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The young police officer had barely started his shift when the first job came through the car radio.

Concerns had been raised about a vulnerable cancer patient suffering from depression who had missed two important hospital appointments, and the police had been asked to perform a welfare check.

PC Liam Cross had very little detail from the call handler. The first address turned out to be wrong.

At the second address, worried neighbours told the police officers they had not seen the man for five weeks.

PC Liam Cross of the Metropolitan Police
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PC Liam Cross of the Metropolitan Police

Officers from the Metropolitan Police attend a mental health call
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Officers from the Metropolitan Police attend a mental health call

But, they added, he did travel abroad regularly to see his family.

After a call to the patient’s doctor the police decide there is nothing more they can do.

“It’s more than likely that he is away on holiday,” PC Cross explains.

“From just speaking with the doctors there, they’re going to follow up next week, give a further phone call, monitor when he next picks up his medication, because he has got enough at the minute.”

The inconclusive search for the missing patient has taken two hours.

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There will be another ten health emergencies called in to PC Cross and his colleagues in this part of north London before his 12-hour shift is over.

Sometimes they can spend the entire day responding to mental health emergencies.

An entire shift can be spent waiting with a patient in a hospital’s emergency department.

PC Liam Cross from the Metropolitan Police

It is one of main reasons why the Metropolitan Police will stop responding to health emergencies from 1 November.

Thousands of police hours will be reclaimed allowing officers to spend more time policing London’s streets. But they insist they will still respond to the most serious emergencies.

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist is the London force’s lead on implementing the Right Care Right Person policy.

He told Sky News: “Where there is a risk to life, where a crime has been committed, or where there’s a risk to breach the peace, the police will always still attend.

“Where it’s purely a health care issue, where we are not the best people to attend, we would want the best people to attend, which are healthcare professionals.”

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist
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Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist

Mental health experts largely agree.

Sending uniformed officers to deal with someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis can often exacerbate the situation.

And police officers are not trained mental health experts.

The NHS denies this change has been forced on them by Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who set today’s deadline.

The health service says it has been working very closely with the Met to ensure a smooth transition. But it also stresses that the change must be phased and gradual.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley in Hackney, east London, to publicise his force's new PC recruitment ad campaign. Picture date: Wednesday July 19, 2023.
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Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. File pic

The police will be supported by a new 24/7 advice service for police officers to seek guidance from mental health specialists when they attend an incident before they decide to detain an individual under section 136.

The NHS says its own data shows that some eight in 10 people who are sectioned in London would benefit from community support rather than a hospital admission.

Martin Machray, Director of Performance, NHS London said: “Today, what we see is the introduction of a shared telephone number where we can give advice to the police about what to do if they feel they’ve got a person in front of them with a mental health crisis.

“That doesn’t mean always putting handcuffs on them and taking them to an A&E department.”

Despite the assurances from the police and the NHS, there are real fears that vulnerable people will be left exposed and at risk of harm when the police withdraw their response service.

These concerns come at a time when mental health services are at breaking point and the NHS faces up to the pressure and challenges of another difficult winter.

“There is concern that that isn’t going to be properly funded,” warned Brian Dow, the deputy chief executive of charity Rethink Mental Illness.

He told Sky News: “There are still some people, notably those people who are feeling at risk of suicide and who go missing, that the police won’t be called out to.

“And that is a concern because those are the very most vulnerable people who could fall through the cracks.”

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What do dolphins get up to beneath the waves? Their poo has the answers

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What do dolphins get up to beneath the waves? Their poo has the answers

Scientists are turning detective to work out what British dolphins are up to beneath the waves – by using forensic-style DNA techniques on their poo.

Conservationists have been studying the 250 or so bottlenose dolphins living in Cardigan Bay, west Wales, over many decades.

Up to now, they have only been able to observe the dolphins as they surface to breathe or play, identifying the animals from the unique marks on their dorsal fins to establish which animals were hanging out together and where.

Dolphins in Cardigan Bay. Pic: Sarah Perry/WTSWW
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Dolphins in Cardigan Bay. Pic: Sarah Perry/WTSWW

But now for the first time scientists are using DNA excreted by the dolphins in their poo to build a more complete picture of their lives.

It allows them to identify the sex of individuals and how they are related to other animals. Signficantly, it also shows what the dolphins have been eating.

Dolphin poo. Pic: Sarah Perry/WTSWW
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Dolphin poo. Pic: Sarah Perry/WTSWW

Dr Sarah Perry, marine conservation manager at The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, said: “In order to be able to conserve them, we need to know why they’re here and a big a missing part of that is, what they’re feeding on.

“Is that changing at different times of the year? Are certain species of fish more important to them early on in the year, in the spring, and the summer months, and then does that change over the autumn and winter months?

“Are certain species important for younger animals? We don’t know that, so that kind of information, we need to find out.”

Dr Sarah Perry
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Dr Sarah Perry

Catching dolphin poo involves a large element of luck.

The animals occasionally eject a cloud of waste material as they swim.

But it quickly sinks, so the scientists’ boat needs to be close enough for them to scoop it out of the sea with a fine-meshed net.

A sample is then sent to a lab at the University of Aberystwyth, where DNA is extracted for analysis.

