A long-serving BBC presenter has lost his unfair dismissal claim after being sacked for branding a fellow host “sociopathic” in a dispute over comments on Hamas.
Sean McGinty, who worked for BBC Radio Lancashire for over two decades, was dismissed following posts on X in which he criticised the BBC’s coverage of the conflict in the Middle East on social media.
Mr McGinty, who suffers from ADHD and severe anxiety, argued his actions were a result of his conditions and brought a discrimination case against the broadcaster.
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However, the tribunal found his claims were “not well-founded”.
The presenter, who was 63 at the time of his dismissal, had been a broadcast journalist, presenter, and producer at BBC Radio Lancashire since September 2006, with a total of 22 years as a reporter.
It was noted that he had not informed one of his managers about his ADHD diagnosis.
Sean McGinty sent an email to BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Nihal Arthanayake, pictured, labelling him ‘sociopathic’ (PA Archive)
Following the October 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel, Mr McGinty was critical of the BBC and the way it reported on the attack.
The BBC Policy for personal social media use at the time read that staff were not “prohibited from using social media platforms in a personal capacity”.
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“The BBC’s reputation for impartiality and objectivity is however crucial,” it said.
“Staff should take reasonable steps to ensure their activity on social media does not undermine the BBC’s nor their own, professional impartiality or reputation and/or bring the organisation into disrepute.”
Mr McGinty posted numerous times on X regarding subjects including Hamas and expressing anti-trans views.
Mr McGinty later emailed Mr Arthanavake – who recently quit 5Live – and his production team under the subject heading ‘Nihal’s contextualising Murders Book Club’.
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The email read: “I felt I ought to step offline and take some time (a week is just enough) to consider how to express my thoughts on your tweet below…”
“It is remarkable that you have the hubris to instruct me to read a book so I can find out why these animals are such murderous bastards…these are actions of evil monsters…It’s sociopathic of you to suggest anyone should read a book to seek context…I don’t look for context for disgusting excuses for human beings.
“That being said, I am looking forward to your recommending books that give some context and understanding of Lucy Letby, Harold Shipman and the Yorkshire ripper. I hear Stalin had a terrible childhood. You should do your own book club.”
He was later moved to a BBC sounds role but was not happy and believed the “reorganisation was destroying the BBC”.
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Mr McGinty continued to post on X about the conflict in the Middle East and transgender issues, saying that Jewish people were being “forced to leave Israel”.
An investigation began and he took the posts down, saying that he was “under a great deal of stress and anxiety because again BBC bosses are having a pop at me when it is the talent that is the problem”.
He went on long-term sick leave in November 2023.
He was due to return to work in January 2024 but did not turn up, despite being called by colleagues.
In February 2024 he put up more posts criticising the BBC, saying it should “hang your head in shame”.
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In April 2024 he contacted his boss and told him about his ADHD diagnosis, which led to an occupational health report which found him unfit for work.
He was later taken to a disciplinary hearing for his social media posts and was sacked for gross misconduct in July 2024.
During the proceedings he posted on X saying: “I am about to get sacked by the BBC for gross misconduct for stating biological and journalistic truths.”
He later appealed the decision, saying that his behaviour changed because of his mental health condition, but it was unsuccessful.
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It was found that his actions constituted a “failure to adhere to the expected standards regarding impartiality and respect in your public discourse, and your failure to seek the necessary approval before writing publicly about the BBC in your blogs”.
Mr McGinty brought claims of disability discrimination, failure to make reasonable adjustments and unfair dismissal to the employment tribunal in Liverpool.
His claims were all unsuccessful and dismissed.
Employment Judge Dawn Shottey said: “The Tribunal found there was no causal connection between his disability and the gross misconduct Mr McGinty was accused of.
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“[Mr McGinty] says he has a right to hold his views and there is no disputing that he indeed had this right.
“The problem for [Mr McGinty] was communicating his views to the wider public in breach of fundamental constraints imposed on him given the fact he was employed as a journalist and subjected to policies, which if breached, could result in disciplinary proceedings and dismissal.
“The Tribunal found on the balance of probabilities [the BBC] otherwise acted in a procedurally fair manner and the dismissal fell well within the range of reasonable responses.
“The Tribunal found that contemporaneous documents support this analysis, including [Mr McGinty’s] deliberate attempt to circumvent managerial control by failing to inform higher management and the press office of his proposed communications before they were made public because he knew that “they would say no”.
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“Objectively assessed, such behaviour cannot fall under the definition of impulsivity, and for [Mr McGinty] to limit his posts so that they can be read by his followers alone (and not viewed by [the BBC]) suggested calculated conduct and not impulsive behaviour.”
“A lot of people were disappointed with me coming to Yorkshire, but if you can change the mind of one person you’ve done a great job.
