DWP minister Torsten Bell has discussed the Government’s rationale behind state pension age changes and inheritance tax being extended to pensions

A senior DWP minister has addressed a major new tax affecting pensions. Torsten Bell recently appeared before the Work and Pensions Committee to discuss modifications to the state pension age. The state pension age will increase from the present 66 to 67, rising gradually between April 2026 and April 2028.

Parliament has also approved legislation for the qualifying age to rise again, from 67 to 68, between 2044 and 2046. Mr Bell explored the consequences of requiring people to wait longer before claiming their state pension, alongside the Government’s reasoning behind these changes. He also faced questions about a substantial transformation in pension taxation, as inheritance tax will shortly include pensions. Inheritance tax is a 40 per cent charge applied to the total assets you leave behind when you die. Currently, pensions are excluded from your estate for inheritance tax calculations, but they will come under this tax regime from April 2027.

Labour unveiled this tax modification in its first Autumn Budget, in 2024. Mr Bell outlined the logic behind the alteration: “There is a long-standing understanding that the purpose of pensions, and why we provide exceptionally generous tax relief – which we rightly do, of about £70 billion a year – is because we want people to have a decent income in retirement.

“That is what it is for. That is what it was always for.” He argued that preserving pension exemptions from inheritance tax had generated perverse incentives, prompting individuals to utilise their pensions “not to provide a decent income into retirement but to avoid inheritance tax”.

Causing problems and confusion

Mr Bell said: “That is a very bad idea, because you do not want to see pension vehicles and how they operate getting confused about what the purpose is. We saw that causing real problems and confusion.

“Obviously it needs to be done in the right way. All that the changes are doing is bringing us back to the world that we have always lived in.”

The minister went on to clarify that the tax incentives surrounding pensions are fundamentally designed so individuals can “smooth their income over their life”, reports the Liverpool Echo. He told the committee: “That is what it exists for.

“It is not there for for advisers to make money by saying to some people, ‘Don’t use your pension to provide an income in retirement. Use all your other wealth, maybe even sell your house, and do other things in a contorted fashion, because for some reason we have decided that a pension is not about providing income in retirement but is an inheritance tax avoidance vehicle.’ “

People drifting into the tax net

The Government previously stated that the extended tax will encompass most untouched pension pots and death benefits. Alex Pugh, a chartered financial planner from wealth management firm Saltus, characterised this as a significant shift and cautioned that many individuals may remain oblivious to its impact on them.

She said: “Inheritance tax planning is already complex, but bringing pensions into the tax calculation from April 2027 really shifts the dial. Many people will drift into the tax net without realising it.

“After property, pensions are often someone’s largest asset, and with tax thresholds frozen since 2009, more estates are being pushed over the line. In truth, any individual or couple could now be affected – even those who never considered themselves ‘wealthy’. It’s a perfect storm created by rising asset values and outdated tax limits.”

Mum-of-two Ali Martin, 45, was left unable to walk, brush her teeth, or use a knife and fork before being diagnosed with sensory ganglionopathy.

A mum left paralysed and malnourished after taking weight loss tablets has issued a stark warning from her hospital bed.

Teacher Ali Martin, 45, first started taking GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) medication to manage her Type 2 Diabetes in 2022.

She lost six stone after she was prescribed the drug by her GP, but in June last year she became weak and began to lose the use of her limbs before she suffered two falls and was admitted to hospital.

Medics treated Ali, from Dunfermline, for malnourishment and began to feed her through a tube before she was given a diagnosis of Sensory Ganglionopathy – a chronic illness causing numbness and pain.

She’s been left unable to walk, brush her teeth or use a knife and fork and is confined to a wheelchair.

Ali told the Record: “I want to warn people that losing weight like this is not worth the risk to your health.

“Before I started GLP-1, I was a busy, active mum contributing to society and now I’m completely dependent on other adults to do everything.

“I can’t shower or walk unaided. I can only manage simple personal care at toddler level and I’ve also lost my peripheral vision due to being bed bound for so long.

“The doctors haven’t made a direct link to the fat loss tablets, but I think they have exacerbated this condition because I had nausea and vomiting and other digestive issues.

“My symptoms make sense because the tablets suppress your appetite so I wasn’t eating and I was becoming increasingly more vitamin deficient, which I think has caused the malnutrition.

