is a member of the
Independent
Press Standards
Organisation (IPSO) and we subscribe
to its Editors’ Code of Practice. If you
have a complaint about editorial
content, please visit http://www.telegraph.
co.uk/editorialcomplaints or write to
‘Editorial Complaints’ at our postal
address (see below). If you are not
satisfied with our response, you may
appeal to IPSO at http://www.ipso.co.uk.The Daily Telegraph, 111 Buckingham
Palace Road, London, SW1W 0DTDrink-drive deaths at
highest level since 2009Drink drive deaths have hit their
highest rate in nearly a decade,
prompting campaigners to demand
more police patrols to catch offenders.
There were up to 270 deaths in
crashes where at least one driver or
rider was over the alcohol limit in
2017, Department for Transport data
show.
The figure – up 20 from the year
before – is the highest since 2009.
Edmund King, the AA president,
said “more cops in cars” were needed
to “catch people in the act”.
The number of police in England
and Wales fell by nearly 22,
between March 2010 and March 2018,
according to Home Office figures.NEWS BULLETIN
Grandmother tattoos
eyeballs to aid visionA grandmother has had ink tattooed
on to her eyeballs to act as sunglasses
to protect her sensitive vision.
Mandy Liscombe, 63, had the
pioneering NHS treatment to have the
ink put into her eyes after being
plagued with eye problems for five
years.
Doctors told her to try wearing
coloured glasses and contacts - but
nothing worked.
Ms Liscombe now has a pair of
shades inside her eyes following the
procedure at Singleton hospital in
Swansea, South Wales.Police spy’s relationships
with activists investigated
An undercover officer who spent years
infiltrating environmental groups is at
the centre of a criminal inquiry over
his relationships with activists.
Mark Kennedy was unmasked as a
spy in 2010 by one of the women it was
alleged he deceived, with the Met
Police forced to apologise in 2015.
It has now emerged Mr Kennedy
has been under investigation since
2015 over whether he conducted
“inappropriate sexual relationships” or
broke the Official Secrets Act.
Mr Kennedy’s lawyers were
contacted for comment.Deaf man makes legal
history by sitting on jury
A deaf man has set a legal precedent
after becoming the first person with
profound hearing difficulties to sit on a
crown court jury in England and
Wales.
Matthew Johnston, a 54-year-old
technology consultant, read subtitles
from courtroom stenographers, who
transcribed speech in shorthand, and
used his lip-reading skills to
participate in jury deliberations.
Mr Johnston, from London, is able
to hear a small amount thanks to a
cochlear implant and is able to speak.
He served on three trials over two
weeks at Blackfriars Crown Court.Drinkers locked in pub
as man shoots at police
Armed police were called to a pub in
Swindon last night amid reports of a
stand-off with a gunman.
At least two shots were fired, the
Swindon Advertiser reported. The area
around the Dockle Farmhouse and
New Inn was cordoned off and
drinkers locked inside, a witness said.
“Armed officers ... found a man
pointing and then shooting a weapon
at police from a building ... no one was
injured,” a spokesman for Wiltshire
police said. “A 31-year-old local man
was arrested on suspicion of
possession of a firearm, criminal
damage and common assault.”Cockroaches bugging
Pentonville jail inmates
Insecticide resistant cockroaches have
overrun Britain’s busiest jail,
according to a watchdog.
Pentonville prison in north London
has been “neglected”, resulting in
“masses of cockroaches” infesting
cells, kitchens and visitor areas, the
Independent Monitoring Board at the
jail said. It called on Robert Buckland,
the Justice Secretary, and Lucy Frazer,
the prisons minister, to provide
“adequate funds” for improvements
“as a matter of urgency”.
Inspectors also found mice, fleas
and pigeon mites, along with “biting
flies” in one of the showers.Subscribe today
and save 50%
for three monthsSEE PAGE 35 FOR DETAILSBanks to fund free cash points for all
By Jack Hardy
BANKS are to provide funding to en-
sure every high street has a free cash
point, it has been announced.
Concern has been mounting that
parts of the country are losing access to
free cash as traditional ATMs close,
coupled with the rise of machines
which charge for use.
An effort to combat the rising ATM
losses has now been launched by Link,
the cash machine network, which has
pledged to create new cash points on
high streets threatened by the closure
of hubs such as Post Offices.
The machines will be paid for
through funding from all the UK’s main
banks and building societies, with five
already planned for areas where the
problem is especially stark.
However, consumer experts have
warned that the scheme is unlikely to
do enough to ensure free cash is acces-
sible to all without the Government
also intervening.
It comes after Notemachine, one of
the country’s largest ATM operators,
announced in April that it was prepar-
ing to charge for withdrawals on thou-
sands of its machines.
Link’s first free-to-use ATM will be
installed in Durness in the Scottish
Highlands, where there is said to be an
“unfulfilled need for cash access spe-
cific to the local economy”. Residentscurrently must drive an hour to the
nearest free cash point, Link said.
