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The mothers of two children who drowned in Bournemouth have paid tributes to them at the start of an inquest into their deaths.

Sunnah Khan, 12, and Joe Abbess, 17, died after they were thought to have been caught in a riptide next to the pier at the Dorset seaside resort on 31 May last year.

Eight other people were treated by paramedics.

At Dorset Coroner’s Court in Bournemouth on Tuesday the families of the pair spoke about their loss.

Joe’s mother Vanessa said the family has been “devastated” at the loss of their “generous, loving, caring, hardworking and funny” son.

She said the trainee chef at Southampton Football Club was “a wonderful son, brother and friend and we are all devastated by his death, he is greatly missed”.

Undated family handout photo issued by Harding Evans of Joe Abbess, 17, who died in sea at Bournemouth in May 2023. 17-year-old Joe, and 12-year-old Sunnah Khan drowned and eight other people were treated by paramedics after they were thought to have been caught in a riptide next to the pier at the Dorset seaside resort. Issue date: Tuesday September 24, 2024.
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Joe Abbess. File pic: PA

In her statement to the inquest, Ms Abbess described receiving a call from her son’s friend, Nieve who “sounded very panicked and said there had been an incident in the sea involving Joe”.

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“She [Nieve] said there were lifeguards and that they were trying to get Joe and Tom out of the water. She sounded hysterical,” she said.

Another friend, Anna, also called Ms Abbess to say “Joe was in the sea when the waves got crazy and that the alarm had been raised”.

Later a hospital consultant rang to tell her they “couldn’t do any more for Joe”. She added: “I was devastated and so shocked at this news, I fell to my knees and sobbed, I was on my own and utterly heartbroken”.

Stephanie Williams (left) mother of 12-year-old Sunnah Khan (right). Sunnah drowned off Bournemouth beach on May 31 2023. Undated handout photo taken with permission from the Twitter feed of Stephanie Williams. Issue date: Tuesday June 27, 2023.
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Stephanie Williams with her daughter Sunnah Khan. File pic: PA/Stephanie Williams

The inquest also heard from Stephanie Williams who described her daughter Sunnah as “kind, funny, reliable, smart and incredibly beautiful”.

“At her core Sunnah was kind, funny, reliable, smart and incredibly beautiful. Her smile lit up a room and her laugh was infectious.

“She cared about so many people and would do anything for her family and friends. She was a force of nature, to know her was to be truly lucky. We have missed her and will continue to miss her for the rest of our lives.”

What is a riptide or rip current?

Rips are strong currents running out to sea which can quickly drag people away from the shoreline and out to deeper water, the RNLI explains.

They can reach up to 4-5mph, which is faster than an Olympic swimmer.

They are a major cause of accidental drowning on beaches across the globe. In the UK, over 60% of RNLI lifeguard incidents involve rip currents.

They can be difficult to spot but can often be identified by a channel of churning, choppy water or debris on the sea’s surface.

The RNLI advises that if you do get caught in a rip current to stay calm. If you can, stand up and do not try to swim. If you cannot stand, swim parallel to the beach and raise your hand and shout for help.

Ms Abbess said the family was campaigning for improved education on sea safety in schools working with the RLSS UK (Royal Life Saving Society) in Joe and Sunnah’s memory.

“Joe always cared for others, so we want to do this for him,” adding that “we would like to see more education within schools about safe open-water swimming” and “knowledge of what to do in an emergency”.

Helicopters were involved in the rescue operation in May 2023. File pic: Prof Dimitrios Buhalis
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Helicopters were deployed in the rescue operation in May 2023. File pic: Prof Dimitrios Buhalis


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On Monday, coroner Rachael Griffin ruled a pleasure cruiser was not involved in a “causative or contributory” way following the deaths.

Dorset Belle, a pleasure cruiser that ran trips from Bournemouth Pier, was impounded and a man in his 40s was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the deaths.

