Police are appealing for witnesses after vehicles were damaged in Washington.

At 3.43am on Saturday, November 1, police received information that three youths were damaging vehicles in the Washington Village area.

On police arrival the three youths had made off from the area.

Five vehicles were damaged at Village Lane, Spout Lane, and Musgrave Terrace, including wing mirrors broken off, a broken window and damage consistent with two of the vehicles being jumped on a ran over.

House to house enquiries have been carried out in the area and officers are making enquiries to trace the offenders responsible for the mindless damage.

Any witnesses or anyone with information about the damage is asked to contact police on 101 ext 69191, quoting reference 362 01/11/14, of Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A jury at the Old Bailey returned its verdicts on Wednesday, 5 November in a trial that followed an investigation by Operation Elveden.

Operation Elveden was launched in June 2011 investigating allegations of inappropriate payments to police and public officials. It is being supervised by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

The allegations in this trial centred around the abuse of position by a prison officer, Scott Chapman, who was accused of selling information to journalists about a high profile prisoner.

He was aided and abetted by his former partner, Lynn Gaffney, who ensured the money received went through her bank account. For this effort she received a cut of the money knowing that what she and Chapman were doing was illegal.

The evidence established that over a period of two years a total of £40,000 was paid into Lynn Gaffney’s bank account on behalf of Scott Chapman.

Scott Chapman, Lynn Gaffney and a journalist from the News of the World who cannot be named for legal reasons were found guilty.

Thomas Savage, a Daily Star journalist, was found not guilty.

Detective Chief Superintendent Gordon Briggs, who oversees on Operation Elveden, speaking after the verdicts said:

“Scott Chapman abused his position of trust as a prison officer to sell confidential information to journalists for private gain. He received in the region of £40,000 for these stories.

“Lynn Gaffney aided and abetted Chapman by acting as a conduit to accept payments from the journalist on his behalf in an attempt to cover their tracks.

“A journalist from the News of the World who cannot be named for legal reasons, knew that Chapman was a prison officer and knew he was breaking the law by leaking confidential information for money and conspired with him in that criminality.

“Scott Chapman and Lynn Gaffney were motivated primarily by financial gain; the journalists exploited that to their own advantage without lawful justification.

“The investigations launched under Operation Elveden are not about attacking press freedom or from preventing information that is in the public interest from being published. The police are not here to act as censors.

“However, where criminality has been alleged it is right and important that the police conduct thorough investigations and that the evidence is put before a court.”

Count One -

Scott Chapman [Elveden arrest 31], 42 (18.11.71), a prison officer of Seaton Crescent, Corby, Northamptonshire, NN18 and Lynn Ann Gaffney [Elveden 32], 39 (12.09.74) of Belvoir Close, Corby, NN18 were charged as follows:

Scott Chapman and Lynn Gaffney, between the 1st day of March 2010 and the 20th day of June 2011, committed misconduct in public office contrary to Common Law.

Both defendants were found guilty.

Count Two -

Thomas William Savage [Elveden 41], 37 (29.09.77) a journalist of Landcroft Road, East Dulwich, London, SE22 was found not guilty of the following count:

Between the 22nd day of July 2010 and the 20th day of June 2011, conspired with Scott Chapman and Lynn Gaffney to commit misconduct in public office contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

Count Three -

A 40-year-old journalist from the News of the World, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of the following count:

Between the 5th day of August 2010 and the 11th day of September 2010, conspired together with Scott Chapman and Lynn Gaffney to commit misconduct in public office contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

A man has been charged after placing a hoax bomb in Bolton.

Helmat Ahmed (02/08/85) of Derby Street, Bolton, was charged with the offence of placing a hoax bomb and was remanded in custody to appear before Bolton Magistrates’ Court today.

On Wednesday 5 November 2014, a suspicious package was found Queen Street in Bolton. Officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit attended and after a controlled explosion and assessment, the package was confirmed not to be an explosive device.

GMP would like to thank the public for their patience whilst this matter was resolved and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

A former North Yorkshire businessman who is currently serving a five year prison sentence for fraud, has been jailed for a further 44 months for conning women, business associates and customers out of thousands of pounds.

Jonathan Guy Brudenell, 44, formerly of Nawton near Helmsley and Lammas Court, Scarcroft, Leeds, appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday 6 November 2014, where he was told that the 44 month sentence for his latest frauds will run consecutively from the day his previous sentence ends.

The court imposed a ten-year Financial Reporting Order which means he must report his financial position to North Yorkshire Police on a regular basis for the next ten years. Failure to report accurately will result in a breach of the order and Brudenell will be brought back before the court.

