COVID-19 no longer a leading cause of death in England and Wales

Published

3 years ago

April 11, 2023

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COVID-19 has dropped out of the top five leading causes of death in England and Wales for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

The virus was the sixth leading cause of death in 2022, down from the leading cause in both 2020 and 2021, with 73,766 deaths (12.1% of all deaths) and 67,350 (11.5%) respectively, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Sarah Caul, head of mortality analysis, said the figures represent a “significant change” in the leading causes of death since the beginning of the pandemic.

COVID levels among the population of England and Wales last year reached the highest they had ever been since the pandemic began, peaking at an estimated 4.4 million weekly infections at the end of March, due to the development of new variants.

But overall, 2022 saw a fall in COVID deaths, the leading cause being dementia and Alzheimer’s (11.4% of all deaths registered).

This reflects the success of the vaccination programme which was first rolled out across the country in early 2021, with booster doses subsequently made available to older and more vulnerable individuals.

The other top five causes of death in 2022 were ischaemic heart diseases; chronic lower respiratory diseases; cerebrovascular diseases such as strokes and aneurysms; and trachea, bronchus and lung cancer.

The only group in which the virus appeared in the top five was death among males aged 80 and over, where it was listed as third.

The overall number of deaths registered last year in England and Wales was 577,160, lower than both 2021 and 2020, but 6.2% above the five-year average, with more than 30,000 extra deaths.

Health experts have suggested that factors contributing this excess could include seasonal viruses such as flu, the impact of the summer heatwave, pressures on the NHS, and access to medical services.

UK

Woman arrested on suspicion of murder after death of two children in Stafford

Published

13 hours ago

October 12, 2025

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Woman arrested on suspicion of murder after death of two children in Stafford

A 43-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of two children in Stafford.

Police were called to a home on Corporation Street at around 7.30am on Sunday by West Midlands Ambulance Service.

Two children were pronounced dead at the scene, Staffordshire Police said.

Detective Inspector Kirsty Oldfield said: “We are working hard to understand more about what happened leading up to these two children tragically losing their lives.

“We ask that people do not speculate at this stage as it is distressing for family and friends and could hinder our inquiries.

“We understand that this incident may cause concern in the local community. We don’t believe there is wider threat to the public at this time.”

The 43-year-old woman, who is from the Stafford area, remains in custody.

The force has not confirmed the ages of the two children. Their next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers, police said.

UK

Man charged with stalking after allegedly targeting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and his family

Published

15 hours ago

October 12, 2025

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Man charged with stalking after allegedly targeting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and his family

A man has been charged with stalking and possession of a flick knife after allegedly targeting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and his family.

Inigo Rowland, 58, of Surbiton, south London, was arrested last Monday, but it was only made public on Sunday.

He appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody, the Met Police said.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between June and October.

Sir Ed, the MP for Kingston and Surbiton, lives in southwest London with his wife, Emily, their 17-year-old son John, and his younger sister Ellie.

A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “Inigo Rowland, 58, of Surbiton has been charged with stalking and possession of a flick knife.

“He appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 7 October and was remanded into custody. He will next appear at the same court on Tuesday, 14 October.

“He was arrested on Monday, 6 October in relation to the offences, which are alleged to have taken place between June and October.”

A Lib Dem spokesperson said: “We cannot provide any details at this time, Ed’s number one priority is the safety of his family.”

UK

Paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins dies after attack in prison

Published

1 day ago

October 12, 2025

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Paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins dies after attack in prison

Paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has died after being attacked in prison.

Watkins, 48, was serving a 29-year jail term for multiple sexual offences, including serious crimes against young children and babies at HMP Wakefield, in West Yorkshire.

He was attacked with a knife by another inmate on Saturday morning, sources have confirmed.

West Yorkshire Police said two men, aged 25 and 43, have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Watkins was pronounced dead at the scene after prison staff reported the assault to police.

The prison went into lockdown in the immediate aftermath of the incident, sources added.

A Prison Service spokesperson said they could not comment while the police investigate.

Watkins was previously stabbed in an incident at the same prison in 2023, suffering non life-threatening injuries after he was reportedly taken hostage by three other inmates before being freed by prison officers six hours later.

He was sentenced in December 2013 to 29 years in prison, with a further six years on licence, after admitting 13 sex offences, including the attempted rape of a fan’s baby.

He also encouraged a second fan to abuse her child during a webcam chat and secretly stashed child sexual abuse videos, some of which he had made himself.

At the time, police described him as a “committed, organised paedophile”.

Having found fame in Welsh rock band Lostprophets, Watkins was arrested after his Pontypridd home was searched on orders of a drug warrant in September 2012.

A large number of computers, mobile phones and storage devices were seized during the search.

When sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court, the singer was told he was being given an extended sentence – and a judge said his crimes “plumbed new depths of depravity”.

After being caught with a mobile phone behind bars in 2019, he told a court that he was locked up with “murderers, mass murderers, rapists, paedophiles, serial killers – the worst of the worst”.