“I think the lack of nutrients must have affected my nervous system and my mobility.

Advertisement

Ali remains trapped in Cameron Hospital in Fife nine months after she was admitted as specialist teams work to provide intensive rehabilitation to help her rebuild her strength.

The mum-of-two said her was ordeal has been a “nightmare” for husband Graeme, 39, and kids Darcie, nine, and Luca, six as her worry for her family hugely impacts her mental health.

She added: “I’ve missed my kids‘ birthdays, parents nights, and sports games, and I have suffered several panic attacks because I feel so trapped and vulnerable in my own body.

“I have been so down that I even asked my mum to wheel me off a bridge.”

Ali fears she will never return to normal and doctors don’t know what a full recovery will look like because the condition is so rare.

She said: “I hope to be able to regain my mobility and be back to my old self but I don’t know if that will ever be the case.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to walk or work again. Doctors can’t tell me what the future looks like.

“I believe this is all because of the effects of the GLP-1 medication and it will now have a potentially life-long negative impact on me.

“All I’m left with now is a fear of the unknown.”

Ali has now warning others to take great care when using the medication.

“My message to people taking this type of medication is to be very wary.

“I was prescribed it by a GP and still believe I have experienced horrendous results, so make sure you are going through proper channels and never buy medications from online pharmacies.

“I’d rather have my life back than be 30kg lighter.”

Ali’s family is now fundraising to have their house adapted for her needs when she gets home. To donate, click here.

GLP-1 for diabetes and weight loss can be used to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. They’re also used as a treatment for obesity as part of long-term weight management.

NHS Scotland advises individuals to speak to a healthcare professional if you’re thinking about taking weight loss medication.

Using these medications without proper medical supervision can worsen existing health problems and lead to serious side effects.

Advertisement

GLP-1s help people feel fuller by mimicking a natural hormone released after eating.

Some newer medicines, also act on a second hormone involved in appetite and blood sugar control.

In the UK, there are several licensed GLP-1 medicines including semaglutide, tirzepatide and ­liraglutide, which are all sold under various brand names

“Licensed” means they have been assessed carefully by the UK medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and approved as safe and effective for certain uses.

GLP-1s should only be used if you are overweight or diabetic, and not if you want to lose weight for aesthetic or cosmetic purposes.

NHS Scotland advises individuals to speak to a healthcare professional if they are thinking about taking weight loss medication.

A spokesperson for the drug’s manufacturer, which we are not naming for legal reasons, said: “Patient safety is of utmost importance, and we take all reports about adverse events from use of our medicines very seriously.

“The information included in the labels of products are agreed with the health authorities and does not include safety concerns about sensory ganglionopathy based on assessment of the totality of evidence from clinical trials and post-marketing report.

“We continue to work with health authorities and regulatory bodies worldwide to monitor the safety of our products.”

A spokesperson for NHS Fife said: “We cannot comment on the care of individuals for reasons of patient confidentiality.

“In Scotland, GP practices are independent contractors and are responsible for their own prescribing decisions, in line with national guidance.

“Where there are concerns about any potential adverse reactions to medicines, this should be reported through the UK’s Yellow Card scheme, which supports ongoing monitoring of medication safety.”

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

The Defence Secretary has declined to give a clean assurance that Iran lacks the firepower to hit the UK, even as he sought to calm fears by stressing that no strike on British soil is believed to be in the planning.

Advertisement

Britain’s Defence Secretary has stopped short of guaranteeing that Iran doesn’t possess the capability to strike the UK, while attempting to ease concerns by emphasising that no attack on British territory is thought to be under consideration.

John Healey faced persistent questioning during a Sky News interview about whether London itself could fall within the range of Iranian missiles – a subject he addressed cautiously without categorically ruling it out.

“We have no assessment of Iranian plans to strike London,” he said.

The discussion followed Iran launching missiles towards Diego Garcia – the distant Indian Ocean atoll that serves as a joint British and American military base. Healey had earlier informed Parliament the incoming projectiles landed considerably short of the island.

With the Government declining to rule out the threat of Iranian missiles striking the UK, questions about which specific areas could be vulnerable have become increasingly urgent, reports the Express.

