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Fire rips through historic London church
A vicar has said she watched on in horror as a historic church in London was destroyed in a raging fire overnight. Some 80 firefighters battled the blaze at St Mark’s Church in Hamilton Terrace, St John’s Wood, which had links to author Lewis Carroll and Queen Victoria’s son Prince Leopold Vicar Kate Harrison said she was “absolutely heartbroken” as she watched the fire tear through her church.
She told the Standard she was evacuated from her home in the vicarage after the fire broke out. Fighting tears, she said: “That building has served the Christian community for 175 years it’s our base where we have been reaching out, helping people, loving people. It’s a wonderful beacon of hope and to see it suffer in crushing devastation is completely heartbreaking.”
Nurse who found bomb accused of terror plot
A man who was allegedly found with a pressure cooker bomb outside a Leeds hospital has appeared in court accused of plotting a terror attack. Mohammad Farooq, a student nurse at St James’s Hospital, is accused of taking the homemade device and a blank-firing pistol to his place of work on 20 January. The 27-year-old was arrested outside the hospital’s maternity ward amid a major security operation.
Mr Farooq appeared in court yesterday charged with preparing an act of terrorism, possessing an imitation firearm and possession of an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property. The court heard that he had an interest in jihadism and had conducted “hostile reconnaissance” of the Menwith Hill RAF base in North Yorkshire.
Gove signs £1.4bn devolution deal for North East
Levelling Up minister Michael Gove said he accepted the North East of England “has sometimes been overlooked in the past” as he signed a £1.4bn devolution deal for the region. The North East will become the latest area to have a directly elected mayor following the deal to transfer powers over skills, transport and housing to people across Northumberland, Newcastle, Sunderland and elsewhere.
Mr Gove, the mayor of North Tyne and representatives from the seven local authorities covering the region signed the deal at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, in Gateshead, yesterday. The deal will deliver a promised £1.4bn over the next 30 years,
with fresh powers over the multi-million pound adult education budget and a greater say over the local skills improvement plan. PA
Firefighter dies after blaze at historic Jenners building
A “dedicated and well-loved” firefighter who helped tackle a huge blaze at the historic Jenners building in Edinburgh has died. Barry Martin, 38, from Fife, sustained serious injuries as the inferno ripped through the former department store on Monday. Mr Martin joined emergency services as they raced to the building following reports of a fire at the premises, while thick smoke billowed through the Scottish capital.
He was rushed to hospital by ambulance along with four other firefighters. He died at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh yesterday. Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon described Mr Martin’s death in the line of duty as “dreadfully sad news”. Mr Martin is the first Scottish firefighter to die while on duty since Ewan Williamson, who died after being injured at the Balmoral Bar in Edinburgh in 2009.
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