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More than 100 claimants attempting to sue for damage to their babies allegedly caused by Primodos have had their legal challenge struck out.

Their claim was against Bayer, the manufacturer of the pregnancy test drug, and another pharmaceutical company, Sanofi – who had produced a similar product used by fewer women.

The claim was also against the Department of Health for failure to regulate the drug when concerns first emerged about it among the medical community.

Families claim that the hormone-packed pill used to determine whether the woman was pregnant in the 1960s and 70s caused miscarriages, stillbirths or deformities to the babies of many women who were prescribed the drug by their GPs.

But lawyers representing the pharmaceutical companies applied for a strike-out, which essentially asks the court to throw out non-viable claims, before they reach a full court hearing.

Following the strike-out application, the claimants’ solicitors withdrew, leaving them with barristers, solicitors and experts working on a pro-bono basis.

This meant lawyers acting for the pharmaceutical companies could argue that the claimants had no lawyers and no funds and hence the claim itself was unrealistic – they couldn’t afford to get it to court.

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Despite having apologised to the victims of Primodos in July 2020, the government lawyers also backed the strike-out claim, arguing the case alongside lawyers for the manufacturers, that the case was not realistic.

Campaigners ‘fought hard’ for justice

The government apology came after a scathing review headed by Baroness Cumberlege found that “much anguish, suffering and many ruined lives” were caused by three medical products; vaginal mesh, Valproate and Primodos.

The then health secretary, Matt Hancock, issued a “full apology” agreeing that the affair was a scandal.

Read more:
How the scandal unfolded
‘Significant’ changes were made to key report
Theresa May said victims were told ‘you’re imagining it’

Referring to an original legal claim which failed back in 1982, Mrs Justice Jipp said: “I recognise the profound disappointment my judgement will bring for the claimants.

“They believe, and will no doubt continue to believe, that HPTs [hormonal pregnancy tests] were the cause of the birth defects and the loss of the babies which they have suffered.

“No one has been able to confirm definitively that this belief is wrong. The claimants do not believe justice was done in 1982 and they have fought hard to seek justice since.

“While it appeared that the tide was changing in the last decade, developments have not been sustained in a direction that allows them to demonstrate any real change from the position when the earlier test cases were discontinued in 1982.”

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Campaigners against Primodos

Limited funding

Referring to the ability of the claimants to get funding for a full legal claim, Mrs Justice Jipp added: “It is now over a year since their former solicitors came off the record.

“They have not been able to secure alternative representation, other than by counsel on a pro bono basis. That arrangement does not cover the conduct of the litigation.

“The claimants have only limited funding… There is no evidence that they are likely to secure the funds necessary to progress their claim.”

Campaigners and Sky News have in recent years uncovered evidence of a link between the drug and birth defects – including archives in Berlin suggesting the British regulator found there was a significant risk to the foetus, but he had destroyed all the material on which his investigation was based.

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IT issue affects flights at Edinburgh Airport

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IT issue affects flights at Edinburgh Airport

All flights were halted at Edinburgh Airport this morning due to an IT issue affecting its air traffic control provider.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the airport later announced service had resumed.

Its post read: “Flights have now resumed following the IT issue with our air traffic provider.

“We thank passengers for their patience and understanding.”

But passengers continue to feel the effects.

A Delta Air Lines flight from New York to Edinburgh was diverted to Dublin after going into a holding pattern over the Scottish capital.

And a live arrivals board on the airport’s website showed multiple flights diverted, delayed and cancelled.

Arrivals board at Edinburgh Airport. Pic: Edinburgh Airport
Image:
Arrivals board at Edinburgh Airport. Pic: Edinburgh Airport

Morven McCall and Cody Stevenson, both 19, were due to fly easyJet from Edinburgh to Amsterdam on their first trip away together.

Morven told Sky News: “We literally just got into the airport and as soon as we walked through the door there was an announcement that it had been cancelled.

“I was ill over the summer and had to cancel two holidays already, this was our first time going away together. We are just gutted and stressed.”

Follow live: Latest updates as flights halted

Arrivals at Edinburgh Airport. File pic: PA
Image:
Arrivals at Edinburgh Airport. File pic: PA

One passenger was on a plane when they found out.

