Around one in six adults in Britain have been unable to buy essential food items in the last fortnight, representing up to eight million people – new figures indicate. Some 17% of adults said they had not been able to purchase such goods because they were not available, according to newly released data from the
UK
Motorists have reacted with fury after Insulate Britain protesters blocked the M25 during rush hour – as climate activists also halt traffic at a key London roundabout. Demonstrators are holding a protest at Junction 25 of the M25 at Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, causing long queues. One woman caught up in the tailback told demonstrators they
Council tax may need to rise by up to 5% a year for the next three years – the latest in a long list of warnings that the cost of living is expected to increase substantially. The forecast comes from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), which said that, under government spending plans, a rise
The UK has recorded 39,851 new COVID cases and 143 coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, government data shows. It is the highest number of daily infections reported since 6 September – when 41,192 cases were recorded. The latest figures compare with 33,869 COVID-19 infections and 166 fatalities recorded yesterday, and 36,722 cases and
The UK has recorded 33,869 new COVID-19 cases and a further 166 coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data. The figures compare with 35,077 COVID-19 infections and 33 fatalities reported yesterday, and 34,526 cases and 167 deaths recorded this time last week. The number of people in hospital with the disease
The mother of a teenager who was shot dead in the street says her hopes are fading that her son’s killer will ever be caught – and believes police have “prioritised” other murder cases. Cherie Nedd told Sky News that her 18-year-old son Ethan Nedd-Bruce “was just coming home” when he was attacked outside a
More than seven years after Stephen Port committed murder for the first time, an inquest has begun into the deaths of his four victims. Port, 46, is one of just 60 prisoners in the UK serving a whole-life sentence, which means he will die behind bars. Between June 2014 and September 2015, the former chef
Facebook has apologised after global reports of people having problems accessing its platforms, including Instagram and WhatsApp. Those two services and Facebook itself have all reportedly crashed, with users saying they are unable to send or receive messages, and their feeds are not refreshing. Andy Stone, from Facebook’s communications department, tweeted: “We’re aware that some
Nearly half of the toys purchased from third-party sellers via online marketplaces were unsafe for children to play with, a new study has found. The report commissioned by the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) found many of the potential gifts could choke, strangle, burn, poison and electrocute children. Out of the 255 toys that were
Soldiers will begin delivering fuel to petrol stations this morning as parts of the country continue to struggle with shortages. Around 200 military personnel are being deployed on Operation Escalin in an effort to increase the number of tanker drivers. Most of the troops, who have been on standby since last week, will work in
The sister of a teenager who died from COVID-19 says she cries herself to sleep every night, as she described the shock of losing her older sibling. Jorja Halliday, 15, died last Tuesday, hours after being rushed to the Queen Alexandria Hospital in Portsmouth. Her sister Julie, 12, says she was it was a “complete
The police officer who kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard was deployed to the Parliamentary Estate five times on several occasions last year. Wayne Couzens, who was jailed for life last week, abducted Ms Everard, 33, as she walked home from a friend’s house in Clapham, south London, on 3 March. The Old Bailey heard
A mother has warned that anyone can die from COVID-19, even young people after her teenage daughter died just days after contracting the virus. Jorja Halliday, 15, from Portsmouth, died at the Queen Alexandra Hospital on 28 September after she tested positive for the coronavirus four days earlier. Her mother, Tracy Halliday, 40, said: “Some
Boris Johnson has said he backs Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, who has faced calls to resign for her handling of the Sarah Everard case, and urged the public to “trust the police”. But the prime minister acknowledged “there is a problem” with how cases of rape and violence against women are handled. “I
Boris Johnson says “infuriating” police forces don’t take violence against women seriously enough and are “not doing enough help victims”. In the aftermath of the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by former Met Police officer Wayne Couzens, the prime minister blamed the failure on the slow progress of those types of cases in
The policing minister has said it would be “perfectly reasonable” for anyone being approached by a lone police officer to call 999 and seek reassurance in the wake of the rape and murder of Sarah Everard. Speaking to Sky News’ Kay Burley, Kit Malthouse gave advice on what people should do if they are approached