Government to hit litter louts with Singapore-style £150 on-the-spot fines

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  31 March 2018

  The funeral cortege arrives at Great St Marys Church, where the funeral of theoretical physicist Professor Stephen Hawking is being held, in Cambridge.

  Reuters

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  30 March 2018

  A wooden cross is carried up Roundhill in Bath, Wiltshire, where several Christian Church congregations take part in the Walk of Witness to imitate the journey that Jesus took carrying his cross through the streets of Jerusalem on Good Friday.

  PA

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  29 March 2018

  Prime Minister Theresa May meets a local parents and toddler group at St Andrew’s Heddon-on-the-Wall, CofE Primary School during a tour of the UK timed to coincide with one year to go until Britain leaves the European Union. May is on a tour with a promise to keep the country “strong and united” one year before Brexit.

  WPA Pool/Getty

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  28 March 2018

  Catalan independence supporters protest outside Edinburgh Sherriff Court where Clara Ponsati is appearing. The pro-independence Catalan politician handed herself to Scottish Police as she is being sought by the Spanish government, who have accused her of violent rebellion and misappropriation of public funds.

  Getty

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  27 March 2018

  Jacob Rees-Mogg speaks about Brexit at a Leave Means Leave event at Carlton House Terrace, London.

  PA

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  26 March 2018

  The coffin of Kenneth White, an RAF veteran who died with no known family, is carried into Cambridge City Crematorium ahead of his funeral. A Facebook appeal was launched for people to attend the funeral of Mr White, who died at the age of 84. Over 100 strangers turned up to his funeral.

  PA

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  25 March 2018

  The Unveiling of Project 84, to represent the 84 men who commit suicide per week in Britain, eighty-four individual sculptures are placed on roofs, 12 of the sculptures are positioned on the roof of the This Morning Studio and the remaining 72 are standing on the roof of the ITV Studios Tower.

  ITV/REX

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  24 March 2018

  Cambridge men and women celebrate together after their double victory over Oxford in the 2018 boat race.

  Getty

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  23 March 2018

  Michel Barnier kisses Theresa May’s hand as they arrive at the EU Summit in Brussels.

  Rex

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  22 March 2018

  Emergency services workers lay flowers and pay their respects at Parliament Square in Westminster on the anniversary of the Westminster Bridge attack in London.

  Reuters

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  21 March 2018

  The Fishing for Leave boat passes the Houses of Parliament on the River Thames, during a protest where fish were discarded into the Thames.

  PA

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  20 March 2018

  Houses sit on the cliff edge on The Marrams in Hemsby, as thirteen homes on the sandy cliffs have been evacuated amid fears they could topple into the sea, with further high tides and strong winds forecast. The residents of the properties in Norfolk were forced to leave over the weekend, Great Yarmouth Borough Council said.

  PA

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  19 March 2018

  Activists show their support outside of Chelmsford Crown Court for the ‘Stansted 15’, a group prosecuted under terrorism-related charges after blocking a mass deportation charter flight in April 2017

  William Prior

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  18 March 2018

  Sadiq Khan, Imelda Staunton, Gloria Hunniford at the annual Saint Patrick’s Day parade in London.

  Rex

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  17 March 2018

  Fans make their way through a snow shower to Molineux Stadium ahead of the Sky Bet Championship match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burton Albion. Amber warnings for snow and ice have been issued by the Met Office ahead of a cold snap dubbed the “mini beast from the east”.

  PA

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  16 March 2018

  Britain’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and the Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz visit a Battle of Britain bunker at RAF Northolt in Uxbridge.

  Reuters

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  15 March 2018

  Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May talks with Wiltshire Police’s Chief Constable Kier Pritchard as she is shown the police tent covering the bench in Salisbury, where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were discovered on March 4, following an apparent nerve agent attack.
  Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats over the nerve agent poisoning and suspended high-level contacts, including for the World Cup on March 14. Theresa May told parliament that Russia had failed to respond to her demand for an explanation on how a Soviet-designed chemical, Novichok, was used in Salisbury.

  AFP/Getty

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  14 March 2018

  A man prepares to lay flowers outside Gonville and Caius College, at Cambridge University following the death of British physicist, Stephen Hawking, who was a fellow of the University for over 50 years. The flag over the college flew at half-mast as students and academics came to pay tribute after his death.

  AFP/Getty

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  13 March 2018

  The crowd looks on during Cheltenham Festival Champion Day.

  Rex

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  12 March 2018

  A police officer on duty near a protective tent which covers the bench where a man and woman were apparently poisoned with what was later identified as a nerve agent, in Salisbury.

  AFP/Getty

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  11 March 2018

  Protesters against the Turkish war on Syrian Kurds in Afrin block the tracks at Manchester Piccadilly station bringing rail services in and out of the terminal to a halt.

  PA

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  10 March 2018

  Royal Air Force Police dog Tornado leaps through a set of hoops on day three of the Crufts dog show at the NEC Arena in Birmingham.

  Getty

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  9 March 2018

  Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, with Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, during a visit to Abertay University in Dundee, prior to his address to delegates at the Scottish Labour Party Conference in the city’s Caird Hall.

  PA

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  8 March 2018

  Britain’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson sits with Year 1 pupils during a visit to St Leonard’s Church of England Primary Academy in Hastings.

  Reuters

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  7 March 2018

  Electronic billboards show adverts for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with the hashtag
  ‘#ANewSaudiArabia’ in London.

  Getty

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  6 March 2018

  A police officer stands guard outside a branch of the Italian chain restaurant Zizzi close to The Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, which was closed in connection to the ongoing major incident sparked after a man and a woman were found critically ill on a bench at the shopping centre on 4 March.

  AFP/Getty

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  5 March 2018

  Gary Oldman, winner of the Best Actor award for ‘Darkest Hour,’ poses with his award in the press room during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center.

  Getty

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  4 March 2018

  Great Britain’s Andrew Pozzi celebrates winning the men’s 60m hurdles final as Aries Merritt of United States looks dejected during the IAAF World Indoor Championships at Arena Birmingham.

  Getty/IAAF

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  3 March 2018

  People playing with their sledges in Greenwich Park, east London, as the cold weather continues around the country.

  PA

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  2 March 2018

  Theresa May delivers a speech about her vision for Brexit at Mansion House.

  Reuters

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  1 March 2018

  ‘The Couple’, a sculpture by Sean Henry, braves the snow in Newbiggin-By-The-Sea in Northumberland, as storm Emma, rolling in from the Atlantic, looks poised to meet the Beast from the East’s chilly Russian air.

