https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/harrowing-stories-burned-out-nhs-21487129?utm_source=mirror_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=EM_Mirror_Nletter_DailyNews_News_mediumteaser_Image_Story&utm_campaign=daily_newsletter

Harrowing stories of burned out NHS doctors bullied and broken in a decade of Tory cuts

EXCLUSIVE: A Mirror investigation uncovered heartbreaking stories of young medics being denied drinking water during gruelling shifts and of uncaring managers tearing into them for breaking down in tears over the deaths of patients

By Martin Bagot Health and Science editor

22:49, 12 FEB 2020 Updated22:51, 12 FEB 2020

Dedicated to caring for the sick and vulnerable, junior ­doctors should expect to be ­supported and valued as they carry out their vital work.  But hundreds have revealed they are subjected to bullying and harassment at overstretched hospitals that have been plunged into a staffing crisis by a decade of savage Tory health cuts.  A Mirror investigation uncovered harrowing stories of young medics being denied drinking water during gruelling shifts, working for 15 hours on their feet non-stop and of uncaring managers tearing into them for breaking down in tears over the deaths of patients.  One was even accused of “stealing” surgical scrubs she took to wear after suffering a miscarriage at work.  The distraught woman finished her shift wearing blood-soaked trousers, instead of going home to rest.  Another got told off for merely splashing water over her face after losing a patient.  Doctors are now quitting in their droves, leaving those left ­struggling to cope with a growing ­workload.  Our probe reveals the reality of working for an NHS which has been subject to a record funding squeeze and is 8,000 medics short.  Health chiefs vowed to ­investigate the Mirror’s evidence from 602 ­testimonials submitted to grassroots lobbying group Doctors Association UK.    Doctors are now quitting in their droves, leaving those left ­struggling to cope with a growing ­workload.  Our probe reveals the reality of working for an NHS which has been subject to a record funding squeeze and is 8,000 medics short.  Health chiefs vowed to ­investigate the Mirror’s evidence from 602 ­testimonials submitted to grassroots lobbying group Doctors Association UK.  Anonymous  "I’d suffered recurrent miscarriages and one day it happened at work, I’d only found out I was pregnant the week before.  I wasn’t allowed to go home as we were already short-staffed.  I went to borrow some scrubs as I had bled through my trousers and was “caught” in the changing room and asked if I was a surgeon.  I said I was a medical doctor but was told off for “stealing scrubs”.  I explained what had happened and couldn’t help but get tearful. I was told that was “no excuse”. I worked for the rest of my shift in my trousers."

Chairman Dr. Rinesh Parmar said: “These heartbreaking stories from across the country show the extent of bullying and harassment that frontline doctors face whilst working to care for patients.  Heartbreaking examples of being denied access to water after the tragic loss of a patient reveal how ­heartless and inhumane conditions can be.  It is easy to see why the goodwill that the NHS relies upon has truly run dry.  Doctors have spoken in their droves of being denied access to drinks, being accused of theft for eating a biscuit even though they’ve forgone breaks and this may be the only thing they eat or drink all day.  A learned helplessness cannot be allowed to develop, it is vital that our doctors, the very backbone of our NHS are respected and looked after so that they’re at their very best when caring for patients.”

Dr. Louis Lewis "I was first on call for medical admissions, the second on-call was off sick, the foundation doctor was understandably taking a while with each patient.  There were 18 to see and counting. I had just watched a lady die in resus. I had been going for eight hours without a break. I got some water from the water cooler and drank it.  I got told not to drink in front of the patients as it gives the impression we’re not working hard enough and to wait until my break like everybody else by one of the senior A&E nurses.  I burst into tears. Said nurse didn’t notice. He was walking by at the time. I soldiered on." 

Doctors Association UK wellbeing lead Dr. Natalie Ashburner added: “It is extremely disappointing that doctors are reporting a lack of access to basic resources such as water at hospitals.  The effect of these ­inconsiderate, short-sighted decisions on the physical and mental wellbeing of staff who work long, anti-social shifts under tremendous stress in a climate of unprecedented demand for already stretched resources should not be underestimated.  The NHS is already haemorrhaging doctors. Trusts must urgently take measures to make the mental and ­physical wellbeing of doctors a priority, creating a compassionate culture and remembering doctors are human too.”

