Economy

Funding has been secured for a study examining the impact of systemic shocks such as the Covid pandemic and cost-of-living crisis on children's health and development.

Born in Bradford – an internationally recognised research programme that originally studied 12,500 babies born in the city between March 2007 and December 2010 – has received £4.5m from the Wellcome Discovery Award.

The cash will fund an eight-year study aimed at addressing childhood health and wellbeing inequalities in inner-city Bradford.

Programme director Dr Josie Dickerson said: "This award is a recognition of over a decade of commitment from families, service providers and researchers in Bradford."

The research will focus on areas of Bradford where investment was made by the National Lottery between 2015 and 2025.

This consists of three inner-city wards – Bowling and Barkerend, Bradford Moor and Little Horton – which were originally identified as having some of the poorest child outcomes in the district.

The study will follow the children of women recruited by Born in Bradford between 2016 and 2024.

Many of these children are now at primary school and the new programme – dubbed BiBBS ACHIEVE – "provides an opportunity to follow up families and understand how the recent systemic shocks have impacted on children's longer-term outcomes".

Dr Dickerson said: "With Wellcome's support, we can take a huge leap forward in understanding how to build a healthier, happier and fairer future for children living in inner-city areas who face the greatest disadvantages."

West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds

The inmate who a prison governor began a relationship with was a notorious criminal who ran his drugs empire on the encrypted messaging service Encrochat.

It was Anthony Saunderson's use of Encrochat which provided evidence of his relationship with Kerri Pegg – leading to her conviction too.

When conducting his "business", Saunderson used the aliases Jesse Pinkman – the meth dealer in the Breaking Bad television series – and James Gandolfini, the acclaimed actor who played Mafia boss Tony Soprano.

He used modified smartphones, selecting Encrochat – an encrypted communications platform – as a means to communicate with members of his criminal network.

Hailing from Formby, Saunderson had been one of Merseyside's most wanted fugitives for his part in importing £19m of cocaine in shipments of corned beef from Argentina.

But the net eventually closed in around him and he was arrested by police in May 2014, and jailed that November for 10 years after being convicted of drugs and money laundering offences.

Just short of three years into his sentence, in June 2017, Saunderson was transferred to HMP Kirkham, an open prison situated between Preston and Blackpool.

While there, he met governor Kerri Pegg, 42, described at her Preston Crown Court trial as a "rising star" of the Prison Service.

From the start of her time at the jail there were concerns about Pegg being inappropriately close to Saunderson.

The court heard Pegg and Saunderson spent a lot of time together in her office and, in October 2018, he put in a request to be released on temporary licence.

Jurors were told she broke prison rules by approving Saunderson's temporary release from custody, without proper authority.

There are specific rules for how such applications must be processed and Pegg broke them.

She did not have the authority to approve his release, but did so anyway and without notifying the relevant official.

In May 2019, Saunderson was out of prison.

He was developing and delivering a programme called Beating Alcohol and Drug Dependency (BADD) for inmates at several prisons.

'Stupid and naive'

Meanwhile, Pegg said she was co-ordinating the drugs strategy of six jails in the north-west of England.

Pegg entered Saunderson's details into her phone and they remained in contact.

In court, she tearfully claimed that while she had been "hands-on" and "stupid" in her professional interactions with Saunderson, she had done nothing wrong.

Pegg's barrister said she had been "naive".

The prosecution demonstrated she had spent more and more time with the drugs boss as he came towards the end of his 10-year sentence.

Jurors were also shown some size 10 Hugo Boss flip-flops that had been found in her Wigan apartment, as well as a toothbrush, designer clothes, shoes and jewellery.

Saunderson's DNA was found on the toothbrush and the flip-flops.

While working on the BADD programme, Saunderson became involved in another drugs plot – just two months after he was released on licence.

In 2022, Saunderson was unmasked as one of nine gangland figures responsible for producing amphetamines on an industrial, multi-million-pound, scale at premises in Sealand, Flintshire.

In August of that year, he received a 31-year prison sentence for producing and dealing amphetamines as well as trafficking heroin, cocaine, cannabis, ketamine, MCAT and diazepam.

He was also sentenced to an additional four years behind bars for conspiring to sell or transfer guns.

Saunderson's downfall followed a lengthy joint operation between North Wales Police and Merseyside Police.

Operation Blue Sword, which began in early 2020, unearthed the distribution of controlled drugs across England, Wales and Scotland.

The North Wales plot was rumbled by police eavesdropping the gang's electronic communications on EncroChat.