  PA Wire/PA Images

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  28 February 2018

  The scene on the M80 Haggs in Glasgow, as the highest level of weather warning has been issued for Scotland and Ireland as forecasters warn of “blizzard-like” conditions. A red alert for Munster and Leinster in the Republic of Ireland and the central belt of Scotland has been put out for heavy snow and strong winds. Dublin, Kildare, Louth, Wicklow and Meath are also covered by a red warning, which was issued early on Wednesday morning.

  PA

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  27 February 2018

  Icicles hang from a frozen elephant fountain in Colchester. Freezing weather conditions dubbed the “Beast from the East” has seen snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK.

  Getty Images

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  26 February 2018

  Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn makes a keynote speech as he sets out Labour’s position on Brexit, at the National Transport Design Centre in Coventry. Jeremy Corbyn’s Brexit speech confirmed that a Labour Government would negotiate full tariff-free access to EU markets for UK business.

  Getty

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  25 February 2018

  Victims of the Northern Ireland Troubles come together to take part in the Time for truth march through Belfast city centre against the stalled efforts in dealing with Northern Ireland’s legacy issues.

  Rex

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  24 February 2018

  Oxford University Boat Club race in preparation for The Cancer Research UK Boat Race 2018, Oxford University Boat Club race Oxford Brookes University in London, England.

  Getty

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  23 February 2018

  Former BHS owner Dominic Chappell leaves Barkingside Magistrates Court after being given a £87,170 fine in Barking, England. Mr Chappell, who was in charge of BHS for a year before it went bust, was found guilty of failing to provide information demanded by The Pensions Regulator.

  Getty

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  22 February 2018

  Youths chase after the leather ball during the annual ‘Fastern Eve Handba’ event in Jedburgh’s High Street in the Scottish Borders in Jedburgh, Scotland. The annual event, which started in the 1700’s, takes place today and involves two teams, the Uppies (residents from the higher part of Jedburgh) and the Doonies (residents from the lower part of Jedburgh) getting the ball to either the top or bottom of the town. The ball which is made of leather, stuffed with straw and decorated with ribbons is thrown into the crowd to begin the game.

  Getty

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  21 February 2018

  An anti-Brexit campaign battle bus drives through Westminster in London, England. The crowd-funded coach is to tour the country making 33 stops two years after the Vote Leave campaign drove a similar bus around the UK with the now famous slogan: ‘We send the EU £350 million a week let’s fund our NHS instead’.

  Getty

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  20 February 2018

  Sarah Clarke is introduced as the new Black Rod to the House of Lords. She is the first female Black Rod in the 650-year history of the role and will be known as the Lady Usher of the Black Rod.

  PA

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  19 February 2018

  Britain’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson holds a rhinoceros horn as he visits a Metropolitan Police wildlife crime unit facility in London. The Foreign Secretary’s visit was to help him learn more about the work they do internationally to tackle the illegal wildlife trade (IWT).

  AFP/Getty

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  18 February 2018

  Allison Janney, Daniel Kaluuya and Gary Oldman clutching their BAFTA awards

  Rex

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  17 February 2018

  Lizzy Yarnold of Great Britain celebrates after winning the gold medal during the Women’s Skeleton on day eight of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games

  Getty

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  16 February 2018

  Models walk the runway at the Richard Malone show during London Fashion Week

  Ian Gavan/BFC/Getty

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  15 February 2018

  Dame Vivienne Westwood walks the runway to model in the #INEOSVTHEPEOPLE catwalk presentation outside fracking giant INEOS’s headquarters in London

  Getty

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  14 February 2018

  Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson delivers his speech: Road to Brexit, a United Kingdom, as part of the Government’s road map on Brexit, at the Policy Exchange, London

  PA

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  13 February 2018

  England and Durham cricketer Ben Stokes, 26, leaving Bristol Magistrates’ Court, where he was told he will face a crown court trial over an altercation outside a nightclub

  PA

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  12 February 2018

  Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meets with local party supporters and residents in Penicuik, Midlothian, before speaking at a campaign rally at the town’s Miners Welfare Hall

  PA

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  9 February 2018

  Volunteers create a heart shaped collection of plastic bottles littering the foreshore of the River Thames at Queenhithe Dock in central London, in an event organised by the #OneLess campaign and Thames21 to draw attention to the impact that single-use plastic water bottles are having on the environment.

  PA

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  8 February 2018

  Florist Hank Roling poses with a Vanda orchid during a press preview of the Thai Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens, London

  Getty

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Mali jihadist faces war crimes charges at International Criminal Court

Saturday Night Takeaway: Dec hosts without Ant

Bavuma: Morkel more upset than I was

Johannesburg – When Morne Morkel edged his first ball to slip on day two of the fourth Test against Australia on Saturday, he screamed in anger. 

SCORECARD: Proteas v Australia – 4th Test, Day 2

It wasn’t because he had failed in his final efforts to prove to South Africans that he is, in fact, a batsman. 

Instead, Morkel’s rage came from the fact that he had left Temba Bavuma stranded at the other end on 95*

Bavuma couldn’t help but throw his head towards the Johannesburg sky in disbelief. 

Chances to score centuries don’t come every day, especially if you’re a No 6 that bats with the lower order more often than not. 

Bavuma has just one Test century to his name, and it came all the way back in January 2016 against England at Newlands. 

That was a sweet day for South African cricket in general, and there wasn’t a fan at the Wanderers on Saturday who didn’t want to see Bavuma get over the line. 

It was not to be. 

Keshav Maharaj had smashed his way to 45 and was out chasing a wide one. Getting Bavuma to three figures didn’t seem to be very high on his list of priorities. 

Morkel, however, was gutted.

“Morne is very disappointed. He did throw some profanities,” Bavuma recalled after the day’s play.

“I kind of felt for him and it took away the disappointment that I had. You almost had to give him the shoulder to cry on.”

Bavuma added that he could not hold anything against Morkel.

“I would never be cross at Morne or any other batter. I can only look at myself and look back at my innings and maybe there were opportunities that I let go that I could have turned into a 100,” he said.

“In saying that, I’ll take a lot of confidence and comfort from the fact that I was able to assist the team into getting into such a strong batting position.”

Bavuma had played a Test for the first time in 2018 at Newlands last week after first being left out for the start of the India series and then sustaining a hand injury.

He made 1 and 5 in his two innings there and looked extremely undercooked. 

This knock will go a long way towards convincing South Africans that he has the ability to hold the Proteas middle order together. 