Anonymous "The first time I did CPR as a new doctor was one of the most awful experiences I’ve had. The patient was conscious as the compressions were enough to perfuse her brain. I now know this is rare but it was my first resus.  We couldn’t get her back and had to tell her she was dying. She was young and even my seniors were affected by it.  Our mess was closed so I had nowhere to go. I stepped into the kitchen to splash some water on my face and was berated by a manager for “stealing”.  I was openly crying at this point. She said maybe I wasn’t tough enough to be a doctor and I should rethink my career. I left medicine not long after that."

The group compiled responses from closed online forums of medics.  Many said the events took place in their first year after completing medical school at the hands of the ward or department managers usually senior nurses. Being reduced to tears is a common theme.  NHS England Chief People Officer Prerana Issar said: “Our NHS staff should be able to eat, drink and rest during shifts and get support from their managers to take care of themselves, so we are keen to follow up these individual examples.  The number of doctors working in the NHS continues to grow but we want to attract and retain even more to help improve patient care, and as part of that we are taking action to make the NHS the best place to work which includes improving culture and leadership at every level.”

Dr. Natalie Ashburner "It was the first time I had ever spoken to somebody just minutes before they had gone into a cardiac arrest. I was sat crying in the doctors’ office, shocked and upset, when a nurse entered.  She saw me crying and said, “What’s your problem?” She asked me to hurry up and finish the discharge summaries I was doing for other patients in the ward.  I felt ashamed about that incident for a long time afterward because, in showing my emotion, I felt that I had not behaved in a way expected of a doctor."

A recent poll found almost a third of doctors may be suffering from burnout, stress and “compassion fatigue”.  A&E medics and GPs are the most likely to feel burnt-out and have the highest levels of exhaustion and stress, according to the report in BMJ Open.  A separate study has found two-thirds of obstetricians and gynaecologists had encountered traumatic situations during labour and birth.  The NHS has some of the fewest doctors in proportion to the population compared to other developed nations.  Anonymous "My chair was taken away in A&E, apparently because patients didn’t like to see doctors sat down.  I worked 15 hours straight without sitting down, while pregnant. We also weren’t allowed water.  I fainted in the middle of the department at the end of my shift, I was mortified. I was then shouted at in front of everyone.  It was suggested it was my choice to be pregnant and no allowances would be made because I was the pregnant registrar. Looking back on it I’m sure this was illegal but there was no one I could go to."

There are 2.82 medics per 1,000 people, placing Britain sixth bottom out of 29 OECD nations.  The number of full-time equivalent doctors in the NHS increased by 23% from 95,602 in October 2009 to 117,149 by last year.  But that came alongside a huge increase in demand on their workload, thanks to the UK’s aging population, problems accessing GPs and cuts to public health budgets and social care in the community.  NHS funding increases have been at a record low of 1%, compared to a 4% historical average.  The Department of Health and Social Care said of our investigation: “These accounts are deeply distressing. This type of behaviour has no place in our NHS and nobody should have to face bullying or harassment in the workplace.  We take these kinds of reports very ­seriously and we’re committed to making the NHS a better place to work.”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7983523/Storm-Ciara-lashes-UK-90mph-gale-force-winds-trigger-chaos-trees-crashing-down.html

Storm Ciara wreaks havoc: Homes are evacuated and hotel collapses into raging floodwaters as 93mph gales rip down cranes, windmills and even a pub and now SNOW is predicted tomorrow

    Trains cancelled and flights have been delayed due to Storm Ciara which is causing havoc across the UK   
    Passengers onboard a National Express bus narrowly avoided disaster as a huge tree came down on vehicle
    Gales have battered the Imperial War Museum airport hangar in Duxford amid fears it could blow onto M11
    River Eden burst its banks, causing severe flooding in Cumbria as coastal areas are facing huge wage crashes
    Hundreds of passengers are stranded abroad as flights are cancelled from Geneva airport due to the weather
    **Send us your Storm Ciara pictures: Email pictures@mailonline.co.uk**

