Home news in brief
Nine fans arrested at Liverpool celebrations
Nine people were arrested as Liverpool fans defied a police dispersal order to celebrate their Premier League title triumph, while four people were arrested outside Elland Road where Leeds supporters gathered to honour their Championship triumph. Police expressed their disappointment that thousands of people ignored social distancing advice to celebrate the two clubs’ success this season, and urged people to “act sensibly, follow government guidance and keep themselves and each other safe”.
Despite being urged by Merseyside Police, Liverpool Football Club, the City Council and the Spirit of Shankly supporters’ group to stay away from Anfield on Wednesday night, large numbers defied authorities to join in the celebrations as Liverpool lifted the Premier League trophy – despite no fans being allowed inside the stadium.
To try and avoid a repeat of the scenes witnessed at the end of last month at Anfield and in the city centre,
Merseyside Police implemented a 48-hour dispersal order to prevent fans from hanging around Anfield, but many ignored the exclusion zone with fireworks and flares set off throughout the night.
Seven-year-old among children granted gun licences
A seven-year-old was found to be among almost 2,800 children who legally own guns in England and Wales, official statistics have shown. Figures released by the Home Office showed that 247 children aged 13 and under, and 2,500 aged 14 to 17, hold shotgun certificates.
A further 282 14- to 17-year-olds are permitted to own other types of firearms, including rifles and handguns. They were among 586,351 people with gun licences as of 31 March after the figure dropped by around 5,000 in a year. The vast majority were male and aged between 18 and 64, according to statistics released yesterday.
Human-linked Earth vibrations halve due to lockdowns
Beneath our feet the Earth is constantly rumbling. Along with the seismic activity caused by enormous tectonic events such as earthquakes and volcanoes, there is also a perpetual reverberation caused by the percussion of human activity. But new seismic data studied by scientists reveals the impact of coronavirus lockdowns around the world reduced the human-linked earth vibrations by an “unprecedented” 50 per cent.
Scientists at the Royal Observatory of Belgium and five other institutions around the world, including Imperial College London, said this quiet period, probably caused by the total global effect of social distancing measures, closure of services and industry, and drops in tourism and travel, is the longest and most pronounced quiet period of seismic noise in recorded history.
Elton John’s ex-wife sues singer for writing about her
Elton John’s ex-wife Renate Blauel is demanding a £3m payout over claims he broke the terms of their divorce deal. Blauel, who was married to John for four years from 1984 to 1988, is suing the singer for writing about her in his autobiography, Me, which was released in 2019.
According to legal documents filed at London’s High Court this week, the comments made in the book broke the terms of an agreement made when they divorced 32 years ago. The documents state that John agreed to remove certain passages before publication of the book, but Blauel, a German-born sound engineer, claims that the comments triggered long-standing mental health problems. In one segment John, who is now married and has two children with husband David Furnish, admitted “huge guilt and regret” for causing her hurt during the relationship. He also wrote about having very limited contact with Blauel following their separation, but had invited her to meet his children because he “wanted her to be part of our lives, and us part of hers, in some way”.
“But she didn’t want to,” he said, “and I didn’t push the issue. I have to respect how she feels.”
Former MP ‘liar who fooled police, party and wife’
Former Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke is an “accomplished liar” who deceived the police, party bosses and his wife after being accused of sexual assaults, a jury has heard. Prosecutor Eloise Marshall QC accused the 49-year-old former Dover MP of lying to the jury in denials that he assaulted two women a decade apart.
She said witness testimonies from the complainants were “almost identical” to each other, despite being from two women who did not know each other.
Father-of-two Mr Elphicke is on trial accused of sexually assaulting a woman aged in her early thirties at his London home in 2007, and twice in 2016 involving a parliamentary worker aged in her early twenties he had propositioned. Neither was sexually interested in him, the court heard. Mr Elphicke, Dover MP from 2010 until he stood down in 2019 when he was succeeded by his wife, Natalie Elphicke, denies all charges. The trial continues.
Investigation into safety of NHS maternity equipment
A national investigation has been launched into the equipment used by NHS staff to monitor babies heart rates during labour because of concerns they could be contributing to deaths and disabilities. The independent Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB), which investigates systemic safety risks in the NHS, has opened an inquiry after reviewing hundreds of maternity incidents. It found equipment used to record cardiotocographic (CTG) traces were linked to 138 maternity investigations since 2018 with more than 238 separate findings referencing the use of CTG as a factor in the error. CTG machines produce a continuous printed record of the baby’s heart rate during labour and is designed to indicate when a baby is struggling and may need help to be born. This can help recognise mothers who need an emergency caesarean section. HSIB said it was concerned the way equipment was being used could be contributing to stillbirths, baby deaths or children being starved of oxygen and left permanently disabled.