Locations will be prioritised if the
use of cash is not already in decline due
to the rising popularity of card transac-
tions. The strongest drop in cash use
has been in London and parts of south-
ern England, according to a poll.
An independent “access to cash re-
view”, funded by the organisation, said
the UK was not ready to transition to afully cashless society and steps should
be taken to help cash users.
It found around 17 per cent of the
population would not be prepared for
the demands of a society without cash.
John Howells, Link chief executive,
said: “Link is determined to defend free
access to cash across the UK in the face
of very rapidly declining cash use.
“Link will take further steps to en-
sure that the free ATM footprint is safe
in Scotland and extend its commitment
to cover every high street.”
Only around 10 of the UK’s 6,
retail centres have no cash points but
it is feared this number could grow
with the increasing prevalence of digi-
tal transactions. Similar efforts havebeen launched to save 1,000 unprofit-
able ATMs from closure in rural com-
munities reliant on cash, again
subsidised by banks.
Gareth Shaw, head of money at the
consumer group Which?, said: “This
long-overdue action on cash machines
is hugely welcome but these measures
on their own are unlikely to be enough
to stem the tide of ATM closures that
has left communities across the UK
struggling to access cash.
“The Government’s new access to
cash strategy group must urgently ex-
plore all options – including legislation- to ensure a robust system is in place
to preserve free access to cash for as
long as people need it.”
Justice system
‘leaving victims
at risk from
serial rapists’
By Jack Hardy
FALLING conviction rates are putting
people at risk from “serial rapists” be-
cause attackers are not being deterred,
the Victims’ Commissioner has warned.
Dame Vera Baird expressed concern
as official figures showed reports of
rape had increased as the number of
charges brought against attackers fell.
The overall number of reported
rapes rose by almost 13,000 to 54,
in 2017/18, compared with 41,186 the
previous year. Some 11,913 attacks were
not recorded as crimes, an increase
from 8,624 the year before.
The overall charge rate fell in the
same period from 6.8 per cent to 4.2 per
cent, according to data recorded by
public bodies and published by Her
Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary
and Fire & Rescue Services’ Rape Mon-
itoring Group (RMG).
Referrals to the CPS for a charging
decision fell slightly, from 6,606 to
6,012, while fewer suspects were found
guilty – 1,062 compared with 1,350 the
previous year.
Dame Vera said the Government
needed to “act quickly” in its review of
how rape complaints were handled to
make sure victims received “the justice
they deserve”. “The criminal justice
system is letting down current victims
and creating new victims by failing to
tackle potential serial rapists,” she said.
“More complainants are coming for-
ward, but fewer cases are being prose-
cuted and only one in every 50 cases is
resulting in a conviction. How can this
be justice?
“These figures show that perpetra-
tors can act without fear of being held
to account. Many will go on to commit
further offences and will only stop
when caught.
“We know that nearly four in five
victims of sexual assault choose not to
report the crimes committed against
them. How can we ever give these vic-
tims the confidence to report when so
few cases ever secure a conviction?”
Dame Vera hit out at the treatment of
complainants by police and prosecu-
tors, including failing to update them
on investigations or making intrusive
demands on their personal data.”
The RMG published the figures to
show how cases of rape were dealt with
at all stages of the criminal justice sys-
tem in 2017/18.
Wendy Williams, the RMG chair-
man, said she hoped the data would
“help police, prosecutors, and the en-
tire system, to improve their work to
provide justice for victims, convict the
guilty and do all they can to prevent
this most heinous of crimes”.
E-scooter rider incidents are
running into the thousands
Hunters become hunted as birds of prey illegally killed
By Mike Wright
E-SCOOTER riders are under scrutiny
as thousands of incidents of “highway
disruption” and “inconsiderate behav-
iour” are being reported to the police.
Statistics released under the Free-
dom of Information Act show more
than 1,000 incidents involving the
electronically powered scooters as well
as hoverboards and Segways have been
reported in the past three years.
Reports included instances of riders
crashing into prams, striking elderly
people and playing “chicken” with cars.
The figures have prompted the Depart-
ment for Transport to warn e-scooter
riders they need to be aware of the law.
It is illegal to ride e-scooters, Seg-
ways or hoverboards on any public
roads or pavements and those caught
face fines of up to £300 and six points
on their driver’s licence.
However, the department is review-
ing legislation that could lift restric-
tions on using e-scooters on the road. A
spokesman said: “Safety is at the heart
of our road laws, and people who use
e-scooters need to be aware it is cur-
rently illegal to ride them on the road
and the pavement.”
Statistics showed there were 1,
incidents reported in 2016, 1,123 in 2017
and 1,017 in 2018. Police recorded 618
incidents for the first half of 2019. How-
ever, the true figures are thought to be
much higher, as only 27 of the coun-
try’s 45 forces released figures.
The statistics come weeks after what
is thought to be the first e-scooter fatal-
ity in the UK. Emily Hartridge, 35, a
YouTuber and TV presenter, died after
being hit by a lorry while negotiating a
roundabout in south London in July.