“It’s probably one of the innings that I’ll savour in my career. It wasn’t easy for me, especially having come from having not much cricket,” he said.

“Everyone wants to get a hundred, especially me. It has been a while.

“In saying that, the team was in a good position and I think that’s what mattered most at that point in time.”

WATCH: David Warner in tears

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UK lawmakers publish evidence from Cambridge Analytica whistleblower

Tibetan leader urges efforts to enable Dalai Lama’s return

The prime minister of the self-declared Tibetan government-in-exile urged his compatriots Saturday to strengthen efforts to make the return of the Dalai Lama to his native land a reality.

Lobsang Sangay also said Tibet has seen 60 years of destruction of its civilization, culture and identity by the Chinese since the Dalai Lama, the Tibetans’ spiritual leader, fled to India in 1959.

The Dalai Lama and Sangay spoke at a public event in the northern Indian town of Dharmsala marking the beginning of the 60th year of the spiritual leader’s exile in India.

Sangay said the Dalai Lama “dreamt of himself in a room in the Potala Palace filled with light where he will be reunited with Tibetans inside Tibet.” The Potala Palace in Lhasa was the residence of the Dalai Lama until he fled to India during the 1959 Tibetan uprising.

“We Tibetan people with the support of people of India and abroad should strengthen our efforts to make his return to his Potala Palace a reality,” Sangay said. “Let us reunite the Dalai Lama with Tibetans inside Tibet who have spent the last 60 years with a hope, with a dream to get a glimpse of the Dalai Lama in their lifetime.”

“Thousands and thousands of Tibetans have been killed and have died for the cause of Tibet. Many of them have burned themselves alive,” he said in a hard-hitting speech.

The Dalai Lama thanked India for giving shelter to him and said the Tibetans have turned their unfortunate circumstances into a path of enlightenment by reviving their spirit and influence wherever they are.

The Indian government was represented by junior Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma. Earlier this month, local media reported that India had told top officials to avoid events held by Tibet’s exile government to celebrate the Dalai Lama’s life in India, fearful of hurting relations with China.

Ram Madhav, a governing Bharatiya Janata Party leader, expressed hope in his speech that the Dalai Lama “would be able to find a solution to the Tibetan issue through peaceful and democratic means that will facilitate your honorable return to your homeland.”

The Dalai Lama was subdued in his speech, but in the past he has said the issue of Tibet could be best resolved amicably through the middle way approach, by resuming dialogue with China demanding true autonomy while remaining under Chinese rule.

The Dalai Lama said Saturday that he left Tibet in 1959 under difficult circumstances without knowing what would happen in the next 50 or 60 years.

“Today we are celebrating 60 years in exile where we could see what will happen to us in the future to a certain extent,” he said without elaborating.

China says Tibet has historically been part of its territory since the mid-13th century, and has governed it since 1951. But many Tibetans say the region was effectively independent for most of its history.

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Dec ‘to deliver emotional message’ to partner Ant on TV

Declan Donnelly is expected to deliver an emotional message of support to his friend and erstwhile co-host Ant McPartlin on tonight’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

The show will begin with Donnelly addressing what insiders have described as the “elephant in the room”, a source told the Daily Express.

ITV said it has no comment on the claim but what will be said during tonight’s show will be finalised during the afternoon’s script meetings.

ITV said McPartlin would not take part in the last two episodes of the hit show after he was charged with drink-driving.

The 42-year-old is due to appear in court on Wednesday over a road traffic collision in Mortlake, southwest London, on 18 March.

Police said he was charged with drink-driving following the crash which involved two other cars and resulted in a child in one of the vehicles being taken to hospital as a precaution.

The child is believed to be a three-year-old girl. Others involved were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

ITV suspended Saturday Night Takeaway for a week as result of the police investigation.

McPartlin’s publicist then said the star would be taking time out from his TV commitments, while the remaining episodes of Saturday Night Takeaway would be hosted solo by Donnelly.

Donnelly said in a statement that part of the motivation to air the last two episodes was to “honour” a promise made to take “hundreds of deserving winners to Florida” for the series finale.

ITV and the AntandDec Twitter account have been tweeting to inform viewers that guests on Saturday will include comedian Stephen Merchant, Paloma Faith and The Script.

Industry insiders say the show could have some of its biggest viewing figures ever as millions tune in to see how Donnelly handles the situation.

In January, McPartlin announced he was divorcing wife and Strictly Come Dancing make-up boss Lisa Armstrong after 11 years of marriage.

Donnelly, meanwhile, and his wife Ali Astall announced on Monday they were expecting their first child.

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Review: Sourav Ganguly’s A Century Is Not Enough

Two-week-old baby ends up on life support battling sepsis after doctors diagnosed him with cold

Tearful Australian cricketer David Warner apologises for ball-tampering

Moscow expels diplomats from 23 more nations over Skripal case

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Nine Conservatives demand vote on Britain leaving EU customs union – paper

Miami Masters PHOTOS: Isner topples Chung; Venus stunned

IMAGES from the matches played at Miami Miasters in Key Biscayne, Florida, on Wednesday

IMAGE: Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro celebrates after defeating Canada’s Milos Raonic in the quarter-final Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne, Florida, on Wednesday. Photograph: Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Juan Martin del Potro remained on course for a rare Sunshine Double when he outlasted Milos Raonic 5-7, 7-6(1), 7-6(3) in a marathon quarter-final at the Miami Open on Wednesday.

 

Del Potro, who claimed the Indian Wells title earlier this month, fed off the energy of a raucous crowd that was firmly behind the Argentine, wearing down the 20th-seeded Canadian in a match lasting almost three hours.

The clock had just struck midnight on an unusually cool evening when fifth seed Del Potro finally dispatched Raonic.

The Canadian was defeated despite not facing a single break point in the first two sets, before the contest took a bizarre twist at the start of the decider when both players were broken twice in a row.

Order was soon restored as both men held for the next eight games, sending the contest to a deciding tiebreak, in which Raonic never recovered after double-faulting to fall 2-0 down.

The result continued Del Potro’s hot streak, after he won in California 10 days ago, beating Roger Federer in a compelling three-set final to claim a maiden Masters 1000 title.

The 2009 US Open champion is back to playing some of his best tennis in years after battling serious left wrist injuries that required three surgeries and threatened to curtail his career.

IMAGE: United States’ John Isner hits a forehand against Korea’s Hyeon Chung at Tennis Center at Crandon Park. Photograph: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

He advances to face another big server, American John Isner, who overwhelmed South Korean Chung Hyeon 6-1, 6-4 in an afternoon match.