Advertisement

Defence experts have offered a less comforting assessment than the Defence Secretary. Both the Israeli Defence Forces and the Institute for the Study of War have positioned London within what they characterise as a theoretical 2,500-mile threat zone – the maximum range of Iran’s most sophisticated modified intermediate-range ballistic missiles, which includes the Khorramshahr-4.

UK sites at elevated risk due to the Iran conflict Analysts have highlighted the following locations as facing an increased threat due to ongoing tensions between the West and Iran in 2026:

RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire – This airbase functions as Britain’s main departure point for US Air Force strategic bombers – including B-1B Lancers and B-52 Stratofortresses – presently striking Iranian missile installations, making it a prime target on any Iranian hit list.

Portsmouth and Devonport, Plymouth – These two critical naval hubs house approximately two-thirds of the Royal Navy’s fleet between them, rendering them clear choices for any assault designed to disable British maritime capability.

GCHQ, Cheltenham – Serving as the hub of Britain’s signals intelligence and cyber defence capabilities, the distinctive circular facility would constitute a valuable target for any opponent aiming to disrupt rather than physically obliterate.

RAF Fylingdales, North Yorkshire – This radar installation on the Yorkshire moors carries out a role that renders it indispensable during any missile confrontation: monitoring incoming ballistic threats from launch. The BBC has flagged it as a key counter-force objective for exactly this reason.

Barrow-in-Furness – The Cumbrian shipyard where Britain’s nuclear submarines are built has been identified by analysts as occupying a precarious spot – important enough to draw scrutiny, yet described as ‘woefully exposed’ to the type of long-range assault Iran now has the capability to consider.

Advertisement

Another cluster of sites derives its risk assessment not from the present conflict alone but from the enduring strategic importance it holds – as the location of Britain’s nuclear arsenal, its main naval facility and its defence manufacturing base:

Faslane, HMNB Clyde – Scotland’s deep-water naval facility on the Clyde serves as the permanent berth for Britain’s Trident-equipped submarines – the physical manifestation of the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

Telford, MOD Donnington – Landlocked and unassuming, the Shropshire depot nevertheless anchors the supply network that maintains British armed forces equipped and functioning.

For the time being, Healey’s stance remains firm: no preparations, no immediate danger, no reason for alarm. However, with Iranian missiles already flying over the Indian Ocean and London featured in analyst risk evaluations, the room for comfort is getting tighter.

There’s serious trouble brewing in EastEnders next week, as Nicola’s attention shifts in a big way, and it looks like Penny could be firmly in her sights.

What starts as a happy milestone quickly spirals into chaos when Penny and Vinny head off for their first baby scan. It should be a moment to celebrate, but things don’t quite go to plan.

Before they even get there, Vinny is thrown by a call from a potential investor interested in backing Penny’s business. Keen to make things work, he agrees to meet them, despite warnings from Priya, who overhears and urges him to steer clear of anything dodgy.

With Vinny distracted, Penny ends up going into the scan alone, and what she hears completely shakes her. The baby is further along than expected… a detail she chooses to keep to herself when Vinny eventually turns up.

And it’s not hard to see why.

Later, clearly overwhelmed, Penny confides in Lauren and Oscar Branning, admitting that if the dates don’t add up, then Vinny might not be the father after all, and there’s a real chance the baby could be Harry’s.

It’s a bombshell that threatens to blow everything apart.

Meanwhile, Nicola is dealing with worries of her own. As George gears up for the launch of Knight Fusion, Harry notices that Nicola is on edge.

She admits she hasn’t felt her baby move, but doesn’t want to stress George out ahead of the big day. In the end, Harry and Gina Knight convince her to get checked over, and thankfully, everything is fine.

But Nicola’s focus quickly shifts, and it’s Penny who ends up under the spotlight.

After a tense run-in between Penny and Suki Panesar over Vinny’s risky business decisions, Nicola steps in and offers support, even taking Penny to Harry’s barn to calm down. On the surface, it looks like she’s being kind… but there’s more going on.

Behind the scenes, the pieces are starting to fall into place.

Harry later opens up to Nicola, revealing that he and Penny slept together once last year, and with Gina not wanting children, it’s clearly been playing on his mind. Combined with Penny’s earlier behaviour, it’s enough to make Nicola seriously suspicious.

