A man has been charged following reports of threats towards Labour safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, Sky News understands.

Jack Bennett, 39, has been charged with three counts of malicious communications, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

The messages were sent between April 2024 and January 2025 involving three victims, including the Birmingham Yardley MP.

It is understood the accused, from Seaton, east Devon, was charged over the weekend.

He has been bailed to appear before Exeter Magistrates’ Court on 18 February 2025.

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke about a “line being crossed” regarding comments towards Ms Phillips and said that she had been receiving threats.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

A prison officer who was filmed having sex with an inmate has been sentenced to 15 months in jail.

Linda De Sousa Abreu, 31, was on duty at HMP Wandsworth in London when she entered the prisoner’s cell and had sex with him on 27 June.

The encounter was filmed by another inmate and lasted for almost five minutes.

She was identified by HMP Wandsworth staff and arrested by the Metropolitan Police at Heathrow Airport after the footage went viral on social media.

The prison officer was planning to fly to Madrid and telephoned the prison as she fled to the airport to say that she was not returning to work.

De Sousa Abreu then pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office on 29 July last year.

The charge said the 31-year-old “wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted yourself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public’s trust in the office holder by engaging in a sexual act with a prisoner in a prison cell”.

Tetteh Turkson, of the Crown Prosecution Service, added last year that the incident was “a shocking breach of the public’s trust,” and that De Sousa Abreu “was clearly an enthusiastic participant who wrongly thought she would avoid responsibility”.

“The CPS recognises there is no excuse for any prison officer who conducts themselves in such a manner, and we will never hesitate to prosecute those who abuse their position of power,” she added.

“After working closely with the Metropolitan Police to build the strongest possible case, De Sousa had no option but accept she was guilty. She will now rightly face the consequences of her actions.”

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news

Police have confirmed they were called to a house near Chester after the death of former RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner James Lee Williams, known as The Vivienne.

The 32-year-old’s death was announced on Sunday evening and has prompted an outpouring of tributes from celebrities and colleagues.

The performer rose to prominence in 2015 after becoming the UK Drag Ambassador for the American series of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

They went on to win the first UK series of the show in 2019 and came third on the 2023 edition of Dancing On Ice.

A spokesman for Cheshire Police said officers were called to a house in Chorlton-by-Backford, near Chester, at 12.22pm on Sunday following reports of a sudden death.

They said there were “no suspicious circumstances”.

The spokesman said: “Police attended, investigated the circumstances of the death of the 32-year-old man and concluded there were no suspicious circumstances. A file will be prepared for the coroner.”

Williams’ ex-husband David Ludford shared a tribute on social media on Monday with pictures of the couple at their wedding and throughout their six-year relationship.

Ludford, who creates wigs, wrote: “My heart literally sank when I got the call! My heart is shattered!

“Never in a million years did I think I’d ever be writing anything like this about James Lee Williams.

“This man changed my life so much from the day we first met in August 2017 in Gran Canaria!! We literally clicked straight away and we knew we was going to be together for a long time!! He made me feel love and shown me what it was really like to love someone.

“We literally went through and did so much together it was like a whirlwind and I wouldn’t have changed the time we spent together for anything In The world!!!”

Sharing the news of Williams’ death on Sunday, The Vivienne’s publicist Simon Jones said they would be remembered for their “immense talent”, adding “the light they brought to every room was astonishing”.

The statement said Williams’ family were “heartbroken at the loss of their son, brother and uncle” and would not be releasing further details.

‘A beacon to so many’

Williams, who was born in Wales and later moved to Liverpool, performed as the Wicked Witch of the West in a UK and Ireland tour of The Wizard Of Oz musical and reprised the role in the West End last year.

They were due to be back on tour next month performing in the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang musical in the role of the Childcatcher.

A host of celebrities have paid tribute, with Dancing On Ice judge Oti Mabuse calling The Vivienne a “phenomenal entertainer” and “trailblazer”.

Fellow RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon said the star made a “mark in our hearts”.

RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage said Williams’ death was “heartbreaking”.

Alongside pictures of them together, Visage wrote on Instagram: “We go back to when I started coming over here to the UK. You were always there, always laughing, always giving, always on point.

“Your laughter, your wit, your talent, your drag. I loved all of it but I loved your friendship most of all.

“You were a beacon to so many. Seeing you make your West End debut was amazing for me to witness your dream come true right in front of my eyes, I’m the lucky one to have known you and to have laughed together with you so many times.”

Former EastEnders actress Patsy Palmer, who appeared with Williams on Dancing On Ice, said she was “lost for words” and “deeply saddened”.

“You were so beautiful inside and out and I will never forget our experiences we shared during Dancing On Ice,” she wrote.

Coronation Street star Antony Cotton said it was “unbelievably sad” and Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley called The Vivienne an “incredible human” who will be missed.

‘Like a Scouse wife who has come into money’

RuPaul’s Drag Race said it was “deeply saddened to learn of the passing of The Vivienne”.

In a post on social media, the show said Williams’ “talent, humour, and dedication to the art of drag was an inspiration”.

Fiona Campbell, BBC controller of youth audience, said the news was “deeply sad”, adding that the broadcaster was “fiercely proud of The Vivienne’s achievements”.

Speaking in 2019, The Vivienne described their drag style as “like a Scouse wife who has come into money, she moved to LA and blew it all and then she’s had to move back to Liverpool”.

They said they had adopted the drag name The Vivienne in honour of the clothes designer Vivienne Westwood because they dressed “head to toe in Westwood”.

A man who attacked the drag star in a hate crime in June 2023 received a suspended jail term last January.

Liverpool Magistrates’ Court ruled the one-punch attack by unemployed scaffolder Alan Whitfield on Williams was homophobic.

Williams’ face was bruised and hurt for a week, but they told the court that “luckily” they were a 6ft ex-rugby player who could take a punch.