Brudenell was charged earlier this year with 21 offences committed between 2009 and 2013. On 3 October 2014 he pleaded guilty to 11 of these offences, with the rest being allowed to lie on file. Lying on file means they are not convictions but will appear on his record.

All but one of the offences were committed while Brudenell was on bail for the offences for which he was jailed in 2013.

Brudenell pleaded guilty to:

• Fraud against the Insolvency Service by falsely claiming that work was paid for by his girlfriend to renovate a property atRunswick Bay, thereby giving her a fraudulent beneficial interest ahead of his creditors. False invoices were supplied to the Insolvency Service to substantiate the claim and Brudenell was charged jointly for this offence with a woman who is yet to stand trial.
• Four charges of fraud after he deceived four separate women he met through a dating website into handing over a total of £62,885 between 2010 and 2013.
• Making a fake email for use in fraud.
• Three offences of fraud against two men after he conned them into handing over £17,000 in 2013 by making false investment claims.
• Fraudulent Trading (jointly with the woman yet to stand trial) by misleading clients of HR Development (Leeds) Ltd, giving them a false name and misapplying payments in order to finance his lifestyle and service debt.
• Being concerned in the formation and management of a company without leave of the court, as an un-discharged bankrupt. Brudenell is the subject of a Bankruptcy Restriction Order imposed by York County Court until May 2023.

Detective Inspector Ian Wills who heads North Yorkshire Police’s Financial Investigation Unit, said: “Brudenell is a predatory fraudster who views every encounter and meeting as an opportunity to commit fraud. He has targeted people indiscriminately for many years.

“The evidence revealed that he regularly lied to family, friends and business associates about his need for funds and how they were to be applied. Between 2009 and 2013, he was a prolific user of a dating websites where he targeted women for sex and money.

“He was latterly offering bogus investment deals with the payments offsetting previous debt and funding his lifestyle. His offending continued up to the very morning he was imprisoned in June 2013.”

He added:“The tactics Brudenell used to delay repayment were callous, claiming to some that his girlfriend had cancer and latterly that he himself had bowel cancer.

“As in the previous case, he was also forging emails to encourage investment or delay repayment – all whilst on bail for similar matters. The sentence today should send a clear message to those who seek to deceive others.”

Cheshire police area appealing for information following a burglary in Congleton.

The incident happened at around 4am on Wednesday, November 5 at a house in Giantswood Lane. The offenders gained access to the property and, once inside, adjusted the burglar alarm sensors before making a search of the ground floor, taking laptops, a games console and three handbags.

The offender was disturbed when the alarm activated and left through the kitchen door at the rear, and made off from the scene hopping over neighbouring gardens.

Anyone who saw anything or has information is urged to contact PC Rob Burgess on 101, quoting incident 54 of November 5, 2014.

North Yorkshire Police have released the name of the man who died at Malham Cove while walking in the area.

The incident occurred at around 4.30pm on Wednesday 5 November 2014, when the man was seen to fall at the cove.

He was David Longbottom, who was aged 72 and from Ossett, West Yorkshire.

Mr Longbottom’s death is not being treated as suspicious and noone else is being sought in connection with the incident. However, police enquiries remain ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up his death on behalf of the Coroner.

When he died, Mr Longbottom was wearing black walking trousers, lumberjack checked shirt, a black sleeveless jacket, black North Face walking shoes and carrying a blue rucksack.

PC Simon Crossley, of Craven Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “If you were in the Malham Cove area and can help identify Mr Longbottom’s movements just prior to his tragic death, please get in touch with as soon as possible.”

Anyone who can assist with this enquiry should contact Skipton police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Simon Crossley. Alternatively, information can be emailed to simon.crossley@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

Jeffrey Okafor, 23 (05.3.91) of no fixed address appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Court today (Friday, 7 November) charged with the murder of Carl Beatson Asiedu. He has been remanded in custody to appear the Old Bailey on Monday, 10 November.

Police are appealing for information after an 18 year old man was assaulted in Skelmersdale.

The incident happened at around 10pm on Thursday 30 October when the victim was walking his girlfriend home. As they were walking along Wigan Road towards Hope Island, they passed a group of approximately 30 youths who were all dressed in dark clothing.

It is believed that one of the males from the group punched the victim in the face. The victim sustained a fractured eye socket as a result of the attack.

PC Steve Quilliam of Skelmersdale Police said: “This nasty assault has left the victim with a serious facial injury which will require surgery. I have no doubt that a number of people in the group will know who is responsible for this cowardly attack and I would urge them to do the right thing and come forward.”

Anyone with information can contact Lancashire Police on 101 quoting crime reference number SB1400518.

