NewsBeat
Locals in uproar as ban on whistles at local football pitch lifted by council
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A ban on the use of referees’ whistles on a school‘s new £700k all-weather sports pitch has been lifted – and locals are not happy.
Cornwallis Academy in Maidstone, Kent, was granted planning permission for its 3G pitch in 2023 on the basis that whistles would not be used during matches.
The policy had been suggested by the school’s agent SSL when it first applied for planning permission in 2022.
It was supposed to limit noise disturbance for neighbours and was subsequently made a condition of the planning approval granted in January 2023.
It was to apply only to after-school matches when the academy leases the pitch to clubs for private matches.
However, residents have since complained weekly about both the use of shrill whistles and adults “effing and blinding” throughout the week and at weekends.
But despite ongoing complaints that they are unable to enjoy peace and quiet in their gardens and homes, planners at Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) have now lifted the previous ban on whistles – adding to the growing ire of locals.
A decision was made at a meeting last week.
David Sanderson, who has lived on Salt’s Avenue – which backs onto the pitch – all his life and went to Cornwallis Academy as a child, said that though he’s disappointed by the decision, it was “to be expected”.
Salt’s Avenue in Maidstone – which backs onto the 3G pitch:
Mr Sanderson, 61, said the noise from the school’s pitch was “relentless”, and that both the school and MBC are not taking his and fellow residents’ complaints into account.
“I am very, very disappointed with the council,” the 61-year-old said. “But it was a totally expected outcome. The two words I would ask for from the council are: objectivity and impartiality.
“They had stated it was just for children, that the nearest houses were 140 metres away, that there would be a no-whistle policy, and that the maximum noise levels would be 49-51 decibels – which would be perfectly acceptable.
“It was on that basis that the planning went through.
“[In reality], the players in the evenings are all adults, the nearest houses are under 60 metres away and the no-whistle policy is unworkable.
“The noise levels are in the high 60s… They are not complying with any of the original criteria, but because the council have already granted planning. There’s nothing we can do.
“There’s a whole group of houses along here who are unable to use our gardens in peace, unable to have the windows open.
“We can hear the shouting in every room in the house whenever it’s being used. In my opinion, that is not acceptable.
“It was conditional on a no whistle policy, and now they have overturned that which, in their own words, will increase the noise even further.”
Duncan Haynes, MBC’s environmental protection team leader, stated in a report for a similar planning application for a sports pitch at a different school in Maidstone that whistles were, in his experience, “tonal, impulsive and intrusive”.
Recommending that the pitch be refused at Maidstone Grammer School due to a lack of noise impact assessment, Mr Haynes wrote: “Past experience of assessing nuisance from sports pitches indicates that whistles are tonal, impulsive and intrusive.”
Mr Sanderson says he and other neighbours would like to see noise levels brought down to what he says were the council’s estimated levels during their planning application, as well as a reduction in the hours of use.
He added that the council had “garnered support” for their plans for the pitch from “neighbours” living as far away as London.
“We want some peace in the evenings and weekends,” he said. “We are reasonable people asking for a reasonable life.
“If they used it only as a school facility, that would be fine. But they have changed the goalposts – pardon the pun.
“The noise levels are relentless. When are we going to get a day off?”
During the MBC planning meeting held last week (on January 16), Cornwallis Academy’s head teacher, Joseph Sutton, said that although it had received 127 complaints about noise when the matches were being played, 101 had come from the same three complainants.
Lib Dem councillor Brian Clark told the meeting the saga had revealed “the level of failure in the planning process”.
A spokesperson for MBC said: “Maidstone Borough Council Planning Committee made the decision to remove the evening ‘no whistle’ planning condition during a meeting held [last week].
“Therefore the Academy is now able to use the new pitch during the permitted times and whistles can be used at all times the pitch is in use.
“The hours of use for the pitch are 8am to 9pm (reduced from 10pm) Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.”
Others living in homes on Salt’s Avenue say they are unable to enjoy their gardens during summer and can even hear the “horrific” swearing of footballers with all their windows shut.
“In the summer, when you’re in the garden, you can hear a lot,” one resident named Peter, who has lived on the road for over 25 years, said.