A fired up Isner yelled “Come on” and pumped his fist when he broke Chung’s serve in the first set to race to a 3-1 lead, ending the Korean’s streak of 27 consecutive holds of serve.

The 14th-seeded Isner cruised through the remainder of the 25 minute opener, in which he fired seven of his 13 aces.

The hour-long contest was all but over once Chung sent a forehand long in the fifth game of the second set to hand Isner another break and a 3-2 lead.

The 21-year-old was unable to find an answer to Isner’s booming serve in a match where he failed to convert his only break point opportunity and was himself broken four times.

“I played extremely well. Every match I’ve played in this tournament I’ve gotten better,” the 32-year-old Isner said in a courtside interview.

“I keep getting stronger and that’s a very, very good sign going forward. I know I’m in the semi-finals and I can’t wait to get back on this court.”

Isner added that the hot and windy conditions in Miami, where the courts are not particularly fast but cause the ball to bounce high, suit his first-strike approach to the game perfectly.

“Del Potro is the hottest player on tour right now, hands down,” Isner added.

The other quarter-finals will be played on Thursday.

Qualifier Collins stuns idol Venus to reach Miami semis

IMAGE: USA’s Venus Williams reacts during her quarter-final loss against compatriot Danielle Collins. Photograph: Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Qualifier Danielle Collins overpowered her childhood idol Venus Williams 6-2, 6-3 in a stunning quarter-final upset at the Miami Open on Wednesday.

Collins, belying her 93rd ranking, pounded winner after winner to beat fellow American Williams at her own game and set up a semi-final against French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.

Latvian Ostapenko overpowered Ukrainian fourth seed Elina Svitolina in two tiebreaks to win 7-6(3), 7-6(5) in an afternoon match to reach the Miami semis for the first time.

Thursday’s other semi will pit American 13th seed Sloane Stephens against unseeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

Collins played with manic intensity against eighth seed Williams, repeatedly going for broke with groundstrokes that painted the lines and ran her opponent ragged around the CrandonPark centre court.

“The first time I saw Venus in the locker room I nearly cried,” Collins said in an on-court interview.

“I’ve idolised her my whole life. She’s been my favourite player for forever and this is just a special moment I’m trying to wrap my head around it.”

The 24-year-old is finally finding her feet at the highest level, as she showed by keeping the pressure on Williams with victory in sight.

“She’s been in a lot of situations where she’s been down and come back. I knew I was going to really have to work for it and she wasn’t going to give it to me,” Collins said of the 37-year-old seven-times grand slam champion.

“I’m just starting to finally put all of the pieces together.”

 

IMAGE: Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko reacts after winning a point against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina. Photograph: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier, sixth seed Ostapenko was far from her best in her quarter-final, spraying the court with 44 unforced errors and having her serve broken six times on a windy day.

Yet the 20-year-old’s aggressive approach, stepping into the court to take Svitolina’s second serves early and targeting the lines with her powerful backhand, paid off in the match’s biggest moments.

After Svitolina saved three consecutive match points in the second set tiebreak, Ostapenko hammered her 41st winner, a crosscourt backhand, on match point to end the nearly two hour contest.

Ostapenko said she followed coach David Taylor’s advice to stay on the attack against the defensive-minded Svitolina even when she was having trouble with her accuracy.

“When David came on the court he was telling me to keep playing aggressive, to go for the shots,” Ostapenko said on court.

“Even if you are missing you have to play aggressive,” she said.

“I’m just trying to fight for every point and be more consistent and I think I’m getting there in my form.”

Ostapenko has now won both of her meetings against Svitolina, included a victory over the 23-year-old at Wimbledon last year.

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Dozens of Labour MPs and peers urge Jeremy Corbyn to suspend former Labour disciplinary chief as antisemitism row deepens

Jeremy Corbyn is facing demands from dozens of Labour MPs and peers to suspend the party’s former disciplinary chief after she defended a council candidate accused of Holocaust denial.

Nearly 40 politicians, including several frontbenchers, wrote to the Labour leader calling for his close ally Christine Shawcroft to kicked out of the party and suspended from the National Executive Committee (NEC), the party’s ruling body.

It comes amid a swirl of allegations of anti Jewish prejudice within the Labour movement, with Mr Corbyn himself apologising for showing support for an antisemitic mural in 2012.

Ms Shawcroft was forced to resign as chair of Labour’s disputes panel on Wednesday when it emerged she had questioned the case of Peterborough candidate Alan Bull, who was suspended from Labour after he was accused of posting an antisemitic article on Facebook.

However critics said it was “highly offensive to the Jewish community” that she remains a member of the NEC.

In an open letter coordinated by Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh, the group said: “We are deeply concerned that Christine Shawcroft remains a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC).

“It is utterly wrong that someone who defends a Labour candidate who has been suspended for Holocaust denial should be a member of Labour’s governing body.

“This is highly offensive to the Jewish community and all those of us who wish to see the scourge of antisemitism eradicated.”

Other signatories included shadow treasury minister Jonathan Reynolds, Mike Kane, the shadow schools minister, and Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, a shadow health minister.

Ms Shawcroft, a senior figure in Momentum, said she was “deeply sorry” for her actions, saying: “I sent this email before being aware of the full information about this case and I had not been shown the image of his abhorrent Facebook post.

“Had I seen this image, I would not have requested that the decision to suspend him be re-considered. I am deeply sorry for having done so.”

Mr Corbyn’s office has not responded to questions on whether she should resign, but shadow chancellor John McDonnell earlier said it was right that Ms Shawcroft had quit the post but she did not need to also resign from the NEC.

It comes after the Labour leader faced protests outside Parliament and criticism from senior Jewish figures over claims he has failed to root out antisemitism in the party.

The Labour leader insisted he was “not an antisemite in any way” and called prejudice against the Jews “a cancer in our society”, as he acknowledged there had been 300 complaints of antisemitism in the party since he took the helm in 2015.

However his efforts to tackle the problem have been met with critcism. Labour peer Lord Winston, a respected scientist who is Jewish, said hostility towards Jews had “infected” the party.

He said: “I feel deeply ashamed of my party. Whether he likes it or not, Jeremy Corbyn has a lot to answer for. He has encouraged anti-Semites and he’s endorsed them.

“In the modern world using social media, their conspiracy theories about Jews and statements about hate, spread like a disease and this virus is infecting the Labour Party.”

