

The Shape of You hitmaker reached out to the group to collaborate after their 2025 single Gnarly.

Katseye have unfollowed Ed Sheeran on Instagram days after Macklemore announced that he’d been dropped from the British singer’s tour – Katseye members Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Yoonchae and Megan Skiendiel pictured September 11

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Sheeran co-wrote Katseye¿s single, Animal, which was released in July - pictured December 2025

Sheeran co-wrote Katseye’s single, Animal, which was released in July – pictured December 2025

It comes after Macklemore announced that he¿d been dropped from the British singer¿s tour after making a 'Free Palestine' speech - pictured July 2025

It comes after Macklemore announced that he’d been dropped from the British singer’s tour after making a ‘Free Palestine’ speech – pictured July 2025

But many social media followers are calling on Katseye to cut ties with Sheeran completely.

One X user posted: ‘Also now that Ed Sheeran has been proven that he stands against palestine. A reminder for eyekons that he wrote a song called ‘Animal’ for KATSEYE.

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‘Stop streaming it because he also gains from it since he is credited as the songwriter. #Edsheerandisband’

A third chimed in: ‘Streets saying Katseye is removing Animal from the Wild World Tour set list! Ed Sheeran, you’re toast!’

While another fan sarcastically quipped: ‘Palestinians are finally free bc they unfollowed Ed Sheeran. thank you Katseye, they’re so brave.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Katseye and Ed Sheeran for further comment but has yet to hear back.

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Lara began following Macklemore on Instagram while both she and Megan liked the post the rapper shared revealing he was removed from the remaining Loop tour dates he was scheduled to perform at

Lara began following Macklemore on Instagram while both she and Megan liked the post the rapper shared revealing he was removed from the remaining Loop tour dates he was scheduled to perform at

Many social media followers are calling on Katseye to cut ties with Sheeran completely

Many social media followers are calling on Katseye to cut ties with Sheeran completely

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Macklemore has made it clear that he won’t be curtailing his pro-Palestinian activism after being dropped as Sheeran’s opener after making a ‘free Palestine’ statement.

Macklemore, real name Benjamin Haggerty, called out New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whom he has accused of conspiring with other stadium owners to get him blackballed from Sheeran’s tour, and challenged the billionaire to match his $1million donation.

The tactic appears to have been successful, as shortly after Macklemore announced his donation on Instagram, the billionaire shared a statement on X announcing that he planned to match a $2 million donation from Sheeran.

The latest development comes after Sheeran suffered massive blowback in the wake of Macklemore’s ouster as fans unfollowed him on social media in waves and every one of his remaining opening acts withdrew from his tour.

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In his post, Macklemore announced that he would be donating to six organizations serving Palestinians: Anera, Gaza Soup Kitchen, HEAL Palestine, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA USA).

‘With everything that has happened over the last 48 hours, I want to bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people who are still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom,’ Macklemore began his statement on Instagram.

‘I will be donating the entire $1 million of my net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organizations working directly to support the Palestinian people,’ he continued. ‘And I invite Robert Kraft to match my donation.

‘Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting,’ Macklemore stated. ‘A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth.’

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After Macklemore announced on Wednesday that he would be donating $ 1million ¿ which he earned from Ed Sheeran's tour ¿ to Palestinian aid groups, Ms Rachel is doing the same; Sheeran and Macklemore seen above in 2013 in Brooklyn

After Macklemore announced on Wednesday that he would be donating $ 1million – which he earned from Ed Sheeran’s tour – to Palestinian aid groups, Ms Rachel is doing the same; Sheeran and Macklemore seen above in 2013 in Brooklyn

Macklemore announced his donation in a statement to Instagram
He said he would be donating his 'net earnings from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour to six organizations working directly to support the Palestinian people'

Macklemore announced his donation in a statement to Instagram. He said he would be donating his ‘net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organizations working directly to support the Palestinian people’

Macklemore then tried to move the focus away from his professional setbacks to the people he hoped to help.

‘That is what this has always been about. Not me. Not a tour. Not the headlines or the controversy,’ he continued. It is about Palestinians’ right to freedom, dignity and safety in their homeland.’

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He added that Palestinians living amid the destruction wrought by Israeli forces faced far greater setbacks and dangers than himself.

‘I want to center the parents carrying their children into hospitals without the basic resources to treat them, and the physicians, paramedics, journalists and aid workers who keep going back in,’ Macklemore said. ‘I want to center the organizers and activists who have paid real costs for standing with Palestine. Their risk is of a far different order than mine.’