“You get these deep, gruff voices of guys shouting. They do swear a bit as well, so you can hear that.
“The length of time they are out there during the evenings is too long. 10pm is far too late. Given the quietness of this road, it’s been a bit of a disturbance.
“You get these yobs, effing and blinding all of the time. And if they put any more floodlights down it will bother us, because we don’t get much light pollution.
“It’s not keeping me awake at night, but it is annoying.”
Warning: This story contains strong and offensive language.
Pressure is growing on police to investigate a far-right group exposed in an undercover BBC investigation.
Leading political and legal figures have said the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have a “duty” to look at evidence gathered by the BBC Wales Investigates team into Patriotic Alternative (PA).
An undercover reporter spent a year investigating PA and its members in Wales who were filmed saying the group should mimic political tactics used by the Nazis and migrants should be shot.
Now a former government adviser on terrorism law, an ex-police and crime commissioner and a leading politician are all urging police action.
Former North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick K.C, said it was “essential” police and the CPS follow up on the report.
“They have a duty to look at the evidence,” he said
“Some individuals say they are going to get arms and guns. That’s going to incite others to do the same and through inciting they themselves are committing a crime.”
PA leader Mark Collett said they were not extremist, do not promote violence and peacefully campaign for the rights of what he calls “indigenous British people”.
The group, considered to be the UK’s largest far-right group with about 500 members and thousands of followers online, says it exists to “raise awareness” of immigration and promote “family values”.
Lord Carlile, who acted as the UK’s Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation from 2001 to 2011, said the undercover report was “extremely concerning”.
“It seems that organisation should be the subject of a police enquiry and possibly a charging decision by the director of public prosecutions,” he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.
“If the BBC reports are correct, there is at least the beginnings of evidence of incitement to commit crime, including violent crime against immigrants, and that is not acceptable in our society.”
PA has regional branches around the UK and encourage members – including former teachers and nurses – to hold protests, highlight immigration issues, film their activities and share clips online.
The BBC Wales Investigates reporter infiltrated the group in Wales, posing as a new recruit and filming its activities.
One PA member said he believed a race war was inevitable and the organisation should use a similar tactic to the Nazi party to gain power.
Former counter-extremism commissioner Dame Sara Khan believes the UK government should urgently change the law to ban such groups.
Lord Carlile, who also served as MP for Montgomeryshire for 14 years until 1997, added: “People are entitled to form political parties and express strong views.
“But they are not allowed to incite crime and the reports suggest Patriotic Alternative may have crossed the line.”
Sioned Williams, who sits on the Senedd’s equality and social justice committee, backed calls to ban the group.
“The law needs to be looked at to designate extreme right-wing groups like these as terrorist groups,” she said.
“They represent a threat to society and to a number of people from specific groups within our society.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.
A 25-year-old man has been arrested after a woman died in Luton on Monday.
Bedfordshire Police said the man from Luton was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
He currently remains in police custody where he is being questioned by officers.
Detectives from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire major crime units are continuing to investigate.
In a statement, Bedfordshire Police said a 46-year-old woman was injured at a property in Turners Road North at around 11.45am. She was taken to hospital, where she later died.
A second woman in her 20s suffered serious injuries, which police say are not life-threatening.
Politics
Kim Leadbeater accused of ‘stitching-up’ Assisted Dying Bill committee over selection of expert witnesses in secret
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater has been accused of “stitching-up” a House of Commons committee after attempting to select an expert witnesses in secret.
Leadbeater’s last-minute amendment was supported by committee members yesterday, meaning much of the session took place in private as it met for the first time.
The Spen Valley MP tabled the motion on Monday night to ensure that the committee sits in private.
Tory MP Danny Kruger, who opposes the bill, argued that there was “clear public interest” in decisions being made openly.
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater has claimed that most Britons want to allow assisted dying.PAHe said: “And if there are concerns about the witnesses, they should be aired publicly.”
Kruger added: “Of the getting on for 60 names that have been put to us, 38 of them are in favour of this Bill and in favour of the principle of assisted dying.”
However, Leadbeater argued that it would be “inappropriate to discuss named individuals” and their suitability as witnesses, and that, while transparency is important, “so is respecting individuals’ privacy”.