Former prime minister Tony Blair also waded into the row to accuse Mr Corbyn’s inner circle of failing to grasp the urgency of the antisemitism crisis, telling the Labour leader the row could have “deep and damaging” consequences.

Mr Corbyn was also criticised by Labour peer Lord Levy for failing to contact him over antisemitic email he received, which he said was shown to Mr Corbyn on Wednesday.

Lord Levy told Newsnight: “There has to be a zero tolerance policy. Enough words. They are just not taking this seriously. I have never received such a disgusting email.”

However a Labour source said “Jeremy was shown some text on someone’s phone for a matter of seconds when he was on his way to vote.

“Of course, if something so serious had been raised with Jeremy in more than a passing way for a few seconds he would have been able to engage with it, and would, of course, have acted.”

Lord Levy said he had reported the email to the police.

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Relatives demand answers after Venezuela jail fire kills 68

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It wasn’t long after Daniel Marquez’s family showed up at the Venezuelan police station jail where he’d been locked up for nearly a year awaiting trial when black smoke began billowing from the building.

Guards ordered them to flee, forcing them and other inmate relatives to watch in horror from afar as the flames quickly grew.

One day later, Marquez’s family took his blackened remains home in a simple wooden coffin, their despair as wide as the questions surrounding the blaze Wednesday that killed 68 people in one of Venezuela’s worst jail fires.

“He didn’t deserve to die like this,” Sorangel Gutierrez, Marquez’s sister-in-law, said as relatives wept before the casket of the 28-year-old father of two. His relatives say he was jailed because he couldn’t pay a bribe to an officer who found a photo of an illegal weapon on his cell phone.

Varying versions of exactly what happened inside the police station’s crowded jail cells circulated Thursday among relatives and human rights groups amid a deafening silence from officials, who have yet to provide a full account.

Marquez’s family said they received a call from him shortly before the fire claiming that guards were pouring gasoline in the cellblock, prompting them to rush to the police station detention center.

However, other accounts from survivors and victims’ relatives indicated it was the inmates themselves who set the blaze in order to escape.

President Nicolas Maduro has not made any statement about the fire and loss of life, instead posting a video on Twitter of an encounter with U.S. actor Danny Glover and reminding Venezuelans there are hundreds of beaches and churches around the country where they can spend Holy Week celebrations.

The most substantial information authorities have released so far came in a series of three tweets from chief prosecutor Tarek William Saab, who said late Wednesday that 66 men, as well as two women who were visiting the jail, were killed.

He said four prosecutors have been assigned to determine what happened and who was responsible for the tragedy in Valencia, an industrial city in Carabobo state, 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Caracas, the capital. He pledged a “thorough investigation to immediately shed light on the painful events that have put dozens of Venezuelan families in mourning.”

As Venezuela plummets into an economic crisis worse than the Great Depression, advocates say prisoners are facing especially dire conditions, going hungry in increasingly crowded cells. Inmates also frequently obtain weapons and drugs with the help of corrupt guards and heavily armed groups control cellblock fiefdoms.

“The negligence of authorities continues, causing deaths,” the non-governmental Venezuelan Prisons Observatory, said in a statement.

The United Nations‘ human rights office said it was “appalled at the horrific deaths” and urged Venezuela to quickly address concerns like judicial delays, the excessive use of pre-trial detention and cramped quarters.

The death toll in Wednesday’s catastrophe surpasses nearly every recent mass casualty event at Venezuelan prisons and jails. A fire at a prison in the western state of Zulia killed more than 100 inmates in 1994. In 2013, 61 people were killed and over 100 injured, mostly from bullet wounds, after a riot in Barquisimeto.

Carlos Nieto, the director of A Window to Freedom, an organization that monitors prison conditions, told The Associated Press that accounts from survivors and victims’ relatives indicate the fire in Valencia began when inmates tried to kidnap two guards. Later they reportedly set some mattresses on fire in an attempt to force guards to open up the cells so that they could escape.

Nieto said officers should have opened the cells once flames began spreading.

“The ones that were rescued were saved because firefighters opened a wall from behind to get them out,” he said.

An estimated 32,000 detainees are being kept in Venezuelan police stations that are filled far past capacity, according to the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory. The jail at the site of Wednesday’s blaze was built for 35 but at the time of the fire some 200 people were believed to be inside.

A report by the Observatory issued before the blaze found that in the first two months of 2018, 26 prisoners had died and more than 1,000 were participating in hunger strikes. The report included testimony from a prisoner who said he’d been forced to eat two dead rats after going long periods without food.

“The jails in Venezuela are a true hell,” wrote Humberto Prado, the group’s director.

Despite Venezuelan laws mandating that detainees be held for a maximum of four days after an initial arrest, relatives said many of the Valencia inmates had been jailed for far longer, waiting to be transferred to larger facilities.

Inmates’ relatives grew desperate on Wednesday as they showed up at the police station after hearing news of the fire, only to find a line of officers holding metal shields, blocking their access and giving little information. Angry relatives pushed up against them and officers used tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Opposition lawmaker Juan Miguel Matheus lambasted the pro-government leader of Carabobo state for taking so long to tell relatives what happened.

“The desperation of relatives should not be played with,” he said.

On Thursday, the smell of smoke still wafted in the air and a white column at the police station’s front entrance was stained black from the fire.

Miles away in one of Valencia’s poorest, most dangerous neighborhoods, Marquez’s relatives wailed in grief as several men struggled to carry the casket containing his blackened remains up the narrow steps of his two-story blue-and-white home.

His burned face could be seen behind a small piece of glass on the coffin.

“I want my dad,” his 13-year-old daughter Feliana cried, as she leaned into the casket to look at her father inside. “Why did he leave?”

———

Associated Press writers Fabiola Sanchez in Caracas, Venezuela, and Christine Armario in Bogota, Colombia, contributed to this report.

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‘If you can’t field, you can’t play for Pakistan’ – Arthur

Karachi is set to become the second Pakistani city to play host to a major cricketing nation in recent times, with West Indies playing a series of three T20Is there starting on April 1. High-profile cricket is becoming slightly more commonplace in the country, something head coach Mickey Arthur believes is “very special”.

West Indies are set to land in Karachi on Saturday to play three back-to-back-to-back T20Is at the National Stadium, which recently hosted the Pakistan Super League final. It will be the first time international cricket will be played in Karachi since 2009, and the first T20I to ever be played at the venue. “We are all extremely excited and the buzz around Karachi when we arrived today was amazing,” Arthur said after a training session at the ground. “We are very excited to see some new faces within our Pakistan team. These young guys are bringing fresh energy into the squad and they are incredibly talented.