They said: “We boarded our flight and pushed back on time for an 8.45 (am) departure, then sat for a while before the pilot told us what was happening.

“He updated us a couple of times, cabin crew are brilliant at handing out water etc, and I’m surprised that everyone appears to be upbeat. But then you do wonder how long for, just been told we’re hoping to be in the air in 20 minutes.”

Another passenger told us: “The first news was from the airport announcement as we were halfway through boarding, saying the airfield was closed due to air traffic control down.

“No one knew what was going on. We’d already been delayed a bit before boarding, with no reason. I suspect problems started about 9am.”

It comes after an earlier announcement that all flights had been halted.

“No flights are currently operating from Edinburgh Airport,” the previous statement said.

“Teams are working on the issue and will resolve as soon as possible.”

There was no timeframe for recovery initially, Sky News learned.

It’s understood by PA that the issue was not linked to today’s Cloudflare outage.

Edinburgh Trams also posted on X, writing: “If you’re travelling with us to @EDI_Airport this morning, please be aware that flights are not currently operating.”

The airport urged passengers to contact their airline for the latest information on flights.

An average of 43,000 passengers per day use the airport, which is served by 37 airlines flying to 155 destinations.

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Teenager fatally hit by car on motorway had been tasered by police, watchdog says

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Teenager fatally hit by car on motorway had been tasered by police, watchdog says

The police watchdog says it is investigating after a teenager who was tasered by an officer on a motorway was fatally hit by a car.

Logan Smith, 18, was being taken to hospital in an ambulance at about 11pm on Sunday when the vehicle stopped on the hard shoulder of the M5 in Somerset.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the vehicle stopped on the northbound carriageway “due to the concerns of ambulance staff”.

Mr Smith got out of the ambulance near the junction for Weston-super-Mare and “entered the live lanes of the motorway”, the watchdog added.

Police were called and an officer arrived at the scene, with bodycam footage showing the officer discharging their Taser, causing the teenager to fall to the ground.

“Soon afterwards” Mr Smith was struck by a car travelling on the southbound carriageway, the IOPC said.

The watchdog said it was investigating the “actions and decisions taken by Avon and Somerset Police prior to the death of a teenager”.

IOPC Director Derrick Campbell said: “My thoughts and sympathies are with Logan’s family and friends and everyone affected by this shocking and tragic incident. 

“We want to reassure everyone that we will independently investigate all the circumstances surrounding this incident, including the use of a Taser.

“After being notified by the force, we sent our investigators to the police post incident procedure to begin gathering evidence.

“We have taken initial accounts from the officer and ambulance staff involved.

“We met with Logan’s family on Tuesday, to give our condolences, explain our role and to provide some further detail about our investigation, including a Taser being discharged during the incident.

“We will continue to keep them updated and they request that their privacy be respected at such a difficult time.”

The coroner has been informed and formal identification and a post-mortem have taken place.

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Former doctor charged over alleged sexual assaults on 38 patients

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Former doctor charged over alleged sexual assaults on 38 patients

A former doctor has been charged over alleged sexual assaults on 38 patients in his care.

Nathaniel Spencer, 38, has been charged with 15 counts of sexual assault, 17 counts of assault by penetration, nine counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, three counts of assault a child under 13 by penetration and one count of attempted assault by penetration.

It follows a police investigation into alleged sexual offences between 2017 and 2021.

Staffordshire Police said in a statement the charges come after a complex investigation by the Public Protection Unit into sexual offences at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, in Stoke-on-Trent, and Russells Hall Hospital, in Dudley.

North Staffordshire Justice Centre
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North Staffordshire Justice Centre

Ben Samples, deputy chief crown prosecutor for the West Midlands CPS Complex Casework Unit and Serious Violence, Organised Crime and Exploitation Unit, said: “We have decided to prosecute Nathaniel Spencer for a number of serious sexual offences allegedly carried out against patients while he was working as a doctor – including assault by penetration and sexual assault against a child.

“Our prosecutors have worked at length to support a detailed and complex investigation by Staffordshire Police, carefully reviewing the available evidence to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.”

Spencer, from Birmingham, will appear at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on 20 January 2026.

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