Tory MPs piled pressure on Leadbetter over the lack of transparency.
Protesters gather to support assisted dyingPAFormer Home Secretary James Cleverly said: ‘This is not reassuring me that getting good legislation is the priority for the proponents of the Bill.
“I’ve seen this before. People become so focused on getting the win, they lose sight of the importance of getting a balance of views.”
Romford MP Andrew Rosindell added: “I believed Kim Leadbetter when she assured us that sunlight would win the day and there was to be full public scrutiny of the Bill. I now know that wasn’t true.”
Leadbeater’s bill would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales with less than six months to live legally allowed to end their lives.
Campaigners near Parliament Square against the proposed bill to legalise assisted dying,GETTYTwo doctors and a High Court judge must approve the request before.
The controversial session held yesterday sets out dates over the course of the next few months.
The committee will hear oral evidence from medical and legal professionals and line-by-line scrutiny of the Bill will begin in February.
MPs backed the second reading of Leadbeater’s proposal by 330 to 275 in November.
NewsBeat
Man who died after falling down London Waterloo escalator ‘may have been pushed’ as police hunt for witnesses
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Police are looking for witnesses after a man who died after falling down an escalator at Waterloo Station may have been pushed.
Ian Airlie, 48, was found dead at his home in Greenwich on Thursday, 10 October. He fell down the escalator at the tube station’s Jubilee Line at 17.05pm on Sunday, 15 September.
After Mr Airlie’s death his family told the Metropolitan Police he was reportedly been pushed. It is understood that Mr Airlie spoke to a number of people after the fall.
The force are now appealing for any witnesses or people who spoke to Mr Airlie to come forward.
Mr Airlie is believed to have spoken to security at the station after his fall and told them he had fallen into a woman described as of South Asian appearance, who also stumbled on the escalator.
He also spoke to a woman on the bus from North Greenwich underground station, who handed him a tissue as he was bleeding from above his left eye.
At the time, Mr Airlie was wearing a black t-shirt and light grey jogging bottoms. He wore a turquoise and grey Mountain Warehouse rucksack on his back and carried a medium, black suitcase.
A post-morning examination on Tuesday, 29 October was inconclusive and police await the result of further tests.
Detective Inspector Chris Rogers said: “Mr Airlie’s death is tragic, and his family continue to mourn the loss of a loving son, partner, brother and uncle.
“We are determined to piece together the events, and give Mr Airlie’s family the answers they are searching for. You can assist us by coming forward with any information. However small it may seem to you, this could be the key we need to unlock the investigation.”
The force asked that anyone with further information contact them via 101, or anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 1111, quoting 01/942310/24.
A cat has made three flights between New Zealand and Australia in just 24 hours after being forgotten on a plane.
Mittens, an eight-year-old Maine Coon, was booked to travel from Christchurch to Melbourne on 12 January – but her cage was left in the Air New Zealand aircraft’s cargo hold.
After waiting for three hours for Mittens at Melbourne airport, owner Margo Neas was told by ground staff the plane had already returned to New Zealand with her pet.
During that flight the heating was turned on to keep the cat comfortable, Ms Neas said. The pet – who had lost weight but was otherwise unharmed – was later flown again to Melbourne to reunite with her owner.
Speaking to NBC on Wednesday, Ms Neas said she and her son had been informed about the mishap by airport ground staff in Melbourne.
“They said: ‘Look, we have located your cat – but it’s actually on the return flight to Christchurch…’
“And I said: ‘When did you discover that the cat wasn’t taken off the plane?’ And they said: ‘We’ve only just discovered now.’ And I said: ‘How can this happen?’”
Ms Neas said she was told that the pilot had already been alerted to turn the heating on in the cargo hall where the temperature could be as low as 7C.
The incident is still being investigated, but reports say a stowed wheelchair may have obscured a baggage handler’s view of Mittens’s cage.
Air New Zealand has apologised for the distress caused, promising to reimburse all travel costs.
The company does not accept direct animal bookings from the public for international flights, so passengers must book via approved pet carrier firms.
Ms Neas said she had been relieved to be finally reunited with Mitten.
“She basically just ran into my arms and just snuggled up in here and just did the biggest cuddles of all time,” she was quoted as saying by the AP news agency on Wednesday. “It was just such a relief.”