“Yorkshire have been doing a great job, so why not be part of that? There might be people from the same background as me, a South Asian background, who were probably hesitant to come and be themselves and play, and I don’t want anyone to ever think that.”
Performing for the team and helping to encourage inclusivity went hand in hand, he said.
“My main job is to perform and do well for the county, and hopefully win a trophy within the next two years but if you make any sort of difference…
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“It’s such a vast area and there are a lot of South Asian players. Hopefully there can be a lot more players coming through the county system who don’t feel there are issues that could hold them back.
“I just want people to come and express themselves, play their game and enjoy the game with everybody else. There are ups and downs in cricket and in life but sometimes you’ve just got to deal with it.
“All the counties and ECB are trying to find ways and doing a good job. My dad always said to me that if you score a lot of runs, teams have to pick you, and that’s the main thing for a professional cricketer, to perform.
“You just want to make it easier for everyone, give them the idea that no matter what background you are from, no matter what you look like, no matter what you do, there is no sort of barrier in the way. That’s what it is about and that’s how it should be.”
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Ali spoke about his desire to “build bridges” when he first signed for the club, but said his priority was to perform for his new county and help them to their first T20 Blast title.
He has already started to make good on that, with a 35-ball 50 against Derbyshire, and excellent economy rates as a bowler in his opening three matches.
“If I can come to Yorkshire and help us win the Blast within the next couple of years that will be amazing,” he said.”That will be one of my best achievements as a cricketer. I’m at the back end of my career and just want to win trophies.”
Residents in South Tees are being encouraged to sign the South Tees Carers Pledge as part of the awareness campaign, which takes place from June 8 to 14 and aims to highlight the vital work of unpaid carers and encourage support from individuals, businesses, and organisations.
The campaign is led by We Care You Care and supported by Middlesbrough Council, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, Carers Together, The Junction Foundation, and Teesside Mind.
Stacey Skilton, head of service at WithYou in Redcar and Cleveland and a workplace carers’ champion (Image: Supplied)
Stacey Skilton, head of service at WithYou in Redcar and Cleveland and a workplace carers’ champion, said: “Recognising and supporting carers is essential for every employer.
“Creating a workplace where carers feel valued strengthens relationships, improves staff retention, and builds a more resilient and compassionate workforce.”
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This is the second year of the pledge campaign, which seeks to raise awareness of unpaid carers across South Tees.
An estimated 30,000 people in the area provide unpaid care to family members or friends.
Pat Matten, a carer from Saltburn (Image: Supplied)
Pat Matten, an unpaid carer from Saltburn, said: “Too often, carers are overlooked.
“There have been times when I’ve felt ignored as a carer and excluded from conversations about care, despite being the person providing most of the support at home.”
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Unpaid carers support loved ones for reasons including illness, disability, mental health conditions, or substance dependency. Many balance this role alongside work, education, and family life.
Melanie Kendall, project lead for We Care You Care, said: “Many people don’t recognise themselves as carers because they see what they do as simply being a husband, wife, parent, child, or friend.
“But caring is a role that can have a significant impact on a person’s health, wellbeing, and daily life.
“Too often, carers miss out on support because they don’t identify themselves as carers or don’t know where to turn for help.
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“This Carers Week, we want every unpaid carer across South Tees to feel seen, valued, and aware of the support available to them.”
Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face, and recognise their contribution to families and communities.
Information stands will be available at Parkway Shopping Centre in Coulby Newham and James Cook Hospital on Monday, June 8, and at Redcar Market on Friday, June 12.
A cordon is in place at the scene of the suspected assault
12:10, 05 Jun 2026Updated 12:16, 05 Jun 2026
Two 13-year-old boys have been arrested after both suffered stab wounds. Suffolk Police were called to Hundred Acre Way in Red Lodge, near Newmarket, at around 7.20pm on Thursday (June 4).
Officers received reports that two teenage boys had been involved in a fight and a knife was seen. Both boys were reported to have left the area.
A short time later, officers were told one boy had been taken to hospital to treat stab wounds to his hand. The boy was later arrested on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm.
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The second boy was found in Beck Row and arrested later that evening for the same offence. The boy was also taken to hospital to treat stab wounds to his hand and leg.
A police spokesperson said: “Both boys have since been transported to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning. Police believe that the parties involved are known to each other and are not seeking anybody else in connection with the assault at this time.
“A scene is currently in place as an investigation into the full circumstances of the incident continues. Officers will be providing reassurance through high-visibility foot patrols in the area and encourage residents to approach officers if they have any concerns or information.”
Anyone with information should call police on 101 and quote incident 37/32055/26.
Arsenal’s Declan Rice, Gabriel and David Raya have been nominated for the Professional Footballers’ Association men’s player of the year award alongside Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City duo Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki.
English football’s independent regulator faces a “defining test” as Saudi Arabian government official Turki Al-Sheikh attempts to invest in Derby County, says Amnesty International.