Alternatively they can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at Crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

A Bournemouth man has been jailed for four-and-a-half years for stabbing another man twice in a vicious knife attack in the town.

Scott Tinpeloo, of London, was sentenced today, Friday 7 November 2014, at Bournemouth Crown Court. He was told he would have to serve an additional four years on licence once released.

The 20-year-old pleaded guilty at the same court on 25 September 2014 to causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The court heard the victim, a 22-year-old man from Bournemouth, was walking home when he was attacked by Tinpeloo in West Hill Road in the town at around 11.30am on Friday 13 June 2014.

Tinpeloo got out of a car with a large kitchen knife in his hands. He grabbed the victim from behind and stabbed him twice in the back before fleeing the scene in the car.

The victim sustained a stab wound in the middle of his back in line with his spine and a second in his lower back above the right hip.

Tinpeloo was arrested on 18 July 2014.

Detective Constable Leo Glendon, of Bournemouth CID, said: “This was a vicious and unprovoked attack in broad daylight on an innocent man. Dorset Police will not tolerate knife crime in the county and the sentence handed out today is appropriate for the seriousness of the offence.”

Six members of the same family who pleaded guilty to over 150 offences of catalytic converters thefts across London have been sentenced today (Friday, 7 November) at Harrow Crown Court to over 13 years’ imprisonment.

Gerard McDonagh, 31 (21.05.83) of Sheldon Road, London N18 was sentenced to three years imprisonment for conspiring to steal catalytic converters from motor vehicles.

Martin McDonagh, 37 (30.09.77) of Monmouth Road, London N9 was sentenced to three years imprisonment for conspiring to steal catalytic converters from motor vehicles.

Michael McDonagh, 31 (07.02.83) of Saxon Road, London N22 was sentenced to three years imprisonment for conspiring to steal catalytic converters from motor vehicles.

Kevin McDonagh, 19 (31.05.95) of Hoe Lane EN1 was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for conspiring to steal catalytic converters from motor vehicles.

Joseph McDonagh, 31 (09.05.83) of South Road, London N9 was sentenced to two years imprisonment for conspiring to steal catalytic converters from motor vehicles.

John McDonagh, 32 (15.12.81) of South Eastern Avenue, London N9 was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment for four counts of theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles.

The brothers previously pleaded guilty at Harrow Crown Court on 5 August

They have also all been issued with a five year post conviction anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) preventing them from touching an unattended motor vehicle without the owner’s consent and not to own, possess, use or control cutting equipment capable of cutting metal of a thickness greater than two millimetres.

This case relates to an organised and sophisticated crime syndicate who were involved in complex theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles London wide for over a year. The McDonagh family from north London were responsible for over 150 thefts of catalytic converters from motor vehicles London wide since July 2013.

Officers from Brent borough carried out an investigation after a number of catalytic converters had been stolen from vehicles in the area. Officers were able to identify the McDonagh family through surveillance work, forensic evidence and CCTV. Other evidence showed that they were placed in vicinity at the time of the thefts.

Since the arrest and charge of these men in April and May and due to them being remanded in custody, there was a 50 per cent reduction in the number of catalytic converters thefts which can solely be credited to the arrest and prosecution of the McDonagh family. The monthly reduction from the most serious month was 320 catalytic converters thefts in April down to 96 in June.

Officers from Brent Police led by Detective Sergeant Mick Walker, supported by colleagues from across London worked on this case tirelessly with resolve and determination in identifying offences, gathering evidence, reopening a large number of closed investigations across London to bring to justice and dismantle this organised criminal network for victims all across London.

Brent Borough Commander, Chief Superintendent Michael Gallagher said; “This is a fantastic result for the victims of these crimes. These convictions represent the MPS’s determination to pursue and dismantle criminal networks and bring them to justice. These convictions should serve as a warning to those engaged in criminal activity that we won’t stop until they are convicted.”

Inspector Paul Sanders from Bexley Borough, where some of the theft took place said; “I’m delighted that this gang who have been stealing catalytic converters and causing misery across that capital have been brought to justice.

“After the theft of a catalytic converter in Bexley we were able to work with colleagues at Brent to establish that there was an organised criminal network involved and that the level of offending was vast, affecting many London boroughs. Their actions caused not only a great deal of inconvenience, but the financial implications were very distressing for the victims too.

“The investigation used old fashion policing tactics, combined with modern day policing methods, which should send out a clear message to people who engage in this type of criminal activity – you will be pursued and put before the courts.

“I would like to thank all of the policing teams who were involved in this case, it was a complete team effort by all of the officers, and had it not been for their tenacity then the gang may never have been identified.”