Meanwhile, Merseyside Police discovered a storage unit in Aintree in which they said the gang were keeping large amounts of chemicals and equipment.

The gang's Encrochat communications also ultimately led to Pegg finding herself in the dock, her high-flying career and reputation lying in tatters.

Pegg's denials of wrongdoing were cast into doubt when it emerged that even members of Saunderson's gang had grumbled about their boss spending too much time with her, and away from his "work" and wife.

The jury were also told Pegg swapped her Honda Jazz for a £12,000 Mercedes C class car, which Saunderson paid for in drugs – namely 34kg (75lb) of amphetamines.

On 6 April 2020, Saunderson was sent a message saying "car her (sic) for ya bird 12 quid or work", the Crime Prosecution Service said.

"12 quid" in this criminal context means £12,000 and "work" means drugs.

On 11 April Saunderson was joking with associates on Encrochat about driving around with "Peggy" in her new car.

When Pegg was arrested in late 2020, the car was found parked outside her home.

Earlier, Pegg, was found guilty of two counts of misconduct in a public office and one count of possession of criminal property, the Mercedes car.

Judge Graham Knowles KC told Pegg to expect a custodial sentence, adding: "I have no choice but to send you to prison due to the gravity of your offending."

Speaking of Saunderson's offending, Det Ch Insp Lee Boycott, of North Wales Police, said: "The criminal gang produced amphetamine on an industrial scale.

"The evidence gathered as part of the investigation revealed that, between April and June 2020, the quantities of controlled drugs produced [were] eye-watering.

"The Sealand illicit lab converted 2.6 tonnes of raw chemicals into controlled drugs.

"Over that three-month period, it is estimated that the gang produced over 900 litres of amphetamine oil and over 700kg of amphetamine, with an estimated wholesale value of around £1 million."

Plans to build a "much needed" ambulance station in Hull have been approved.

Hull City Council last month passed Yorkshire Ambulance Service's (YAS) plans to convert a warehouse, on Sissons Way, off Clough Road, into an ambulance station.

YAS has now submitted a further application to make changes to the building, including recladding the building and new signage.

Documents submitted to the council stated that Hull was "identified as one of YAS's most urgent areas for improvement".

The document added this was "due to the limitations of existing stations and the impact on efficiencies, performance, training and recruitment.

"Existing stations in Hull are significantly undersized; with some sites lacking sufficient parking for staff."

YAS already has ambulance stations in East Hull, West Hull, and Sutton Fields.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service the northern side of the building will receive wooden cladding and green panelling.

The Eastern, Western, and Southern sides of the building will keep their metallic facades.

The site's car park will also have space for 85 YAS vehicles and a further 24 spaces for staff, including three for blue-badge holders.

The document added: "The proposed new ambulance hub would provide a strategic opportunity to dramatically reduce refurbishment costs of existing stations and supporting premises and also allow for much needed additional space capacity."

Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Soundslatest episode of Look North here.

A run-down building in Weymouth town centre previously used as a hostel and a pub will be converted into small business units and a café.

Melcombe House, in King Street, and an adjoining Commercial Road property have been described as being in "a poor state of repair".

A planning application, now approved by Dorset Council, was submitted by the Weymouth Area Development Trust, a community-led not for profit organisation.

It proposes offices and communal workspaces on all floors with shower rooms, storage, kitchen areas and meeting rooms.

The plans also include re-opening a blocked doorway on corner of the building to provide access to a café area.

Six cycle spaces will be added inside along with a lift for wheelchair access and a bin store area in a small courtyard.

The trust said some spaces would be available on an hourly basis, with fast internet connections suitable for "small high tech based industries and digital creatives".

It said experts would also be available on-site to mentor start-up business and offer general support and advice.

The application said: "This former hostel has been vacant for some time and the building is in a poor state of repair.

"The change of use now proposed will provide a viable use, giving vitality to the area and preventing the current building continuing to decline."

Ward councillor Jon Orrell said he was "strongly supportive of the whole development".

"It will bring a prominent building back into productive use," he added.

He views were also echoed by Weymouth Town Council in its comments on the plans.

A woman who lost her brother in a road collision 10 years ago is hoping a display in her home town will get people talking about the devastating impact of road deaths.

Lucy Harrison now works for Road Peace, a charity which works for the victims of crashes and their families, and said she wanted to "remind everyone that victims are more than statistics".

Peace in the Park was installed at Arrow Valley Country Park in Redditch on Monday and features doves bearing pictures of those killed in road traffic collisions.