Al-Sheikh, who has previously owned football clubs in Spain and Egypt and is now among the most powerful figures in world boxing, is looking to buy a stake in the Championship side.
As chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority – and someone who is a prominent figure in the close circle of the country’s de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman – 44-year-old Al-Sheikh has been criticised by human rights groups for his role in alleged ‘sportswashing’ by Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has been accused of using sport and culture to improve its reputation and to distract from the nation’s poor human rights record, treatment of women, use of the death penalty and its anti-LGBT stance.
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Al-Sheikh will need approval from the independent football regulator (IFR) – a body that was formed only last year to safeguard the future and integrity of the game.
Both bodies, as well as Derby County, have declined to comment on Al-Sheikh’s interest in the Championship side when contacted by the BBC, as have Al-Sheikh’s representatives.
“This is a defining test for English football’s new independent regulator,” said Felix Jakens, head of campaigns at human rights group Amnesty International UK.
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“Will it allow a senior representative of a government directly implicated in mass human rights violations to take control of one of the country’s oldest football clubs? The regulator must ask these questions and answer them transparently.”
With Premier League side Newcastle United already owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Amnesty International said any stake bought by Al-Sheikh “would mark a significant expansion of Saudi Arabia’s footprint in English football”.
Emergency services were called to the incident, which happened at Bag Lane, Atherton, at roughly 11.25pm on Thursday, June 4.
Two fire engines and an enhanced rescue unit attended the scene, with crews staying there for two hours.
It resulted in two people being treated by ambulances and later being taken to the hospital.
(Image: Alan Cunliffe)
A witness, from Atherton, said: “I got off the 132 bus, as I had been out with friends in Tyldesley.
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“The curiosity got the better of me as I walked around the corner and emergency response units, then as I looked down Bag Lane, I saw the car parked in the house.
“All I could see was the fire engines, and I could smell gas. It’s not a well-lit area.”
Emergency services cordoned off Bag Lane, and traffic going through the road had to re-divert around Atherton.
Pictures show that Greater Manchester Police also seem to have attended the scene. They have been approached for comment.
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(Image: Alan Cunliffe)
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “At around 11.25 pm on Thursday 4 June, two fire engines from Atherton and Hindley and an enhanced rescue unit from Leigh attended an incident on Bag Lane, Atherton.
“A vehicle had collided with a property, and firefighters used specialist equipment to make the area safe.
“Two casualties were treated by partners from Northwest Ambulance Service and taken to the hospital.
His solicitor David Jones addressed Madam Justice McBride and said that whilst this was a case affected by the current withdrawal of services, the arraignment could go ahead.
Mr Jones added: “The accused is aware of the consequences of the action he is about to take and the arraignment can proceed, My Lady.”
From Ardglen Place in Belfast, Hughes was asked to stand by a court clerk who then charged him with the murder of Ms Montgomery.
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When asked how he pleaded to the charge, Hughes replied “guilty.”
Hughes was then charged with ‘intent to destroy the life of a child capable of being born alive by a wilful act, caused a child to die before it had an existence independent of its mother’ on the same date.
To his second charge, Hughes again replied “guilty.”
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Following this, Hughes was addressed by Madam Justice McBride who told him: “In light of the pleas there is only one sentence of imprisonment that I can impose and that is one of life imprisonment.
“Before I can set a Tariff, you may wish to have some further evidence and reports.”
The proposals for two cops in the city comes in the wake of repeated calls for a return to bobbies on the beat to tackle anti-social behaviour and a surge in shoplifting.
Plans are afoot for Police Scotland to have two dedicated officers patrolling Perth city centre Monday to Friday.
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The news comes in the wake of repeated calls for a return to bobbies on the beat to tackle anti-social behaviour and a surge in shoplifting.
At a Perth and Kinross Council committee meeting this week, Chief Inspector Jamie Allen said having a visible police presence was something he feels is “very important”.
According to the latest Police Scotland annual report, shoplifting in Perth and Kinross has more than doubled since 2022/23 and rose by 47 per cent last year alone. Between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026 there were 1193 shoplifting incidents compared to 814 the previous year.
On top of shoplifting, a recent Freedom of Information request by the Scottish Conservatives, found there were 49 incidents of retail workers in Perth city centre being assaulted and 27 incidents of retail staff being threatened or abused in 2024/25.
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Calling for action, Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser met with the local police chief and said: “Crime in Perth city centre is now out of control.”
Last month, Perth and Kinross Council leader and Perth City Centre ward councillor Eric Drysdale met with police officers to discuss anti-social behaviour in Perth City Centre, following concerns which included drunken misbehaviour, vandalism and graffiti.
At a meeting of the Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee on Wednesday, June 3 Independent councillor – and former SNP leader – Grant Laing called for a police presence in Perth city centre.