A cruise boat called the Dorset Belle which has been impounded at Cobb's Quay Marina in Poole, Dorset, after a 17-year-old-boy and a girl aged 12 sustained "critical injuries" on Wednesday, and later died in hospital following an incident off Bournemouth beach. Picture date: Friday June 2, 2023.
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The cruise boat, Dorset Belle, was impounded in Dorset in June 2023. File pic: PA

But after consulting an expert, Dorset Police decided the boat’s movement did not contribute to creating dangerous sea conditions.

The force said the man would face no further action.

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Starmer says UK will ‘set out a plan’ to raise defence spending to 2.5%

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Starmer says UK will 'set out a plan' to raise defence spending to 2.5%

The UK will “set out a plan” to lift defence spending to 2.5% of national income in the spring, the prime minister has said, finally offering a timeframe for an announcement on the long-awaited hike after mounting criticism.

Sir Keir Starmer gave the date during a phone call with Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, in the wake of threats by Moscow to target UK and US military facilities following a decision by London and Washington to let Ukraine fire their missiles inside Russia.

There was no clarity though on when the 2.5% level will be achieved. The UK says it currently spends around 2.3% of GDP on defence.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte and  Keir Starmer, during a trilateral meeting in 10 Downing Street.
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Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sir Keir Starmer and NATO boss Mark Rutte in October. Pic: PA

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A spokeswoman for Downing Street said that the two men “began by discussing the situation in Ukraine and reiterated the importance of putting the country in the strongest possible position going into the winter”.

They also talked about the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to fight alongside Russia.

“The prime minister underscored the need for all NATO countries to step up in support of our collective defence and updated on the government’s progress on the strategic defence review,” the spokeswoman said.

“His government would set out the path to 2.5% in the spring.”

The defence review will also be published in the spring.

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While a date for an announcement on 2.5% will be welcomed by the Ministry of Defence, analysts have long warned that such an increase is still well below the amount that is needed to rebuild the armed forces after decades of decline to meet growing global threats from Russia, an increasingly assertive China, North Korea and Iran.

They say the UK needs to be aiming to hit at least 3% – probably higher.

With Donald Trump returning to the White House, there will be significantly more pressure on the UK and other European NATO allies to accelerate increases in defence spending.

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Storm Bert: Snow, rain and wind as weather warnings cover most of UK

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Storm Bert: Snow, rain and wind as weather warnings cover most of UK

Snow, rain and strong winds are expected to disrupt travel plans and potentially cause flooding as Storm Bert hits the UK.

Several weather warnings are in place, while 16 flood alerts have been issued – warning flooding is possible – in England and Scotland.

Most of the UK is affected by yellow warnings for either wind, rain or snow, with a slightly more severe amber warning covering parts of northern England and central Scotland.

Two areas of Ireland have been issued a rare red warning for heavy rain until 10am.

Check out the forecast in your area

London, East Anglia, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Hull and swathes of the Midlands are the only parts with no current warnings in place.

The warnings in place. Pic: Met Office
Image:
The warnings in place. Pic: Met Office

Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern described a “multiple hazard event” going into Saturday morning.

“We’ll see two to four hours of heavy snow across parts of northern England and Scotland during Saturday morning,” he said.

“This snow will accumulate thick and fast, with five to 10cm at lower levels and as much as 20 to 40cm over hills accompanied by strong winds.

“You can expect blizzards over hills across northern England and Scotland, atrocious conditions for travelling and going over the hills and also the risk of power interruptions because of snow build up on power lines.

“So all in all, a multiple hazard event as we go into Saturday morning.”

Temperatures will rise quickly as the storm brings milder air from the Atlantic, he said, resulting in a “rapid thaw” by the afternoon.

Where the warnings are and when

South coast – A yellow warning for wind is in place for the entire south coast of England from 3pm until 9pm, with a slight chance of damage to buildings and power cuts.

Southwest – From 6am, a yellow warning for rain is in place in the southwest of England, from Cornwall up to Oxford and stretching to Portsmouth. This is in place until 11.45pm.

