Simon Israel

On the first of February 2008, the senior coroner for West Yorkshire called for young women with severe mental illness not to be sent to prison.  He urged the Prison Service and the Department of Health to keep them in secure places that could offer treatment and support. 10 years on – to the day…

The Metropolitan Police has apologised to a student who was wrongly charged and put on trial for rape. The case against Liam Allan collapsed in December after key evidence emerged of his accuser pestering him for casual sex. But the Met said no police officer is to be disciplined over the failure to disclose the…

The scale and devastation of knife crime in the capital is laid bare today. New Metropolitan Police figures obtained by Channel 4 News show a steep increase in fatal stabbings in 2017, with the number of teenage victims doubling. Despite both the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the Mayor of London promising to tackle…

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been arrested after his supporters staged demonstrations against the forthcoming presidential election. In chaotic scenes which were caught on camera, he was bundled into a police van. Earlier police used an angle-grinder to break into his online TV channel and make arrests. Navalny is barred from standing in the…

All current cases of rape and sexual assault in England and Wales are being urgently reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service after a number of trials collapsed because vital evidence was not shared with defence lawyers. That means that senior prosecutors will have to review thousands of live cases and some could be scrapped.

“Every time I report to immigration I think I am going to be locked up somewhere. It’s a nightmare.” This is now life for 60 year old Anthony Bryan – who arrived here from Jamaica in 1965. Although he has 6 British sons and 7 British grandchildren – he now feels under constant threat of…

The chief inspector of prisons has demanded Nottingham prison be placed under emergency measures after declaring the jail as fundmentally unsafe. It’s the first time Peter Clarke has had to place the Justice Secretary on notice that prison conditions have got so bad they require immediate action. The minister now has to 28 days to…

What’s the best way to support the homeless? Conservative-run Gloucester City Council have drawn criticism for a poster campaign urging people not to give loose change to people in the street, but to donate to established homeless charities instead. The poster claims that some rough sleepers have accommodation and are already receiving support and benefits…

Tributes have been paid to the former England footballer Cyrille Regis,  who’s died aged 59 after a cardiac arrest. Regis, who won five caps for England, was a pioneer for black players in the late 1970s. The Professional Footballers’ Association called him a “true gentleman and a legend”, who would be deeply missed.

An interim report into the emergency response to the Manchester Arena attack has criticised some in the media and social media users over the aftermath of the tragedy, saying some bereaved families were approached before they’d known what had happened to their loved ones. But Lord Bob Kerslake, who’s leading the review, also said there…

The public will next month be allowed to appeal against lenient sentences for some terrorist offences the government announced today. People who believe punishments are too soft will be able to appeal to the attorney general. Those found guilty of crimes such as tipping off terrorists about an investigation could see their sentences increased as…

Out in the cold and dependent on drugs. Britain’s second city, Birmingham, is facing a twin crisis: high levels of homelessness and drug use.

“You have ignored the service I have done for this country, and the risks I have taken”. Those were the words of a former British army Afghan interpreter who’s seeking asylum in the UK. Simon Israel reports.

Two former soldiers have appeared in court to plead the case to remain in the UK of an Afghan man who worked as their interpreter when they were fighting the Taliban.

The security services might have stopped the Manchester terror attack if intelligence about the bomber hadn’t been misinterpreted. The independent assessment of that attack, and three others in London, found that MI5 and counter-terrorism officers had not been “entirely blindsided” by the incidents. But it’s also emerged that nine potential terror attacks have been prevented…