‘Just yesterday, 15-year-old Muhammad al Zinati was killed in an Israeli strike while rushing to help aid worker Sherif Lubbad, who had already been injured,’ the performer wrote. ‘He was a child. Both were murdered. Both should be alive.’

Macklemore added that countless more Palestinians’ names might never be remembered, as their families may have been wiped out.

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The Same Love rapper admitted that ‘Writing a check is one of the least costly forms of solidarity available to me.

‘I am doing it because I can, and because these organizations are doing the work while much of the world debates it.’

But he went on to caution that ‘aid alone’ could not solve the crisis affecting Palestinians.

‘This is a manmade injustice, and I believe it requires immediate political change. Palestinians have lived for decades without basic rights and should not have to wait another day to be free,’ Macklemore wrote. ‘That is where my focus will remain. I will continue to stand with the Palestinian people and their fight for liberation.’

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He then warned his fans: ‘When the news cycle moves on, which it will, don’t move with it.’

Macklemore concluded his post by simply stating: ‘Free Palestine.’

Macklemore has accused Robert Kraft of conspiring with other stadium owners to get him blackballed from Sheeran's tour, and challenged the billionaire to match his donation

Macklemore has accused Robert Kraft of conspiring with other stadium owners to get him blackballed from Sheeran’s tour, and challenged the billionaire to match his donation

Macklemore and Kraft announced their donations just a day after Sheeran’s opening acts on his tour all dropped out in protest over Macklemore being removed from the live dates.

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The rapper was due to open for Sheeran at eight of the remaining ten shows on his tour in America, which continues on Friday in Philadelphia, but on Tuesday it was announced that he had been dropped.

The American rapper had faced a boycott petition to remove him after he delivered a politically motivated speech in support of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank during his performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 and 5.

Sheeran has now lost his remaining support acts – Billie Eilish’s brother and music partner Finneas, his close friend Myles Smith, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Beoga – who have all put out separate statements announcing that they will not continue with their dates on the Loop Tour.

Responding with an Instagram statement after the news he had been dropped, Macklemore claimed that Sheeran told him billionaire Robert Kraft, whose company owns the Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts where Sheeran is set to play later this month, orchestrated the move after ‘rallying stadium owners and issuing an ultimatum.’

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Later that day, Sheeran, 35, addressed the 43-year-old rapper being removed from the tour with his own statement, which said that Macklemore’s speech had upset the owners of venues they were set to play while reminding fans he will never personally take a publicly political stance.

Finneas wrote: ‘Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed. I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.’

And Irish singer Aaron Rowe took a strong stance as he wrote: ‘Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life. I could never thank him enough for this.

‘But as Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation.’

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The Hey Ma hitmaker continued by saying he ‘cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up.’

The third support act who pulled out was the group Lukas Graham who wrote: ‘We should be able to speak about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to grow up. Wherever they live. Whatever flag flies over them.’

It remains uncertain how the Loop Tour will proceed with zero openers scheduled and 18 dates still set through the end of the year.

Ed Sheeran's opening acts on his tour have all dropped out after Macklemore was kicked off the live dates following a 'free Palestine' speech; Sheeran is seen in December 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts

Ed Sheeran’s opening acts on his tour have all dropped out after Macklemore was kicked off the live dates following a ‘free Palestine’ speech; Sheeran is seen in December 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts

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Sheeran broke his silence on Macklemore on Tuesday. The singer, who is a father of two, said that his audience is often young people ‘from different backgrounds,’ who do not expect his shows to be a political forum.

Sheeran assured his followers that Macklemore’s removal would not affect his tour, as he told them ‘I would never let down the fans who had made plans’.

In his reaction, which came two days after Macklemore’s own statement, he said: ‘I am appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

‘The suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy. There are too many wars across the world causing immeasurable pain, none of which should be tolerated.

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‘Macklemore asked to join my tour last year and I agreed, because I respect him as an artist. As with all my support acts, I agree that they play a setlist of their choosing.

‘After Macklemore’s performances at my New Jersey shows, venues on my upcoming tour dates communicated that they would pull the shows if he was still supporting.’

Kraft has defended his decision to block Macklemore from performing, saying the rapper ‘crossed a line.’

‘Gillette Stadium has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech,’ Kraft said in a statement.

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‘Based on Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation in the September 25 and 26 concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line.’