The boroughs that were affected by the thefts were Barnet, Brent, Bexley, Camden, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlet and Waltham Forest.

We urge vehicle owners to be vigilant and consider adopting some or all of the measures shown below to help protect their vehicle against this type of theft.

Property marking
Etching a catalytic converters with a serial number will help police track a stolen converter to a specific injured party and overtly advertising that a vehicle is protected by property marking may also deter offenders as it will potentially reduce the opportunities for selling on the converters at reputable scrap metal dealers.

Welded Bolts
If a catalytic converter is a “bolt on” it is possible to have the bolts welded shut. This is only a deterrent to the lowest grade of catalytic converter thief working with a spanner but may still be enough of a deterrent to help prevent a theft.

Catalytic Converter Protective Sleeves
Protective coverings are quite expensive but make it much more difficult for the saw wielding thief to steal catalytic converters.

Defensive Parking
If it is possible to block the high-clearance vehicles by utilising natural structures such as walls etc and low clearance vehicles to help prevent access underneath, this will help prevent access to the vulnerable area of the vehicle and at the very least slow the thieves down making the target less attractive.

Effective Security Lighting
Good security lighting can make vehicles more visible and improve natural surveillance. External dusk to dawn lighting which automatically stays on during the hours of darkness and goes off as it starts to get light in areas where there is good surveillance from other people, makes the target less attractive.

CCTV / Alarms
The installation of CCTV to cover parking areas can help reduce theft. Remote monitored CCTV could even stop catalytic converter theft before it happens if the monitoring centre can notify the police in real time as an offence takes place. The use of driveway alarms can help alert you to anyone trespassing on your property.

Perimeter Security
Fencing is the first line of defence for most business parking areas and regular checks of fences for damage, ensuring any holes etc are quickly and properly repaired will help deter the opportunistic catalytic thief. There are many types of security fencing and increasing the protection afforded by this feature will help prevent or at least slow down the more organised thief.

Anyone with any information regarding catalytic converters thefts is asked to contact police on 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A man has been jailed for the theft of £120,000 in jewellery at 10 jewellery stores across London.

Germain Fofana, aged 27 (02/02/87) of no fixed address was sentenced to a total of five and a half years imprisonment for ten counts of theft and three counts of burglary at Woolwich Crown Court today (7 November).

Fofana asked the court for 32 other theft/burglary matters to be taken into consideration at the sentencing.

He was sentenced to four years for the ten counts of theft and 18 months for the three counts of burglary – sentences to run consecutively.

Officers from Kingston Police had appealed for public assistance in locating Fofana in May after he stole two engagement rings and a wedding ring from Ernest Jones Jewellers in Clarence Street, Kingston on 18 May.

He asked to see the rings and when they were given to him he ran from the store taking the rings with him.

In his haste to flee the scene, Fofana left behind his mobile phone and bag. The phone provided officers with an image of the suspect that had been set as the screensaver.

After making enquiries officers identified Fofana and on 21 May, appealed for help from the public to trace his whereabouts. Fofana was wanted for a number of theft related matters.

He was arrested on the evening of 4 July.

On 5 July the Met’s Flying Squad took over the investigation initially charging Fofana with seven offences.

He appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court on 7 July and was remanded in custody.

The ongoing investigation led to Fofana being identified for further offences where he would enter jewellery stores posing as a customer then flee from the store with jewellery. He also stole from hotels and hostels.

Detective Constable Adrian Whitewick of the Flying Squad said: “Fofana targeted a number of stores and posed convincingly as a customer. His actions have caused distress to a significant number of store employees and resulted in considerable financial loss and inconvenience for businesses. He will have time to reflect on this as he serves his sentence.”

Incidents break down as follows:

1-Theft at Links of London, 9 Kings Road, SW3 on 28 May 2014, £30,000 of jewellery stolen.
2-Theft at Sinclair Jewellers, 6-7 The Pavement, SW19 on 25 February 2014, £5,000 necklace stolen.
3-Theft at Albone Pawnbrokers, 296 Walworth Road, SE17 on 25 September 2013, £3,675 of jewellery stolen.
4-Attempted Theft of an Omega watch at Suttons & Robertson, 88 Fleet Street, EC4 on 5 June 2014.
5-Theft at Jonathon Greeves, 30 Liverpool Street, EC2 on 6 June 2014, £4,500 ring stolen.
6-Theft at Links of London, 6 Royal Exchange, EC3V on 20 June 2014, £7,600 of jewellery stolen.
7-Theft at Pandora, 1 New Change, EC4 on 29 June 2014, £21,520 of jewellery stolen.
8-Theft at Ernest Jones, 8 Clarence Street, Kingston Upon Thames on 18 May 2014, £18,297 of jewellery stolen.
9-Theft at Kabiri, 37 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QE on 23 June 2014, £29,770 of jewellery stolen.
10-Theft at J McCarthy Jewellers, 11 Artillery Row, SW1P on 7 April 2014, £1,770 of jewellery stolen.
11-Burglary at Baden Powell House, Queens Gate, SW7 5JS on 7 January 2014, personal property stolen.
12-Burglary at Baden Powell House, Queens Gate, SW7 5JS on 20 February 2014, personal property stolen.
13-Burglary at Baden Powell House, Queens Gate, SW7 5JS on 10 April 2014, personal property stolen.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is holding a community event in Piccadilly Gardens following the recent success of Operation Mandera.

