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There is “significantly less” armed police cover than normal in London, the head of the Metropolitan Police has warned, after a revolt by officers.

Sir Mark Rowley admitted the force faced “difficult choices” after hundreds of officers stood down from firearms duties following a murder charge against one of their colleagues.

He said firearms officers are “extremely anxious”, which was partly being driven by the concerns of their families.

“Many of them are under pressure from their partners, wives, husbands, parents, children, who actually are saying ‘I’m worried about what you might go through based on your job. I’m not sure we’re up to this as a family given the severity of it and the longevity that it might go’,” he said.

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Are armed officers right to protest?

Cover has been drafted in from neighbouring forces and the military could be used in the event of a terror attack, but soldiers do not have the authority to be used in routine policing.

Downing Street has insisted Londoners remain safe following the interim firearms support measures arranged by the Met Police.

But the Met Commissioner told a London policing board meeting on Tuesday: “We can provide credible firearms cover for London but I must be honest, it’s still significantly less than normal which will create some difficult choices.”

Sir Mark said numbers are “strengthening” aided by other forces sending officers which have filled some of those gaps, but added there was a “very significant effect on capability” over the past weekend.

The crisis has emerged after a police officer was charged with murder over the shooting of 24-year-old Chris Kaba, who was killed in September last year in Streatham Hill, south London.

The officer accused of his murder is named only as NX121 after a district judge granted an anonymity order.

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“The core of this issue is a real personal anxiety,” Sir Mark continued.

“We have three different types of firearms officers… the numbers who have said ‘I’m not sure I can carry a firearm at the moment because I’m so anxious’ has varied across those areas.”

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Police revolt ‘disappoints me’

The Scotland Yard chief said firearms officersabsolutely expect to be held to account – and recognise it is so critical for families and communities to have trust in policing”.

“We need a system of accountability… everyone needs confidence in a system which is speedy, professional and operates absolutely without fear or favour and searches for the truth,” Sir Mark said.

“We must be held accountable to the use of force and it must be done in a way that is fair and transparent and builds trust in communities.

“It must also be done in a way that leaves officers confident to do the difficult jobs… in a way that they are confident of the process that follows.”

He has called for “sufficient legal protection” for armed officers and has welcomed a review into the situation, which Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she has ordered to ensure police “have the confidence to do their job”.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman has said the Home Office review is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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”.

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