Ms Neas, who had earlier decided to relocate to Australia, added: “It was not a great start to our new life in Melbourne because we didn’t have the family, we weren’t complete.”
The one-way flight time between Christchurch and Melbourne usually takes less than four hours.
NewsBeat
Rachel Reeves risks economic ‘doom loop’ if spending cuts continue, ex-Bank of England chief economist warns | Politics News
Rachel Reeves risks entering an economic “doom loop” if she continues to cut spending, a former Bank of England chief economist has warned.
Andy Haldane, who was with the Bank for 32 years until 2021, said the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) forecast in March could lead to less investment and spending.
He told Sky News’ Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge: “It would be deeply counterproductive to both growth and to the fiscal position if that led to a cutting back on investment and indeed in spending more generally.
“Then I think you really are into a doomed loop between debt and growth. And that’s a situation to avoid at all costs.”
The OBR will publish an economic and fiscal forecast on 26 March, five months after its last forecast, which said the October budget was unlikely to increase economic growth over the next five years.
Mr Haldane, who became well-known for his speeches during COVID, said his concern depends on how much government spending is cut by the chancellor this spring.
“For me, I think some of the gloom and doom about both the economy and in bond markets is slightly overdone,” he added.
“I think once we get to the second half of the year, the underlying fiscal picture may look somewhat better as might be the underlying growth picture.
“So anything precipitating now, I think, is best avoided.”
The OBR gave a dismal outlook when Rachel Reeves announced her autumn budget. Pic: Reuters
The economist, who is now chief executive of the Royal Society for Arts think tank, added the chancellor should not panic because of market reaction to the budget deficit by cutting spending further.
“Definitely not panic,” he said.
“I think the journey we’ve been on, when the government first came in, if anything expectations were a bit too high.
“And I think we saw those expectations punctured pretty quickly.”
Read more:
Treasury Committee questions new Office for Value for Money
PM says Treasury will be ‘ruthless’ in cutting spending
He said he could see pessimism within business and financial markets based on the October budget “being walked back in the remainder of the year as some of the announcements the government has made start to come on stream and be felt, including the fiscal measures in the budget”.
Those fiscal measures are providing “a big boost to growth” this year, exemplified by the International Monetary Fund last week forecasting the UK performing relatively well on the European stage, he said.
The October budget saw taxes rise to the tune of £40bn. Pic: Reuters
Mr Haldane added he thought “there were mistakes in execution” of the autumn budget in October, “but even larger mistakes in the communication around that budget”.
He said: “Personally, I would not have loaded so much onto business at the budget but more importantly still, I would have found a way of communicating that budget in terms that could help businesses see that if not now, then tomorrow, this was a pro-business budget and that wasn’t done and that led to the further breakdown in business confidence.”
In the wide-ranging interview, Mr Haldane also said he thinks Donald Trump “taking an axe to regulation” and thinking “very differently” about how government functions means there is “a chance of real growth and supply side upside from which we will all learn better”.
You can watch the full interview at 7pm on Wednesday on Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge on Sky News.
Politics
John Healey issues warning to Vladimir Putin after Russian spy vessel spotted in British waters
Defence Secretary John Healey has issued a stark warning to Vladimir Putin after a Russian spy ship was detected operating near UK waters.
“We see you, we know what you are doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country,” Healey told MPs.
Healey revealed the Russians have been using the ship for “gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure”.
In November, the Yantar was detected “loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure”, prompting a decisive response from British forces.
John Healey spoke to MPs in the House of Commons earlier today
Parliament
“I authorised a Royal Navy submarine, strictly as a deterrent measure, to surface close to the Yantar to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move,” the Defence Secretary said.
The submarine is believed to have been one of Britain’s Astute-class nuclear-powered attack boats.
Following the encounter, the Russian vessel departed UK waters and sailed towards the Mediterranean.
The Yantar has now returned to the North Sea, having entered the UK exclusive economic zone approximately 45 miles off the British coast on Monday.
LATEST NEWS:
Royal Navy vessels HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne have been deployed to monitor the Russian ship’s movements.
The warships have been tracking the vessel’s every move through British waters for the past two days.