The promoter for the American side of Sheeran’s Loop Tour, Messina Touring Group, said in a statement that they were told by venues of future dates on the tour that ‘they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup.’

‘Which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans,” a spokesperson continued to Rolling Stone. ‘After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.’

As seen in fan-taken footage from his September 5 performance in New Jersey, Macklemore wore a keffiyeh at one point during his set and also performed his 2024 song Hind’s Hall with footage of Gaza on the massive screen behind him.

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In the lyrics for Hind’s Hall, the rapper criticises actions in Gaza. Proceeds from the song go toward humanitarian efforts from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

‘One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up here on stages in stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine. I said, Free Palestine!’ he told the attendees.

‘I want those words to be loud and clear so that people from Gaza, all the way to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten them.’

He then introduced Hind’s Hall, stating that it ‘was inspired by the bravery of Columbia University students who led an encampment movement that mobilized the entire world. Opened up hearts, myself included.’

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‘So thank you to those students that risked their diplomas, that risked their tuition, that risked their scholarships, that stood up and said, “No.” CUAD students, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace. Thank you guys.’

He addressed the Jewish community, stating: ‘To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you.’

‘My message is for peace. Love. For all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality. So I say free Palestine. I say free Lebanon. I say free Cuba. I say free Congo, free Sudan, free all people in America living in fear over this terrorist organization ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free.’

Macklemore went on to post a video of his speech on social media with the caption: ‘Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial.’

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In 2014, Macklemore issued an apology after wearing a disguise on stage in Seattle that many condemned as an anti-Semitic Jewish caricature.

In his apology after the Jewish caricature controversy, he said: ‘There is no worse feeling than being misunderstood, especially when people are hurt or offended… I respect all cultures and all people.

‘I would never intentionally put down anybody for the fabric that makes them who they are. I love human beings, love originality, and… happen to love a weird outfit from time to time.’

Macklemore added that he never thought he looked Jewish. ‘Some people there thought I looked like Ringo, some Abe Lincoln. If anything, I thought I looked like Humpty Hump with a bowl cut,’ he said.

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Macklemore’s statement in full  

I’m not sure how to start this. So I’m going to speak from the heart and share the truth. 

Ed Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from The Loop tour.

But before I get into it, I want to say something that should be obvious.  In this moment I think it matters. I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world. Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families.

The victims are the Palestinian people. The men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence. 

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More than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza alone. People are being killed today, and people will be killed tomorrow. I want to make sure that as I tell this story, we don’t lose sight of that.

Ed is my friend. I’ve known him for 13 years. We’ve shared late nights, studio sessions and stages. He has this infectious magic about him that I’ve grown to love. I consider him a brother. And because of that, we’ve had some difficult conversations this past week. 

The type of talks rooted in love and respect for one another that still end in a place of fundamental disagreement. Nothing I’m writing here is out of spite or because I want to tear down his character. But as I told Ed multiple times on the phone, our friendship can’t change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened.

Last Monday, in the middle of all the media attention surrounding Pink and what I said at MetLife, Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him. 

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We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group. Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. 

Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.

Ed was in a f**ked up position. He knew it. His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before. He told me that the words “Free Palestine” and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with. 

I told him that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood. But he couldn’t get past his public facing, “I don’t take sides.”

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And I get why people don’t. Taking a side can cost you. Money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships and access. I’ve lost all of those things. But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed. 

When one side has the bombs and bottomless financial and military support from America, refusing to take a side doesn’t leave you in the middle.

What I said at MetLife I have been saying on stages around the world for almost three years. So why is it an issue now? 

Because now I’m sharing a stage with one of the biggest artists in the world, in some of the biggest stadiums in America. 

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At a certain level of exposure, “Free Palestine” becomes too much of a risk. If I kept doing the shows, saying Free Palestine, with Ed implicitly supporting it, the crowd getting loud and showing undeniable support for Palestinian liberation, what artist might speak out next? The stage becomes resistance. Maybe that’s why this time it became so important to silence me.

And one of the most effective ways to enforce that silence has been to weaponize the accusation of antisemitism. Antisemitism is real. And that is exactly why the word matters too much to be used as a shield against criticism of the Israeli state. 

When criticizing Israel, opposing Zionism or saying “Free Palestine” gets conflated with hatred of Jewish people, it doesn’t protect Jewish people. It protects Israel from accountability.

I hope this isn’t the end of my relationship with Ed. Thirteen years of friendship doesn’t disappear because of one painful disagreement. I hope we both continue listening, studying what is happening in Palestine and wrestling with what neutrality means in a moment like this. My door will always be open to continuing that conversation.

