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A woman who spent more than three decades working for the Post Office is planning to stand against Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey – a former postal affairs minister – at the next general election.

Yvonne Tracey, who said ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office had made her “very sad” and “very angry”, lives in Sir Ed’s constituency of Kingston and Surbiton in southwest London.

The 68-year-old grandmother said she cannot allow him to “stand again unchallenged”.

Hundreds of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses were wrongly held responsible for accounting errors created by faulty software.

Those affected by the Horizon IT scandal are “still not hearing the truth”, Ms Tracey told Sky News.

They “still haven’t got justice” and “haven’t got answers”, she said. “Some of them haven’t had their names cleared. I just felt I had to do something to help them.”

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‘I got sectioned because of scandal’

Sir Ed, who was postal minister between 2010 and 2012 during the coalition government, refused to meet sub-postmaster Alan Bates, whom the ITV drama is named after, saying in a short letter that it “wouldn’t serve any purpose”.

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According to Ms Tracey, a sub-postmaster who ran a post office in Sir Ed’s constituency lost his home, his business and attempted to take his own life on more than one occasion after being caught up in the scandal.

She said: “He tried three times to get in touch with Sir Ed and every time he was turned away, refused or ignored.”

The Liberal Democrats said the sub-postmaster lived outside Sir Ed’s constituency and parliamentary convention meant he was therefore unable to get involved in the case.

Asked if the Post Office scandal would still be on people’s minds during the general election campaign, Ms Tracey said she thought it would.

“I think people are so angry over this. I’d love to think by the time the election came it was all done – they’d all have their compensation and be living happily after.

“But we all know it’s not going to happen that quick. It’s been two decades so far.”

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‘I knew I hadn’t stolen any money’

Ms Tracey was elected to Kingston Council in 2022 and represents the local residents group.

The main political parties in Kingston previously accused the group of Islamophobia and “divisive campaigning”.

But Ms Tracey said the allegations “really annoyed” her and had led to legal action.

Davey did later meet Mr Bates

Sir Ed did later meet Mr Bates and was the first minister on public record to do so.

It is understood he then asked his officials to follow up on the concerns raised by the sub-postmaster at their meeting.

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Post Office tax claim is ‘unlawful’

Speaking previously to Sky News, Sir Ed said: “I wish I’d known then what we all know now. The Post Office was lying on an industrial scale to me and other ministers.

“When I met Alan Bates and listened to his concerns, I put those concerns to officials in my department, to the Post Office and to the National Federation of Postmasters and it’s clear they all were lying to me.”

Dave Penman, the general secretary of the FDA union for civil servants, branded Sir Ed’s comments “outrageous” and said they were an “act of desperation from a former minister trying to save his own skin”.

“Ed Davey goes beyond what is reasonable to expect from a former minister,” he told Sky News. “If he’s going to repeat this he needs to back up his accusations.”

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They made ‘me look like a criminal’

‘I was taken out in handcuffs’

Arfan Aslam can remember the pride he felt when he became a sub-postmaster, writes Sky News correspondent Shingi Mararike.

In his early 20s, he was continuing a family tradition by running a local business. “At the time I was over the moon, because it was like a professional job – it was like a life-changing opportunity,” he said.

Within weeks, that dream had turned into a nightmare. He was arrested and escorted out of the post office in front of his younger brother, who was working with him at the time.

“They’ve taken me out in handcuffs, marched me out of my own post office, in front of these people,” he said.

“Made me look like a criminal. I let my mum and dad down and everything. It broke my heart.”

Arfan said life did not get any easier for him when he left prison. The father-of-three was forced to repay more than £53,000 while he struggled to find work and claimed benefits.

His close-knit family helped him pay off the debts, and now with the Horizon scandal making headlines, he will soon be pursuing compensation, while hoping to have his conviction overturned.

“Any bit of money would help, but we cannot take away the pain and the 22 years of suffering,” he said.

“No bit of money can change that.”

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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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Thousands fall ill with chikungunya in China

“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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UEFA Super Cup: Spurs let slip 2-0 lead to lose to PSG on penalties

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UEFA Super Cup: Spurs let slip 2-0 lead to lose to PSG on penalties

Tottenham let slip a two-goal lead before losing a penalty shootout to Paris St Germain (PSG) in the final of the UEFA Super Cup.

Spurs defenders Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero scored from set pieces to put the north London side on their way to winning the trophy, in what was manager Thomas Frank’s first game in charge.

However, Champions League winners PSG, who were thrashed in the Club World Cup final by Chelsea last month, produced a stunning response after Kang-in Lee pulled one back with five minutes left.

Tottenham's Cristian Romero scores his side's second goal. Pic: AP
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Tottenham’s Cristian Romero scores his side’s second goal. Pic: AP

PSG striker Goncalo Ramos, who was brought on in the 77th minute, forced the game to penalties after scoring a header in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

The Super Cup final, played each year between the winners of the Champions League and Europa League, does not feature extra time – meaning the game went straight to spot kicks.

Tottenham players react during the penalty shootout. Pic: AP
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Tottenham players react during the penalty shootout. Pic: AP

Europa League winners Tottenham initially had the advantage when Vitinha missed PSG’s first kick – but it was followed by Van de Ven and Mathys Tel failing to score their penalties.

PSG, managed by Luis Enrqiue, went on to win 4-3.

PSG's players celebrate after winning the final. Pic: AP
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PSG’s players celebrate after winning the final. Pic: AP

The PSG players poured on to the pitch in celebration, knowing they had etched their names into history as the first French side to lift the trophy.

“It’s incredible to win like this. This team once again showed character, even if we’re not at our physical best,” PSG defender Marquinhos said.

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PSG's Marquinhos lifts the trophy. Pic: AP
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PSG’s Marquinhos lifts the trophy. Pic: AP

“We managed to get the goals we needed through the substitutions, and in the shootout we have players who take their penalties well and a goalkeeper who helped us.”

Tottenham, who finished 17th in the Premier League last season, were unable to win what would have been their second trophy in 17 years – with the first one coming when they beat Manchester United in Europe’s second-tier competition in May.

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