Territorial police force for West Yorkshire, England
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an independent investigation into the collision in Pontefract after Logan Stead, 16, died on 13 July while riding a motorbike. Police had concerns about the riders’ ages, there was no pursuit, and the IOPC is gathering accounts and footage as the inquiry begins.
A nine-year-old girl has died after being found seriously injured at the Elliot Industrial Estate in Arbroath. Police say the death is suspicious. A 35-year-old white British man known to the girl has been arrested and is due to appear in Dundee Sheriff Court. The girl’s family, from West Yorkshire, were camping nearby when the incident occurred.
An inquest has recorded a narrative verdict after Emma Atkinson, seven months pregnant, fell from a ninth-floor window in Shakespeare Towers, Leeds. The incident, caught on CCTV, led to the delivery of her baby girl by emergency C-section. The coroner balanced evidence of a deliberate act with uncertainties about intent, while noting her past mental health struggles and family’s belief that she would not have harmed her children.
Multiple road-traffic deaths have led to court proceedings across Britain. In Wakefield, a driver was sentenced after stuffed toys obscured visibility in the fatal crash of John Nottingham. In Weston-super-Mare, a driver has been jailed for dangerous driving that killed Emily Jordan. In North Tyneside, Linda Hall pleaded guilty to causing Rita Grimshaw’s death in a busy car park. A separate case in Aberdeen involves Samantha Lee after a claw hammer attack.
Two recent UK investigations have highlighted persistent failures to protect victims of sexual abuse and exploitation. A London woman has described how a partner used intimate images to control her, while survivors from Skircoat Lodge have criticised Calderdale Council's response after a trial of facts found historic abuse. Campaigners have also exposed how a convicted sex offender used repeated name changes to start new relationships.
A government-wide crackdown on illegal waste dumping is expanding, with new powers to seize assets, higher fines, and regional enforcement to tackle organised waste crime that has blighted communities across England. The effort follows a BBC investigation identifying several supersites and a rising tide of waste crimes.
A Sudan-born man with catatonic schizophrenia has been sentenced to 25 years in prison and an indefinite hospital order after pleading guilty to attempted murder in a frenzied attack on a lone woman in March 2024 in Leeds. The attack prompted concerns over safety and mental health care, with the judge noting a sexual element to the assault.
Leeds Crown Court has convicted two men, Baqa Haider and Nathan Rivers, for their roles in an "industrial scale" scheme that processed criminal cash into gold and exported it with fake invoices. Haider has been jailed for six years; Rivers has received a 27‑month suspended sentence and a curfew. Police are still seeking three men sentenced in absence.
Green Party deputy leader Mothin Ali has won a defamation case against GB News’ Alex Armstrong and Bernadette Spofforth. The High Court has ordered apologies and substantial damages after posts accusing him of taking part in the 2024 Harehills riots harmed his reputation. Ali says the case highlights how social media smears target public figures who assist communities in crisis.