Don’t miss a Soaps scoop! Add us as a Preferred Source

As a loyal Metro Soaps reader, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for stories. We have all the latest soaps news, spoilers, videos, and interviews, with a vibrant community of highly engaged readers.

Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.

Add us as a Preferred Source

Advertisement

And she doesn’t waste any time.

Confronting Penny, Nicola lays it all out and demands answers, insisting she takes a DNA test immediately. If she refuses, Nicola threatens to expose everything to both Vinny and Harry.

Suddenly, Penny is completely trapped.

Desperate and emotional, she turns back to Lauren and Oscar for advice before finally confronting Nicola again. But the situation quickly escalates into a heated showdown, and just when it seems like things couldn’t get any worse, Nicola is suddenly hit with waves of pain.

It’s a shocking moment that stops everything in its tracks.

Despite Harry urging her to go to the hospital, Nicola stubbornly refuses, insisting she just needs to rest at home. But as the launch of Knight Fusion gets underway, things take another dramatic turn when she’s struck by what feels like contractions.

With tensions at an all-time high and secrets threatening to be exposed, Nicola’s grip on the situation seems stronger than ever, but could her health scare change everything?

And as Penny struggles under the weight of Nicola’s ultimatum, it’s clear this is just the beginning of the drama.

MORE: EastEnders baby emergency as in-agony Nicola is rushed to hospital

MORE: All EastEnders spoilers for next week as shock pregnancy secret explodes

MORE: EastEnders heartbreak confirmed as Penny’s baby is not Vinny’s

Aries 0904 470 1141 (65p per minute)*

Taurus 0904 470 1142 (65p per minute)*

Gemini 0904 470 1143 (65p per minute)*

Cancer 0904 470 1144 (65p per minute)*

Leo 0904 470 1145 (65p per minute)*

Virgo 0904 470 1146 (65p per minute)*

Libra 0904 470 1147 (65p per minute)*

Scorpio 0904 470 1148 (65p per minute)*

Sagittarius 0904 470 1149 (65p per minute)*

Capricorn 0904 470 1150 (65p per minute)*

Aquarius 0904 470 1151 (65p per minute)*

Pisces 0904 470 1152 (65p per minute)*

*Astro line horoscopes are updated every Thursday. Calls cost 65p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge and will last approximately five minutes. You must be over 18 and have the bill payer’s permission. Service provided by Spoke. Customer service: 0333 202 3390

Santiago Martínez, who stared on the Netflix reality show “Love Is Blind: Argentina”, was sentenced on Wednesday March 25 for attempted murder, repeated assault, and unlawful detention

A former “Love is Blind” contestant has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to kill his ex, whom he met on the show.

Santiago Martínez was sentenced on Wednesday (25 Mar) for attempted murder, repeated assault, and unlawful detention. Martínez joined the Netflix reality show “Love Is Blind: Argentina”, which premiered in November 2024, when he was 29.

Presenting himself as a young entrepreneur, he became one of 32 participants to successfully form a couple and married Emily Ceco, then 24, in a civil ceremony during the show’s final episodes.

READ MORE: MOBO Awards 2026 winners in full as Olivia Dean takes home three trophiesREAD MORE: Bodyguard breaks silence after making Jude Law’s daughter cry as Chappell Roan hit with massive scrutiny

Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

The couple had been planning an intimate wedding with close family and friends. However, in February 2025, Emily reported Martínez for gender-based violence after appearing with a black eye, leading to the cancellation of their engagement.

A court issued a restraining order to prevent Martínez from approaching Emily, and he was removed from streaming programmes once the allegations became public.

The prosecution and plaintiffs had requested a 16-year sentence, but Martínez was handed 15 years after the prosecution rejected a plea deal that would have reduced his term, as reported by creatorzine.com.

Speaking to local media, Emily said: “I can’t believe it. I feel it’s over, I’m finally going to have peace. Justice has been done.” She recalled her first encounter with Martínez after their separation, during the reading of the sentence. “My whole body was shaking. I was terrified,” she said. “During his statement, he apologised and said he still loved me.

“I didn’t respond, but my brother went too far and told him, ‘If you loved her so much, why did you almost kill her? You beat her up – coward.’”

Emily added: “I have 15 years of peace ahead. I don’t know what will happen when he gets out, but I hope the justice system continues to protect me. If he tried to kill me when I gave him everything, I can’t imagine what he might do to me or my family after 15 years of anger.”