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Scientists on the hunt for dolphin poo.
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Scientists on the hunt for dolphin poo

Dolphins adapting to effects of climate change

Results so far suggest the dolphins are having to adapt to a change in fish species as the water warms.

Dr Niall McKeown
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Dr Niall McKeown

Dr Niall McKeown, a marine biologist at the university, said: “We are seeing large amounts of sardine, sprat, and anchovy.

“This is quite interesting because these are species that are known to have increased in abundance in Welsh waters in recent years in response, we believe, to climate change.”

A scientist analyses a sample
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Dr Niall analyses a sample

Scientists unsure why dolphin numbers are falling

But questions remain about the dolphins.

The number in Cardigan Bay seems to be falling, but scientists are not sure whether that’s a natural cycle or a response to other factors.

Boat noise and disturbance from some fishing activities, such as scallop dredging, could impact the animals, which rely on sound to communicate.

Dr Parry said: “How lucky are we to have such an important population of dolphins here? It’s crazy that we really don’t know that much about them.”

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Sir Alan Bates attacks ‘kangaroo court’ Post Office scheme after ‘take it or leave it’ offer

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Sir Alan Bates attacks 'kangaroo court' Post Office scheme after 'take it or leave it' offer

Sir Alan Bates has accused the government of presiding over a “quasi kangaroo court” for Post Office compensation.

Writing in The Sunday Times, the campaigner, who led a years-long effort for justice for sub-postmasters, revealed he had been given a “take it or leave it” offer that was less than half of his original claim.

“The sub-postmaster compensation schemes have been turned into quasi-kangaroo courts in which the Department for Business and Trade sits in judgement of the claims and alters the goal posts as and when it chooses,” he said.

“Claims are, and have been, knocked back on the basis that legally you would not be able to make them, or that the parameters of the scheme do not extend to certain items.”

More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as if money was missing from their accounts.

Many are still waiting for compensation despite the previous government saying those who had their convictions quashed were eligible for £600,000 payouts.

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‘It still gives me nightmares’

After the Post Office terminated his contract over a false shortfall in 2003, Sir Alan began seeking out other sub-postmasters and eventually took the Post Office to court.

More on Post Office Scandal

A group litigation order (GLO) scheme was set up to achieve redress for 555 claimants who took the Post Office to the High Court between 2017 and 2019.

Sir Alan, who was portrayed by actor Toby Jones in ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, has called for an independent body to be created to deliver compensation.

He added that promises the compensation schemes would be “non-legalistic” had turned out to be “worthless”.

It is understood around 80% of postmasters in Sir Alan’s group have accepted a full and final redress, or been paid most of their offer.

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Who are the key figures in the scandal?

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‘Lives were destroyed’

A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson told Sky News: “We pay tribute to all the postmasters who’ve suffered from this scandal, including Sir Alan for his tireless campaign for justice, and we have quadrupled the total amount paid to postmasters since entering government.

“We recognise there will be an absence of evidence given the length of time which has passed, and we therefore aim to give the benefit of the doubt to postmasters as far as possible.

“Anyone unhappy with their offer can have their case reviewed by a panel of experts, which is independent of the government.”

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PM could lift controversial benefit cap in budget – as Farage makes two big election promises

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PM could lift controversial benefit cap in budget - as Farage makes two big election promises

Sir Keir Starmer could decide to lift the two-child benefit cap in the autumn budget, amid further pressure from Nigel Farage to appeal to traditional Labour voters.

The Reform leader will use a speech this week to commit his party to scrapping the two-child cap, as well as reinstating winter fuel payments in full.

The prime minister – who took Westminster by surprise at PMQs by revealing his intention to row back on the winter fuel cut – has previously said he would like to lift the two-child cap if the government could afford it.

There are now mounting suggestions an easing of the controversial benefit restriction may be unveiled when the chancellor delivers the budget later this year.

According to The Observer, Sir Keir told cabinet ministers he wanted to axe the measure – and asked the Treasury to look for ways to fund the move.

It comes after the government delayed the release of its child poverty strategy, which is expected to recommend the divisive cap – introduced by former Tory chancellor George Osborne – is scrapped.

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Why did Labour delay their child poverty strategy?

Ministers have already said any changes to winter fuel payments, triggered by mounting political pressure, would only be made when the government’s next fiscal event rolls round.

The Financial Times reported it may be done by restoring the benefit to all pensioners, with the cash needed being clawed back from the wealthy through the tax system.

The payment was taken from more than 10 million pensioners this winter after it became means-tested, and its unpopularity was a big factor in Labour’s battering at recent elections.

Before Wednesday’s PMQs, the prime minister and chancellor had insisted there would be no U-turn.

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Will winter fuel U-turn happen?

Many Labour MPs have called for the government to do more to help the poorest in society, amid mounting concern over the impact of wider benefit reforms.

Former prime minister Gordon Brown this week told Sky News the two-child cap was “pretty discriminatory” and could be scrapped by raising money through a tax on the gambling industry.

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Brown questioned over winter fuel U-turn

Mr Farage, who believes Reform UK can win the next election, will this week accuse Sir Keir of being “out of touch with working people”.

In a speech first reported by The Sunday Telegraph, he is expected to say: “It’s going to be these very same working people that will vote Reform at the next election and kick Labour out of government.”

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