Ex Wiltshire Police officer used Snapchat to exploit 'child'

A former police officer has admitted to attempting to have sexual communications with a child on Snapchat.Barry Geering, 44, was working for Wiltshire Police at the time of his arrest in April 2024. He was caught by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) communicating with someone he thought was a child over several days.On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child when he appeared at Bristol Magistrates' Court.Deputy Chief Constable Mark Cooper said: "Our core priority as officers is to protect those most vulnerable and yet Geering purposefully sought to exploit a child. His actions are simply incompatible with those expected of our officers."
Geering was immediately suspended from duty upon his arrest. He resigned from Wiltshire Police two months later.Wiltshire Police's Professional Standards Department is carrying out a separate investigation into potential breaches of standards of professional behaviour by Geering.Mr Cooper said the force will look to "accelerate" these misconduct proceedings.Geering is due to be sentenced at Bristol Magistrates' Court on 23 June.

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The Guardian

an hour ago

• The Guardian

RAF base vandalism not justification ] to ban Palestine Action, says ex-minister

The spray-painting of aircraft at an RAF base by a pro-Palestinian group would not provide the sole legal justification for banning it, according to a former justice secretary. The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, is expected to move to proscribe Palestine Action in the coming days after an incident on Friday at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Jonathan Reynolds, the trade secretary, said on Sunday it was the 'fourth attack' by the group on a key UK defence asset and that those interfering over a period of time with defence infrastructure should expect 'a very robust response'. 'I would also say those people do no service to the Palestinian cause, which is a noble one,' he said in an interview on the BBC. But reports of a move to proscribe the group, which would in effectbrand it as a terrorist organisation, has been met with criticism by some, including MPs, Amnesty International and the former Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf. A Thames Valley police investigation into the incident has been taken over by counter-terrorism police while the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said it was already in the process of reviewing security at its bases. Cooper is preparing a written ministerial statement that will be placed before parliament on Monday. Palestine Action released a short video on Friday morning showing two people driving electric scooters unimpeded inside the airbase at night and spraying two military planes. The group said it had targeted RAF Voyager aircraft used for transport and refuelling, and that 'activists have interrupted Britain's direct participation in the commission of genocide and war crimes across the Middle East'. The incident is the latest action in recent years by the group, but it is also a particularly embarrassing breach of MOD security at a site that holds transport planes used by the king and prime minister. The former justice secretary Charlie Falconer said on Sunday that the 'sort of demonstration' that took place at the RAF would not justify proscription 'so there must be something else that I don't know about'. Asked whether the group's actions were 'commensurate with the need to proscribe an organisation', Lord Falconer told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: 'I am not aware of what Palestine Action has done beyond the painting of things on the planes in Brize Norton, they may have done other things I didn't know.' 'I think the question will probably not be what we know about them publicly, but there would need to be something that was known by those who look at these sorts of things that we don't know about, because I mean, they got into the airbase which might suggest they've got some degree of ability to make them dangerous.' Criticism came from quarters including the MP and former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who said on X: 'Prosecuting Palestine Action protestors for criminal damage for paint spraying at the airbase would be expected but putting them on a par with mass killers like Jihadis & Boko Haram & proscribing doesn't seem appropriate & not what the counter-terrorism laws were introduced for.' During a protest march in London on Saturday, Yousaf accused the UK government of 'abusing' anti-terror laws against Palestine Action. He later said on X: 'If the UK Government believes those protesting against the atrocities in Gaza are terrorists, but those killing children should be supported and provided with weapons, then this Government has not only lost its way, it has lost its conscience.' Amnesty International UK said it was 'deeply concerned at the use of counter-terrorism powers to target protest groups.' Palestine Action was founded in 2020 by Huda Ammori, whose father is Palestinian, and Richard Barnard, a leftwing activist. The organisation, which focuses its campaigns on multinational arms dealers and corporate banks, recently targeted a factory in Shenstone, Staffordshire, claiming it made drones for the Israeli army. The home secretary has been the focus of lobbying by groups pushing for Palestine Action to be banned. The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it recently wrote to her, calling for the proscription of Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000 and providing her with a dossier on the group.