On Wednesday 12 November 2014 from 11am until 2pm, officers from the City Centre Neighbourhood Policing team will be based in Piccadilly Gardens to engage with members of the public and discuss the ongoing success of the operation.

The event comes as 13 men received drug dealing sentences during a busy 5 week period in September and October 2014. Between them, these 13 men received 230 months imprisonment and 8 Criminal Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (CRASBO).

The cumulative prison time handed out to drug dealers arrested as part of Operation Mandera in 2014 currently stands at 21 years and 5 months.

As well as speaking to members of the public, officers will be handing out leaflets filled with information on Operation Mandera and some details about the more prolific offenders who have been sentenced.

There will be an ad van based in the area which will publicise the operation, along with a GMP drug sniffer dog and special constable patrols.

The event has been funded by cash and assets seized from criminals – including drug dealers arrested in the gardens – under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).

Operation Mandera was launched in 2013 following feedback from the community, to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime in Piccadilly Gardens.

The operation consists of enforcement work from GMP’s City Centre Neighbourhood Policing team, carried out alongside initiatives from partners including Manchester City Council’s Neighbourhood Delivery, CCTV and Community Safety teams.

This year has been a busy one so far for the team who have made 40 arrests for drug dealing, resulting in 21 sentences. Of the 21 sentenced, 15 have were sent to prison and 9 have received CRASBOs banning them from entering Piccadilly Gardens for 2 years after they are released from prison.

Inspector Phil Spurgeon said: “We know that Piccadilly Gardens presents some long-standing and fairly unique crime and anti-social behaviour challenges but we have been working incredibly hard with our partners over the last 18 months to make the area safer.

“Our work tackling cannabis dealing in Piccadilly Gardens has not always been seen by the public so it was important that we came back to tell them that we listened and took positive action.

“We’re particularly pleased that we have been able to harness the community’s support and concerns, to secure long prison sentences and CRASBOs for a large number of drug dealers.

“We know that we have more work to do, but today’s event is about reassuring the community that alongside our partners, we are committed to making Piccadilly Gardens safer.”

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Jim Battle said: “Operation Mandera sends a clear message to drug pedlars that they will be arrested and prosecuted for plying their evil trade in the city centre.

“It also sends a strong message to the public that Greater Manchester Police will act on their information and concerns and mount successful actions to remove drug dealers from the streets of Manchester.

“Members of the public have seen a difference and I am determined to make sure this successful operation is lasting and that there will be no return for these criminals to Piccadilly Gardens.”

Councillor Bernard Priest, deputy leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Piccadilly Gardens is an area of the city centre enjoyed by families and people who want to make use of our open spaces, and our work with the police demonstrates that we will not tolerate those who have the audacity to try to use the area for drug dealing and other criminal activities.

“Not only have these people been given lengthy custodial sentences, but we have issued orders ensuring they will go straight back to jail if they dare to venture there again.

“We’ll be in Piccadilly Gardens to reassure people who want to use this area that we aren’t going away, and anyone with information about antisocial or criminal behaviour should contact us or the police.”

A shop worker was sexually assaulted by a customer at a Tesco store in Bury.

The woman was assaulted while working at the Tesco Express on Water Street in Radcliffe at about 9.30pm on 30 September 2014.

Police have now released a CCTV still of the suspected offender and are appealing to anyone who recognises this man to come forward.

While the woman was working, she was approached by the offender who grabbed her by both arms to restrain her and then began to kiss her.

Appalled, she asked the man to leave which he eventually did.

He is described as being white, in his early 20s, with strawberry blonde or ginger hair, of a medium build and about 5ft 8in tall. He was wearing all grey clothing, a jumper with buttons on the neck, jogging pants and black trainers.

Police Constable Lucia Cronin said: “It would be unthinkable for the vast majority of people to be sexually assaulted at their place of work, and it is completely unacceptable this woman was subjected to such appalling behaviour.

