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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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M4 and M48 closed after human remains found

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M4 and M48 closed after human remains found

Two motorways have been shut after human remains were found on the road. 

Several drivers reported a body on the carriageway between junctions 20 and 21 of the M4 – between Almondsbury and Awkley – at about 6.40pm this evening.

The body is believed to be that of a man in his forties, whose next of kin have been told.

A police investigation to establish how the person came to be on the motorway continues.

Parts of the M4 and M48 motorways near Bristol are likely to remain closed until the early hours of Sunday morning, Avon and Somerset Police said.

In a statement, the force said: “Police are keen to hear from anyone who was travelling along that stretch of the M4 has any relevant information or dashcam footage.”

The road closures were likely to cause significant delays in and out of Wales tonight, with closures starting on the English side of the Prince of Wales Bridge and the Severn Bridge.

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National Highways said the M4 is shut in both directions between junctions 20 and 21, while the M48 eastbound is closed from junction 1 near Aust.

The links from the M5 junction 15 south to the M4 junction 20 west, and the M5 junction 16 north to M4 junction 20 west were also closed.

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Starmer asks US to stand by Ukraine with security guarantee as bad peace deal would be ‘disaster’ for all

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Starmer asks US to stand by Ukraine with security guarantee as bad peace deal would be 'disaster' for all

Sir Keir Starmer has urged Donald Trump to stand by Ukraine with a security guarantee as he warned a bad peace deal would be a “disaster for everyone”.

The prime minister is due to meet the US president for talks in Washington DC next week amid fragile relations between America and Europe after Mr Trump launched a verbal attack on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The US president called Ukraine’s leader a “dictator” on Wednesday and later said Sir Keir and French President Emmanuel Macron, both of whom will visit the White House in the coming days, “haven’t done anything” to end the war.

Sir Keir Starmer leaves after a meeting in Paris with European leaders on Ukraine on 17 February. Pic: Reuters
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Sir Keir Starmer met with European leaders in Paris on Monday to discuss Ukraine. Pic: Reuters

Sir Keir said a good peace “can only be won through strength” and Ukraine “must have a voice in negotiations about its future”.

And he warned that a “peace deal which does not stop Putin from attacking again would be a disaster for everyone”.

Writing in The Sun on Sunday, he said Kyiv needs strong security guarantees “so the peace will last” and America “must be part of that guarantee”.

This could mean providing air defence and a promise that the US will come to the aid of a NATO country if Russia attacks them, the paper reported.

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So far, talks aimed at ending the war have been taking place between US and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia, which have not included the Ukrainians.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey has said “any negotiations about Ukraine cannot happen without Ukraine. We all want the fighting to end, but an insecure peace risks more war”.

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‘Turn the screws’ on Russia

The third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is on Monday.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said he will unveil new sanctions to “turn the screws” on Russia on Monday to coincide with the anniversary.

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Sir Keir also said the UK must increase its defence spending and play a bigger role in NATO.

And he is open to British troops playing a role in any European force in Ukraine after a peace agreement.

He added: “This is not something I say lightly.”

Sir Keir, along with other European allies and UK opposition parties, has backed Mr Zelensky as a “democratically elected leader”.

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Conflicting views over Ukraine deal

Also, Washington has warned that Europe must shoulder more of the cost of its own security.

Sir Keir is expected to use his upcoming trip to the US to confirm a timeline to raise UK defence spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in a bid to ease tensions.

It comes amid pressure from defence chiefs and opposition critics including Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who wrote to the prime minister on Saturday demanding he set out a plan for meeting the target.

:: Education secretary Bridget Phillipson, campaigner for global health and education Sarah Brown, and shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge will be discussing all the latest political stories in the UK and around the world on the Trevor Phillips on Sunday show on Sky News from 8.30am

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Girl, 3, dies after tram and van crash in Manchester city centre

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Girl, 3, dies after tram and van crash in Manchester city centre

A three-year-old girl has died after a collision between a tram and a van in Manchester city centre.

The girl was taken to hospital but died from her injuries, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

“No arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing,” the force said.

The child was a pedestrian and was not travelling in either the tram or van, GMP said.

The fatal collision happened on Mosley Street shortly before 10am, a Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) spokesperson said.

“All of our thoughts are with her family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time. We are supporting police with their investigation,” a statement said.

A North West Ambulance Service spokesperson said two ambulances, a rapid response vehicle and two air ambulance crews attended the scene.

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TfGM said there was continued disruption across the Metrolink after the incident and advised people to check the Bee Network website and app for the latest travel information.

Manchester‘s Bee Network said: “Due to a road traffic collision on Mosley Street in the city centre, no tram services are operating between St Peter’s Square and Piccadilly Gardens.”

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An X post from GMP’s traffic officers said: “Our officers are currently in attendance at a collision, involving a tram and another vehicle in Manchester city centre.

“We are presently trying to establish the circumstances however we envisage there will be a lengthy closure of surrounding streets near to St Peters Square.”

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