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Thames Valley Police has been awarded £735,000 to crack down on violent crime in the region. The money will be used to combat crimes including offences involving knives.

SLOUGH: The MP for Slough said he has been trolled by hundreds of Twitter bots due to speaking out about the ongoing Indian farmers’ protests, writes Grace Witherden.

Labour MP Tan Dhesi made the comments during a parliamentary debate about the issue, following a petition created by Maidenhead councillor Gurch Singh, which received more than 115,700 signatures.

It demanded the UK Government make a statement on the protests, as well as urging the Indian Government to ensure the safety of protestors and maintain press freedom.

For months, tens of thousands of farmers across India have flooded into Delhi and clashed with police after peacefully protesting Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s controversial agricultural reform.

During the debate MPs demanded that UK officials address these concerns with India when Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits the country, expected to take place later this year.

Slough Labour MP Tan Dhesi, who sent a cross-party letter to the Prime Minister signed by 100

MPs and Lords about the issue, told the house he had received abuse online from ‘hundreds of fake profiles from the Twitter troll factory’ for speaking out and accused the Government of putting a trade deal with Indian first.

Nigel Adams, minister for Asia at the foreign, commonwealth and development office said the Government had ‘serious and specific concerns’ which it would raise with the Indian Government.

In a statement the High Commission of India rebuked UK

MPs for criticising it’s handling of the protests and said that

‘false assertions – without substantiation or facts – were made’ during the debate.

Speaking after, Mr Dhesi told the Express that thousands of Slough constituents had been concerned over the ongoing protests.

He added: “People will always have differing views on issues, but it’s important that we keep these conversations respectful and civil. Abuse and attacks on social media are never acceptable and can have devastating consequences.”

An update into the progess of the new Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot has been given by the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust. The first patients are set to be welcomed in December.