“We believe the offender was drunk or under the influence of something but there is absolutely no excuse to assault a shop worker in this way and leave her feeling fearful and shaken up at her place of work.

“We have now released a CCTV still of a man we want to talk to in connection with this assault and I would appeal to anyone who recognises him to come forward.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Three men were sentenced today at Carlisle Crown Court (7^th November 2014) for grievous bodily harm (GBH).

On the 30^th June 2014 at around 9pm police were called to a report that three men had entered a property on Scattergate Crescent, Appleby, and seriously assaulted a 35 year old man. He was punched and kicked, and part of his ear was bitten off.

• Callum Stigant, aged 23, pleaded guilty to GBH with intent and received 7 years in prison
• James Harrison, aged 20, pleaded guilty to GBH with intent and received 6 years and 8 months in prison
• Travis Sissons, aged 20, pleaded not guilty to GBH with intent, and was found guilty of GBH. He received 1 year and 8 months in prison

DC Vicky Hughes, the officer in the case, said:

“These sentences show that we do not tolerate violence in Cumbria. This was a particularly serious offence, and I am pleased that justice has been served today. Cumbria is one of the safest places to live and work, and we work hard to keep it that way.

“I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of violence to report it to us so that we can investigate and take action.”

Anyone who would like to report an assault should call Cumbria Police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency always dial 999.

A Scarborough man has today (Friday 7 November 2014) been imprisoned for seven years for historic sexual and cruelty offences against two children.

Mark Andrew Scotter, 38, was sentenced at York Crown Court after being found guilty following a trial.

The offences against the boy and girl, which included rape, attempted rape, gross indecency, indecent assault, and assault, ill treatment and neglect, occurred between 2000 and 2003 in the Scarborough area.

North Yorkshire Police launched an extensive investigation into Scotter’s offending in June 2012 when he was arrested.

The victims have received specials support and care throughout the inquiry.

Detective Sergeant Mike Moorhouse, of North Yorkshire Police’s Protecting Vulnerable Persons Unit, said: “Mark Scotter is a vile, sadistic individual who deliberately abused the victims who were only young children at the time of the offences.

“Thankfully he is now in prison for a very long time and it’s a place where he deserves to be for the physical and emotional trauma he has caused.”

DS Moorhouse added: “I have nothing but praise for the victims in this case who have shown true courage in coming forward to seek justice. Whilst the outcome at court can never make up for the ordeal they have been through, I just hope they can now begin to rebuild their lives.”

Any victim of sexual abuse is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101.

Always dial 999 if you are in immediate danger or your safety is threatened.

Victims can also seek independent advice, support and services from Bridge House, North Yorkshire’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). Please call 01904 669339. or visit www.turntobridgehouse.org

Eighteen warrants have been carried out in Northumberland as police continue to target thieves as part of Operation Soundwave.

The warrants were carried on Tuesday at addresses in Ashington, Lynemouth, Blyth, Cramlington, Pegswood, Hexham and Prudhoe.

Nine people were arrested – both men and women – for a range of offences including handling stolen goods and drug offences. Suspected stolen property, mainly electrical goods, and drugs were seized during the warrants.

The activity is part of Northumbria Police’s forcewide Operation Soundwave campaign which is aimed at tackling crimes such as burglaries and thefts and which is supported by Vera Baird, the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner.

Northumberland Chief Inspector Peter Reeve said: “This was a coordinated response across the whole of the county to disrupt the activity of those suspected of being involved in acquisitive crime.

“Thieves and burglars who think they can get away with stealing from people, in particular in the run up to Christmas, should think again. We are actively seeking out those suspected of being responsible and will continue to take similar action.

“I would urge members of the public to help us in stemming acquisitive crime and report any suspicious activity to us, if they see someone hanging around in their neighbourhood seemingly unnecessarily we would ask them to get in contact.”

The Commissioner Vera Baird added: “We value the support we have from our neighbourhoods in working with officers to help prevent crime and raise confidence in our communities.

“Reducing crime is a priority of my Police and Crime Plan and I’m determined to see crime continue to be reduced.

“I’d encourage anyone who wants crime prevention advice or has any concerns to speak to officers in their neighbourhoods.”

Residents are reminded to register any valuable items on the national property registering database Immobilise -www.immobilise.co.uk Police can identify the owners of any items they recovered that are registered on the site.