They were created by young people who have been involved in driving crime, 40 families who have been bereaved through road crashes and Road Peace partner CFG.

Ms Harrison said: "Redditch is my home town, so it is especially poignant for me – but also for our group members whose loved ones were killed on roads in Worcestershire."

The display, which first went on display in Birmingham last year, is also due to visit Malvern and Hereford and has been supported by the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner, John Campion.

On Saturday, members of the Road Peace team are due to be at the Boathouse Café between 11:00 and 14:00 BST, along with the families of some of those remembered on the doves.

Ms Harrison said she hoped people looking at the photos would "see the faces behind the statistics" and understand the lasting effect these deaths and serious injuries have on families.

In 2014, Ms Harrison's brother was killed at a crossing by a driver who was speeding.

She said "it completely changed my life", and the support she received from Road Peace eventually led to her leaving her job to work for them instead.

But she added: "I've worked with so many families now and 10 years after my brother was killed it's the same stories, it's the same tragedies, the same frustrations."

She said she was worried the numbers of road deaths had plateaued and that people "accept it as something which is inevitable when its not".

Peace in the Park will remain in Redditch until 27 May, and Ms Harrison said that, beyond raising awareness, she wanted to see better support for victims and more done to prevent crashes.

Five-time Grammy-winning record producer Steve Lillywhite has received an honorary degree from the University of Surrey.

Lillywhite produced for bands including U2, The Rolling Stones, The Killers and Talking Heads during his five-decade career.

The Egham-born producer said it was "very humbling and very lovely" to accept the award on 1 May.

"I did not even finish secondary school. I did O-levels and then I was asked to leave, so I was amazed by today," he said.

Lillywhite compared the honour to becoming a CBE for services to music in the 2012 New Year Honours list.

He told BBC Radio Surrey: "That was a really amazing thing, to go to the palace and get that, but this had pomp and circumstance to another level because I had to wear the gown and I got the certificate."

The producer toured the university's facilities and spoke with "fantastic" current students during his visit.

"When you see young people and the enthusiasm they have for doing good, you realise that yes, we'll muck through it," he added.

He said his advice for the students was to "follow your heart, and don't take what your teachers say as being gospel".

"You enter cult status by doing that. Always question the teachers and take from them what you think is good for you," he said.

He said he had spent his life "with a little bit of imposter syndrome", but its "always been part of my thing to always try your hardest and never be complacent".

'Outstanding individuals'

The university also honoured scientists Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Prof Peter Høj, along with businessmen Alan Parker, John Mullen and Lim Hua Min.

University of Surrey vice-chancellor Prof Max Lu said: "We are proud to recognise these outstanding individuals whose work has made a lasting impact across science, education, the arts, business and beyond.

"Their achievements speak to the values we hold dear at Surrey – excellence, creativity, and the drive to make a difference in the world."

For hundreds of years, Edward Colston was celebrated and honoured by many in his home city of Bristol, but an anti-racism protest held in the city on 7 June 2020 changed that in the most dramatic way. The toppling of his statue five years ago today made headlines around the world, forcing Bristolians to examine the legacy of the 17th Century slave trader.

For years, his prominence in Bristol in the form of the city-centre statue and multiple locations bearing his name sparked controversy. Born into a merchant's family, Colston went on to build his own business in London trading in slaves, cloth, wine and sugar.

He found wealth through his work and later became an official of the Royal African Company, which held the monopoly in Britain on slave trading.

He is believed to have transported about 80,000 men, women and children from Africa to the Americas between 1672 and 1689.

When Colston died in 1721, he left his wealth to churches and hospitals in Bristol. A portion of it was also used in founding two almshouses and a school.

His legacy continued to live on, with his name and face appearing on various city streets, buildings and memorials.

The beginning of the end for Colston's close relationship with Bristol began thousands of miles away in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 25 May, 2020.

Police were called to a grocery store to reports of a 46-year-old man allegedly paying for a pack of cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. That man was George Floyd.

Former police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Mr Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes during his arrest. Mr Floyd's pleas of "I can't breathe" as he died sent shock waves around the world – including towards Bristol.

Black Lives Matter protests sprung up across the world, calling for an end to racism and police brutality.

• George Floyd: What happened in the final moments of his life

Chauvin was convicted of Mr Floyd's murder along with three other officers – Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J Alexander Kueng – who were convicted of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

The Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol attracted an estimated 15,000 people who gathered on College Green before heading down to Colston Avenue, where the bronze statue was erected in honour of the slave trader in 1895.

