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A retired police dog who was recovering from major surgery has rescued a vulnerable man.

Bear, a German Shepherd, was being walked by his owner and former police officer Julia Pope when he located the missing man in the Eastbourne area of East Sussex.

The dog, who turned 12 on the day of the discovery, immediately “went into work mode” after sensing the lost individual and “started indicating towards an area of dense undergrowth,” Ms Pope said.

“[He] then dragged us to it, where he located and alerted us to a vulnerable man.

“The man was confused, wet, cold and had fallen over, and was unable to get up unaided. I’m not sure he would have survived the night as it was extremely cold and almost dark at that point with no one else in the vicinity,” Ms Pope added.

“Unbeknownst to us, the man was a vulnerable missing person who officers had been searching for without any success.”

Undated handout photo issued by The Thin Blue Paw Foundation of retired police dog Bear who rescued a vulnerable man after locating him in woods. The German Shepherd, was on his first walk in the Eastbourne area since recovering from major surgery to remove two tumours, sensed the presence of the man who was actually a missing person being searched for by police. Issue date: Monday December 2, 2024.
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Bear was on his first walk since having surgery. Pic: The Thin Blue Paw Foundation/PA

Ms Pope, who adopted Bear in 2020 after he retired, described the rescue as an “amazing stroke of luck”.

She said with Bear leading the way, they were able to assist the man back to an area where he could co-ordinate with police officers and be reunited with his family.

‘A true hero’

Since retiring from Sussex Police, Bear continues to work as a well-being and trauma support dog for police staff and is supported by the Thin Blue Paw Foundation, a charity that supports former police dogs.

Undated handout photo issued by The Thin Blue Paw Foundation of retired police dog Bear who rescued a vulnerable man after locating him in woods. The German Shepherd, was on his first walk in the Eastbourne area since recovering from major surgery to remove two tumours, sensed the presence of the man who was actually a missing person being searched for by police. Issue date: Monday December 2, 2024.
Image:
Pic: The Thin Blue Paw Foundation/PA

He was supported by the charity last summer after he lost the use of his rear legs and needed an emergency MRI and surgery to treat four herniated discs in his spine, thought to have been caused by his years of strenuous work.

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Two weeks prior to locating the vulnerable man, he had further surgery to remove two benign tumours.

The walk was his first since the operation.

Thin Blue Paw trustee Kieran Stanbridge said: “RPD Bear is a true hero – his training and instinct kicked in and he managed to lead his owners, who are former police officers themselves, to this vulnerable man who needed urgent help.

“Thanks to Bear, the man received the help he needed from local officers; even in his retirement, he’s still saving lives.”

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Labour MP Dan Norris arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences

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Labour MP Dan Norris arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences

Labour MP Dan Norris has been arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Dan Norris MP was immediately suspended by the Labour Party upon being informed of his arrest.

“We cannot comment further while the police investigation is ongoing.”

Police said a man in his 60s had been arrested on Friday on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl, rape, child abduction and misconduct in a public office.

Sky News has contacted Mr Norris for comment.

Mr Norris, 65, defeated Jacob Rees-Mogg to win the new seat of North East Somerset and Hanham in last year’s general election.

He has also lost the party whip in the House of Commons and has stepped down from his role as chair of the League Against Cruel Sports.

Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement: “In December 2024, we received a referral from another police force relating to alleged non-recent child sex offences having been committed against a girl.

“Most of the offences are alleged to have occurred in the 2000s, but we’re also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s.

“An investigation, led by officers within Operation Bluestone, our dedicated rape and serious sexual assault investigation team, remains ongoing and at an early stage.

“The victim is being supported and given access to any specialist help or support she needs.

“A man, aged in his 60s, was arrested on Friday (April 4) on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl (under the Sexual Offences Act 1956), rape (under the Sexual Offences Act 2003), child abduction and misconduct in a public office. He’s been released on conditional bail for enquiries to continue.

“This is an active and sensitive investigation, so we’d respectfully ask people not to speculate on the circumstances so our enquiries can continue unhindered.”

Mr Norris first entered Parliament when Tony Blair came to power in 1997 and served as the Wansdyke MP until 2010.

He was an assistant whip under Mr Blair and served as a junior minister under Gordon Brown.

Mr Norris has also been West of England mayor since 2021 but is due to step down ahead of May’s local elections.

A spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports, a UK-based animal welfare charity which campaigns to end sports such as fox hunting and game bird shooting, confirmed he had stepped down from his role.

“The charity cannot comment further while an investigation is ongoing,” a statement said.

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Jaguar Land Rover to ‘pause’ US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

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Jaguar Land Rover to 'pause' US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said it will “pause” shipments to the US as the British car firm works to “address the new trading terms” of Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The US president has introduced a 25% levy on all foreign cars imported into the country, which came into force on Thursday.

JLR, one of the country’s biggest carmakers, exported about 38,000 cars to the US in the third quarter of 2024 – almost equal to the amount sold to the UK and the EU combined.

Follow live updates: Trump’s baseline 10% tariff kicks in

In a statement on Saturday, a spokesperson for the company behind the Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover brands said: “The USA is an important market for JLR’s luxury brands.

“As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans.”

The company released a statement last week before Mr Trump announced a “baseline” 10% tariff on goods from around the world, which kicked in on Saturday morning, on what he called “liberation day”.

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JLR reassured customers its business was “resilient” and “accustomed to changing market conditions”.

“Our priorities now are delivering for our clients around the world and addressing these new US trading terms,” the firm said.

Trading across the world has been hit by Mr Trump’s tariff announcement at the White House on Wednesday.

All but one stock on the FTSE 100 fell on Friday – with Rolls-Royce, banks and miners among those to suffer the sharpest losses.

Read more: A red wall on Wall Street – but Trump seems to believe it will work out

Cars are the top product exported from the UK to the US, with exports worth £8.3bn in the year to the end of September 2024, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

For UK carmakers, the US is the second largest export market behind the European Union.

Industry groups have previously warned the tariffs will force firms to rethink where they trade, while a report by thinktank the Institute for Public Policy Research said more than 25,000 car manufacturing jobs in the UK could be at risk.

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

Two people have died following a fire at a caravan site near Skegness, Lincolnshire Police have said.

In a statement, officers said they were called at 3.53am on Saturday to a report of a blaze at Golden Beach Holiday Park in the village of Ingoldmells.

Fire and rescue crews attended the scene, and two people were found to have died.

They were reported to be a 10-year-old girl and a 48-year-old man.

The force said the victims’ next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specially trained officers.

Officers are trying to establish the exact cause of the blaze.

“We are at the very early stages of our investigation and as such we are keeping an open mind,” the force said.

Two fire crews remain at the scene.

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