Man who left bacon sandwich outside mosque found dead in prison cell

Pic:Kevin Crehan has been found dead in his prison cell
Crime reporter(wp/es):

A man serving 12-months behind bars for leaving a bacon sandwich outside a mosque has been found dead in his prison cell.

Kevin Crehan, 35, was jailed along with three others in July this year after the gang left rashers of bacon on door handles of the Jamia Mosque in Totterdown, Bristol.

Crehan, Alison Bennett, 46, and Mark Bennett, 48, and Angelina Swales, 31, admitted hurling racial abuse at a member of the mosque and leaving a St George’s flag tied to a fence nearby.

Images posted on Facebook showed bacon sandwiches left outside the place of worship.

A judge at Bristol Crown Court described the incident as “an attack on England”.

The prison service confirmed Crehan was found dead in his cell at HMP Bristol on Tuesday.

A spokesman told the Sun: “HMP Bristol prisoner Kevin Crehan died in custody on Tuesday 27 December.

“As with all deaths in custody, the independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.”

Crehan was jailed for a year while Bennett was given a nine-month sentence. 

Bennett was given a six-month sentence and Swales was given a four-month sentence - both suspended for two years.

They were all banned from going within 330ft of a mosque anywhere in England or Wales for the next 10 years. 

Britons 'could be hit with huge roaming charges for using phones abroad after Brexit'

Staff reporter(wp/es):

British mobile phone users could face bills of up to €50 for every song they stream while in the EU after Brexit, experts have warned.

Unless Britain can agree a comprehensive free trade deal users could be slapped with huge data roaming charges, despite being part of an EU campaign to reduce fees ahead of complete ban next summer.

Once Article 50 is triggered Britons will no longer be protected by these rules, the Financial Times reported.

European providers will then be within their rights to charge customers high tariffs for using data abroad.

One EU official working on roaming charges warned music-lovers could be billed up to €10 for every MB they use.

He told the FT: “That is the risk.” 

Listening to a song on Spotify takes between 3MB and 5MB, which would leave non-EU customers with a bill of up to €50, he added.

The European Commission claim that a quick deal to avoid huge bills is not possible.

In a bid to avert the potential expense for customers World Trade Organisation rules state a deal would have to be made between all WTO members.

Therefore, a bilateral agreement between the UK and the EU would not be allowed.

Police hunt two men after terrifying knife-point robberies in Hendon alleyway

Crime reporter(wp/es):

Detectives are hunting two men following a spate of terrifying knife-point robberies in a north-west London alleyway.

Scotland Yard said at least four people had been threatened with three robbed of cash and their mobile phones in West View, Hendon over two days in December.

Police say they want to identify two suspects following the linked robberies which took place in an alleyway that runs between Brampton Grove and Babington Road.

On Friday, December 16, a 31-year-old man was approached by two men and threatened with a knife at 7.20pm. The men fled the scene when he handed over his phone and wallet.

Four minutes later, the thieves struck again when a 34-year-old victim was targeted as he made his way through the same alleyway. He also handed over cash and his phone before the men ran off in the direction of Hendon Tube station.

Five days later, a 27-year-old man was approached in the alleyway just after 10.30am by a man armed with a knife but managed to flee without handing over any valuables.

However, hours later a 23-year-old man gave his wallet and mobile phone when he was confronted by two men in the alleyway before they made off from the area.

None of the victims were hurt in the robberies.

Detectives from Barnet CID are investigating and have appealed for witnesses to come forward or anyone with CCTV which overlooks the alleyway.

No arrests have been made.

Investigators described the first suspect as a man with Mediterranean appearance, aged between 18 and 25, 6ft tall of a slim build.

The second man is believed to be a light skinned black man, aged between 18 and 25, 5ft 10ins tall, of slim build with a moustache.

Detective Constable Jim Christie, from Barnet CID, said: "The victims in these four incidents had simply been going about their daily business when they were threatened, and on three occasions made to hand over personal possessions.

 “It is of paramount importance that the suspects are caught as soon as possible and I am urging anyone who has any information - no matter how small - to get in contact."

Armed police descend on street after two men knifed in broad daylight outside Wilko

Crime reporter(wp/es):

Armed police stormed a west London street after two men were stabbed in broad daylight.

Police descended on Pump Lane in Hayes at around 1.40pm on Friday after a man in his 40s and another in his 20s were knifed following a disturbance.

The men’s injuries are not believed to be life threatening as they were rushed to hospital. A 45-year-old man was arrested at the scene and has been taken into custody at a west London police station.

Witnesses told the Standard the attack took place outside the Hayes Muslim Centre, which is next to a Wilko store, near the town centre.