“The foreign ship Yantar is currently in the North Sea having passed through British waters,” Healey told MPs.
So far, the Defence Secretary noted that the Russian vessel has been complying with international rules of navigation.
So far, the Defence Secretary noted that the Russian vessel has been complying with international rules of navigation
PA
In response to the Yantar’s return, Healey has implemented new rules of engagement for Royal Navy vessels.
The Defence Secretary confirmed he had amended the protocols to allow British warships to better understand the movement of the Russian vessel.
“I changed the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement so that our warships can get closer and better track the Yantar,” Healey told MPs.
He emphasised the vessel’s intelligence-gathering capabilities, saying: “Let me be clear, this is a Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure.”
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Rachel Reeves plans for a “family farm tax” have suffered a major blow after the supermarket giant Tesco called on her to halt the policy.
In a highly unusual move, the retailer backed farmers in their fight against the inheritance tax raid, with its chief commercial officer warning the “UK’s future food security is at stake”.
In a double blow to the chancellor as she seeks to woo business investment to the UK at the World Economic Forum in Davos another huge supermarket, Lidl, also called on her to pause the policy.
Their calls mean Tesco, British agriculture’s biggest customer, and Lidl have now joined other major supermarket chains Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons in backing farmers.
Tesco’s chief commercial officer Ashwin Prasad said that ensuring farms remained economically sustainable was “essential” not just to food security but so customers “can continue to get the great quality food they want, at a price they can afford”.
The calls will increase pressure on Ms Reeves to U-turn on her controversial tax raid. The chancellor has faced a furious backlash to her Budget decision to extend inheritance tax to family farms, which critics warn could sound the death knell for family farms in England.
The changes mean that farms valued at £1m or more would be liable for 20 per cent inheritance tax.
The Treasury says that, with tax allowances, in reality only farms worth £3m would be affected, just 28 per cent of family farms. But official Defra figures appear to suggest as many as 66 per cent could be hit.
Thousands of farmers brought Westminster to a standstill in November when they descended on the capital to voice their opposition to the change.
Mr Prasad said: “One message is loud and clear: farmers desperately need more certainty. After years of policy change, it has been harder than ever for them to plan ahead or to invest in their farms.
“One current area of uncertainty is the proposed change to inheritance tax relief. With many smaller farms relying on APR (agricultural property relief) and BPR (business property relief) we fully understand their concerns.
“It’s why we’ll be supporting the NFU’s calls for a pause in the implementation of the policy, while a full consultation is carried out.”
Lidl said in a statement: “Providing security and long-term investment for British agriculture is key to helping ensure that farmers can continue to produce affordable and increasingly sustainable food for generations to come.
“We are concerned that the recent changes to the inheritance tax regime will impact farmer and grower confidence and hold back the investment needed to build a resilient, productive and sustainable British food system.
“We, therefore, support the call by the farming community to pause the implementation of those changes and to consult with industry to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. We will be raising our concerns with Government at any opportunity we get.”
On Friday, Asda also offered their public support for farmers by backing the NFU’s demand for a “pause” in implementing the changes. And earlier this month, Morrisons told farmers “we’re with you” in the fight.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed recently offered an apology for having “shocked” farmers with the Budget measures.
But he, and other cabinet minister, blame the tax raid on a £22billion ‘black hole’ in the public finances left by the previous Tory government.
Separately, a new report by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) casts doubt on how much money the raid will raise. The expected revenue, £500m a year by 2029, has been given a ‘high’ uncertainty rating by the spending watchdog. Shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins MP said ministers “still can’t tell us how many businesses will be affected.
“They have chosen to destroy British family farming for little return. The OBR is clear that it will be near impossible for older farmers to restructure their affairs quickly in response to this vindictive tax.
“Farmers up and down the country are worried sick about their families’ futures and Labour’s tax bills.”
Liberal Democrat rural affairs spokesperson Tim Farron said the report “confirms that the government’s misguided family farm tax is mired in problems and will penalise British farmers for practically no benefit.
“It is deeply concerning that older farmers will be hit hardest from this tax, with the rug pulled from under them before they can change their plans. And with tax revenue expected to be highly uncertain and unstable for two decades, the Chancellor’s excuses simply don’t stack up. The government must do the right thing and scrap the family farm tax before it’s too late.”