Further information about Operation Soundwave and crime prevention advice is available on the Northumbria Police website www.northumbria.police.uk

The warrants were carried out in the following streets:

Ashington – Brinkburn Crescent; St Nicholas Close; Beatrice Street; College Road

Lynemouth – Denecroft

Blyth – St Bedes Road; Kings Gardens; Wensleydale Terrace; Bendrige Park; Maughan Street

Cramlington – Holywell Avenue

Pegswood – Patton Way

Hexham – Derwent road,

Prudhoe – Bradley Road; Victoria Terrace; Castle Lea; River View

Choppington – Eastgate

Police are appealing for information after a teenager was sexually assaulted in Newcastle.

It happened at 5.20pm on Thursday, November 6, when a 16-year-old girl was walking along a footpath to the rear of Go Outdoors in West Denton.

A man approached the girl, put his arm around her and touched her inappropriately over the top of her clothing before walking off. The girl was shocked and shaken but wasn’t injured in the incident.

The suspect is described as white, aged between 20 and 25 years old, about 5ft 9ins to 5ft 10ins tall, with stubble, wearing black glasses, a red and blue hooded top and dark jeans.

Newcastle Chief Inspector Ali Best said: “We’re making enquiries into this offence and would ask anyone who was in the area of West Denton Way towards the West Denton Retail Park area who saw a man fitting this description or acting suspicious to get in touch.

“We understand incidents such as this cause concern and additional patrols are taking place in the area. Officers are carrying out house to house enquiries and linking in with local schools and businesses. Anyone who has concerns is urged to contact their local officers.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 ext 69191, quoting reference 942 06/11/14, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A 44-year-old man has today been found guilty of encouraging others to carry out a cyber-attack on the websites of the Home Office and a member of parliament.

A jury at Birmingham Crown Court heard that on 15 June 2012, Mark Johnson from Stoke-on-Trent, posted a distributed denial of service (DDOS) link onto his Twitter feed, which when activated, opened up numerous attacks to the website of the Home Office as well as the personal constituency website of Theresa May MP.

The attacks overloaded both sites and this meant that over a two day period both websites functioned with reduced efficiency until normal service resumed.

The incident was referred to the police who launched an investigation.

On 6 November 2012, Johnson was arrested at his home address and he was later charged with encouraging or assisting an offence which today h has been found guilty.

Johnson will be sentenced on 5 December 2014 at Birmingham Crown Court

Warren Stanier, Senior Crown Prosecutor from the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service’s Complex Casework Unit, said:

“The criminal justice system views any form of cyber-attack very seriously. Those caught committing such offences will be traced and prosecuted.

“Mark Johnson’s actions denied legitimate users the ability to use these two websites which contained important information for the general public.

“Over a two day period, just before the busy summer holiday period, members of the public were unable to access the Home Office website to obtain information on visas and immigration as well as information on policing and crime. Local constituents were also prevented in contacting their local MP for assistance or advice. All this was would have been of great inconvenience to the thousands of users of the sites as well as its administrators who had to bring the service back to normality.

“I would like to take this opportunity of thanking the National Cyber Crime Unit and East Midlands Special Operations Unit who have worked together in partnership with us to track down and gather the evidence against this defendant which was used to bring him to justice”.

The group − who also tried to threaten the man into dropping the case by firing a shotgun at his premises – were convicted of conspiracy to rob and witness intimidation offences at Birmingham Crown Court earlier this week and were sentenced today (Friday, 7 November).

The victim’s ordeal started on 3 January, when he was kidnapped outside his family’s city centre massage parlour, after being bundled into a white van by four men who then drove him to a nearby house.

Once inside − while cable tied with a blanket over his head – his kidnappers assaulted him and demanded up to £200,000 protection payment from him, saying if he did not cooperate he would be killed.

He was then dropped off at a supermarket in Stechford and the victim later decided to report his ordeal to the police.

The offenders continued to contact the victim with demands for money and the victim eventually agreed to place £20,000 in a bin in a car park of the Star City leisure complex on 7 January.

Undercover officers were deployed to the area and saw a silver Audi − registered to Daniel Wood − turn up in the car park. Wood began to search the bins but could not find anything and got back in his car. A BMW − containing Tobias Uter and Mahmood Abouakkour then pulled up near the bins and Abouakkour began to search for the money bag.

Grabbing it, he got back in the BMW and tried to leave the car park when they were swarmed by police. They threw the money bag from the car but – along with Wood − they were arrested.

From there, the evidence against the gang began to accumulate: a phone found in the BMW matched the number of the mobile which had been calling the victim to demand the money. Scarves and gloves were also found inside the car.

Behind the scenes, officers spent hours trawling through automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras and CCTV. They discovered the only white van to have triggered the ANPR shutters in the right area on the day of the kidnap belonged to Daniel Roberts.

Officers went to his home address in Gloucester and seized the van, where they found a bean bag −which the victim stated seeing in the van when he was kidnapped – blanket, balaclava and an axe.