For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Netflix’s Detective Hole has only just been released, but viewers are already eager to know if Jo Nesbø’s crime drama will return for a second season

Advertisement

Netflix has recently released its gripping new crime drama Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole, yet some viewers are already eager to discover whether another series is on the cards.

The nine-episode detective series, adapted from bestselling crime writer Nesbø’s The Devil’s Star, serves up a compelling journey for Netflix audiences , reports the Mirror.

Detective Hole centres on troubled investigator Harry Hole (Tobias Santelmann) as he battles against time to locate a serial killer before their next attack.

Simultaneously, Harry finds himself embroiled in a perilous cat-and-mouse game with corrupt fellow officer Tom Waaler (Joel Kinnaman).

Will there be another season of Netflix’s Detective Hole?

In an exclusive conversation with Wales Online publishers Reach Plc, creator Nesbø, leading actor Santelmann and Beate Lønn star Ellen Helinder discussed the programme’s future.

Nesbø revealed: “No plans yet [for a season two]. Right now, we’re just concentrating on getting this TV series out to the audience and we’ve been working on this for three years now.

“So, just the thought of starting all over again right now is a bit premature and we’re so exhausted right now that we want a vacation.”

Get Netflix free with Sky

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

£5.99

£0

Advertisement

Sky

Get the deal here

Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.

This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Stranger Things and The Last of Us.

Nevertheless, Harry Hole star Santelmann remarked: “I’m ready. You might be exhausted.”

Nesbø jokingly responded: “You’re ready? Then I’m ready too for season two.”

The crime writer acknowledged that he hadn’t yet considered the direction he’d prefer to take the programme or which Harry Hole novel a potential second series might explore.

Meanwhile, actress Helinder, who plays the talented forensics officer Beate, expressed her aspirations for a second series of Detective Hole: “Just to keep working with these amazing people and develop the characters even more.

“There’s so much to find in these people, who work within the law enforcement.

“Even more the morality, the ethical dilemmas and how is Harry going to cope with everything? Who is Beate? I would like to explore her backstory.

“I think this ability that she has for facial recognition is so cool, just for her to keep tracking cases and doing her thing.”

As Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole has only recently launched, Netflix will be monitoring audience numbers before making any decisions about continuation.

The Devil’s Star represents just one of 13 Harry Hole novels that Nesbø has penned, meaning there’s abundant material for the production team and indeed the writer, who also worked as screenwriter on the Netflix adaptation, to utilise.

Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole is streaming on Netflix now

👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈 

We’re in Miami and Washington DC. The president wraps up a cabinet meeting ahead of a trip to South Florida to talk to the Saudis about Iran.

Mail-in voting is on people’s minds too. The president calls it cheating… except when he does it. We react to the revelation about Trump’s voting habits.

But first, we’ve spent a couple of days in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Christianity, and the Church, is becoming a significant part of the direction of this administration. It’s playing into the war waged against Iran.

Are we in the middle of a modern-day holy war?

Watch Martha’s film from Tulsa, Oklahoma, here.

You can watch all episodes on our YouTube channel.

Email us on trump100@sky.uk with your comments and questions.

​North Yorkshire Council’s ‘asset rationalisation’ plan, which includes the purchase of Resolution House by the A64 in Scarborough for an undisclosed sum, and a move of staff from Scarborough Town Hall and Ryedale House, has been given the green light by councillors.

​The authority has said that new customer access points will be created in town centre sites in Scarborough and Malton.

​A group of coastal and independent councillors called for a “full independent cost assessment” and for a full meeting of the authority to make a decision on the scheme, which was announced by the council earlier this month.

​However, at a specially convened meeting of NYC’s overview and scrutiny committee on Thursday, March 26, members voted 9-5 against the motion.

​Cllr Rich Maw, proposer of the motion, said: “This call-in seeks to safeguard financial prudence because the assurances provided so far aren’t enough. There is insufficient documentation to support a purchase of this significance, and if other members believe there is, that is on their conscience.”

​The scheme has been presented as a way to avoid up to £19m of costs to upgrade “appalling working conditions” at the ageing coastal town hall site, and could see Malton’s Ryedale House office sold to make way for housing.