Addressing senior police officers at Wednesday’s meeting, Cllr Grant Laing said: “I know you’re constricted with workforce and funding. I understand that.
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“We need boots on the ground and, I think, working together, we could do it.”
He added: “We, as a local authority, spend a lot of money on community wardens, who have no power. I speak to them. They can’t enforce a by-law, they can’t take drink off somebody. They can ask them to move on, they can’t do anything about it. They can’t go into a shop and reassure.
“Could we possibly bring something through to address perceived and real issues that they feel are going on in the city centre?”
Chief Inspector Jamie Allen confirmed he would support a funded post and revealed plans were being put in place to have two dedicated police officers patrol Perth City Centre Monday to Friday.
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Ch Insp Allen said: “In relation to the visibility side of things in Perth city centre, we’re very conscious of what the feelings are.
“And, for me, visibility is very important. It goes back to that fear of crime and deterrent factor for people as well.
“We are in the process of having a couple of officers dedicated, Monday to Friday, to be in Perth city centre, to be that link in with the shops. But the most important thing for me is to be that visibility to be seen walking around and engaging with people. That’s just the start of something we are trying to do.
“For me, even two officers dedicated to something like that could have quite a big impact on the city centre.
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“It’s the community policing aspect of it, they’ll know the people going around and will be able to engage with them. Vulnerable people will begin to recognise them and go to them if they see them every day there. So that is something we are doing.”
Manchester City duo Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw and Yui Hasegawa have been shortlisted for the Professional Footballers’ Association’s Women’s Player of the Year award.
Shaw, who was named the Football Writers’ Association Women’s Footballer of the Year in May, scored a league-high 21 goals in 22 matches as Manchester City won the WSL title for the second time.
Japan’s Hasegawa was another key figure for City, who also won the FA Cup.
Arsenal’s Alessio Russo, who finished second to Shaw in the Golden Boot competition for leading scorer, is joined on the shortlist by fellow England internationals Lauren James (Chelsea) and Jess Park (Manchester United).
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Aston Villa forward Kirsty Hanson is the sixth and final nominee, having scored 12 goals in 22 matches for the Villans.
The winner will be announced on 25 August at the PFA Awards ceremony in Manchester.
The controversial moments featured Jeremy Clarkson issuing an apology to audiences following Diddly Squat Farm’s veterinary surgeon Dilwyn Evans performing a post-mortem examination on a sheep discovered in a field.
Following Jeremy’s retrieval of the dead animal to Diddly Squat Farm in his Range Rover, which subsequently stank from the smell, he observed the vet conducting a post-mortem to determine the cause of the sheep’s death.
While examining the sheep’s carcass, the vet inadvertently cut open the animal’s intestines, which then began to emerge.
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Jeremy then spoke directly to Clarkson’s Farm audiences: “We did say we would show farming warts and all on this show, but this is really stretching it.”
He continued by questioning the vet: “Dilwyn, what are you learning from this?” Dilwyn responded: “Yeah, this is well dead.”
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Jeremy and the remaining production staff could be heard chuckling in the background.
Jeremy then faced the camera and stated: “I’d like to apologise on behalf of the entire Clarkson’s Farm team for this scene. I promise we will try to lift the mood.”
Jeremy did succeed in brightening the atmosphere with his chaotic Christmas grotto, which featured goats devouring the Christmas tree and uncooperative Easy Care sheep outmanoeuvring him and Kaleb Cooper.
Nevertheless, viewers had one significant query regarding a missing personality: Richard Ham, who had a substantial presence in series four. Scores of fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to enquire about the pig, who was named after Jeremy’s fellow Grand Tour and Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond.
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One viewer wrote: “Just finished the first 4 episodes of @ClarksonsFarm1. I can’t be the only one wondering what fate has befallen Richard Ham? No mention of him at all!”
A second commented: “Loving season 5 of #ClarksonsFarm but @JeremyClarkson ……what happened to Richard Ham?”
A third added: “Loved the first four episodes of #clarksonfarm @JeremyClarkson last episode with the piggies did Richard Ham even go ? can’t wait for the next instalment [sic].”
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Another user posted: “@JeremyClarkson What happened to Richard Ham?? He’s still a beloved family member right???? RIGHT????”
Yet another enquired: “@JeremyClarkson does Richard Ham remain a family pet or did he cop it with the rest.”
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In devastating scenes, Jeremy faced the difficult choice of selling his rare Oxford and Sandy Black Pigs after discovering they carried too much fat and were only suitable for sausage production.
With the financials simply not stacking up, Jeremy reluctantly sold the pigs, leaving him in tears.
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It remains to be seen whether fan-favourite Richard Ham was spared the same fate or whether he too was among those that left the farm.
Clarkson’s Farm season 5 airs on Prime Video on Wednesdays
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