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A van driver has been jailed for four years after failing to secure a scaffolding board which struck the windscreen of a car and left an 11-year-old boy dead.

Russell Le Beau, 34, from Eastbourne, was driving his vehicle on Top Road in Hooe, East Sussex, when a collision took place at around 3pm on 15 December 2022.

He had not secured scaffolding boards on the van properly, causing one of them to become suspended in mid-air at an angle across the carriageway in the opposite direction.

Scaffolding boards are used to provide a platform for construction workers.

The protruding board would have been visible in Le Beau’s wing mirror as he was driving, Lewes Crown Court heard.

Lee Dennis was driving his car in the opposite direction with his 11-year-old son Harry in the passenger seat and his 13-year-old daughter in the back.

Mr Dennis had no time to react to prevent the scaffolding board from striking the window of his car and leaving Harry with serious injuries.

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The boy had to be flown to Kings College Hospital in London where he died from his injuries days later.

Le Beau was arrested and later charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

What were the HSE findings?

Investigators from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the wooden boards were only clamped down by a metal pole at one end, at the very rear of the van, with no ratchet straps, net or tarpaulin securing them.

They also found there was no straps, net or tarpaulin bag being carried anywhere in the vehicle.

This meant there was nothing to prevent one of the scaffolding boards from swinging out across the carriageway.

Harry Dennis was killed in the collision
Image:
Harry Dennis was killed in the collision

The HSE report concluded that load security on the vehicle was “grossly inadequate” and Le Beau had not followed the safe loading of scaffolding guidance.

Le Beau pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving before he was sentenced to four years in prison and was disqualified from driving for seven years.

Tribute from boy’s mother

Harry’s mother Maria Dennis said after the case: “Harry was our beautiful son with the biggest of smiles and the biggest of hearts.

“His kind, caring and fun nature made such an impact on so many. He would take others under his wing, helping his friends to grow in confidence and to believe in themselves.

“If Harry could make someone laugh it would make his day. His giggle was infectious and we share memories of his antics daily. His smile lives on in us – his family, and his friends.”

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Mr Dennis' car after it was struck by the scaffolding board
Image:
Lee Dennis’s car after it was struck by the scaffolding board

The Dennis family said Harry was a “true sportsman”, playing football for Hastings Athletic Football Club, and said he always gave 100% in everything he tried, adding “his ambition to win was second to none, but equally he was always humble in defeat”.

Delivering the sentence, Judge Christine Laing KC told Le Beau: “You were driving whilst that vehicle was dangerous.

“I have no doubt that you were prepared to take a risk whatever the rush was that day.

“But you set off with catastrophic consequences. You were at the wheel and bear the responsibility for not checking.

“I accept that you didn’t intend to cause harm, but you took a most gross risk by driving with an insecure load.”

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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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