Joshua Harris, of the road safety
charity Brake, said: “The clear lack of
public awareness of the rules regarding
e-scooter use must be addressed as a
priority. The Government must act
now to make clear that these devices
are illegal to use on any public road,
pavement or cycle path.”By Patrick Sawer
THE number of birds of prey illegally
killed on moorland has more than tri-
pled in the past two years, new figures
have revealed.
A report by the Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds (RSPB) has found
that growing numbers of birds of prey
are being illegally shot, trapped and poi-
soned on shooting estates, amid claims
that those responsible are increasingly
confident of evading prosecution.
The report reveals that 87 birds of
prey were killed last year, including
buzzards, red kites and peregrines.
That is an increase on the 68 birds of
prey known to have been killed ille-
gally the previous year.
However, the charity fears the num-
ber of killings could be far higher,
claiming the figures are “only a glimpseinto a far larger problem”. The report
found that in 2017, 16 birds of prey were
trapped or poisoned on land managed
for driven grouse shooting, with the
numbers jumping to 54 killed by these
methods last year.
The RSPB has now called for tougher
legislation and enforcement to act as a
deterrent, including independent
reviews of the UK’s driven grouse
shooting. Martin Harper, conservationdirector at the charity, said: “The
driven grouse shooting industry has,
despite decades of warnings, failed to
put its house in order – most shock-
ingly turning a blind eye to the ongoing
illegal persecution of birds of prey.”
The charity points out that in the
past two years, only one person has
been convicted under the Wildlife and
Countryside Act 1981 for killing a bird
of prey. However, landowners, shoot-ing organisations and anti-RSPB
groups rejected the report’s findings.
Ian Gregory, spokesman for You For-
got The Birds, a network set up to chal-
lenge conservation groups, said: “This
is a cynical spin operation from a char-
ity which cares more about headlines
than showing what is going on with na-
ture. The charity’s own figures show
that UK bird crime has been on a falling
trend this decade.”Six arrested after £60m of
cocaine is found on yacht
By Jack HardyA £60 MILLION cocaine haul seized
on a yacht off the coast of Wales could
have been destined for county lines
gangs, it was suggested yesterday.
Border Force officials intercepted
the vessel, named the Sy Atrevido, as it
approached the end of its journey from
South America to the UK on Tuesday.
Hidden below deck were hundreds
of kilograms of cocaine with a street
value of up to £60 million, according to
the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Officers say as much as 750kg of the
narcotic could be on board the yacht,
which was targeted after intelligence
that it was carrying drugs. Two men,
aged 53 and 41, were arrested on the
vessel and remain in police custody.
It is hoped the seizure will have a
“significant impact” on the UK drugs
market and disrupt county lines gangs,
who often use children to ferry drugs
from cities to smaller towns.
Speaking near the yacht at Fishguardport, Craig Naylor, the NCA deputy di-
rector of investigations, said yesterday:
“What we have done today, working
with partners in Border Force, Dyfed-
Powys Police and others, is to show
that we continue to fight to take drugs
off the streets to stop the harm caused
by county lines and other drug dealing
and the violence associated with them.”
Searches of the nondescript white
yacht continued yesterday after 250kg
of packages full of white powder were
found hidden throughout the vessel.
Tests indicated that the powder was
cocaine, the NCA said, meaning the
haul had a wholesale value of around
£8 million and a potential street value
of £20 million. This figure would climb
as high as £60 million if 750kg of co-
caine was on board as suspected.
Four more people – three men aged
23, 31 and 47 and a woman aged 30 –
were arrested in Liverpool and Lough-
borough in connection with the find,
according to the force. They have been
released on bail until late September.Public warned to
avoid seals after
volunteer is bitten
By Yohannes LoweSWIMMERS have been told to steer
clear of seals after a man was left with
an infected bite which could have led
to an amputation.
The marine wildlife volunteer,
known only as Richard, was left with a
3in wide wound after helping the pup,
that had been fighting with another
seal on Caister beach, Norfolk, on
Saturday.
There were fears he could develop
“seal fingers”, an infection caused from
seal bites that can lead to a contamina-
tion and even amputation. But Richard
was taken to A&E where he was given
antibiotics for the bite on his left arm,
so did not require an operation.
British Divers Marine Life Rescue
warned that the disturbance of seals in
their natural habitats is becoming
more commonplace. Andy Ottaway, of
the Seal Protection Action Group, is
urging the public to stay at least 330ft
(100m) away from the animals.Grandes dames Juliette Binoche and Catherine Deneuve arrive for the opening ceremony of the 76th annual Venice
International Film Festival and a screening of The Truth, by Palme d’Or winning director Hirokazu Kore-eda. Arts: Page 24ETTORE FERRARI/EPA-EFE/REXNews
‘These measures on their
own are unlikely to beenough to stem the tide of
ATM closures across the UK’10 **^ Thursday 29 August 2019 The Daily Telegraph
RELEASED BY "What's News" vk.com/wsnws TELEGRAM: t.me/whatsnws