Wales – Heavy rain is likely to cause some travel disruption, particularly in South Wales, with a yellow warning across the country lasting 24 hours from 6am.

Northern Ireland – A yellow warning for rain and snow kicked in at midnight and lasts until 11am, likely affecting journey times on roads and rails.

Midlands, north and Scotland – A yellow warning for rain and snow reaching from Stoke and Nottingham up to all of Scotland started at 4am and stays in place until 9am. Manchester, Liverpool and Hull are not affected.

Southern Scotland – An amber warning for snow starts at 7am and ends at midday, covering the Pennines, Yorkshire Dales and some southern parts of Scotland.

Central Scotland – Parts of central Scotland can expect some heavy snowfall, with an amber warning for snow and ice from 7am until 5pm over Aberfeldy and surrounding areas, northwest of Perth and Dundee.

East and west coasts – From 5am until 7pm, a yellow warning for wind covers the entire eastern coasts of Scotland and northern England, down to Grimsby.

The same warning covers much of the western coastline from Wales up to northern Scotland, though Manchester and Liverpool are not included.

What the weather warnings mean

• Yellow – people are advised to check the details of the forecast and consider extra steps to minimise any impact, while disruption is likely, particularly for travel;
• Amber – disruption is more likely and more widespread and people are advised to change plans impacted by weather;
• Red – reserved for very dangerous weather that can pose a danger to life and cause substantial travel disruption.

Travel disruption

While airports are not expecting disruption, rail companies have announced service changes over the weekend.

In Scotland, there will be speed restrictions on the West Highland Line, Highland Mainline, Stranraer Line, Glasgow South Western Line, Far North Line, and West Coast Mainline between Carstairs and the border.

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ScotRail has also withdrawn services from Inverness to Elgin, Aberdeen to Inverurie, and Glasgow Queen Street to Oban.

The TransPennine Express, meanwhile, “strongly” urged customers not to travel north of Carlisle on Saturday and Avanti West Coast advised against travel north of Preston.

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Gatwick Airport: Police release two people who were detained amid security incident as South Terminal reopens

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Gatwick Airport: Police release two people who were detained amid security incident as South Terminal reopens

Two people detained during a security incident at Gatwick Airport have been allowed to continue their journeys after a suspect package saw a “large part” of the South Terminal evacuated.

The terminal was closed for hours after the discovery of a “suspected prohibited item” in a passenger’s luggage sparked an emergency response. It reopened at around 3.45pm.

Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team “made the package safe” before handing the airport back to its operator, Sussex Police said.

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Passengers at Gatwick Airport after flights were cancelled. Pic: PA
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Passengers at Gatwick Airport after flights were cancelled. Pic: PA

Their statement continued: “Two people who were detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys.

“There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel.”

The force also thanked the public and airport staff for their patience while the incident was ongoing.

Earlier the airport, which is the UK’s second busiest, said the terminal was evacuated after a “security incident”.

“The earlier security alert has now been resolved and cleared by police,” it later said in a statement on Friday afternoon.

“The South Terminal is reopening to staff and will be open to passengers shortly.”

Gatwick said some flights were cancelled while others were delayed.

It said passengers should contact their airlines for any updates on flights.

Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of travellers heading away from the terminal building.

“Arrived at London Gatwick for routine connection. Got through customs to find out they’re evacuating the entire airport,” one passenger said.

“Even people through security are being taken outside. Trains shut down,” another passenger added, who said “thousands” of people were forced to leave.

Another passenger said people near the gates were being told to stay there and not go back to the departure lounge.

People outside the airport were handed blankets and water, passengers told Sky News.

The airport said its North Terminal was still operating normally.

Gatwick Express said its trains did not call at Gatwick Airport during the police response, but the airport said trains would start calling there again once the terminal was fully reopened.

More than 600 flights were due to take off or land at Gatwick on Friday, amounting to more than 121,000 passenger seats, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

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