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Children in some parts of England are spending more than five and a half years in temporary accommodation, a Sky News investigation has found.

Data from Freedom of Information requests shows London and the South East are the regions seeing the longest stays for homeless households.

More than two-thirds of local authorities saw households with children experience stays 20% longer than households without children.

The average length of time spent in temporary accommodation ranges from two weeks to five and a half years – depending on where in the country people live.

Average lengths of stay for all households have increased by nearly a fifth (17%) since 2020.

£1bn funding boost for councils to tackle homelessness

Lewisham was the worst-affected local authority, with some families with children having been stuck in temporary accommodation for more than five and a half years in 2023-24.

In 2020-21, the average length of stay in the south-east London borough was 620 days – in the four years since it has risen to 2,044.

Lewisham, Brighton and Wandsworth are the areas that currently have the longest average stays – all more than three and a half years.

That is according to the latest data from the first six months of this financial year (2024-25). Ninety-seven councils responded to Sky News’ Freedom of Information requests.

Nicole Hamilton and her son Logan have spent more than two years in temporary accommodation in London. Submitted by Adele Robinson.
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Nicole Hamilton and her son Logan have been in temporary accommodation for years

Nicole Hamilton and her son Logan have spent more than two years in temporary accommodation in London.

Despite working full-time, she has been unable to find anywhere to privately rent.

She said Logan, who is four, has spent “most of his life” in temporary accommodation.

“They told me I could be here for another three years,” she said. “I don’t want him to be suffering in one room.”

Nicole also describes temporary accommodation as “not safe for any child under the age of seven”.

She added: “When the government are giving nothing to the council, and the council have nowhere to put us, they’re literally putting us where they have, be it safe or not.”

Nicole Hamilton and her son Logan have spent more than two years in temporary accommodation in London. Submitted by Adele Robinson.
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Nicole and Logan have spent more than two years in temporary accommodation

‘Children will grow up with different life chances’

Claire Cruise, a lawyer from Southwark Law Centre specialising in education, describes a “two-tier system” developing between those children who live in temporary accommodation, and those who do not.

She said: “You have the long-term impact on children’s mental health, you have the social isolation… children in hotel rooms don’t have desks to be able to do their work, they fall behind their peers so quickly.

“My fear is that it leads to a two-tier society and we are talking a significant number who will grow up with completely different life chances.”

A shortage of housing nationally is contributing towards the homelessness crisis.

The government has pledged to build 1.5 million new homes in the next five years.

Shadow secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, Kevin Hollinrake, describes the plan as “confused” and “chaotic”.

He told Sky News: “Look at the maps, look at where those houses are, many of the boroughs of London have seen a decrease in their targets for housing delivery, a decrease.

“Yet we know the demand in London for rough sleeping, for temporary accommodation, is at its highest.

“So it makes no sense… it’s chaotic right now. It’s all over the place.

“Now say if they can deliver on this stuff, great… more affordable homes, more social homes, then we’ll welcome that… but at the moment it’s very difficult to see how that’s going to happen.”

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‘Consequences of years of failure’

In response, the minister for homelessness Rushanara Ali said the government has “inherited the consequences of years of failure to grip the housing crisis”.

She described “far too many families and children” who are “facing the uncertainty and trauma of homelessness”.

“This has to stop, which is why we are taking decisive action and working at pace across government to end homelessness,” she said.

“We have already announced extra funding to bring support for homelessness services to £1bn next year.

“On top of this, we will deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and tackle one of the biggest drivers of homelessness by ending no fault evictions.”

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Liverpool fan says his baby was flung 15ft in his pram and his partner run over during trophy parade

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Liverpool fan says his baby was flung 15ft in his pram and his partner run over during trophy parade

A father has told Sky News how his partner was driven over, and his baby son was flung 15ft in his pram, after they were hit by a vehicle during the Liverpool parade collision.

Daniel Everson, 36, had been with Sheree Aldridge and their five-month-old baby, Teddy, at Liverpool FC’s victory parade on Monday.

“The best day of my life turned into worst”, said Daniel, a lifelong fan of ‘The Reds’.

Daniel described the moment the car came towards him and his family.

“I tried to hold on to the front of the car and try and stop it, push it, do whatever I could [to stop it] from hitting my partner and my baby.

'The best day of my life turned into worst', Daniel Everson told Sky News.
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Daniel Everson was in the crowd for the Liverpool trophy parade when the incident took place

“Me and my partner were flat on the roof, on the bonnet… we were just both trying to hold on for dear life with Ted next to us.

“And my partner went under the wheels of the car, of the front of the car, and it rolled over her leg, and I just bounced off to the side, but my boy and his pram got bounced totally in the opposite direction – about 15ft down the road.

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“As soon as that happened, I just started screaming for my partner, and I found her and I asked where Teddy was, and she didn’t know… and I found him and he was okay, thank God.

“He was in the road, in his pram, on his back, and I grabbed him. I chucked the pushchair to the side and I ran up to some paramedics with him.”

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The suspect is being held on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving and drug driving.

Daniel, from Telford, said he felt like he was in “hell” as he rushed back to find Sheree.

“I had to carry her up the road with four police officers holding her while she was screaming and crying. At that point, I didn’t know what was wrong with her, but I could see the injuries to her leg,” he explained.

Sheree, 36, is recovering at Aintree University Hospital after suffering muscle tissue damage. Daniel has been allowed to return home with Teddy after he was assessed at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

“I feel a lot of emotions right now. Upset, angry, traumatised. A lot of unanswered questions that need to be answered.

To me, it just wasn’t handled properly – the situation with the car getting that far into the crowd, in my opinion, he should not have got anywhere near us.”