One man told the weastar times: “The stabbing definitely happened outside the Mosque as police cordoned off a whole section of pavement from the junction to the end of Wilkinson.

“From what I can gather two guys who were acquainted were involved, one was being treated in the ambulance.”

Terrified shoppers told how they were locked inside the shop for their own safety after seeing one of the injured men and “blood everywhere”.

One woman said on Facebook: “Wot a lovely friday afternoon bein locked in wilkinsons hayes due to stabbing outside shop . Police every wer.

“It was horrible. The guy had blood everywer got stabbed in the nick. And about 5 guys wer restraining the guy that did it . Kids wer every wer watcjing . made me feel sick x (sic)

Police said armed officers at the scene were approached by two people, a bus driver and a police community support officer, who claimed they were threatened by a group of men in a car.

The vehicle was reported to have a knife and a gun inside before it left the scene.

Armed police cordoned off a stretch of Pump Lane and are searching the area. 

Scotland Yard has said investigations into the two incidents are ongoing but are not being treated as terror-related.

The Evening Standard has contacted the Hayes Muslim Centre for a comment.

Young woman pushed to the ground and punched repeatedly in random attack

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A young woman was shoved to the ground and repeatedly punched in a random attack in a leafy area of west London. 

Police said the 19-year-old victim was approached from behind by an unknown man near Chiswick railway station. 

She was allegedly knocked to the ground by the man, who then punched her in the back of the head after she got off a bus in Birlington Lane.

The man then punched her repeatedly as she lay on the floor around 12.30am on Thursday, the Met said. 

She was rushed to hospital by ambulance before being discharged later that day.

Detectives are now hunting a 6ft tall white man of broad build in connection with the attack.

He is believed to be around 40 years old.

Budget airline launches £56 flights from UK to New York

Staff reporter(wp/es):

 Flights between Britain and New York costing less than £60 are set to be introduced in the new year.

Budget airline Norwegian plan to slash the price of flights from Edinburgh to smaller airports in the Big Apple to as little as £56, it was announced last week.

Tickets will be sold on flights to airports other than JFK using six Boeing 737MAX aircraft which burn less fuel than other long-haul planes, the Times reported.

Earlier this month the airline revealed that it would cut US-bound services leaving Gatwick from 34 to 22 flights a week from next year.

British Airways cut flights to the US from the UK earlier this year.

Flights on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft will start at £135.

Britain faces '10-year economic shock' after Brexit vote

Staff reporter(wp/es):

The UK suffered a “profound shock” following the country’s vote to leave the EU which looks set to result in a slowing economy, ageing population and technological transformation, a think-tank said.

Britain’s move to leave the EU will see living standards in the UK drop, a report by centre-left group IPPR warned.

At the same time a rapidly ageing population - with the numbers of people aged 65 and over predicted to rise by a third by the end of the next decade - will impose new strains on the state.

The funding gap for adult social care is expected to hit £13 billion by 2030/31.

In the workplace, "exponential" improvements in new technologies such as artificial intelligence systems and machine learning will put two-thirds of current jobs - 15 million - at risk of automation.

The report predicts work is likely to become more insecure and more freelance while inequality is set to increase sharply with the income of high-income households forecast to rise 11 times faster than for those on low incomes.

"Brexit is the firing gun on a decade of disruption," the report said.

"Even as what we do and how we work changes, the UK is likely to remain trapped in a low growth, low interest rate decade driven by demographic shifts, productivity trends, weak investment, weak labour power, high levels of debt, and the headwinds of a slowing global economy.

"Without reform, our political and social system will struggle to build a more democratic, healthy society in the decades ahead, even as Brexit accelerates us towards a radically different institutional landscape."

Lib Dem Treasury spokeswoman Baroness Susan Kramer said: "The report is a devastating indictment of the Conservative Government's hard Brexit strategy.

"In the face of huge global challenges, the Conservative response is to haul up the drawbridge and hope that the future will go away. It won't.

"Many of the huge international challenges identified in the report are more effectively faced working with our European friends, and within the single market."

A Government spokesman said: "The British people voted to leave the EU and we are committed to delivering on that instruction and making it a success.

"We have been clear that we are seeking a bespoke arrangement for the UK - one that gives British businesses the maximum freedom to trade with and operate in the single market but also allows us to make our own decisions on immigration. 

"While there may be challenges ahead, we approach them from a position of strength. Since 2010, we have cut the deficit by two thirds, created 2.7 million jobs and this year the UK is forecast to be the fastest-growing major advanced economy.

"We now have an opportunity to forge a new role for ourselves in the world and we will do so with optimism, making a success of Brexit and building an economy that works for all."