“For the young guys, there is nothing like playing at home. I know that they have been very excited about the opportunity and I just can’t wait to see the stadium full of green flags with “Dil Dil Pakistan” [a popular patriotic song] playing and our boys performing. This will be fantastic and they are very happy to be where they are at the moment. We have got a squad of 15, it’s a very strong squad, and it’s a squad of players that are all in some sort of form as well.”

Pakistan will line up without Imad Wasim or Rumman Raees, with both failing to recover from injuries in time. Mohammad Hafeez was axed for the home games, while Kamran Akmal, the second-highest runscorer in the PSL was overlooked. Arthur said neither player fulfilled the requirements of the team. “We laid down a marker. If we look at the squad we’ve got, the doors are not closed on Mohammad Hafeez at all and he knows it. I had a chat with him about it, and if he is bowling, he becomes a very good option for us. If he isn’t bowling, it becomes a problem. Hafeez is still a quality cricketer.

“[About Kamran] we often said that we are not going to pick players who just do well in one discipline. We want players who are able to excel in all disciplines and fielding is a non-negotiable point. If you can’t field, you can’t play for Pakistan. It’s as simple as that. Kamran is a very good batsman but he can’t field and Sarfaraz Ahmed is our wicketkeeper. So I qualify this by saying that we gave him a go in the West Indies and he didn’t perform as well as he could have. He tried hard, as he does in domestic cricket all the time, but unfortunately as I said earlier if you can’t field, you can’t play for Pakistan.”

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Attempt to run over soldiers in southern France was ‘definitely not terror-related’

The incident in which a man and his passenger tried to run over troops outside an army base in south-eastern France was not terror-related, a local prosecutor has said. 

The pair were initially reported to have yelled death threats in Arabic – but Grenoble Prosecutor Jean-Yves Coquillat told that ‘there was no religious talk, no Allahu Akbar pronounced’.

‘This is quite clearly not a case of terrorism,’  he said.  

Attacks: The driver first shouted insults at a group of soldiers jogging by their barracks in Varces, pictured, before returning to attempt to run over a second group

Search: Police are seen outside the barracks in southeastern France, as they try to find the stolen black Peugeot and driver responsible 

The incident caused a flurry of alarm because it came soon after and ISIS terrorist went on the rampage in southern France last Friday, killing four people. 

It was the first militant attack since President Emmanuel Macron lifted a state of emergency in November.

A spokesman for the army’s land regiments based in the Isere region told Reuters earlier soldiers had told police the driver first passed them shouting abuse in Arabic, before returning and attempting to run them down. No one was hurt in the incident.

‘There were a good 10 of them jogging outside their barracks. He targeted one group of four, but none were hit,’ the Isere land forces spokesman said.

The suspect was arrested in a stolen Peugeot 208 in Grenoble, about nine miles north of Varces-Allieres-et-Risset, where the incident took place.

Coquillat said the 25-year-old man was known to authorities for petty crime and had spent some time in prison. He was found drunk, passed out at the wheel of the car.

‘There was no radicalization during this period and this person was totally unknown to counter-terrorism services’, Coquillat said. 

The car, a Peugeot 208 was initially believed to have been stolen, but was reported by prosecutors in Grenoble to have had fake license plates.

Police sealed off the area and began a search for the driver and the female passenger, and both were later arrested.

The woman was reported to be the driver’s partner, as well as the owner of the car. 

The soldiers were all from the 93rd Mountain Artillery Regiment, and the reason for the man’s attempt to ram them remains unclear.

Attempted attack: The driver tried to ram his vehicle into troops from Varces’ 93rd Mountain artillery regiment, pictured, before speeding off

Manhunt: Police in the area are seen looking at a map as they tracked down the driver of a Peugeot who tried to run over the soldiers

Army spokesman Colonel Benoit Brulon, said: ‘At around 8:15am today, a man verbally threatened six or seven soldiers who were out jogging. Then he did the same thing to a second group of runners.

‘When they returned to speak to him, he tried to ram them them. The soldiers managed to get on to the pavement without being crushed.

‘Gendarmes cordoned off the area and opened an investigation. On the military side, we have reinforced our security perimeter. A search has been launched to try and find the driver.’ 

The mayor in Varces, Jean-Luc Corbet, has ordered local residents to remain cautions and for schools and nurseries to close and the children to remain there until further notice. 

Narrow escape: The soldiers were targeted while jogging outside their base in Varces-Allieres-et-Risset, near Grenoble

Incidents: A map shows where today’s attempted attack took place, and where four people were killed by an ISIS terrorist last Friday

The incident took place less than a week after a 25-year-old ISIS terrorist hijacked a car and went on a killing spree in the southwestern part of France.

Radouane Lakdim went on to to shoot and kill four people in the town of Carcassonne and nearby Trebes where he burst into a supermarket shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ and saying he was a ‘soldier of the Islamic State, ready to die for Syria’ .

On Thursday, the four victims of the attacks, including heroic police officer Arnaud Beltrame who died after taking the place of a female hostage, were laid to rest in the region.

Paying tribute to the officer at a national ceremony in Paris on Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron said his act of supreme self- sacrifice would ‘remain etched in French hearts’. 

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Three Australian cricketers leave South Africa with bans for ball tampering

Crowds yelled “cheat” at the former captain, who refused to answer journalists’ questions as a phalanx of police officers ushered him toward the secure area of Johannesburg’s airport Wednesday.

The three Australians have been handed lengthy bans in an attempt to restore “integrity” and rebuild the reputation of the sport in Australia in the wake of a ball-tampering scandal.

Smith, the national team captain, and vice captain David Warner have been banned from playing for the national side for a year following their roles in the incident that caused national outrage during the third Test against South Africa.

Cameron Bancroft was given a nine-month ban for using sandpaper to rough the ball illegally.

On Saturday, Smith and Bancroft admitted during a post-match press conference that they’d conspired to scuff the ball in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage over South Africa.

A Cricket Australia investigation found the trio were the only ones who knew of the plan, which was concocted during the lunch break and carried out by young fielder Bancroft, who had played just eight Test matches.

The probe found Warner guilty of “developing” the idea and for giving “instruction to a junior player to carry out a plan to take steps to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball using sandpaper.”

It also found Smith and Bancroft guilty of making “misleading public comments” when they claimed it was grit-covered yellow tape, not sandpaper.