BBC News
BBC Turkish
A day of mourning is under way in Turkey for the 76 victims of a fire that engulfed a popular ski resort hotel in the country’s north-west.
The fire broke out at the wooden-clad 12-storey Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu at 03:27 local time (00:27 GMT) during a busy holiday period when 234 people were staying there. It took 12 hours to put out.
An investigation has been launched into the incident and there have been conflicting reports about whether the hotel was up to safety standards.
Nine people have been arrested, including the hotel’s owner.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who visited Bolu on Wednesday, said those responsible for negligence leading to the fire “will be held accountable”.
Flags are flying at half-mast across Turkey in memory of the victims of the fire, while the first funerals are being held.
Search and rescue teams are making their final efforts to find any remaining bodies.
The authorities said that they were assessing all risks, including the possibility of collapse, for the building.
Alongside the fatalities, 51 people were injured in the fire, according to health minister Kemal Memisoglu. One was receiving treatment in intensive care, and 17 people have been discharged. Relatives have been gathering outside the hospitals where they are being treated.
A person the BBC met in front of the morgue said that he had received news that seven of his relatives had died and that he had visited hospitals looking for their bodies. He later learned that the morgue was empty.
Footage circulating showed linen hanging from windows which was used by those trying to escape the burning building. On Wednesday, these could still be seen swaying in the wind.
The cause of the fire has not yet been found, but Bolu governor Abdulaziz Aydin said initial reports suggested it had broken out in the restaurant section of the hotel’s fourth floor and spread to the floors above.
Aydin said the hotel’s remote location and freezing conditions meant it took more than an hour for fire engines to arrive.
The hotel was last inspected in 2024, and the tourism minister said there had been no concerns regarding the hotel’s fire safety prior to Tuesday’s disaster.
However, the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) said that, according to regulations, an automatic fire extinguisher system was needed, and it appeared from photos of the hotel that one had not been installed.
It added that it was unclear if other regulations had been complied with, but based on the statements of survivors, “it is understood that the detection and warning systems did not work and the escape routes could not be determined”.
Some survivors reported that they had not heard any fire alarms.
The Bolu mountains are popular with skiers from Istanbul and Turkey’s capital Ankara, which is roughly 170km (105 miles) away, and the hotel was operating at high occupancy at the start of the two-week school holidays.
Who are the victims?
InstagramInformation about those who died in the fire is continuing to emerge, although some of the bodies are still to be identified. At least two people were killed after they tried to jump to safety.
Many children and young people are among the dead and, in many cases, several members of the same family have been killed.
Turkish Airlines confirmed that Zehra Sena Gültekin died along with her husband, businessman Bilal Gültekin, and three children. Boğaziçi Executives Foundation said two of Bilal’s siblings were also killed.
These included Dr Enes Gültekin, who the Medical Union said had died, along with Izmir dentist Dr Kübra Tonguç Altın and his daughter Alya.
More than 10 members of the Gültekin family are thought to have died in total. President Erdogan and his wife attended the family’s funeral on Wednesday.
Dentist Dr Burak Hasar announced that his colleague of 15-years, Dr Yasemen Boncuk Tüzgiray, her husband Dr Erhan Tüzgiray, and their children Defne and Demir had all died.
The Turkish Wind Energy Association announced that two executives from one of its members, Inovat Energy Storage Solutions, were killed. They are the company’s CEO Can Tokcan, his brother Atıl Enis Tokcan, and their children Kemal and Atlas Kaan.
Tarsus American College announced the death of its graduates Mert Doğan, his wife Duygu, and their children Mavi and Doğa, as well as another graduate’s grandson Ömür Kotan.
The İELEV Schools association announced the death of students Pelin Güngör, her mother Burcu, father Kıvanç and brother Kerem.
Staff at the hotel were also killed, including chef Eslem Uyanik. Turkish media quoted Süleyman Nazik, who said his daughter, Esra Nazik, had died and had just started working there.
Özyeğin ÜniversitesiProf Dr Atakan Yalçın, who worked at the Özyeğin University Faculty of Business, and his daughter Elif Derin, both died.
