Connect with us

Published

on

Police searching for a missing mother and her two children have arrested a man on suspicion of child abduction and conspiracy to kidnap.

Essex mum Jamie-Leigh Kelly, 31, left a centre for vulnerable mothers and children in Colindale in north London on 19 September with her three-year-old daughter and newborn baby boy, against the wishes of staff.

The Metropolitan Police said she left the centre at around 7.40pm, putting them in a blue Ford Fiesta which then drove away “at speed”.

Officers added it is believed the driver is a woman, and has yet to be identified, and the car has not been found.

The woman has links to Thurrock in Essex and Havering in east London, police said.

On Wednesday a man in his 50s was arrested in connection with the investigation, on suspicion of child abduction and conspiracy to kidnap. He remains in custody in Essex.

A blue Ford Fiesta in which Jamie-Leigh Kelly fled with her children
Image:
A blue Ford Fiesta in which Jamie-Leigh Kelly fled with her children

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, said: “We are extremely concerned about the welfare of Jamie-Leigh and her children, one of whom is less than one month old.

More on Essex

“Jamie-Leigh, I am making a direct appeal to you to contact us, so we can ensure the children are safe and well.

“We know you have no intention for the children to come to harm, so we are asking you to please pick up the phone and have a conversation with us so we can meet with you.

“The baby may need medical care as he is new-born, so please put him first and contact us.”

Read more from Sky News:
One dead and dozens injured after bus crash
TikTok star jailed after pork pie video stunt
Sophie Turner sues Joe Jonas
Devon hospitals under pressure due to strikes

The detective added: “I have a team of detectives carrying out extensive lines of enquiry alongside Essex Police colleagues, and both Thurrock and Havering local authorities have been extremely supportive as we continue efforts to locate the family.

“We believe Jamie-Leigh is being assisted, and we ask anyone in Essex or London or further afield who may have information to call our incident room without delay, or dial 999 with any real-time sightings.”

Police said there is no indication the child has been harmed but officers are “extremely concerned” about their welfare.

Ms Kelly is described as white with green eyes, five feet four inches tall, and was wearing a white jumper or long-sleeved top, white jogging bottoms and white trainers at the time of her disappearance.

Continue Reading

UK

Man accused of driving into crowds at Liverpool victory parade faces further 24 charges

Published

on

By

Man accused of driving into crowds at Liverpool victory parade faces further 24 charges

A man accused of driving into crowds at Liverpool FC’s title parade faces 24 new charges.

More than 130 people, including children, were injured when Paul Doyle allegedly drove his Ford Galaxy vehicle into hordes of fans at the celebrations on 26 May.

The 53-year-old, of Croxteth, Liverpool, was originally charged with two counts of wounding with intent, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, two counts of attempted grievous bodily harm with intent, and one count of dangerous driving.

Six of the new alleged offences relate to babies, including one six-month-old and one seven-month-old, proceedings at Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday.

The new indictment, which was not read out in court, now has 31 counts relating to 29 victims, aged between six months and 77 years old.

Doyle now faces 18 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, two counts of wounding with intent, one count of dangerous driving and one count of affray.

He appeared in court via video link from prison and was in tears.

Read more from Sky News:
Fourteen injured after children’s rollercoaster ‘derails’
Travellers warned after rise in chikungunya infections
Photos of ‘zombie rabbits’ go viral – yes, they’re real

He did not enter any pleas during the hearing, which lasted around 20 minutes.

The case was adjourned until 4 September, when Doyle is expected to enter pleas.

Continue Reading

UK

Mosquito bite warning after rise in chikungunya cases in travellers returning to UK

Published

on

By

Mosquito bite warning after rise in chikungunya cases in travellers returning to UK

Travellers are being warned about mosquito bites on holiday after a rise in chikungunya infections in people returning to the UK.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also said the first cases of the emerging oropouche virus had been recorded.

Chikungunya typically causes sudden fever and joint pain, which can be debilitating, and lasts from a few days to weeks.

The name comes from a word in a Tanzanian language meaning “that which bends up”, owing to the joint pain associated with it.

Most people recover but in some cases the symptoms can last several months or even years.

It’s spread by mosquito bites in tropical and subtropical regions, and most of the 73 cases reported in the UK so far this year were in London and linked to travel to Sri Lanka, India, and Mauritius.

Only 27 cases were reported in the same January to June period last year.

More from UK

Chikungunya can’t spread directly from person to person – so if someone becomes ill in the UK, they can’t pass the infection on, and the mosquitos responsible aren’t present here.

Dr Philip Veal, consultant in public health at the UKHSA, said it can be a “nasty disease” and the increase in cases was “worrying”.

“It is essential to take precautions against mosquito bites when travelling,” he said.

More on this story:
Thousands fall ill with chikungunya in China

“Simple steps, such as using insect repellent, covering up your skin and sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets can greatly reduce the risk.”

Chikungunya is mainly found in Asia and Africa, but cases have been reported in Europe and North America this year.

Two vaccines to guard against the infection are available in the UK from private travel clinics.

The first cases of the Oropouche virus have also been confirmed in Britain, according to the UKHSA.

It’s spread by midge and mosquito bites and the three cases are all linked to travel to Brazil.

Oropouche was first identified in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1950s and had been mainly confined to the Amazon area.

However, cases have been increasing since 2023 and have shown up in places such as the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Peru.

Read more from Sky News:
Swarm of jellyfish shuts down nuclear plant
Vaccine gives hope for pancreatic cancer patients

Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea and vomiting.

Anyone who gets such symptoms after being in Central and South America or the Caribbean is advised to get urgent medical advice.

Most people recover on their own, but it can cause severe disease in the very elderly or those with a weak immune system.

Continue Reading

UK

Man staying at hotel that has been focus of protests denies sexual assault charge

Published

on

By

Man staying at hotel that has been focus of protests denies sexual assault charge

A man staying at a hotel that has been the focus of a series of protests has denied a charge of sexual assault and faces a trial next month.

Mohammed Sharwarq, a 32-year-old Syrian national, was arrested after police were called to the Bell Hotel on the Epping High Road in Essex yesterday, police said.

Sharwarq, who is alleged to have kissed a man on the neck, indicated a plea of not guilty to a charge of sexual assault at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court today.

He indicated guilty pleas to six further charges concerning four complainants – with two counts of common assault and four of assault by beating.

Sharwarq is alleged to have punched a man in the face, thrown an object at a man, slapped a third man in the face and attempted to punch a fourth.

Sky News understands the alleged offences took place inside the hotel between 25 July and 12 August.

Read more from Sky News:
Three teens in court over man’s murder
What to expect from Trump-Putin summit

District judge Lynette Woodrow remanded Sharwarq, who was assisted in court by an Arabic interpreter, in custody until his trial on 30 September.

The arrest followed weeks of protests outside the hotel.

Neil Hudson, the Conservative MP for Epping Forest, said last month that the protests were a crisis that “risks boiling over”.

Continue Reading

Trending