Month: May 2018

Posted on

Press release: Sentence increase for man who subjected child victim to years of sexual abuse

A man who repeatedly sexually assaulted a young girl over a period of years has had his sentence increased after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred it for being too low.

Usmaan Ahmad, now 35, repeatedly sexually assaulted his victim over a period of 8 years, while she was between the ages of 3 and 11. Ahmad was between the ages of 14 and 21 at the time. The effect of these crimes has been lasting and severe, causing ongoing psychological struggles.

Ahmad was originally sentenced to 4 years and 6 months imprisonment at Sheffield Crown Court. Today, after the Solicitor General’s reference, the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to 8 years and 6 months in prison.

Commenting on the sentence increase, the Solicitor General said:

I am pleased that the Court of Appeal has agreed that Ahmad’s sentence should have been higher. He subjected a vulnerable child to consistent and repeated sexual abuse which has had a lasting impact. I hope this decision can bring some comfort to the victim.

Link: Press release: Sentence increase for man who subjected child victim to years of sexual abuse
Source: Gov Press Releases

Posted on

Press release: 50 Days to go until the tenth Armed Forces Day

Saturday June 30 will see hundreds of events held to mark the tenth version of the day, including parades and ceremonies right across the country. Men and women from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, both regulars and reserves, will be recognised alongside the wider defence family including cadets and veterans.

The national event will take place in Llandudno, North Wales and excitement is building ahead of the biggest Armed Forces Day ever, with a record number of flypasts, displays and exhibitions planned.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

Armed Forces Day is a valuable opportunity to honour our troops who work so hard to keep us safe.

Our servicemen and women are on hand every hour of every day to protect us from the threats we face and I encourage people across the UK to come together and salute them for their tireless commitment.

Since last year’s event in Liverpool the Armed Forces have had a busy year in the UK and around the world. From troops helping those struggling in heavy snowfall to the emergency assistance provided in the aftermath of the Salisbury attack. To further afield in Iraq and Syria where our Armed Forces continued to take the fight to Daesh, helping to drive the terrorists back and give ordinary people in those countries the chance to rebuild their lives.

Around the world our troops have worked day and night, from reassuring NATO allies in Europe to deploying over 2000 personnel to the Caribbean in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

The UK Armed Forces are currently involved in over 20 operations in more than 25 countries, from Estonia to Iraq. But many of those back at home will be in attendance at events across the country.

Also present will be many veterans that make-up the estimated 2.56 million Armed Forces veteran community living in the UK. Young Cadets will be present too; together the Sea, Army, and Air cadets have almost 100,000 members.

On the 30 June, a parade of around 1,000 serving personnel, veterans, cadets and marching bands will step off from the Llandudno War Memorial at 11am to signal the start of the Armed Forces Day celebrations.

Link: Press release: 50 Days to go until the tenth Armed Forces Day
Source: Gov Press Releases

Posted on

Press release: £250m Arundel bypass route revealed

The four-mile dual carriageway will complete a missing link in the A27 and could save commuters more than an hour and a half every week. It will draw traffic away from Arundel town centre and reduce rat-running on minor roads through the South Downs National Park, while keeping the impact on protected environments like ancient woodland to an absolute minimum.

The preferred route – a variation of Option 5a put forward at last year’s consultation – strikes the right balance between creating vital new road capacity and protecting the special environment and cultural heritage in and around Arundel.

Alan Feist, Highways England A27 programme lead said:

These ambitious plans will fill in a missing link on the A27, improving 21,000 journeys every day for drivers from Arundel and beyond.

Nearly 10,000 people took part in the consultation, and today’s announcement reflects their views and feedback. We will continue to work with people and take their views into account as we further develop the project’s design so we can deliver a project that successfully improves journeys, respects the environment and helps to enhance the historic town of Arundel.

The improvements will create vital extra capacity along the A27 and, on opening, will shave up to eight minutes off westbound journeys and 12 minutes off eastbound journeys.

The existing A27 Crossbush junction at Arundel
The existing A27 Crossbush junction at Arundel

Three options were put to the public for views between August and October last year, and today’s announcement considers feedback made during the consultation and ongoing discussions with key stakeholders.

The plans also include improved routes for pedestrians and cyclists, including a continuous dedicated path along the existing road around Arundel.

As well as improving journey times, the plans will:

  • make journeys safer – the A27 at Arundel has an above average collision rate, with 14 casualties on the road in 2016. The improvements will make journeys safer, and over the next 60 years there will be 177 fewer accidents than there otherwise would have been
  • reduce congestion – the existing A27 through Arundel is operating at up to 150% capacity, with around 21,000 vehicles use the A27 through on a daily basis, this is predicted to increase to 26,300 in 2041
  • support economic growth – businesses across the region will benefit from efficiencies and improved journey times, while the additional capacity will enable the authorities to better manage population growth

The consultation ran for eight weeks last year. 2,062 people attended the exhibitions, with nearly 3,000 people completing a questionnaire. Over 7,000 responses were received by email or letter. 79% of people who responded trough the questionnaire agreed that improvements are needed, with 48% supporting Option 5a – more than either of the alternatives.

The consultation report has been published today on Highways England’s website and copies are available online or at a variety of locations like council offices and libraries in the local area.

Anyone interested in the scheme can sign up to receive updates via the project page on the Highways England website.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.


Link: Press release: £250m Arundel bypass route revealed
Source: Gov Press Releases

Posted on

Press release: FCO Minister Field statement on the situation in Kachin state, Burma

Minister Field said:

I remain deeply concerned about the intense fighting between the Burmese Army and the Kachin Independence Army, which has since April led to over 6000 people being newly displaced. This has added to the humanitarian suffering already experienced across the state over several years.

I call on the Burmese military to fulfil its duty to respect international humanitarian law, ensure access for humanitarian organisations and allow the 2000 civilians trapped by the fighting to leave to safe areas. The new Burmese Northern Commander, Major-General Teza Kyaw, must ensure that the soldiers under his command show restraint and protect civilians. The UK will continue to offer substantial humanitarian support: in the last financial year we provided £6.1m in humanitarian relief to Kachin and northern Shan.

I call on all parties to the conflict to cease fighting, protect civilians, and return fully to peace talks, which the UK supports and which seek to bring to an end 70 years of internal conflict in Burma.

The UK will continue to raise, both with the Burmese authorities and the international community, our anxiety at the continued armed conflicts and the constraints on humanitarian access around the country. The UK restates its commitment to supporting the triple transition in Burma: from military rule to democratic civilian government, from conflict to peace, and from a closed economy to an open one.

Further information

Media enquiries

For journalists

Link: Press release: FCO Minister Field statement on the situation in Kachin state, Burma
Source: Gov Press Releases