Another police officer was also struck with a rock, while a third was spat at

Arrests have been made over disorder linked to anti-immigration protests that saw a police officer “seriously bitten” in Thetford. Increased policing powers will remain in place in Thetford on Friday evening (August 7) after three nights of disorder.

On Wednesday, August 5, “significant” police resources were deployed to the town after a large group of people gathered in Clover Way. At about 9.30pm, officers responded to reports that people in the group were trying to gain access to the property.

As police intervened, members of the group became “physically aggressive” towards officers, according to Norfolk Police. Two were taken to hospital after a male officer was struck with a rock and a female officer was “seriously bitten”. A third officer was also spat at.

A large crowd had gathered outside the police station beforehand for an anti-immigration protest. In the second night of disorder in the town following incidents on Tuesday night (August 4), properties were damaged by having windows smashed and fences broken. People also tried to break into a home.

Specialist officers were joined by colleagues from Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Constabularies as they responded to a number of incidents kl.

Officers attended an address on Chester Way at around 4.45pm on August 6, 2026 following reports of a group of people throwing eggs and stones towards the address. The group continued to damage the property, breaking the door. Residents of the address were subsequently escorted out by officers in order to ensure their safety.

Officers were also called to an address on Anne Boleyn Close after a group were seen to be throwing rocks towards a property, smashing its windows.

Six arrests have been made in relation to the three nights of disorder. These are as follows:

• Brian Thompson, aged 68, who has been charged with possession of an offensive weapon.
• A man in his 30s arrested for public order and a man in his 50s arrested for being drunk and disorderly, who have both been released and issued with conditional cautions.
• A man in his 30s arrested for public order and harassment, who has been released on bail.
• A man aged in his 40s arrested for inciting racial hatred, drug possession and public order who remains in custody.
• A woman aged in her 30s, arrested on suspicion of assault of an emergency worker, assault and a public order offence who remains in custody.

In total, 12 dispersal orders were issued under Section 35 powers directing individuals to leave the area to prevent further disorder and protect public safety.

Assistant Chief Constable Julie Dean, who is overseeing the police response to the disorder, said: “We fully support the rights of people to protest peacefully and understand the concerns felt by many within the community. However, over recent nights we have continued to see behaviour that goes far beyond legitimate protest, and we have therefore responded robustly to keep people safe and maintain public order.

“Assaults on police officers carrying out their duties are completely unacceptable. Our officers are working tirelessly to protect the communities they serve, often the same communities they call home, and they deserve to be treated with respect.

“Those who choose to engage in violence, intimidation or criminality should be under no illusion that they will be identified, arrested and brought before the courts. At the heart of this situation are real people and real lives, and I would urge everyone involved to consider the impact their actions are having on the wider community.”

Increased policing powers will remain in place in Thetford this evening following the three nights of disorder. These powers include:

• A Section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 which means you could be asked to remove a face covering from 4pm on Friday, August 7 to 6am on Saturday, August 8, 2026.
• A Section 34 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 which means officers can direct anyone committing, or who may commit anti-social behaviour to leave the area from 4pm on Friday, August 7 to 6am on Saturday, August 8 2026.

Anyone who refuses to remove a face covering when required to do so may be arrested. The powers will come into effect in the area designated in the map.

Offences varied from no seat being used at all, to the wrong seat for the child’s age or size, or no seatbelt at all.

Police in Northern Ireland issued just over 300 fixed penalty notices to parents and drivers for child car seat and seatbelt offences between 2023 and 2025. That’s equivalent to £18,590 in fines over the three years.

That’s according to data obtained by Confused.com through Freedom of Information requests sent to UK police constabularies including the PSNI.

Behind each of these penalties is a child who wasn’t restrained correctly in the car because parents hadn’t followed UK child car seat laws. These offences varied from no seat being used at all, to the wrong seat for the child’s age or size, or no seatbelt at all.

The offences cover a range of scenarios. In the UK, children must use an appropriate child car seat until they reach 135cm (4 feet 5 inches) in height or their 12th birthday, whichever comes first.

After this point, they can legally move onto an adult seat belt, but drivers are legally responsible for ensuring any passenger under 14 years old is properly restrained.

When it comes to choosing the safest seat, rear-facing seats should never be used in a front passenger seat with an active airbag. Any restraint used must suit a child’s current height and weight, not simply their age.