Along with Woods, Uter and Abouakkour, Roberts was also arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to kidnap and commit blackmail and were subsequently charged with those offences.

However, the gang decided to take drastic action to avoid being brought to justice.

Uter and Abouakkour, who were sharing a cell while on remand in prison, had managed to get hold of a mobile phone. On 17 January, they began calling the victim’s club and left a message with the receptionist saying he had 24 hours to drop the charges.  The victim did not give in to the threats, but Uter and Abouakkour were not deterred. On 11 February, a car pulled up outside the victim’s club and a man fired a shotgun at the entrance, shouting: ‘drop the charges!’

CCTV of the car used in the shooting was circulated to officers and five days later, it was spotted and the driver, Karl Williams, was arrested on suspicion of being the gunman. The car was seized and inside, a mobile phone was recovered which was found to have made calls to Uter and Abouakkour’s prison phone. Further inquiries led to the arrest of his girlfriend, Laura Lamb, who was the driver of the car on the night of the shooting.

Williams and Lamb were subsequently charged with attempted witness intimidation and firearms offences.

During a six-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court, Abbuakkour, aged 21, of, Shifnal Walk, Longbridge, denied conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy to blackmail and two counts of attempted witness intimidation in respect of the phone calls and shooting at the club. He was sentenced to 20 years behind bars.

Uter, aged 32 of New Inns Close, Handsworth, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail, but denied two counts of attempted witness intimidation in respect of the phone calls and shooting at the club. He was handed a sentence of 18 years and 6 months.

Gloucester man Roberts, aged 40 and of Matson Avenue, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to kidnap and one count of conspiracy to blackmail. He was sentenced to 9 years and 10 months.

Williams and Lamb both denied one count of attempted witness intimidation and possessing a firearm with intent to cause violence, with Williams denying a further charge of possessing a firearm while prohibited. The pair were convicted of the offences and jailed for 13 years and 5 years, respectively.

Initially charged with conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail, Wood, aged 23 and of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of arranging to facilitate the acquisition of criminal property in respect of collecting the money from the ransom. He was released with his time already being served while on remand.

Detective Inspector Tom Chisholm led the investigation to bring the gang to justice. He said: “The defendants in this investigation were an organised and determined group, who went to considerable lengths to kidnap and blackmail the victim.

“We are committed to reducing serious and organised crime in the West Midlands and we are satisfied with the sentences handed to them, which reflect the grave nature of their offences.

“We also hope it shows that crime really does not pay and deters others from getting involved in such crimes.

“I would like to thank the prosecution team of police investigators, Crown Prosecution Service and counsel for securing these convictions and of course, the victim for his cooperation and refusal to be intimidated by this criminal group.”

Police have issued CCTV footage of a man they want to speak to following an attack on an Army Cadet.

The incident happened at about 6pm on Saturday 1 November 2014 as the 15-year-old boy was waiting at a bus stop next to the Manchester Gallery opposite George Street.

The teenager was wearing his camouflaged uniform having spent the day in the city centre selling poppies and collecting money to commemorate Remembrance Day.

As he was looking down Princess Street for his bus, he was approached by a black man who, without warning or provocation, produced an aerosol can and a lighter which he used to spray lit fumes in the direction of the unsuspecting teenager.

Shocked at what had happened, the Cadet suffered minor reddening to his face and synged hairs on his face and right forearm.

Without saying a word, the offender walked off. He is described as being black or Asian, 5ft 8in tall and wearing a dark hooded top. He appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and was staggering.

Police have now issued CCTV footage of a man who was seen in the area shortly before the attack and are keen to trace this man.

Detective Inspector Liam Boden said: “It is now nearly a week since this attack and we are continuing to pursue a number of lines of inquiry to trace whomever was responsible for this appalling assault a 15-year-old boy.

“We have now released CCTV footage of a man we really want to talk to as part of our inquiries. This man was seen in the vicinity of the attack shortly before it happened and we believe he may have crucial information. We are treating this man as a key witness and if you are that man, then please come forward as soon as possible and speak to us.

“This attack has prompted worldwide media interest and there has been a lot of speculation about possible motive. I want to be clear that we are still keeping an open mind about what motivated the offender. It is impossible to get inside the mind of the offender but I do want to reassure people who may be alarmed that we believe he may have been under the influence of either drugs or alcohol and no comments were made that suggested it was religiously or racially motivated. I also want to stress there have been no other attacks of this nature since.

“Nevertheless, this was a very serious incident that left a courageous young man shocked and upset and we need to find the offender, so I would urge anyone who has information to come forward.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.