Along with the suspensions, both Smith and Bancroft will not be considered for any leadership positions until after 12 months and Warner will “not be considered for team leadership positions in the future,” CA said in a statement.

“Any consideration of future leadership would be conditional on acceptance by fans and the public, form and authority among the playing group”

READ: What is ball tampering in cricket?

Coach keeps job

All three players, who were already being sent home from South Africa, will also have to complete 100 hours of voluntary service in community cricket before being considered for future selection.

However they “will be permitted to play club cricket and will be encouraged to do so to maintain links with the cricket community,” CA added.

But Sutherland dismissed rumors that coach Darren Lehman was resigning.

“No other players or support staff had prior knowledge, including Darren Lehman, who has not resigned and will continue to coach under current contract,” Sutherland said.

The three players will be replaced by Matthew Renshaw, Glenn Maxwell and Joe Burns for the fourth Test against South Africa, with Tim Paine appointed captain.

David Peever, the chairman of Cricket Australia, said the board “shares the anger of fans and the broader Australian community about these events.”

“They go to the integrity and reputation of Australian Cricket and Australian sport and the penalties must reflect that,” he said.

“These are significant penalties for professional players and the Board does not impose them lightly. It is hoped that following a period of suspension, the players will be able to return to playing the game they love and eventually rebuild their careers.”

CA CEO James Sutherland added that details of an independent review into the conduct and culture of the men’s cricket team will also be shared in “due course.”

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar called the ban the “right decision” in a tweet on Wednesday.

“Cricket has been known as a gentleman’s game. It’s a game that I believe should be played in the purest form. Whatever has happened is unfortunate but the right decision has been taken to uphold the integrity of the game. Winning is important but the way you win is more important,” Tendulkar wrote.

Tendulkar, a former Indian cricketer, is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

Watershed moment

John Buchanan, a former coach for the Australian team between 1999 to 2007, told CNN Sport that Cricket Australia was facing a watershed moment.

“There’s a feeling in Australia this isn’t just a one-off incident,” he said. “It’s been building over a long period of time and the culture between the team really needs to be addressed really seriously.

“What comes next will be a real test for Cricket Australia with how they deal with this issue.”

However, the backlash has begun, with major Cricket Australia sponsor Magellan Financial Group terminating its three-year partnership with the team, according to a notice posted on the Australian stock exchange (ASX) on Thursday.

“A conspiracy by the leadership of the Australian Men’s Test Cricket Team which broke rules with a clear intention to gain an unfair advantage during the third test in South Africa goes to the heart of integrity,” CEO and Co-Founder of Magellan Hamish Douglass said in the market notice.

Punishment ‘too harsh’

The investigation found that all three players had breached article 2.3.5 of Cricket Australia’s Code of Conduct, for conduct contrary to the spirit of the game.

But the penalties dished out by CA have divided some in the cricketing world.

Australian cricket great Shane Warne said he was “shocked” by the incident but questioned the severity of the punishment.

“The jump to hysteria is something that has elevated the offence beyond what they actually did, and maybe we’re at a point where the punishment just might not fit the crime,” he said in an article for Australia’s Daily Telegraph.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan agreed.

“Steve Smith, I think, is a good guy who made a huge mistake,” he tweeted. “He needed punishing but I think this is too harsh.

“Bancroft, who I don’t know, was led astray but deserved punishing, but again too harshly in my opinion.”

Others mourn the loss of a “good captain and a great batsman.”

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar wrote on Twitter: “Good job that Steve Smith admitted and plead (sic) guilty for wrong doing but what a waste of good captain and a great batsman.. Lesson for all the cricketers to be on the right side of the game.”

Cricket analyst Simon Hughes wrote on Twitter that he believes Lehmann “knows right and wrong” and would have talked the trio out of the plan.

He added: “Please someone look after Steve Smith. He was the no1 batsman in Test cricket.”

Anger and disappointment

Sutherland apologized during a press conference, on behalf of the organization, to both Australia and South Africa.

“I understand and share the anger and disappointment of Australian fans,” Sutherland said.

“I want to apologize to all Australians that these events have taken place, particularly to all the kids who love cricket and idolize the players. I want to also apologize to cricket South Africa and South African fans that this issue has overshadowed what otherwise should have been a wonderful series.”

Smith and Warner have also been banned from participating in India’s domestic cricket league, the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2018, the league and the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced in a statement on Wednesday. Earlier Warner had stepped down as captain of SunRisers Hyderabad.

Warner is also suffering a sponsor backlash.

In a statement to CNN Money, LG Australia confirmed that it would not renew its sponsorship with Warner.
“LG’s current sponsorship of David Warner is in the final weeks and in light of recent events, we have decided not to renew our partnership,” it said in a statement.

“LG Australia will always look to work with ambassadors that share our core brand values and we take these relationships incredibly seriously to ensure we put our customers, employees and stakeholders first.”

CNN’s Bianca Britton and Sugam Pokharel contributed to this report.

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North Korea and China confirming reports of meeting in Beijing Video

Transcript for North Korea and China confirming reports of meeting in Beijing

Next tonight here, north Korea and China now confirming those reports of that mysterious mating in beijing. Kim Jong-un did, in fact, go. It was his first diplomatic appearance on the world stage, welcomed by China’s president XI, before that face-to-face planned with president trump. Here’s ABC’s chief global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz tonight. Reporter: The clues were all there. The secrecy. That deep green armored train spotted in beijing. The heavy security for the convoy that was there on arrival. But the mystery is now over. Kim Jong-un had journeyed outside North Korea for the first time since taking power. His wife at his side. Chinese president XI pulling out all the stops. A review of the troops. Toasts between the two leaders and a banquet. The Chinese, who released images of Kim taking notes as president XI spoke, say that Kim told them, “The issue of denuclear za Zack of the Korean peninsula can be solved, if south Cree beyond a the United States respond to our efforts with goodwill.” We’re going to be cautiously optimistic, but we feel like things are moving in the right direction. Reporter: Kim’s secret trip took even the white house by surprise. President trump preparing for his own meeting with the north Korean leader, raising expectations today with a tweet. “Everyone said that peace and the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula was not even a small possibility. Now, there is a good chance that Kim Jong-un will do what is right for his people and for humanity.” His incoming national security adviser, John Bolton, was one of those voices of gloom. There’s an all-purpose joke here. Question. How do you know that the north Korean regime is lying? Answer. Their lips are moving. Martha Raddatz live with us from Washington tonight. And Martha, John Bolton sounding at least publicly a lot more skeptical than the president right now. Bolton saying he wants this meeting to happen sooner rather than later? Reporter: That’s right, David. He says he hopes the meeting can be even sooner than may, because he doesn’t want the north Koreans to stall us, while continuing with their nuclear weapons program. So, the sooner, the better, to see if they are sincere. David? All right, Martha Raddatz, always good have you.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

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Black cab rapist John Worboys to remain in jail… for now

ECB announces external review of Glamorgan payment

John Worboys victim accuses government of ‘scapegoating’ resigned Parole Board chair

A victim of black cab rapist John Worboys accused the government of “scapegoating” the head of the Parole Board after he was forced to resign.