Nedim Turkmen, a writer for Sozcu newspaper, his wife Ayse Neva, and their two children, 18-year-old Ala Dora and 22-year-old Yüce Ata, were all killed.
TED Istanbul College announced the death of students Alican Boduroğlu, his sister Elif Nas, as well as their mother Ebru.
Meanwhile, TED Ankara College shared the news of the death of Eren Bağcı on its social media accounts.
Dilara Ermanoglu, 24, was also among the victims, and her father who had gone to Bolu to look for her was treated by health workers for a heart attack.
Vedia Nil Apak, a 10-year-old swimmer with Fenerbahce Sports Club in Istanbul, also died, along with her mother Ferda.
Club management also said that Ceren Yaman Doğan, the wife of the vice president of its Bolu association, and their 17-year-old daughter Lalin, were killed. Ceren was also the daughter of a well-known local businessman.
Mehmet Cem Doğan, the Bolu factory director for OYAK cement, died, as did his wife Ayşemin Elif and daughter Ayşe Maya.
The Turkish Neurology Association said its member, Dr Ahmet Çetiz, was killed alongside his family.
Başkent University published a condolence message regarding the death of its graduate Müge Suyolcu and her daughter Pera.
The death of intern doctor Yiğit Gençbay, a senior student at the university’s medicine department, was also announced.
The mother and grandfather of the British boy who went missing for six years will not face any criminal charges, police have said, after the family withdrew support for a prosecution.
Alex Batty was 11 when he disappeared in 2017 after travelling to Spain with his mother, Melanie Batty, and grandfather, David Batty, for a holiday.
They did not return, and Alex was reported missing a week later by his grandmother, Susan Caruana, who was his legal guardian while he was under the age of 18.
It began a police investigation that would span six years.
Alex was found when a medical student offered him a lift in the early hours of Wednesday after seeing him walking alone in heavy rain near southern France, about an hour from Toulouse.
Alex initially gave a fake name, saying he was called Zac, but quickly started opening up and told him he had been kidnapped by his mother when he was 11. The teenager revealed he had been hiking in the mountains for four days in an attempt to return home to England.
Alex Batty’s grandmother, Susan Caruana, pictured in 2017
He now lives in Greater Manchester, “surrounded by those who love him”, the police have said.
A criminal investigation was launched into his disappearance, but this has now been closed after Alex’s family withdrew support. After consulting various partners, Greater Manchester Police also concluded there would be no realistic chance of a prosecution.
He was 11 when he disappeared. Pic: GMP
What have the police said?
Detective Superintendent Matt Walker, who led the investigation said this was the outcome the family had wished for.
“Alex and his safety has been at the forefront of our minds and actions since he was found in Toulouse, France in 2023,” he said in a statement.
“In our commitment to protecting children, we felt it was important that the circumstances of Alex’s disappearance be properly and thoroughly investigated. I led a dedicated team to do exactly that when Alex was first found, and this has continued since.
Mother Melanie Batty did not have parental guardianship of Alex
“We have consulted with various partners, such as a complex case CPS lawyer and the National Crime Agency throughout, and concluded there would be no realistic chance of criminal prosecution.
“Given this, the right thing to do is bring closure to this chapter of Alex and his family’s lives, particularly as this is the outcome they wished for.
“Alex is now an adult, safe, and reintegrated with life back in Greater Manchester surrounded by those who love him, which ultimately is the priority.”
David Batty was previously wanted in connection with Alex’s abduction
Where did Alex Batty go for six years?
Alex told the man who found him he had lived in a luxury house in Spain with a group of 10 people as part of a “spiritual community” before moving to France in 2021.
Read more: What happened to Alex Batty?
The student said Alex did not seem angry – he said he had not been chained up – but wasn’t sure if he was allowed to leave at any time.
Views of the road in Toulouse where Alex Batty was found.
“He didn’t have regrets [about leaving the community]… he just wanted to live a normal life, to see his grandmother again and to have a normal future, that’s the word that he used,” the student, Fabien Accidini said.
Mr Accidini agreed to let Alex borrow his phone – which he used to send a Facebook message to his grandmother in the UK, saying “I love you, I want to come home”
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