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When my brother Omar was doing the subtitles for the video I posted from MetLife, I thanked him. He told me there’s a phrase in Arabic: لا شكر على واجب

“La shukra ala wajeb.” There is no thanks for a duty.

That stayed with me. Because that’s what this has become for me and millions of others around the world. A duty. Not something deserving of praise or gratitude. Not brave. Human.

Who is winning the internet, who is getting canceled, who gets to play the stadium and who doesn’t, all of it becomes so small when held against what we are actually witnessing in Gaza and the West Bank. 

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An entire people being displaced, starved and killed while the world debates which words we are allowed to use to describe it, how those words make us feel, and whether our discomfort matters more than the people living through a genocide.

I didn’t need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2. Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say. 

Free Palestine.

But if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on.

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Parents could face prison for child’s crimes under justice reforms, minister says

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Parents could lose their benefits or face prison sentences for their children’s crimes under reforms to the youth justice system, a minister has said.

Youth Justice Minister Jake Richards told the Times newspaper the system “should hold parents to account in a proportionate way for ensuring that they play their role in keeping communities safe”.

His comments come after the government set out plans in May to strengthen and expand Parenting Orders, which can currently compel parents or guardians to address their child’s behaviour by attending counselling sessions or face fines.

Richards said prison sentences would only apply “in the most extreme cases” and would be up to judges’ discretion.

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He described the proposed changes in England and Wales as part of a “carrot-and-stick” approach.

“Parenting orders are going to make sure that parents are more involved in the process by which we try to turn around young offenders,” Richards told the Times.

“Yes, that will have some stick. It could be custodial, or docking benefits – ultimately it will be up to a judge. But we want them to be more involved and that comes with responsibilities as well.”

Critics of the proposals say engaging with parents on a voluntary basis is generally more effective in building trusting relationships and providing support.

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Jess Mullen, chief executive of the Alliance for Youth Justice which represents more than 70 organisations that advocate for children, previously questioned how putting parents in prison would provide “stability or support for the child”.

When the government white paper was announced in May, then Justice Secretary David Lammy said that strengthening parenting orders would mean “there are real consequences for parents and carers who wilfully fail to support efforts to address their children’s behaviour.”

He told BBC Breakfast at the time that if a parent was struggling, then the “judge can intervene to make sure that the young person is getting the support that they need and the parent is doing the best that they can”.

He also said he expected the power to jail parents to be used “very, very rarely”.

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Courts are currently required to consider issuing a Parenting Order where a child under 16 has been convicted of an offence.

They can also consider an order for 16 and 17-year-olds if they believe this would help prevent further offences.

The term of the order must not exceed 12 months and breach of a parenting order is a criminal offence with a maximum £1,000 fine, according to the Sentencing Council.

However, government statistics show the use of parenting orders has declined in recent years, from more than 1,000 orders in 2009/10 to just 33 in 2022/23.

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The government’s youth justice reform plans come after Phase One of the Southport Inquiry report found “catastrophic” failures by the parents of the Southport killer Axel Rudakubana and various agencies meant clear chances to prevent the 2024 child murders were missed.

In the interview with the Times, Richards also rejected calls from lawyers to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10, saying it would undermine “public faith” in the justice system and it was “not a priority at all”.

In June, the Bar Council, the representative body for barristers in England and Wales, said the threshold should rise to 14 due to criminalisation at such an early age not being an “effective, proportionate or just response”.

The United Nations has previously pointed out the UK has some of the lowest ages of criminal responsibility in the world and that it should rise it to the UN recommendation of at least 14.

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Additional reporting by André Rhoden-Paul

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Polish cleaner missing in Edinburgh for over two months may have gone to work in Glasgow

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Michal Oraczewski was last seen on July 6 and was reported missing earlier this month after failing to get in touch with loved ones.

A Polish man who has been missing for more than two months has sparked an urgent police appeal. Michal Oraczewski disappeared from Wester Hailes near Edinburgh on July 6 and was reported missing on September 3.

The 33-year-old, who has undertaken contract cleaning work in the past, was last seen in the Hailesland Grove area, during which time he suggested he was going to work in Glasgow.

While it is not out of a character for Michal to not be in regular contact with people he knows, officers are growing concerned for his welfare.

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Michal’s first language is Polish and he speaks fluent English. He is described as white, around 6ft tall, and of slim build. When last seen he was wearing dark blue jeans and a navy blue T-shirt.

