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Canterbury pond bodies: Families devastated by deaths
The families of two men whose bodies were found in a pond have described their devastation over the deaths. The bodies of 17-year-old Hugo Wenn and Daniel Lloyd, 25, were pulled from Reed Pond, near Tennyson Avenue, Canterbury. Mr Wenn, from Derringstone Hill, Barham was described as "a lovely boy who lived life to the full" by his parents. The family of Mr Lloyd, who lived in Wincheap, Canterbury, said: "His talent helped to reveal a unique and beautiful soul and we will miss him dearly." A 28-year-old man, who was arrested on suspicion of supplying controlled drugs following their deaths, has been released on police bail until 15 March. In a statement, Mr Lloyd's family said: "Daniel was a larger than life character who will leave a massive hole in our lives. "During our time of loss we ask to have the space to grieve and take stock of the huge hole that he leaves in our lives." Mr Wenn's parents said Hugo was a "lovely boy". "He lived life to the full. He enjoyed every waking moment and enriched all those whose lives he touched," they said. "We feel privileged to have known him, albeit far too fleetingly. He will be sadly missed by many and will never be forgotten. "May you rest in peace our darling Hugo." Post-mortem examinations carried out on the men revealed they both died from drowning. Officers, who said they were treating the men's deaths as "unexplained", are waiting for toxicology results. A 54-year-old man, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, was released without charge.
Devon and Cornwall Police officers in bone marrow donation
More than 100 police officers in Cornwall have signed up to become bone marrow donors. Insp Dave Meredith, of Devon and Cornwall Police, had appealed to staff to register for the medical procedure. So far, 110 officers in Cornwall have signed up to the register in three weeks, with a call to Devon officers due to follow. Insp Meridith said: "I'm very impressed but I think this reflects on the goodwill of the officers and staff." Insp Meredith said he decided to encourage registration after the donation method changed. Donors register by providing a sample of saliva, and then 80% of those asked to donate, do so by giving blood, from which their stem cells are retrieved. Insp Meredith said: "In light of those changes I thought I've really got to take one step forward. "People were a little apprehensive at first but once they thought about it and realised the implication and that they were potentially saving someone's life they readily agreed." Simon Wilcock, an officer in Newquay who had Hodgkin's Lymphoma ten years ago, said: "I was on chemotherapy at the time and it had worked to a point. "But it had got to the stage where without a transplant there's no doubt that in a few months I probably wouldn't have survived." The appeal to the force was issued three weeks ago with the volunteers required to be aged between 18 and 40, although those on the register remain on it until they turn 60. Karen Archer from the charity, Anthony Nolan, said: "It takes one person to save a life so if we've got 110 people joining the register then that's amazing news. "People can be waiting years for that one right person to join the register, but there are 1000s of people waiting at any one time. "The bigger the pool, the bigger the chance."
Dublin body bag murder suspect found dead in Kent
The main suspect for the murder of a Malawian woman, whose body was found in a travel bag in Dublin, has been found dead in England. The body of 26-year-old Rudo Mawere was discovered last Sunday at Blackhorse Avenue. It is believed the bag may have been there for 13 hours. Irish police (garda) had been searching for an African man who was in a relationship with her. On Wednesday, they were told he had died. It is thought he died in Kent. UK police contacted their counterparts in Ireland after the suspect's body was discovered in Higham, Kent, shortly after 09:00 GMT on Wednesday. A garda source told the Press Association the dead man was wanted as a prime suspect in the killing of Ms Mawere on Saturday evening. "This is a significant development," the source said. "A number of further inquiries have to be completed at this stage." It is understood foul play is not suspected in the man's death. He was thought to have been living in Coventry and there is speculation he fled from the Irish Republic through Northern Ireland Gardai searched his flat on Aughrim Street earlier this week, but he had fled the country. The flat was about 1km from where the body was discovered. Ms Mawere, a student, had been living in Ireland for the past two years. A post-mortem examination showed she had died from asphyxiation. Gardai are trying to establish whether Ms Mawere was killed in the flat.
