Jamie-Leigh Kelly: Children of missing mother found as woman arrested

Published

8 months ago

September 25, 2023

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Police searching for a missing mother have arrested a 31-year-old woman who attended an east London police station.

The woman was also taken to hospital as a precaution.

Two children reported missing from a centre for vulnerable mothers and children in London were found “safe and well” in Harwich earlier today.

Officers were looking for Jamie-Leigh Kelly, 31, who left the facility on Tuesday with her three-year-old daughter and newborn baby boy.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who is overseeing the investigation, said: “We are very pleased, and of course relieved, to have found the two children after an extensive inquiries over the past few days.

“They are safe and well and receiving precautionary medical attention.”

A 63-year-old woman was arrested at the Essex address on Sunday on suspicion of child abduction, assisting an offender, and perverting the course of justice, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said.

She remains in custody at an east London police station.

Ashley Hawkins, 52, of Alex Guy Gardens, Dagenham, and Jordan Hardy, 30, of Connor Road, Dagenham, are due to appear at Southend Magistrates’ Court in Essex on Monday, charged with two counts of child abduction.

UK

Mother of Jools Sweeney, 14, who took his own life is fighting social media companies for his search history

Published

3 hours ago

May 25, 2024

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Mother of Jools Sweeney, 14, who took his own life is fighting social media companies for his search history

A bereaved mother who has “absolutely no idea” why her son took his own life aged 14 is fighting social media companies to hand over his search history.

Jools Sweeney was found dead in April 2022. A coroner was unable to rule his death was a suicide as they were unable to prove he was in a “suicidal mood”, his mother Ellen Roome tells Sky News.

Ms Roome says he showed no signs of depression and police have ruled out any third-party involvement.

As a result, she says she has been left with “absolutely no idea why he isn’t here anymore”.

Having read about other teenagers taking their lives after viewing harmful content online, Ms Roome asked various social media companies for her son’s browsing history to shed light on why he died.

But she says: “Since my son’s death, I have not been able to access information to see what my son was looking at that could have contributed to him taking his own life.

“Parents should have the right to full access to their child’s social media accounts either whilst they are still alive (to protect them) or if they die as in my case.”

She launched a petition to have the issue debated in parliament. But in light of the general election on 4 July, all parliamentary petitions will be automatically closed on 30 May.

This leaves her with just days to reach her 100,000-signature target.

She tells Sky News: “It’s very ambitious but I need 85,000 signatures to hit my target which might give me access to Jools’s information to find out why he died.”

Asked about the impact of her son’s unexpected death, she adds: “It’s impossibly hard, it’s horrific, it consumes me.

“I have to try the only thing we haven’t tried and that is social media.

“It might not be that. But I don’t see why social media companies wouldn’t let me see if they’ve got nothing to hide.”

Quarter of children addicted to devices

A recent House of Commons Education Committee report suggested there has been a 52% increase in children’s screen time between 2020 and 2022, with a quarter said to be using their devices in an addictive manner.

MPs on the committee said that while the Online Safety Act will play a role in keeping children safe from online harms, full protection will not come until the Act is fully implemented in 2026.

They suggest the next government should ban all under-16s from having phones.

Ms Roome said: “I think there’s a bigger issue than banning outright under-16s.

“Because they still have access to other devices. That is a bigger problem. We need to control what’s on those devices. It’s shocking about what a child can see these days.”

Online safety campaigner Ian Russell, whose 14-year-old daughter Molly took her own life after viewing harmful material, said such a ban would “cause more harm than good” and would “punish children for the failures of tech companies to protect them”.

“The quickest and most effective route to protect children’s online safety and wellbeing is to strengthen the Online Safety Act in the next parliament and we call on all parties to commit to this in their manifestos,” he said.

Ms Roome adds: “Companies need to step up and stop waiting for the bill to make some changes.”

She describes her son as “entirely beautiful” and a “really polite young man”.

“I’m appealing to anybody out there to kindly share my petition. I want this debated in parliament. Parents need the right to be able to protect their children.”

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK

UK

Aircraft crashes in field in Lincolnshire

Published

3 hours ago

May 25, 2024

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Aircraft crashes in field in Lincolnshire

An aircraft has crashed in a field in Lincolnshire, police say.

Emergency crews are at the scene in Coningsby following reports the aircraft went down shortly before 1.20pm.

A Lincolnshire Police spokesperson said a “single occupant aircraft” is believed to have crashed and nobody else is thought to have been involved.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said it was aware of the incident but it was not involved as it was a military investigation.

It has been reported the crash involved a Spitfire taking part in a Battle of Britain memorial event.

Road closures are in place in the areas of Dogdyke Road and Sandy Bank.

Motorists have been asked to avoid the area and seek alternative routes.

UK

Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford announce divorce

Published

3 hours ago

May 25, 2024

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Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford announce divorce

Broadcasters Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford have announced they are going to divorce after 14 years of marriage.

The pair, who presented ITV daytime chat show This Morning together for 15 years before quitting the show in 2021, tied the knot in 2010.

They confirmed their split through a representative, who said: “Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes have confirmed their marriage is over and they are in the process of divorcing.”

After leaving This Morning, Holmes, 64, joined GB News where he presents the channel’s breakfast show and Langsford, also 64, is a regular on ITV’s Loose Women.

Together they also presented Channel 5 programmes including How The Other Half Lives and Do The Right Thing With Eamonn And Ruth, and made numerous appearances on Channel 4’s Celebrity Gogglebox.

Holmes and Langsford started dating in 1997.

Their wedding was attended by TV presenters Gloria Hunniford and Jeremy Kyle, EastEnders actress Zoe Lucker and former champion boxer Barry McGuigan.