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Sturgeon condemns attack on war memorial
Scotland’s first minister yesterday condemned vandals who torched wreaths on a war memorial. Nicola Sturgeon led tributes at the cenotaph in Edinburgh on Remembrance Sunday, and she was among many who laid poppy wreaths at the Stone of Remembrance. But less than 24 hours later many of the poppy wreaths were set on fire and the memorial damaged.
Ms Sturgeon said: “Utterly beyond comprehension that someone would vandalise a war memorial on Remembrance Day – sickening and disgraceful. I hope those responsible are
identified and brought to justice.” Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Robert Aldridge also hit out at those behind the vandalism, and blasted it as “disgusting and disrespectful”.
Gove pledges to block ‘ugly’ housing developments
Michael Gove has promised to use his powers to intervene and block new housing developments if the government deems them too ugly. The levelling-up secretary told a think-tank event in London yesterday that he would use his “call-in” powers to stop developments which were not “aesthetically of high quality”, adding: “People do not want ugliness imposed on them.” Speaking to an audience at the Centre for Policy Studies Mr Gove insisted the government’s floated reforms of the planning system were not “dead”. But he said the government would insist new developments were “beautiful” and promote a sense of “neighbourhood” – as well as having adequate infrastructure and respecting the environment.
“We will use all the powers we have, including call-in powers, in order to make sure that developments which are not aesthetically of high quality don’t go ahead,” Mr Gove told the audience.
Duncan Smith feared for wife as cone placed on his head
Sir Iain Duncan Smith told a court yesterday how he feared for his wife when he had a traffic cone “slammed” on to his head as protesters followed him at last year’s Conservative Party conference. The former Tory leader told a court he was subjected to a “cacophony of sound”, a banging drum, abuse and insults as he walked in Manchester city centre on 4 October with his wife Betsy and one of her friends.
He said the group frightened him along with his wife and her friend, Primrose Yorke. He said he was particularly concerned for the safety of his company. Sir Iain told Manchester Magistrates’ Court: “I have seen a lot of protests in the course of my time as a politician. I’m normally not overly concerned.
People normally make their points, but not in a threatening way. He was giving evidence at the trial of Elliot Bovill, 32, of no fixed address, who denies common assault. Bovill is on trial with Radical Haslam, 29, from Manchester, and Ruth Wood, 52, from Cambridge, who both deny using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress. The trial continues.
Hunt for man after woman assaulted on bus
Police are investigating after a woman was sexually assaulted at a London bus stop and again while on the bus by the same man. Officers have released an image of a man they wish to identify in connection with the incident, which took place at around 2am on Saturday 23 July. The woman, in her 20s, was standing at a bus stop on Lordship Lane in Dulwich when she was first assaulted. She then boarded a number 12 bus. During the journey, she was sexually assaulted again by the same man. She reported the incident to the Metropolitan Police the following day.
Hospital declared major incident because of ‘unsafe’ conditions
A Northern Ireland hospital closed its doors to new admissions on Saturday night because conditions had become unsafe, a health chief has said. Jennifer Welsh, chief executive at the Northern Health Trust, said the situation in the emergency department (ED) at Antrim Area Hospital yesterday remained “extremely pressured”. A major incident was declared at the weekend when a high number of critically ill patients arrived in quick succession at the Co Antrim hospital, prompting the decision to temporarily close the doors to new admissions.
Ms Welsh said there were 45 patients in the ED yesterday for whom a decision to admit had been made, but for whom no bed is available. She told the BBC Good Morning Ulster programme: “That would have been unthinkable about four or five years ago, we would have never seen numbers like that.”
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