Summary
- Updates on the Rwanda Bill with a vote expected today.
- The dangers of Smart Motorways will be the focus of tonight’s Panorama on BBC1.
- South Yorkshire Police officer to appear in court charged with common assault.
- Police Appeal for indecent exposure in Endcliffe Park.
- Rishi Sunak calling on more effort to rebuild the trust among Jewish community.
- Margaret McKeich saying that justice has finally been made after the murderer of her child has been jailed.
- UK is about to become the first country to ban extreme right-wing online terror group
- A Sheffield teacher heard for exchanging over 1,000 chats with student.
- The Crucible theatre selling iconic outfits in order to raise money for their costume department.
- Updates on Doncaster Rovers and Sheffield United
- Guinness World Records for Lloyd Martin at the London Marathon.
- Train strikes expected during May.
- Newsreader Huw Edwards resign from BBC.
Live Reporting
Edited by Esme Kenney and Marie Koehl
Katie Dickinson, PA Media
A mother is to appear in court accused of causing or allowing the death of her baby who was found unresponsive in the bath.
Danielle Massey, 31, has been charged in connection with the death of seven-month-old Charlie Goodall at their home in February 2022.
The baby boy was found unresponsive in the bath when police were called by paramedics to a house on West Chilton Terrace, in Chilton, County Durham, on February 16.
He was airlifted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle, but died shortly after arrival.
Massey has also been charged with possession of cannabis and will appear at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
Mother charged over death of baby boy found unresponsive in bath
Sheffield Wednesday have announced that they will hold a memorial service for those who died in the crowd crush during the Hillsborough Disaster this afternoon.
The service will start at 2:55pm at the Hillsborough disaster memorial by the South Stand Bridge in Sheffield. It will continue for twenty minutes.
Hillsborough Stadium is also open to visitors today, from 10am to 4pm, for those who want to pay their respects.
“Everyone at Sheffield Wednesday expresses ongoing sympathies to the families and friends of the 97 and the wider Liverpool community affected so deeply by the disaster,” wrote the team on its website.
Hillsborough Disaster 35th Anniversary: Sheffield Wednesday to host a memorial service
Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of football’s greatest tragedies – the Hillsborough Disaster – where 97 people were unlawfully killed attending an FA Cup semi-final tie between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, Rukanah Mogra reports.
The tragedy unfolded primarily due to overcrowding in the Leppings Lane stand, which led to a crush of fans in one of the standing terraces.
The situation was exacerbated by inadequate crowd control measures, poor stadium design, and the failure of police to properly manage the influx of fans.
Labour leader Keir Starmer took to X [formerly Twitter] to express his condolences to the victims and their families.
The Owls will host the annual memorial service to remember the 97 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives in 1989.
The service will commence at 2:55pm at the permanent memorial site adjacent to the South Stand bridge and run for approximately 20 minutes, during which time Parkside Road traffic will be suspended.
Hillsborough Stadium will be open to all visitors wishing to pay their respects throughout the day from 10am to 4pm.
Sheffield marks the Hillsborough Disaster 35 years on
David Lynch, PA Political Staff
Liz Truss has refused to rule out running for leader of the Conservative Party again.
The Tory former prime minister claimed she had “unfinished business” at the top of politics, as she toured the media ahead of the publication of her book, Ten Years To Save The West.
Her tenure in Downing Street lasted just 49 days, after the mini budget, which included unfunded tax cutting measures, triggered mass market turmoil.
Asked by LBC if she would want to return to frontline politics in the event the Conservatives lose the coming general election, Ms Truss said: “I definitely have unfinished business. Definitely. And I think the Conservative Party has unfinished business.
“I think, if we’re honest with ourselves, we haven’t done enough to reverse the Blair legacy.”
Liz Truss refuses to rule out standing for Tory leadership in future
Record Store Day is an annual celebration of independent record shops across the UK and is an opportunity for record collectors to get their hands on exclusive vinyl pressings only available on the day, Marti Stelling reports.
This year’s selection includes Sheffield’s very own Pulp and an exclusive recording of Def Leppard’s intimate hometown gig at the Leadmill in 2023.
The event is celebrated across 270 independent record shops in the UK, becoming the biggest new music event of the past decade since it began in 2007.
The three participating Sheffield retailers are:
- Bear Tree Records
- Unit 13-16, The Forum, 127 Devonshire Street, Sheffield, S3 7SB
- Record Collector
- 233 Fulwood Road, Sheffield, S10 3BA
- Spinning Discs
- 107 to 109 Chesterfield Road, Meersbrook, Sheffield S8 0RN
This Saturday marks Record Store Day
At 3:06pm, the exact minute of the Hillsborough Disaster 35 years ago, Liverpool City Council will livestream a minute’s silence on Facebook.
