Girl hospitalised for septic shock after ant infestation bite in council home

Published

2 years ago

October 27, 2023

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A 15-year-old girl is being treated in hospital for septic shock caused by a bite from a tropical ant infestation in her home.

Rayanne Turay had to seek urgent medical treatment after an ant bite on her leg became infected.

Her mum, Jordann Griffiths, said she first complained to the council months ago. Although work has been carried out to combat the infestations, it wasn’t enough to get rid of the ants.

She told Sky News that the hospital took swabs from her daughter’s bites, which determined they were from ants.

“One of her bites, which was under her armpit, turned into an abscess and they drained it out and took swabs… and confirmed it was from an ant bite,” she said.

Mrs Griffiths added that “Rayanne is traumatised” and that she doesn’t want to come home.

“She doesn’t want to even see this place,” she said. “It was very scary for her. It was scary for me, and scary for her dad and people to see her the way she was.”

Housing experts say infestation cases are on the rise as the condition of the housing stock declines and unfit living conditions like mould and dampness attract rodents and insects.

Kwajo Tweneboa, a housing campaigner, said Mrs Griffiths got in contact with him several days ago regarding her daughter’s situation.

“I found that quite shocking straight away,” he said, adding that he hadn’t seen a case “as serious as that before”.

“She had said that she’d complained in the past and was really shaken up and quite fearful of what was going to happen to her daughter.”

He added that Mrs Griffiths has had multiple issues since living in her council home for the past 15 years, including damp, mould and disrepair, as well as the ant infestation.

“As soon as I saw it, I was very, very worried. If things were a lot worse and it didn’t turn out to how it’s played out, it could have been a lot worse for her and her daughter,” he said.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital also wrote a letter to the council, urging them to remedy the situation, after Rayanne was admitted under their care.

A Wandsworth Council spokesperson told Sky News: “This is obviously a distressing set of circumstances and we sincerely hope this young person makes a swift and full recovery.

“We are aware of a Pharoah ant infestation at this resident’s property and using a pest control contractor we have treated the property three times over the summer and will continue to repeat the treatments until the problem has been dealt with.

“A number of repairs to the property are also in hand and while we carry out these repairs and treatments we are offering the resident alternative accommodation so this situation can be resolved as quickly as possible.”

UK

Manhunt after five people stabbed at event in southeast London

Published

5 hours ago

May 17, 2025

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Manhunt after five people stabbed at event in southeast London

A manhunt has been launched after five people were stabbed at an event in southeast London, police have said.

Officers were called to Nathan Way, Thamesmead, at 4.19am on Saturday, the Metropolitan Police said.

Five people were found with stab wounds and were taken to hospital where their injuries are still being assessed.

No arrests have been made.

“Enquiries are ongoing and a cordon will remain in place throughout the day,” a Met Police statement said.

Police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

UK

Three Iranians charged under National Security Act after investigation by UK counter-terror police

Published

7 hours ago

May 17, 2025

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Three Iranians charged under National Security Act after investigation by UK counter-terror police

Three Iranian men have been charged with offences under the National Security Act in the UK, police have said.

The trio have been charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between 14 August 2024 and 16 February 2025, following an investigation by counter-terror police.

The Metropolitan Police said the three men are Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55.

The foreign state to which the charges relate is Iran, police said.

All three men will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday, the force added.

Sepahvand, of St John’s Wood, London, has also been charged with “surveillance, reconnaissance and open-source research” with the intention of “committing serious violence against a person in the UK”, according to a police statement.

Meanwhile, Manesh, of Kensal Rise, London, and Noori, of Ealing, London, have also been charged with “engaging in conduct, namely surveillance and reconnaissance, with the intention that acts, namely serious violence against a person in the UK, would be committed by others”.

Commander Dominic Murphy, from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, described the charges as “extremely serious”.

“Since the men were arrested two weeks ago, detectives have been working around the clock and we have worked closely with colleagues in the Crown Prosecution Service to reach this point,” he said.

“Now that these men have been charged, I would urge people not to speculate about this case, so that the criminal justice process can run its course.”

A fourth Iranian national aged 31 who was arrested was released with no further action on Thursday.

In a separate unrelated probe, counter-terror officers arrested five Iranian men, aged between 29 and 46, during raids across various locations in Greater Manchester, London, and Swindon earlier this month.

Last October, MI5 director general Ken McCallum said the UK intelligence agency had responded to 20 “potentially lethal” Iran-backed plots since 2022, warning of the risk of an “increase or broadening of Iranian state aggression in the UK”.

UK

Two firefighters and one other person die after fire at former RAF base in Oxfordshire

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2025

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Two firefighters and one other person die after fire at former RAF base in Oxfordshire

Two firefighters and a member of the public have died in a large fire in Bicester, the fire service announced.

The firefighters died in the inferno at a former RAF base in Oxfordshire, which now hosts historic motoring and aviation centre Bicester Motion.

The local fire service was called to the scene at 6.39pm last night.

Chief Fire Officer Rob MacDougall said: “It is with a very heavy heart that we today report the loss of two of our firefighters. Families have been informed and are being supported.

“Our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times and we ask for privacy to be respected.

“We cannot release any details at present but will provide further information as soon as we can.”

Two other firefighters sustained serious injuries and are currently being treated in hospital, Oxfordshire County Council said in a statement.

Footage shared on social media shows plumes of smoke billowing into the sky and flames swallowing the large building.

Ten fire crews attended the incident, with four remaining at the scene. The fire is still ongoing, but it is considered under control.

Local residents were advised to remain indoors and keep their windows shut, but this advice has now been lifted.

Bicester Motion said in a statement it would be closed today and over the weekend.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

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