A police search is now underway to find Michal and anyone who may have worked with him during the summer is asked to come forward with any information on his whereabouts.

Officers ask that anyone who has seen, or spoken to Michal, to get in touch.

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Inspector Paul Begley said: “Over the past two weeks we have conducted extensive enquiries in the Wester Hailes and surrounding areas in efforts to trace Michal.

“I’m asking anyone who knows Michal, who may have seen him since July, or has any information on where he may be, to please get in touch.

“I’d also like to directly appeal to Michal; if you see or hear about this appeal, please contact officers and let us know you are okay.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting reference 1087 of 3 September 2026.

Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.

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Targeted patrols in Chorley lead to six arrests in 24 hours

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Targeted patrols in Chorley lead to six arrests in 24 hours

Chorley Police said officers carried out a series of targeted patrols across Chorley, Coppull and Adlington in response to concerns raised by residents through Lancashire Talking surveys.

The operation saw officers tackle speeding hotspots, with a number of motorists stopped and warned. One driver was issued with a speeding ticket, while police also handed out a Section 59 warning, which can be used against drivers causing alarm, distress or annoyance through the use of a vehicle.

Officers also seized an illegal e-bike and removed an abandoned car which had been parked at a bus stop.

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The force also targeted areas linked to drug use and suspected dealing.

Police said officers carried out 17 stop searches during the operation.

The searches resulted in one arrest and the recovery of a quantity of controlled drugs. A number of people were also warned about the illicit use of controlled substances.

In total, six arrests were made by the task force over the 24-hour period.

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A spokesperson for Chorley Police said officers would continue targeting those responsible for nuisance and crime in local communities.

They added that much of the team’s work is guided by information and intelligence provided by members of the public and encouraged residents to continue reporting concerns.

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King Charles urged to strip council chief’s OBE after honours removed

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King Charles urged to strip council chief's OBE after honours removed

There have been calls to remove Anne Donaghy’s OBE after she was convicted of deleting an email under the Freedom of Information Act.

Donaghy received the honour in The Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours List for services to local government and the community during the coronavirus pandemic.

She was formerly the chief executive of Mid and East Antrim Council in Northern Ireland.

READ MORE: King Charles applauded as Dragons’ Den star among 15 to lose MBE

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However, the honour is now being questioned after the 56-year-old was convicted of two charges at Ballymena Magistrates’ Court last month.

These were deleting an email and having procured the deletion of an email to prevent the disclosure of information through the FoI Act.

Anne Donaghy, former chief executive of Mid and East Antrim Council (Image: Mark Marlow/PA Wire)

Donaghy was fined £750 for each of the two charges she was convicted of. Her legal team has said she will “vehemently contest” the findings.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows said he has written to the Cabinet Office “calling for the forfeiture of her OBE” that she received in 2020 for services to local government.

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Mr Burrows said: “Let’s be clear.

“That honour was given for services to local government, and now Anne is convicted in relation to her duties as a chief executive in local government I believe that OBE should be stripped, and I have written to the Cabinet Office to that effect.”

In a statement a spokesperson for Mid and East Antrim Council said it is “committed to the highest standards of governance, transparency and information management”.

Cllr Liam Walker (Image: Supplied)

“We acknowledge the verdict and will carefully consider the outcome and any implications arising from it,” they added.

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This comes after King Charles has removed 10 honours so far this year.

This includes one knighthood, from Jeffrey Donaldson who was the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party between 2021 and 2024 and has appeared at the Oxford Union, participating in a well-publicised debate in 2004.

However, in June he was convicted of historical child sex abuse offences at Newry Crown Court after which he had his honour removed.

Jeffrey Donaldson (Image: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)

His solicitor John McBurney confirmed that papers have been lodged for an appeal.

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Reacting to this, the leader of the Oxfordshire Conservatives Mr Walker said: “Honours are awarded to recognise outstanding service and achievement, and anyone convicted of serious criminal offences has forfeited the privilege of holding them.

READ MORE: King Charles thanked as internet star among 15 to lose MBE

“Stripping those honours helps protect the integrity and value of the honours system.”

Reasons for removing honours includes professional censure, a criminal conviction and bringing the honours system into disrepute.

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Rugby star Stuart Hogg had his MBE removed in March 2026 after being convicted of domestic abuse and former training provider boss and renowned entrepreneur Angela Middleton was stripped of her MBE following an investigation into her companies.

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