In Northern Ireland, driving with a child under 14 who is not using the correct child car seat or restraint carries a fixed penalty fine of £60 and 3 penalty points on your driving licence. If the case goes to court, the maximum fine can increase up to £500.

To help parents make the right choice for their child, Confused.com has launched a car seat safety checker. Parents simply enter their child’s age and weight, and the tool instantly recommends the appropriate car seat or restraint for their child’s stage, helping families keep their child safe, stay within the law, and avoid the cost of getting it wrong.Matt Crole-Rees, motoring expert at Confused.com car insurance, says getting your child’s car seat right isn’t just about avoiding a fine: “It‘s one of the most important things a parent can do to keep them safe on every journey.

“Yet, despite most parents feeling confident in their knowledge, our research shows a significant number are still unsure exactly when their child should move onto the next stage, or which seat is right for their age and size. That uncertainty can have real consequences, both on the road and afterwards.

“It’s also worth remembering that getting this wrong won’t necessarily invalidate your car insurance outright. But following the law matters, for your child’s safety first and foremost.

“Our car seat safety checker takes the guesswork out of the equation. By simply entering your child’s age and weight, parents can get clear, instant guidance on the right seat for their child, helping families make safer choices and avoid falling foul of the law.”

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

Luckily I’m out with my photography-loving best friend, who helps adjust the settings on the camera and gets snapping while I’m otherwise engaged on the dancefloor.

The mere sight of us pulling out the camera and squinting through its tiny viewfinder draws attention – “I’ve not seen one of these in years”, a man remarks.

He’s right – digital cameras had their heyday in the late 1990s and early 2000s, just before smartphones took off.

There are currently 42 million active film camera users globally, more than a third of these aged 18–30 and largely influenced by social media trends, according to a market research report, external last year.

So why, when we’re surrounded by more advanced tech here in 2026, are they seemingly making a resurgence?

For Lily Redman, a 26-year-old content creator from South Wales, digital cameras “capture a quality that my phone just can’t replicate”.

She’s been taking one on nights out and to concerts and feels the flash on her phone “is grainy and too high definition” compared to the “more smooth” finished product on a digital camera.

“I think people are looking for a bit of grit or something that feels a bit more real,” she says.

That may also explain why low exposure photos taken on iPhones and Androids – where people dodge ready-made filters to artificially crank down the exposure setting and produce a darker image – are also popular on socials right now.

With digital cameras offering an element of surprise when you plug in the memory card reader to your computer at home, digital cameras capture a moment in time.

“If I look back at photos my mum took when I was two, they look so old but when I look at photos I took five years ago, they look like they were taken yesterday,” says Redman.

“Phone photos have warped our perception of time.”

On Saturday there will be a day of free entertainment and live music in the Market Square followed by the annual Pride march.

On Sunday (August 9) the fun moves to Hopetown Darlington with the annual Pride Picnic where there will be free crafts, face painting, live music, bubbles and stilt walkers.

• Check out our ultimate Darlington Pride weekend here.

Here’s what the weather will look like:

Saturday, August 8

Temperatures will start off cool before reaching 23C by midday in time for the Pride March.

From 12pm temperatures will rise steadily throughout the day, reaching highs of 25C by 2pm.

The temperature will stay there until 5pm where it will slowly drop throughout the evening, reaching lows of 16C by 11pm.

Saturday is expected to stay dry throughout, with the risk of rain under 5 per cent.

Sunday, August 8

Sunday could see some showers as the risk of rain remains at 30% until midday.

The risk will drop to 20% by 1pm and 10% by 2pm.

Temperatures will start off cool before reaching 21C by midday in time for the Hopetown Picnic.

From 12pm temperatures will rise steadily throughout the day, reaching 23C by 2pm.

The temperature will stay there until 4pm where it will slowly drop throughout the evening, reaching lows of 17C by 11pm.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham is reportedly prepared to “explore every option” to block the early release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers

Andy Burnham is reportedly weighing up whether to block PC Andrew Harper’s killers from being released early from prison, having previously suggested he was powerless to keep them locked up.

Pc Harper was 28 years old when he sustained fatal injuries while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in August 2019. He died after getting caught in a strap attached to the back of a car and dragged down a country road as three teenage suspects fled the scene of the burglary.

Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were passengers in the car and both 17 years old at the time, were handed 13 years in custody for manslaughter after a trial at the Old Bailey in 2020.

Soft-justice plans to free Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole halfway through 13-year jail terms were paused last month. But following a review, there will be no change to manslaughter cases, which means the two thugs could be out in months.

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The driver of the vehicle that caused Pc Harper’s death, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and will not be eligible for the scheme.

The Prime Minister is prepared to “explore every option” to keep Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers behind bars, a Government insider told the Telegraph on Friday.

The Government has so far resisted mounting pressure to exclude the two killers from its early release scheme, which is set to begin in October in a bid to ease prison overcrowding.

Mr Burnham said earlier this week he had “pushed to the very limits of what is possible to do without risking the prison system reaching capacity and collapsing” by excluding sentences for “rape, serious child sex offences and other grooming offences” from eligibility.

Around 5,000 prisoners are expected to be freed early under the sentencing changes, reduced from 6,000 following the exemptions announced as part of an urgent review of the scheme.

However, under current plans, Cole and Bowers remain eligible to be released halfway through their 13-year sentences, having been convicted of manslaughter in 2020 following PC Harper’s death in 2019.

Downing Street has been approached for comment regarding Mr Burnham’s reported deliberations over blocking their release.

Thames Valley Police has issued a statement on PC Andrew Harper’s killers being eligible for early release. Chief Constable Jason Hogg said: “I am beyond disappointed the Government is continuing to allow PC Andrew Harper’s killers to be released early from prison despite the overwhelming recent public outcry.

“It is simple: if Andrew’s killers were convicted today, they would receive life sentences due to the law that was created in his name. They would not be eligible for early release.

“This decision is demoralising for all police officers and our fellow emergency service workers, not just in the Thames Valley, that puts themselves in harm’s way to protect and serve their community.

“We stand with Andrew’s family, the Police Federation, our Police and Crime Commissioner in our dismay and we will continue to lobby the Government to make the right decision.”

PC Harper’s family have voiced fury and dismay at the decision not to exclude Cole and Bowers from the plans as well.

The early release modifications formed part of the Sentencing Act passed earlier this year that reduced the minimum period many offenders would be required to serve behind bars.

Those released will be subject to stricter probation conditions, including electronic monitoring, random drug testing and potential bans from driving, pubs and events such as football matches.

A convicted sex offender was free to kill two women and rape another despite warnings he was a danger to women.

And incredibly, Simon Levy, 40, committed the second murder while on bail suspected of carrying out the first. 

Kemi Badenoch has led a blistering criticism of the Crown Prosecution Service and Metropolitan Police after the sexual predator was released from custody time and again to continue his depraved attacks.

Levy, 40, is facing a possible whole-life sentence after he was convicted of murdering two sex workers and raping and almost suffocating a third woman, with police fearing scores more may have been targeted.

The police watchdog said two officers are under investigation for misconduct over potential failures, following an Old Bailey trial which exposed repeated missed opportunities to stop Levy.

Officers now believe Levy may have claimed many more victims during the many occasions he was released on bail, potentially carrying out daily attacks as he stalked unsuspecting women across the capital from 2018.

Writing in the Daily Mail, Conservative leader Mrs Badenoch said ‘a broken system allowed him back on to the streets to continue offending’, and that soft attitudes to justice mean serious criminals feel they ‘can get away with’ offending.

Levy, who is blind in one eye, has now been convicted of carrying out two murders, two rapes, a near-fatal suffocation and 13 sexual assaults.

Pictured: Sheryl Wilkins who Levy killed in Tottenham in August 2025, after being granted bail for murder

Pictured: Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo who Levy murdered in south London in March last year

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This escalated from groping women on the London Underground to targeting sex workers he would go on to murder.

He killed one woman, Sheryl Wilkins in Tottenham in August 2025, after remarkably being granted bail for murder.

He had initially been held on suspicion of killing Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo in south London in March last year, but was let go.

This was because the Crown Prosecution Service failed to oppose bail at Levy’s first magistrates’ court hearing, and then did not provide the judge with damning information about his previous convictions at his next appearance before a judge.

There were another three crown court hearings that Levy failed to attend for various reasons, yet no warrant for his arrest was requested, leaving him free to strike again.