Merseyside Police have now been given more time to question a 53-year-old arrested after a car struck a crowd at Liverpool FC’s victory parade on Monday.

The suspect, who police have described as a white British man from the local area, is being held on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving, and drug driving.

Police have said the extra time they have been given to question the suspect runs into Thursday.

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Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan charged with rape in the UK

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Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan charged with rape in the UK

Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate have been charged with rape and other offences in the UK.

Andrew Tate, 38, faces 10 charges, including rape, actual bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain, relating to three women.

His brother Tristan Tate, 36, faces 11 charges relating to one woman – including rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking.

The charges were authorised in January 2024, but full details have only been released now.

Bedfordshire Police issued an international arrest warrant for the brothers over allegations, which they “unequivocally deny”, said to have occurred between 2012 and 2015.

The Tate brothers are facing separate allegations of trafficking minors, sexual intercourse with a minor and money laundering in Romania.

They are also accused of human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women in a different case, which has been sent back to prosecutors.

They are due to be extradited to the UK following the conclusion of proceedings in Romania.

Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan outside a Bucharest court last month. File pic: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via Reuters
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Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan outside a Bucharest court in January. File pic: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via Reuters

A Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we have authorised charges against Andrew and Tristan Tate for offences including rape, human trafficking, controlling prostitution and actual bodily harm against three women.

“These charging decisions followed receipt of a file of evidence from Bedfordshire Police.

“A European Arrest Warrant was issued in England in 2024, and as a result the Romanian courts ordered the extradition to the UK of Andrew and Tristan Tate.”

The spokesperson added: “However, the domestic criminal matters in Romania must be settled first.

“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds everyone that criminal proceedings are active, and the defendants have the right to a fair trial.

“It is extremely important that there be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

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Representatives for Andrew Tate have been contacted by Sky News for comment.

Lawyer Matt Jury, of McCue Jury & Partners, representing several alleged British victims of Andrew Tate, said: “We welcome the clarity from the Crown Prosecution Service that our authorities are working to ensure the Tates face justice here in the UK – they cannot be allowed to escape extradition.

“At the same time, we ask once more that CPS admit its mistake in failing to prosecute Tate when he lived in the UK and finally charge him for the rape and assault of the other three women, our clients, who originally filed criminal complaints against him as long ago as 2014 but were failed by the system.

“They deserve justice, too.”

The allegations were subject to a police investigation, which was closed in 2019.

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Police given more time to question Liverpool parade collision suspect

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Police given more time to question Liverpool parade collision suspect

Merseyside Police has been given more time to question a 53-year-old man arrested over the Liverpool parade collision.

The suspect is being held on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving and drug driving after a car was driven into a crowd at Liverpool FC’s victory parade on Monday.

Police have said the extra time they have been given to question the suspect runs into Thursday.

The force believes the vehicle which struck pedestrians on Water Street had followed an ambulance crew that was attending to someone suffering a heart attack, after a road block was temporarily lifted.

Earlier, new footage emerged showing a car being driven into the crowd as panicked fans watched in horror and tried to avoid being hit.

The CCTV footage showed supporters attempting to move out of the way as the vehicle ploughed into supporters.

Cries could be heard from the crowd – before police and members of the public chased after the car.

In an update on Wednesday, Merseyside Police said it was in contact with 79 people who were injured in the crash – an increase on the 65 people who were confirmed injured in the force’s previous update.

Seven people remain in hospital in a stable condition following the collision, the force added.

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Moment car drives into crowds in Liverpool

Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson said: “I’m pleased to say that the number of people in hospital is reducing as they continue to recover from the awful incident.

“We continue to support those still receiving treatment and as part of our ongoing enquiries we are identifying more people who were injured.

“I want to reassure the public of Merseyside that detectives are making significant progress as we seek to establish the full circumstances that led to what happened.”

A view of Water Street after being reopened.
Pic: Reuters
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Water Street where the collision happened has reopened. Pic: Reuters

Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

DS Wilson said that “extensive CCTV enquiries” were being carried out across Liverpool to “establish the movements of the car, a Ford Galaxy, before the incident took place”.

She added: “We have already had an incredible response from many of those who were there on the day, and I thank them for their co-operation with our investigation.

“I would encourage anyone who has not yet contacted police who may have information on this incident to do so.

“An extensive investigation into the precise circumstances of the incident is ongoing, and we continue to ask people not to speculate on the circumstances surrounding the incident and refrain from sharing distressing content online.”

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Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool Victory Parade - Liverpool, Britain - May 26, 2025 Emergency services at the scene after multiple people were hit by a car during the Victory parade REUTERS/Phil Noble
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Emergency service on Water Street after the collision. Pic: Reuters

It comes after Water Street was reopened to vehicles and pedestrians on Wednesday after the police cordon was lifted.

Street cleaning teams worked overnight to clear the road, which had been littered with bottles, cans and football scarves and flags.

One remaining Liverpool flag was removed from the top of a set of traffic lights by a worker wearing hi-vis.

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On Tuesday night, Liverpool manager Arne Slot decided not to attend the League Managers Association’s annual awards ceremony “in solidarity with those affected by the incident on Monday”.

Meanwhile, speaking at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said the collision on Water Street “showed the two faces of life”.

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Klopp sends ‘thoughts and prayers’ to victims

He said: “The most beautiful face for a long, long time: the parade was incredible, the mood was incredible and from one second to another everything changed and we learned again there are more serious things in the world than football.

“Thoughts and prayers go to the injured people and their families as well.

“It should have been one of the greatest days in the history of the city, after a long, long time, because we didn’t have the opportunity to do it last time. I don’t know how and why it happened but we know what happened and that’s very bad.”

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