A woman has been filmed cutting yellow ribbons tied to a gate in London, put up in commemoration of Israeli hostages.

When confronted by two bystanders near the gate in Muswell Hill, north London, the woman said: “I’m not committing a crime.

“If I am, then call the police and you let them know that you have an issue with this.”

In the video, a man branded the woman “a disgusting little human being,” to which she replied: “I think condoning genocide is disgusting.”

The bystander asked her: “So we’re condoning genocide?”

The woman then appeared to point at the ribbons and said: “That’s what this is.”

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The yellow ribbon has been used as a symbol of the plight of those taken captive since the 1979 US-Iranian hostage crisis, and has become synonymous with the hostages held in Gaza since 7 October 2023.

The ribbons are used as part of the ‘Bring Them Home’ campaign, which was introduced to raise awareness of the hostages’ plight and help amplify calls for the unconditional release of those still held by Hamas.

The Metropolitan Police told Sky News: “Officers have stepped up reassurance patrols in the Muswell Hill area, following reports that yellow ribbons were removed from fence poles.”

A spokesperson said the force was made aware of a video circulating online which “appears to show a woman removing the ribbons in Muswell Hill” at 4.25pm on Monday.

“Officers attended the location and are reviewing the footage to determine whether any offences, including hate crime or criminal damage, have been committed. Enquiries remain ongoing,” the spokesperson added.

Officers are asking anyone with information to contact the force.

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The incident happened just a day before the second anniversary of the October 7 attack, when Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 back to Gaza as hostages.

Israel says 48 hostages remain in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Gaza’s health ministry says Israel’s offensive has killed more than 67,000 people in the region since 7 October 2023. It does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures, but says more than half of those killed are women and children.

Ineos, the chemicals group founded by Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has hit out at the government after cutting a fifth of the workforce at a factory in Hull.

The company said 60 skilled jobs were going at the Acetyls factory “as a direct result of sky-high energy costs and anti-competitive trade practices, as importers ‘dump’ product into the UK and European markets”.

It called on the UK government and European Commission to impose trade tariffs on China, complaining that a lack of action to date had resulted in “dirt cheap” carbon-heavy imports flooding the market, making its products uncompetitive.

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Ineos said the US had protected its manufacturing base through effective tariffs and warned that further jobs would be lost across Europe unless the authorities followed suit.

The company, founded by Sir Jim in 1998, is Europe’s largest producer of essential chemicals for a range of products including aspirin and paracetamol, adhesives and industrial coatings.

It recently invested £30m to switch its Hull plant energy source from natural gas to hydrogen. Ineos claimed Chinese competitors were emitting up to eight times more carbon dioxide than its UK operations.

“This is a textbook case of the UK and Europe sleepwalking into deindustrialisation,” the firm’s statement said.

“Ineos has invested heavily at Hull to cut CO₂, yet we’re being undercut by China and the US while left wide open by a complete absence of tariff protection.

“If governments don’t act now on energy, carbon and trade, we will keep losing factories, skills and jobs. And once these plants shut, they never come back.”

A Government spokesperson responded: “We know this is a tough time for our chemicals industry, who are paying the fossil fuel penalty, with wholesale gas costs remaining 75% above their levels before Russia invaded Ukraine.

“Our modern Industrial Strategy is slashing electricity costs by up to 25% for sectors including chemicals, and the UK’s independent Trade Remedies Authority has the power to investigate the impact of cheap imports if requested by industry.

“We recognise this will be difficult for affected workers and their families, and we continue to engage with Ineos and the wider sector to explore potential solutions that will ensure a viable chemicals industry in the UK.”

Up to half of patients booking COVID vaccines through the online National Booking System (NBS) are not eligible for the jab – leading to pharmacies turning people away. 

There has been a “significant change” in who is eligible for the vaccine this year, according to Community Pharmacy England (CPE).

This is “creating confusion” among members of the public, the body said – and sometimes leading to abusive behaviour towards pharmacy staff.

CPE said pharmacy teams were reporting that between a third and half of patients booked via NBS are not eligible for vaccination, and other ineligible patients were being directed to pharmacies by GPs.

The situation has been described as “deeply frustrating” for both patients and pharmacists by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA).

Amid the confusion, who is eligible for the COVID vaccine this year?

Who is eligible for the COVID vaccine?

This winter, the COVID vaccine is available on the NHS for:

• People aged 75 or over
• Those aged six months to 74 who have a weakened immune system
• Individuals who live in a care home for older adults.

This has changed from last year’s criteria, which included adults aged 65 and over.

The new eligibility criteria are the same across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

People outside these groups can pay for the vaccine privately.

What about the flu jab?

More groups are eligible for the flu jab, including:

• Those over the age of 65
• People with certain long-term health conditions
• Pregnant women
• All primary school children
• Secondary school-aged children in years 7-11
• Frontline healthcare workers
• Care home residents
• Certain carers and those who live with someone with a weakened immune system.

What has caused the booking error?

It is understood that the option to book both COVID and flu vaccines at the same time via the online system may have caused confusion.

Henry Gregg, chief executive of the NPA, said: “This should have been avoidable and it is deeply frustrating for both pharmacies and patients. We urge any patient in this situation to treat pharmacy teams with respect as pharmacies try to manage the new NHS clinical criteria.

“We’ve urgently raised this issue with NHS England and the Department of Health and have asked for it to be resolved as soon as possible.”

An NHS spokesperson added: “Please double check you are still eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine before booking – the NHS website sets out whether your age, health condition or medication means you are eligible, and your GP practice or pharmacist will confirm this before giving you the vaccine.”

How to book the COVID vaccine

Those eligible to book the COVID vaccine are still being encouraged to do so via the online booking service or through the NHS app.

The NHS says eligible individuals aged five or over can walk into a COVID vaccination site without an appointment.

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Others may also be able to get the jab at a local service, such as a community pharmacy or a GP surgery, or at a care home if they are a resident.

People do not need to wait for an invitation before booking an appointment.

The last date eligible people will be able to get the COVID vaccine is 31 January 2026. Online booking will close on 30 January.