By this time, Levy had already been arrested by British Transport Police, in November 2024, for a string of sexual assaults on the Tube network, for which he was later convicted.

But delays with sorting out an identification parade meant he was released, and carried out his first rape, in January 2025, and the murder of Ms Valencia-Trujillo. Levy was first jailed for three years in 2021 for carrying out sex attacks on two women at Notting Hill Carnival and a Camden street party in 2018.

Mrs Badenoch said: ‘The details of his Levy’s crimes are horrifying enough but what is almost as shocking is the number of opportunities the authorities had to stop him. His case is symptomatic of the litany of failures at all levels that bedevil our criminal justice system.’

The rape survivor – who cannot be identified for legal reasons – even pointed officers towards the exact location of Levy’s home, but she was never formally interviewed as she was withdrawing from drugs.

Mobile phone footage recorded by a victim of Levy on the London Underground 

Bodycam footage showing the Met Police arresting Levy 

Kemi Badenoch has led a blistering criticism of the Crown Prosecution Service and Metropolitan Police after the sexual predator was released from custody time and again to continue his depraved attacks

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The Metropolitan Police later closed the investigation, despite the fact the prime suspect could be identified.

The victims’ families wept in court as the jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts after deliberating for nearly 13 hours, following a seven-week trial.

Levy refused to give evidence in his defence, and showed little emotion other than to stare, wearing sunglasses, at the jury foreman as the verdicts were returned.

He is due to be sentenced on Wednesday. Judge Mark Lucraft KC said Levy would receive a life sentence, the only decision would be the length.

Tory justice spokesman Nick Timothy said: ‘It is an outrage that this monster was allowed to roam the streets on bail despite his long record of sexual offences against women. Victims were repeatedly failed by the system, and the Crown Prosecution Service and others have serious questions to answer.

‘Prison works because it incapacitates criminals, and this case shows why we must ensure dangerous offenders are kept behind bars.’

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said Levy ‘should never have been given bail, adding: ‘He will clearly keep murdering and raping women at every opportunity. This man must never see the light of day again.’

Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman, said: ‘The Metropolitan Police allowed a serial sexual predator to rampage through the streets of London with zero consequence. Simon Levy spent years sexually assaulting women. ‘He was repeatedly granted bail. His risk was downgraded. And he went on to rape and murder. This was entirely predictable.

‘The officers who enabled Levy and allowed London’s streets to become a free-for-all for this predator must face real consequences. Simply shuffling them to another desk is an insult to his victims.’

Tory justice spokesman Nick Timothy said: ‘It is an outrage that this monster was allowed to roam the streets on bail despite his long record of sexual offences against women’

Crime and policing minister Sarah Jones said it was ‘deeply concerning’ that Levy ‘was able to inflict such devastating harm after being freed by police and the courts’. She said: ‘It raises serious questions that require urgent answers.’ 

The Independent Office for Police Conduct confirmed it had served a gross misconduct notice on a police constable and a misconduct notice on a detective sergeant.

A spokesman said: ‘We are examining whether action could or should have been taken to prevent [Levy’s] re-offending, and if all officers involved in his management followed policies, procedures and training.’

But it said disciplinary proceedings were not inevitable.

The police and CPS have admitted making mistakes, but there are calls for a public inquiry into the scandal as campaigners claimed the case makes a mockery of state promises to tackle violence against women and girls in the wake of Sarah Everard’s murder by Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens in 2021.

And police believe there are many other women who have not yet come forward.

After he was jailed in 2021, Levy continued to target women, groping a prison officer in 2022.

When he was released early at the halfway point of his sentence in February 2023, he told probation staff that sex workers were frequently offering him services, yet he claimed to never leave his home.

In reality, Levy was still on licence in October 2023 when he started venturing on the Tube for prey, roaming stations across London at peak times when he knew carriages would be packed with passengers, leaving victims unable to escape his clutches.

He regularly tied a jumper around his waist to hide his wandering hand as he grabbed the women around him.

Court artist sketch of Levy. After he was jailed in 2021, Levy continued to target women, groping a prison officer in 2022

In May 2024, he was recalled to prison following a rape allegation while the case was being investigated.

He was released in August the same year, after which he continued his campaign of attacks on the Tube. His youngest victim was 18, and his oldest 32. 