On the day of the protest, the figure was covered up with a canvas material. It had already been targeted by egg-throwers, but the canvas was later torn off by protesters saying they wanted to look Colston in the eyes.

Shortly after the cloth was removed, three protesters climbed up to the statue and attached ropes to its head. To roars of celebration from the crowd, they pulled on the ropes and 30 seconds later the statue was on the ground.

Many ran towards the fallen figure, jumping on it and kicking it. One protester placed his knee on the statue's neck, mirroring the actions of Chauvin during Mr Floyd's arrest. Other protesters climbed the empty plinth, chanting and holding anti-racism banners.

The statue was later dragged the short distance over to the harbour, where it was dumped into the water. For many that was symbolic, as Bristol's waterways had plenty of links with the slave trade.

Four people – dubbed the Colston Four – were charged for their involvement in the toppling, but were later acquitted of criminal damage.

The toppling of the statue was dramatic. Other change has been slower, but over the last five years, Colston's name has gradually started disappearing from the city.

In fact three years before his statue was toppled, the city's largest music venue, Bristol Beacon – known formerly as Colston Hall – announced that it was considering dropping the link to Colston. Massive Attack, perhaps the most famous band from Bristol, had always refused to play the venue due to its name.

The name change proposal led to a debate, with bosses maintaining that the venue was named after the street it is located on, rather than the slave trader. There was no investment from Colston in building the venue.

Plenty of Bristolians were against the change, it should be noted, but on 23 September 2020, the Bristol Music Trust, which runs the venue, decided to go ahead with the rebrand.

Several schools in Bristol also implemented changes after the statue came down.

Colston's School in Stapleton became known as Collegiate School, Colston's Girls' School became Montpelier High School and The Dolphin Primary School changed its logo from the Colston family crest.

Karen Macdonald, head of public engagement on Bristol City Council's culture team, said the toppling was "symbolic".

The statue was temporarily displayed at the M Shed museum in the city in 2021 after it was retrieved from the harbour. The council launched a public survey which more than 14,000 Bristolians responded to with "very clear wishes" of what they wanted for the statue's future.

The majority of the responses called for the statue to be displayed in its damaged state, alongside balanced historical information and context about Colston's past.

So that is where you will find the Colston statue now, lying on its back in a glass case, surrounded by the real placards left behind by the protestors.

Ms Macdonald said: "There is value in listening to different viewpoints and coming to an understanding, even if you can't agree with each other.

"This isn't erasing history, this is recording history. History isn't something that can remain static and preserved – that moment was history in action.

"It wasn't about lumps of cast metal," she added.

Nothing has replaced the toppled statue, the plinth is still empty.

But it does now feature an updated plaque reflecting Colston's involvement in slavery and telling the story of that dramatic day in June.

Highland councillors have agreed to keep 20mph speed limits at 127 locations across its region.

Limits were lowered from 30mph in 2023 as part of a trial designed to improve safety.

Councillors voted in favour of keeping the scheme by 10 votes to seven.

The decision equates to hundreds of miles of road.

Highland Council has the longest road network in the UK with more than 4,200 miles (6,759km) of roads.

A 23-year-old woman with a passion for football is hoping to give the boot to cultural barriers that make it harder for refugee and Muslim girls to get into sport.

Fatema Baratyan played for the Afghanistan women's national team but fled the country after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

She resettled in Peterborough and will be running free futsal sessions for girls aged between 12 and 14 in the city.

"I know what it feels like to be scared, to be alone, to have your future taken away," she said.

"But I also know what football can give back — strength, joy, friendship. I want other girls like me to feel that too."

Ms Baraytan said she was trapped in Pakistan with her family – having fled the Taliban – before they could make the journey to the UK.

"I remember the fear," she recalled.

"We weren't safe. We had to hide. We couldn't even leave the house freely anymore."

Like hundreds of thousands of Afghans, members of the women's national football team tried to escape after the capital Kabul fell to the Taliban.

Women's rights in Afghanistan have been severely restricted since the takeover, and they are banned from competitive sports.

A blaze at a derelict school building in Kent is believed to have been started deliberately.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service was called to the disused St John Fisher School building on Ordnance Street in Chatham shortly before 18:30 BST on Saturday.

Six fire engines attended and extinguished the flames before leaving just after 19:30. No injuries have been reported.

A spokesperson for the fire service said the fire was "believed to have been started deliberately".

The building has been disused since 2022, when the school moved to City Way in Rochester.