Telegraph

an hour ago

• Telegraph

Post Office admits Horizon scandal staff are compensating victims

The Post Office has admitted that staff linked to wrongful prosecutions of postmasters are still working in a department which compensates victims of the scandal. Chairman Nigel Railton has acknowledged three so-called 'past roles employees' remain employed in the organisation's remuneration unit. It came after the chair of the advisory board for compensating victims said how postmasters had been left 'deeply distressed' after encountering certain members of staff. The Telegraph can reveal one employee was involved in the mediation scheme case of Lee Castleton, a former postmaster bankrupted as a result of civil action taken against him by the Post Office. More than 900 former sub-postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted as a result of the Horizon scandal, when faulty Fujitsu software incorrectly recorded shortfalls on their accounts. A public inquiry into the scandal is expected to produce its first report in the coming weeks, which will focus on the human impact of the scandal and the ongoing process of financial redress. Though various schemes were set up to compensate victims, Sir Alan Bates and others have criticised them for taking too long and for offering payouts far smaller than some have claimed for. The majority of the schemes – including the one set up to pay out Sir Alan and more than 500 others who took legal action against the Post Office – are now administered by the Government. However, the Post Office continues to run the Horizon Shortfall Scheme for victims who were neither wrongfully convicted nor involved in the High Court Case. Last month, The Telegraph revealed a former Post Office auditor who visited branches with suspected shortfalls, was, until recently, employed within the unit. And earlier this month, Christopher Hodges, chair of the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, wrote to Mr Railton to express his concerns about staff who had roles linked to historic cases linked to the scandal. 'The issue is the ongoing involvement in redress and appeals work of Post Office staff who are perceived as having earlier been involved in the scandal,' he said. 'We continue to hear reports from victims who have met such staff in compensation meetings, and who find it deeply distressing and inappropriate.' 'No conflict' In a letter in response, Mr Railton said that as far as its 'analysis' showed, it had 'no employees working on redress who are in a position of actual conflict'. Mr Railton said some individuals who worked for Post Office while postmasters were being wrongfully prosecuted were employed in the Remediation Unit when it was set up. He then said the Post Office 'quickly acknowledged' that this gave rise to 'perceived conflict' particularly in the case of those who worked in roles 'even loosely connected with historic prosecutions' – known as 'past roles employees'. While the chair said the Post Office had 'taken steps to remove' these staff, he said the organisation was anxious that as these individuals hadn't been accused of wrongdoing, they were to be treated fairly and that the process should not 'slow down the pace of redress'. 'Leaving at the earliest opportunity' Mr Railton then added: 'As at the date of your last meeting (at which the oral update was given), we were in a position to report that all but two Past Roles Employees had been redeployed from the Remediation Unit (and many had left the business altogether), and that discussions were ongoing with the remaining two individuals with a view to their leaving Post Office. 'Since then, one further individual has been identified and the team is working towards their leaving Post Office too at the earliest opportunity.' One individual who continues to be employed within the unit is Shirley Hailstones, who is not accused of wrongdoing. Documents shown to the inquiry show Ms Hailstones gave feedback on a defence drafted on the Post Office's behalf in relation to victims' cases. And Ms Hailstones was also previously involved in the mediation case of Mr Castleton, who was portrayed by Will Mellor in the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Mr Castleton was ultimately told he would not be able to take part in the scheme and that his only option would be to take his case to court. The inquiry was shown emails from forensic accountant Ron Warmington and Ms Hailstones, a Post Office case review manager, sent in November 2013, discussing potential links between faults at different Post Office branches. Ms Hailstones did not copy-in former sub-postmasters Mr Castleton and Sir Alan to her email, before she shared it with then-Post Office irrelevant Angela van den Bogerd and said: 'This interaction in my view should not be widely circulated.' Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Castleton said: 'It's entirely irrelevant whether any of these people are guilty of wrongdoing or not. 'From the perspective of former sub-postmasters, anybody working at the Post Office in that era will be tainted – it's the optics. They need to be removed.' A Post Office spokesman said: 'We do not comment on individual employment matters. 'We can confirm, as per our letter to the Advisory Board that has been published, there are three individuals leaving the Post Office at the earliest opportunity.'

The Independent

an hour ago

• The Independent

Police warn of possible dangerous drugs batch after death and cardiac arrests

The death of a man in the North East could be linked to a dangerous drugs batch, police have warned. Northumbria Police have launched an investigation into the death of a man in his 40s, who was found dead in the Harlow Green area of Gateshead on Friday. Officers believe his death and four cardiac arrests in the area since Thursday could be linked to the same drugs batch, but have said enquiries are at a very early stage. The man's next of kin has been informed. Chief Superintendent Aelfwynn Sampson, of Northumbria Police, called for users to be mindful, warning the batch of drugs 'could have fatal consequences'. She said: 'Protecting people from harm is our utmost priority as a force, and that means doing all we can to warn people about a potential threat to their lives. 'While it remains unconfirmed at this stage, we are exploring the possibility that this death and the cardiac arrests are linked to drugs and possibly the same batch. 'While we would never advocate anyone taking illegal drugs, the fact is that there are people in our area with drug addictions and we want to warn them about this potentially lethal substance. 'Given the similarities of these reports from the same area, it is important that we ensure this warning message is shared far and wide.' Anyone with information is asked to get in touch with Northumbria Police.