A woman has been filmed cutting yellow ribbons tied to a gate in London, put up in commemoration of Israeli hostages.

When confronted by two bystanders near the gate in Muswell Hill, north London, the woman said: “I’m not committing a crime.

“If I am, then call the police and you let them know that you have an issue with this.”

In the video, a man branded the woman “a disgusting little human being,” to which she replied: “I think condoning genocide is disgusting.”

The bystander asked her: “So we’re condoning genocide?”

The woman then appeared to point at the ribbons and said: “That’s what this is.”

October 7 anniversary latest: Families demand answers

The yellow ribbon has been used as a symbol of the plight of those taken captive since the 1979 US-Iranian hostage crisis, and has become synonymous with the hostages held in Gaza since 7 October 2023.

The ribbons are used as part of the ‘Bring Them Home’ campaign, which was introduced to raise awareness of the hostages’ plight and help amplify calls for the unconditional release of those still held by Hamas.

The Metropolitan Police told Sky News: “Officers have stepped up reassurance patrols in the Muswell Hill area, following reports that yellow ribbons were removed from fence poles.”

A spokesperson said the force was made aware of a video circulating online which “appears to show a woman removing the ribbons in Muswell Hill” at 4.25pm on Monday.

“Officers attended the location and are reviewing the footage to determine whether any offences, including hate crime or criminal damage, have been committed. Enquiries remain ongoing,” the spokesperson added.

Officers are asking anyone with information to contact the force.

Read more from Sky News:
Two lives torn apart by October 7
Israel deports Gaza aid flotilla activists

The incident happened just a day before the second anniversary of the October 7 attack, when Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 back to Gaza as hostages.

Israel says 48 hostages remain in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Gaza’s health ministry says Israel’s offensive has killed more than 67,000 people in the region since 7 October 2023. It does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures, but says more than half of those killed are women and children.

Ineos, the chemicals group founded by Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has hit out at the government after cutting a fifth of the workforce at a factory in Hull.

The company said 60 skilled jobs were going at the Acetyls factory “as a direct result of sky-high energy costs and anti-competitive trade practices, as importers ‘dump’ product into the UK and European markets”.

It called on the UK government and European Commission to impose trade tariffs on China, complaining that a lack of action to date had resulted in “dirt cheap” carbon-heavy imports flooding the market, making its products uncompetitive.

Money latest: Biggest pension regrets of retirees revealed

Ineos said the US had protected its manufacturing base through effective tariffs and warned that further jobs would be lost across Europe unless the authorities followed suit.

The company, founded by Sir Jim in 1998, is Europe’s largest producer of essential chemicals for a range of products including aspirin and paracetamol, adhesives and industrial coatings.

It recently invested £30m to switch its Hull plant energy source from natural gas to hydrogen. Ineos claimed Chinese competitors were emitting up to eight times more carbon dioxide than its UK operations.

“This is a textbook case of the UK and Europe sleepwalking into deindustrialisation,” the firm’s statement said.

“Ineos has invested heavily at Hull to cut CO₂, yet we’re being undercut by China and the US while left wide open by a complete absence of tariff protection.

“If governments don’t act now on energy, carbon and trade, we will keep losing factories, skills and jobs. And once these plants shut, they never come back.”

A Government spokesperson responded: “We know this is a tough time for our chemicals industry, who are paying the fossil fuel penalty, with wholesale gas costs remaining 75% above their levels before Russia invaded Ukraine.

“Our modern Industrial Strategy is slashing electricity costs by up to 25% for sectors including chemicals, and the UK’s independent Trade Remedies Authority has the power to investigate the impact of cheap imports if requested by industry.

“We recognise this will be difficult for affected workers and their families, and we continue to engage with Ineos and the wider sector to explore potential solutions that will ensure a viable chemicals industry in the UK.”

An experienced surfer had to be saved from rough seas by the RNLI after a rip current pulled him more than half a mile away from the shore.

Video shows the crew from Porthcawl in South Wales racing to the scene to pull Ben Fraser from the water.

The 30-year-old had become stranded in choppy waters and gale-force winds when he was spotted by a dogwalker, who then called 999.

Mr Fraser has been surfing for 15 years but said he was not familiar with the strength of the rip current and found himself unable to paddle to safety.

He was pulled further and further from the main bay, leaving him no choice but to signal for help.

Luckily, he was found off Hutchwns Point and hauled on board by the lifeboat’s crew.

“I attempted to get onto the rocks at the cliffs, but soon realised it was too dangerous,” said Mr Fraser.

“Although I felt pretty calm, I knew I couldn’t get back to the beach myself and that the light was fading fast, which might have made it harder for people to spot me or for the lifeboat to find me.

“I want to say a huge thank you to the lady that saw me wave and called 999 for the Coastguard, her quick thinking meant the lifeboat reached me before it was dark.”

Gareth Collins, of Porthcawl RNLI, said the teams “rescue people without judgement” and the incident shows even those with lots of experience in the water might need help one day.

The RNLI advises people caught in a rip current to do the following:

• Don’t try to swim against it or you’ll get exhausted
• If you can stand, wade instead of swimming
• If you can, swim parallel to the shore until free of the rip and then head for shore
• Always raise your hand and shout for help