Brothers jailed for being at forefront of riot outside Rotherham hotel

Paul and Luke Sissons among those sentenced over disorder earlier this month in English towns and cities

Two brothers have each been jailed for three years after being convicted of being at the forefront of a riot outside a hotel housing more than 200 asylum seekers in Rotherham.

Sheffield crown court heard that Luke and Paul Sissons were involved in several violent incidents at the Holiday Inn Express, in Manvers, on 4 August, including confrontations with riot police and an attack on a police dog van.

Continue reading...

Coroner criticises NHS trust’s treatment of family of woman who killed herself

Sally Mays’ parents fought for seven years to hear details of chat outside mental health unit their daughter was turned away from

An NHS trust has “not covered itself in glory” in its dealings with the family of a vulnerable young woman who killed herself after being refused admission to hospital, a coroner has found.

The three-day hearing looked at evidence withheld from the original inquest into the death of Sally Mays, who killed herself in 2014 after being turned away from a mental health unit.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.

Continue reading...

Yorkshire’s lost ‘Atlantis’ nearly found, says Hull professor

Is it hoped discovery of medieval trading town Ravenser Odd can teach people about perils of climate crisis

Hopes are high that a fabled medieval town known as “Yorkshire’s Atlantis” is about to be located and will begin giving up secrets held for more than 650 years.

Ravenser Odd was a prosperous port town built on sandbanks at the mouth of the Humber estuary before it was abandoned and later destroyed and submerged by a calamitous storm in 1362.

Continue reading...

Hull residents: how have you been affected by coronavirus?

We want to hear from people living and working in Hull about how Covid has impacted them

With 770 cases per 100,000, Hull is soon to become the city with the highest cases in England, with the council leader saying that it has been “forgotten” by central government.

We want to hear from local people, schools and business about their experiences. We’re also interested in hearing from those who are working directly with the pandemic, whether it’s with the NHS or local test and trace.

Continue reading...

Hull works towards securing its City of Culture legacy

Residents hope regeneration will continue long after funding runs out

“Change is happening.” You can’t miss the three-word slogan that is plastered over the bright green building hoardings near Hull’s Humber Street Gallery. It feels like an apt one too. Modern townhouses are being built in the area next to the city’s dockside, which is being sold as “Hull’s new modern and exciting regeneration development”. There are temporary gallery spaces, workshops and dance classes, and cheap artist studios are being built. It is the kind of arts-led regeneration that has come to urban areas like the Northern Quarter in Manchester, Williamsburg in Brooklyn and Chueca in Madrid.

But this is different. This is Hull. A place whose name alone supposedly conjures images of “unspecified post-industrial misery”, king of the so-called “Crap Towns” and the bete noire of property expert Kirstie Allsopp – who deemed Hull the UK’s worst place to live in 2005. But Humber Street is a sign of progress and a rebranded city: a place buoyed by successful, year-long City of Culture celebrations that happened in 2017. If Hull has its swagger back, there’s good reason.

Continue reading...