Home news in brief
Cold snap hits UK but temperatures set to rise
Snow fell in parts of the UK yesterday in unseasonably cold weather – Manchester was among the areas to be hit after northerly air spread down the country from the Arctic. Simon Partridge, a meteorologist at the Met Office said that high areas, particularly those in Scotland, have seen “snow showers” since Friday evening. Manchester will probably see some more snowfall over the next 24 hours, according to Mr Partridge. “It’s not that unusual for April really. That’s why April is such a nightmare month when it comes to forecasting. You can be 20C one week and snowing the next, which is what’s happened. It’s a topsy-turvy kind of a month, unfortunately,” he said.
Temperatures were predicted to get as low as -7C earlier today in a few isolated spots and just below freezing in many towns and cities. For the rest of this week, the outlook is set to be warmer and brighter. A mild band of air from the Atlantic will improve things slightly, before the UK sees high pressure from
Tuesday onwards. There will be plenty of dry and sunny spells on Tuesday and Wednesday, and temperatures could reach highs of 17C on Thursday. Glasgow could reach 16C on Thursday, six degrees above average for the time of year. “That’s the joy of spring,” said Mr Partridge.
Man arrested after woman’s body found at country park
A 46-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a woman was found in water at a country park in Suffolk. The body was found at Brandon Country Park shortly before 7am on Friday. The suspect was arrested at around 12:15pm, Suffolk Police say, and taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning. Superintendent Andy Smith said that police suspect that those involved were known to each other.
Two officers sacked after speeding in seized car
Two police officers have been dismissed after filming themselves driving at 89mph in a seized car. Police constables Shaun Pearce and Daniel Pike were found to have committed gross misconduct during the incident in 2019. Devon and Cornwall Police said the officers were on duty in the “No Excuses” road safety team at the time. It was alleged that on 16 January, the officers had seized a vehicle as part of “The Fatal Five” campaign, which aims to tackle issues such as speeding. Following a three-day public hearing, a misconduct panel concluded that the allegations were proven, the force said. The officers were found to have breached the expected standards of professional behaviour during the incident. They were dismissed without notice from Devon and Cornwall Police on 25 March.
Drugs worth £500,000 seized in raid
Police have seized drugs worth an estimated £500,000 in a raid on a property in South Lanarkshire. Officers discovered around 1 million Etizolam tablets when searching a property at Valley Court, Hamilton, at about 11am on Tuesday. A 37-year-old woman was arrested and charged in connection with the operation. Detective Sergeant Gary Crossan said: “This was a significant recovery that has kept a large quantity of drugs off our streets.”