Levy, who has learning difficulties, was supposed to be supervised by both probation and Visor (Violent and Sex Offender Register) staff.

But his chilling fascination with rape and murder went unnoticed as he secretly amassed a huge collection of newspaper stories about notorious offenders he lionised, including black cab rapist John Worboys and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The jobless 40-year-old, who lived with his mother in Tottenham, north London, also looked up misogynist influencer Andrew Tate online.

Additional reporting by Ryan Hooper and Sam Merriman

President Donald Trump’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Dan Caine, is seeking an “off-ramp “ from the ongoing war in Iran, according to a new report.

Caine has privately told other top administration officials that the country needs to find a way to exit the war, according to CNN, which cited three sources familiar with the matter.

Despite Trump claiming throughout the war that a peace deal, which would include his demand that Iran never obtain a nuclear weapon, was within reach, fighting has continued for more than five months.

“Caine is looking for an off ramp,” one of CNN’s sources said.

The general’s meetings with Trump officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are just to make clear the limitations and pitfalls of different military options, according to the sources.

Joseph Holstead, a spokesperson for Caine, told CNN, “We do not discuss the Chairman’s confidential conversations with the President, the Secretary, or other senior leaders, nor do we comment on anonymous, agenda-driven characterizations of those conversations by sources who were not privy to them”.

A White House official praised Caine’s know-how, calling him an “incredible asset to President Trump’s national security team.”

“The General always provides accurate, unbiased information and a host of options to the Commander-in-Chief, who ultimately makes decisions based on what he feels is best for US national security”, the official said.

The Independent has reached out to the White House, the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Department of State for comment.

Trump’s war has primarily been an air campaign, relying on fighters to launch strikes against Iran instead of deploying ground troops. Caine and other Trump officials privately think it’s unlikely that an air campaign alone can put enough pressure on the Iranians to agree to a deal that’s favorable to the president, according to multiple people familiar with recent discussions who spoke with CNN.

Meanwhile, Trump has denied recent reports that the US military’s weapons stockpile is dwindling.

“The U.S. has massive amounts of ‘munitions,’ especially of certain types. Additionally, large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the U.S. as needed. Defense companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history.

“The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down. Long term jail sentences will be sought!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday.

Trump’s threats came after Reuters reported Tuesday, citing two unnamed sources, that the Army has used “virtually all” of its long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems and Precision Strike Missiles.

A recent report has also found that the Pentagon is running low on missile interceptors.

The US military had 2,330 Patriot systems and 452 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems before the war, according to the report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. As of July 27, an estimated 759 to 827 Patriot systems and 234 to 278 THAAD systems remain, the report said.

During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said US military operations in Iran have cost an estimated $37.5 billion. He also asked Congress for an additional $67 billion to, in part, replenish weapons stockpiles, blaming the Biden administration for not properly funding the Pentagon.

The price of gas has also surged during the war, sitting above $4 a gallon Friday, according to motor club AAA. The price of a gallon of gas was just below $3 at the start of the war, according to the Associated Press.

Just 28 percent of Americans said they approved of Trump’s handling of Iran in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

In a statement on its website, a Bristol Airport spokesperson said: “Due to a defect on the runway, we have temporarily suspended operations as a precaution, in order to inspect and repair the section affected.

“We apologise for any inconvenience. Safety is always our number one priority. Customers should refer to their airlines with any flight queries.

“All flights are currently suspended until at least 06:00 tomorrow morning (Saturday 8 August).”

Pictures circulating online appear to show actors Jack P. Shepherd, Lucy Fallon, Tina O’Brien, and Julia Goulding visiting the popular restaurant in the town centre.

The stars, who are best known for their roles as David Platt, Bethany Platt, Sarah Platt, and Shona Platt on the long-running ITV soap, were seen posing for photos with staff during their visit.

The social media posts quickly caught the attention of residents and Corrie fans, with many expressing their excitement at seeing some of Weatherfield’s most recognisable characters in Bolton.

The stars have recently been in the area, spending Monday filming at Le Mans Crescent and Bolton Crown Court, with the town centre transformed into Weatherfield’s courtroom.

The scenes are expected to form part of Sarah’s forthcoming trial, one of Coronation Street’s biggest storylines of the year.