Sacked Durham PCs win plea over cuts to their pensions
Two ex-Durham police officers who admitted selling guns handed in to police have won a pensions case. Maurice Allen, 47, and Damien Cobain, 41, took Durham Police Authority to court over what they call "excessive" cuts to their police pensions. It had cut Allen's pension by 65% and Cobain's by 30% after the two officers admitted misconduct in a public office. Judge Peter Fox agreed the cuts were severe and reduced them to 25% for Allen and 10% for Cobain. The judge also ordered that Cobain's costs were to be paid by the police authority. The PCs were given suspended sentences in July 2010, after officers investigating a gun stolen from a farm were told it had been bought from police. The judge at Newcastle Crown Court sentenced Allen to 51 weeks, which was suspended for two years, and Cobain to 40 weeks, suspended for 18 months. The pair have since resigned from the force. Allen, of Houghton le Spring, had nearly 29 years' police service, while Cobain, of Sunderland, had been with the force for eight years.
Hampshire Police Federation criticises PC pursuit case
A traffic officer involved in a high-speed pursuit was "prosecuted for doing his job," the chairman of Hampshire Police Federation has said. PC James Holden, who was cleared on Wednesday, had been accused of putting the public at risk by pursuing a stolen van through Portsmouth last February. John Apter said PC Holden, 35, had had "12 months of hell" as a result of his prosecution for dangerous driving. "What happened to James was wrong, he did what he was trained to do." Although it is the Crown Prosecution Service which chooses whether to bring charges, Mr Apter said: "I urge the chief constable to review this investigation root and branch. "For [PC Holden] to perform a pursuit and then be on the wrong end of a police investigation because of that just can't be right." Hampshire Constabulary said: "The circumstances of the pursuit were reviewed and the decision made by the Crown Prosecution Service to charge." During the pursuit on 6 February 2011, the van, taken by a 19-year-old man with 145 previous convictions, was driven at high speed through several red lights and the wrong way along the A3 dual carriageway. The van crashed through a railway barrier in Cosham before being stopped by another police patrol on the other side of the railway. During the trial, the jury was shown footage of the pursuit taken with a camera fitted inside PC Holden's vehicle. Mr Apter added: "PC Holden is a highly trained advanced police driver. "He brought somebody to justice and he faced potentially the ultimate sacrifice. "No police officer is above the law, but James has been prosecuted for doing his job. "That has sent alarm bells across officers - we need to ask why we came to be in this position." It took a jury at Guildford Crown Court two hours to clear PC Holden of any wrongdoing. After the verdict, Hampshire Constabulary said: "It is important that the justice system is transparent and that police officers are subject to the same scrutiny as members of the public."
Sizewell nuclear power station visitor centre to re-open
The visitor centre at Sizewell nuclear power station is to re-open, a decade after it closed in the wake of the 11 September terrorist attacks. EDF Energy, which owns Sizewell B, said it will have a temporary centre near the plant on the Suffolk coast open by the autumn. The company said it would also create a permanent purpose-built centre. Anti-Sizewell campaigners claimed it would be unlikely to focus on the arguments against nuclear power. Jim Crawford, director of Sizewell B, said: "We're all very proud of the industry we work in so I think visitor centres are a very positive thing. "[The closure] was in response to the security threats that were perceived at that time, but now we've tried to get round those issues. "It'll be off-site with exhibitions and presentations, but we will still be making arrangements to get people on-site to actually see the power station." EDF Energy wants to build a new reactor called Sizewell C although no planning approval has been granted yet. Charles Barnett, chairman of the Shut Down Sizewell Campaign, said: "With any visitor centre from the nuclear industry, you need a long spoon to sup with the devil. "They will gloss over any deficiencies within the industry such as disposal and storage of nuclear waste, inadequate emergency plans in the event of a disaster and protection from terrorist attacks." Local councillor Tony Cooper, an independent on Suffolk Coastal District Council, said: "[The old visitor centre] was something of great interest to visitors to the area in the spring and summer months. "Visitors will be able to see what nuclear power is and that's not a monster - it's something that gives us the electricity we need to live with."