​At the meeting, council officers were at pains to emphasise that the Scarborough town hall ‘campus’ consists of four buildings and that it was not seeking to demolish the Grade-II Listed historic town hall property.

​Scarborough’s town mayor, Cllr Thomas Murray, asked for assurances that “the town hall remains at the centre of civic life and will be maintained for civic use”, highlighting the absence of “explicit safeguards”.

​However, the council said it could not give any “cast-iron guarantees”.

​The council said its position was that it “does not oppose the listed Town Hall building being retained for community or civic use, provided this does not place substantial costs on this council.

​“While no cast-iron guarantee can be given regarding the long-term future use of the building, there is no short-term requirement for the town council to vacate the premises.”

​​A provisional sum of up to £750,000 has been approved to support the establishment of new front-facing customer service points within Scarborough and Malton town centres, and to fund costs associated with the advancement of redevelopment proposals for vacated sites.

​Cllr Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff asked if the council had commissioned an independent survey on the condition of Resolution House and added: “Surely we should have some independent verification that it is a bargain.”

​NYC corporate director Gary Fielding said: “It’s worth remembering that Resolution House has been refurbished to a very high spec by Anglo American, and we have had assessment support from Align Property. It’s in extremely good condition.”

​Deputy leader of the council, Cllr Gareth Dadd, told the meeting: “Let’s be clear, there’s a misconception that big, bad NYC is coming to knock down the historic Town Hall, and that could have been communicated better.

​“In a civilised society, we cannot let our staff work in these conditions, and the time for action has come.

“We’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with the residents of Scarborough because it’s the right thing to do.

​“I believe what we are buying is virtually risk-free and helps regenerate Scarborough. If we miss this opportunity, we’re missing the opportunity of a generation.”

​According to a report prepared for the executive committee, the scheme would create “minimum ongoing savings in property running costs of £400,000 per annum and savings of more than £20 million in backlog maintenance liabilities across Ryedale House and Scarborough Town Hall”.

Mr Fielding said: “The condition of Scarborough Town Hall is not acceptable and it is not fit for purpose. To do nothing is frankly not an option.

​“Would members prefer to spend £19m to bring the town hall campus up to date for and if not, there has to be an alternative and that has to be presented pretty quickly.”

​The overview and scrutiny committee also voted to endorse the decision of the executive with 11 members in favour and three against.

Sergeant Tim Ansell was stabbed as he stood in between a knifeman and fellow officer in Whalley Range

A Greater Manchester Police officer bravely risked his life to tackle a knifeman who launched at colleagues in the street following a traffic stop. Sergeant Tim Ansell was stabbed when he protected his colleague during the armed attack in Whalley Range in 2023.

Ansell, of the Trafford district response team, was recognised for his courageous actions on July 26, 2023 after responding to what began as a routine road traffic accident. The situation had escalated when a hooded man, identified as Jacob Brown, 27, lunged at officers from behind with a knife, attacking Ansell’s colleague, Sergeant Foster, first.

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. And don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

Dramatic bodycam footage from the scene captured the moment the officer staggers to his feet and calls for help. He is heard telling a colleague: “Put something on my neck here, I’ve been f***ing stabbed here.”

Sgt Ansell then placed himself between the knifeman and his fellow officer, shielding from further harm. Sgt Ansell was stabbed repeatedly, sustaining open wounds to his neck and injuries to his arm and body.

Sgt Ansell then fought to take hold of the assailant’s upper body to prevent him from harming others. Colleague PC Marcus Wolstencroft deployed a Taser to restrain and handcuff Brown, who was then arrested and taken into custody.

All three police officers involved later received multiple accolades for their bravery, including the Chief Constable’s Annual Bravery Awards, the John Egerton Bravery Award from GMP’s Police Federation and the North West Bravery Award.

Advertisement

It was then announced that Sgt Ansell was to be awarded the King’s Commendation for Bravery. Greater Manchester Police said he received the King’s Commendation at St. James’ Palace in London on Wednesday (March 25).

“The actions of all three officers ultimately saved each other and meant no members of the public suffered any injuries,” the force said.

Brown, who had been carrying a blue-handled craft knife and had no connection to the original collision, was sentenced in April 2024 to an indefinite hospital order after pleading guilty to attempted murder with three counts of wounding with intent.