Nick Hardwick stepped down as High Court judges overturned the decision to release Worboys and condemned officials who failed to properly investigate the scale of his crimes and deception.

The legal challenge was brought by two women – DSD, who was attacked in 2003, and NBV, who was assaulted four years later.

​DSD attended court to see judges rule in their favour and quash the decision to release Worboys, while ruling a Parole Board rule banning the disclosure of information on proceedings to victims unlawful.

But she said there had been “failures all the way through” the legal process, from the original police investigation onwards.

“Forcing Mr Hardwick to resign was wrong because I think he’s been made a scapegoat on this,” the woman told The Independent. “I wouldn’t put the blame solely at the Parole Board’s feet because they could only make a decision on what was presented to them.”

Phillippa Kaufmann QC, who represented the victims, said it was “improper and wrong” to force Mr Hardwick to resign.

Nick Hardwick said he was told his situation was ‘untenable’

“It looks as though he has been scapegoated for something that was not the sole fault of the Parole Board,” she added.

Mr Hardwick made it clear he had been forced to step down in a resignation letter, saying the Justice Secretary David Gauke told him his position was “untenable” in a meeting.

“I had no role in the decision of the panel in the case and believe I am capable of leading the Parole Board through the changes, many of which I have advocated, that will now be necessary,” he wrote.

“I want to state my concern about the independence of the Board. I believe this matter raises very troubling questions about how the Board’s independence can be safeguarded.” 

The judicial review exposed a series of failings by both the Parole Board and Ministry of Justice, which left vital information out of a dossier used to consider his release.

It referred to more than 80 potential victims, but did not include details of the offences, which were not prosecuted in the original trial that saw Worboys convicted on a sample of 19 crimes against 12 women.

The dossier also omitted sentencing remarks from the judge who jailed him indefinitely for public protection, calling him a “high continuing risk to women and as a significant risk of reoffending”.

Mr Gauke admitted that “it may well have been the case that information should have been included that wasn’t provided”.

But during questioning by MPs in the House of Commons, he placed the blame firmly with the Parole Board for failing to probe the evidence available.

“I think it is right that Professor Hardwick stand down as chair,” he said. “I want to acknowledge that he has been a dedicated public servant and done a number of very good things at the Parole Board, but I do believe at this point that there have been significant failures and new leadership is required.”

Justice Secretary David Gauke addressing MPs in the House of Commons, (PA)

He announced a review of all Parole Board rules and said he had already decided to abolish the unlawful “Rule 25” to allow victims to be given information on the release of prisoners, as well as creating a mechanism to challenge decisions. 

DSD called for all victims, not just the 12 whose cases Worboys was jailed for in 2009, to be able to give evidence at the new hearing on his case.

“The next parole hearing will look at everything that is available to them, and they should have done last time,” she said. “Hopefully they will decide that Worboys isn’t fit for release and see through his lies.”

Sir Brian Leveson stressed that the ruling did not have any bearing on the fresh hearing to be held over Worboys’ potential release.

“The Parole Board should have undertaken further inquiry into the circumstances of his offending and, in particular, the extent to which the limited way in which he has described his offending may undermine his overall credibility and reliability,” he said, calling for a judge to chair the new panel.

“We must emphasise that we have not held, nor must we be understood as suggesting, that Worboys’ present risk is such that his continued imprisonment is necessary for the protection of the public.”

Sir Brian said the Parole Board should take the court’s findings into account but the decision “is for it alone to make”.

DSD called for more prosecutions to be brought to ensure that more than 100 women who police believe were attacked by Worboys receive justice.

His attack against her in 2003 was the first to be reported to authorities but Worboys was not imprisoned for another five years, being left to continue picking up women in his taxi, convincing them to consume spiked drinks and sexually assaulting them.

“I would like to see more prosecutions because although the Parole Board’s decision was quashed, at some point in the future I think they will decide he is fit to come out and safe,” DSD said. “I’m thrilled and feel safer, no woman is safe with him free.”

NBV said she had been “frozen in shock, disgusted and traumatised by the thought” that Worboys could be released, feeling compelled to hold authorities to account.

“News that we have won this case finally brought huge relief,” she added. “I can get on with my life again without looking over my shoulder.”

Harriet Wistrich, a solicitor for the two victims, said she has been approached by 10 victims of Worboys during the judicial review, including several who had not previously gone to police.

“As I understand it they are still investigating cases,” she said, including one she referred detailing an alleged attack in 1999 – four years before Worboys was known to have struck.

Ms Wistrich also raised concern that Mr Hardwick had been made a “scapegoat”, adding: “This case from start to finish has illustrated the weakness of our criminal justice system to tackle serious sexual offending, from the failures of the police to adequately investigate; the weakness of CPS decision making selecting only a small number of cases to prosecute; the failure of the Secretary of State to ensure the Parole Board had all the necessary and relevant evidence;  the failure of probation to consult all the victims, to ultimately the incomprehensible decision making of the Parole Board itself.”

Scotland Yard refused to confirm or deny whether new investigations were underway, saying it would not provide a “running commentary” and would release information only when the move is “operationally appropriate”.

A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: “The CPS has been providing early investigative advice to the Metropolitan Police but no files have been submitted for a charging decision.”

DSD was concerned about how Worboys will be monitored if and when he is released and raised fears over resources, adding: “They say he would have very stringent licence conditions, but who has got the time to follow him for 24 hours a day?”

The Parole Board initially imposed conditions including Worboys living permanently at a specific probation hostel and under a curfew, having to notify supervisors of personal relationships with women and being banned from deleting internet history or having a second phone.

The National Probation Service later applied for Worboys to be excluded from Greater London and Sussex, while being monitored using a GPS tag.

Licence conditions will be considered once again when the Parole Board holds another hearing over his potential release, which is not expected to take place for several months.

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