Weather permitting, the minute’s silence will be punctuated by a bell tolling 97 times to honour the 97 victims of the crowd crush.
The silence, led by Liverpool Lord Mayor Councillor Mary Rasmussen, at the Exchange Flags near Liverpool’s Town Hall.
The livestream will be accessible from Liverpool City Council’s Facebook page.
Hillsborough Disaster 35th Anniversary: Liverpool City Council to livestream minute’s silence
As part of their “ongoing mission to support the Sheffield community”, the 2024 Tramlines Trust is providing grants for local organisations and people who are supporting the arts, community, and environment, Amy Britton reports.
Alongside the return of the Little Hillsborough initiative, which offers cheap stalls for local independent businesses, Tramlines hopes the grants will help people in the area improve their opportunities.
Tramlines Operations Director, Timm Cleasby, said: “I know first-hand that there are hundreds of local people with ideas that have the power to change their communities for the better.
“We’re very pleased that Tramlines can help in any way to realise these dreams and create meaningful impact in people’s lives.”
The festival is also bringing back its residents ticket service, which gives away a number of free tickets to local people with 1,600 weekend passes offered up in 2023.
Tramlines Festival announces variety of opportunities to improve local area
David Lynch, PA Political Staff
Liz Truss has revealed the late Queen’s final words to her in their first and only official meeting.
Queen Elizabeth II is said to have told the then-prime minister: “I’ll see you next week” as they met at Balmoral on September 6 2022, just two days before the monarch’s death.
Some 15 prime ministers led the country during Elizabeth II’s reign, with Ms Truss being the last of them.
The late Queen’s meeting with Ms Truss was her final official engagement, after the South West Norfolk MP was made leader of the Conservative party.
The short-lived prime minister oversaw the period of national mourning which followed the monarch’s death, before she resigned after seven weeks in the job amid the economic fallout of her mini budget.
Liz Truss reveals Queen Elizabeth II’s final words to her before monarch’s death
Park goers were left shaken as a tree fell coming dangerously close to people relaxing on a bench in Endcliffe Park yesterday afternoon, reports David Hall.
The tree fell onto a main path in the afternoon on Saturday.
Joanne Crighton, who watched the a tree fall, said: “It appeared to have minimal roots and had an odd smell, so I thought it may be diseased.”
Massive downed tree in Endcliffe Park nearly hits people
Laura Paterson, PA Scotland
Former British and Commonwealth champion boxer Willie Limond has died at the age of 45, his boxing club has confirmed.
Limond fell ill last week amid preparations for a fight.
A statement from the Scot’s boxing club, the St Andrew’s Sporting Club, read: “Everyone at St Andrew’s Sporting Club are shocked and deeply saddened at the loss of our friend, Willie Limond.
“Willie was not only a legend of the sport, but an infectious character who will be greatly missed by us all.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Jake, Drew, Macy and the rest of the Limond family at this time.”
Former opponent Curtis Woodhouse was among those to pay tribute to Limond who beat Woodhouse to retain his Commonwealth light-welterweight title at Glasgow’s Braehead Arena in 2014.
Former British champion boxer dies aged 45
Naomi Clarke, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter
BBC presenter Nick Robinson has said he “should have been clearer” when describing Israeli attacks in Gaza as “murders” that it was not his view or that of the corporation.
Robinson addressed the pushback he received on words he used when interviewing the Foreign Secretary on Monday’s BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
During the show, he questioned Lord David Cameron on Britain’s position after Iran’s attack on Israel over the weekend.
The BBC has been contacted for comment.
BBC’s Nick Robinson responds to ‘controversy’ over his David Cameron interview
A Sheffield priest who led an evangelical movement will appear in Crown Court today after being charged with 34 sexual abuse charges, Holly Phillips reports.
Christopher Brain, 66, was charged with one count of rape and 33 counts of indecent assault in relation to allegations made by 11 women.
He will face Sheffield Crown Court this afternoon for his plea and trial preparation.
The Reverend first appeared at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on Monday 18 March for a four-minute hearing where District Judge Marcus Waite granted him unconditional bail.
Brain, of Park Road, Wilmslow, Cheshire, led the Nine O’Clock Service in Sheffield between 1986 and 1995.
The service was held in Ponds Forge sport complex in Sheffield city centre after moving from St Thomas’ Church in Crookes, with the ‘rave-inspired’ church gaining a large following from young worshippers.
South Yorkshire Police investigated the church leader for over four years after a member of the Nine O’Clock Service came forward with claims about the Reverend’s behaviour.
The church’s authorities are carrying out their own investigation into the past leadership of the congregation. They have also been providing support to the group of claimants.