By Terri-ann Williams For Mailonline and Sebastian Murphy-bates For Mailonline

Published: 10:39, 9 February 2020 | Updated: 21:09, 9 February 2020

Storm Ciara is wreaking havoc across the country as homes are being evacuated after a hotel collapsed into raging floodwaters while 93mph gales ripped down cranes, windmills and even a pub.  Tourists are stranded as hundreds of flights into and out of European airports were cancelled as Britain's biggest storm in seven years swept into Scotland, with snow predicted for tomorrow.   Homes have been evacuated across the country and emergency services have been rescuing people from their cars as violent winds and flooding continue to cause chaos.  Gales are battering Britain's biggest aviation museum amid fears that the force of the winds could tear off its roof and damage World War II planes.  Flying debris from buildings could bring danger to life and power cuts are also a possibility, forecasters have warned.  There are now 214 flood warnings in place demanding immediate action, with 177 alerts also suggesting that flooding is possible elsewhere.  Riverbanks are bursting as up to 151.8mm of rain has hit regions, forcing firefighters to warn people against travelling.  In other areas, residents are battling to save their homes, with pictures showing them using buckets as they struggle to move water away from their properties.  Football stadiums and zoos have shut their doors amid safety fears and train stations are urging against travelling on some networks after a train ploughed into a fallen tree.  Train providers axed services across swathes of the country today, announcing that there would be no journeys at all in certain regions.  Parks have also closed and the dog-walkers and joggers who braved the adverse weather today arrived to find gates closed.  Torrential rain opened up a sinkhole in a back garden, with footage showing water raging underneath the grass to the rear of the property.  As Storm Ciara batters Britain:

    A hotel in Hawick collapsed into floodwaters as violent winds helped to crumble the building to the ground 
    A tree crashed down onto National Express coach in London as passengers on board narrowly avoided disaster
    Gales damage Duxford hangar, causing fears the roof could be blown off and World War II aircraft destroyed 
    Man City vs. West Ham match, due to be held at the Etihad this afternoon was postponed due to the weather
    Gusts of 93 mph recorded in Aberdaron, North Wales, while 151.8mm of rain hits Cumbria in 24 hours
    Avanti West Coast cancels all trains north of Preston until further notice because of the impact of Storm Ciara
    London Euston's Twitter warns people not to travel and Cumbria firefighters warn drivers to stay at home
    Torrential rain opens up a sinkhole in the back garden of a property in Rochdale, Greater Manchester 

Collapsing walls and falling trees have seen people come within inches of injury or worse as they were forced to dodge out of the way of tumbling structures.  Coastal areas were pictured awash with foam from the sea as massive waves swept ashore and covered homes and businesses.  Major roads are closing and being rendered unusable as emergency services warn people not to drive through floodwater.  Police are enforcing emergency speed limits in some areas, amid fears of fatal accidents on Britain's roads should drivers choose to head out.  Concerns over accidents were amplified as a picture surfaced showing a car smashed up and on its side this morning.  Power networks were also bracing for blackouts from gales wreaking havoc on overhead electric cables and reassured the public they have crews on standby.  Thousands of football fans had their away day ruined after travelling more than 200 miles to watch West Ham play Manchester City only to find that the weather had cancelled the fixture.  Powerful gales lifted the roof clean off a gym and blew a trampoline onto train tracks as people also fear that the Imperial War Museum hangar at Duxford could be destroyed.  Met Office amber and yellow weather warnings remain in force, as forecasters warn flying debris could lead to injuries or endanger lives.  Gusts of 97 miles per hour were recorded on the Isle of White, with 93 miles per hour winds hitting Aberdaron, a village at the tip of the Llyn Peninsula.  Inland, Manchester Airport recorded gusts of 86 miles per hour, while 177mm of rain fell in Honister Pass, in Cumbria, in the 24 hours to 4 pm on Sunday around one-and-a-half times the average February rainfall of 112mm.  Some 539,000 people experienced a power cut on Sunday with 118,000 left without power by 4 pm across the whole of the UK, according to Energy Networks.  More than 200 flood warnings were issued across England, including one rated severe at Pateley Bridge, in North Yorkshire, meaning there is a danger to life, which was later stood down.  Chris Wilding, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: 'Some significant river flooding is possible across parts of the north of England today due to heavy, persistent rain and severe gale force winds associated with Storm Ciara.  We urge people in at-risk areas to remain vigilant. Minor coastal flooding impacts are also possible for parts of the south, west and north-east England coast, where high tides, large waves and coastal gales combine.  We advise people to check their flood risk, stay safe and avoid activities such as storm selfies.'

The town of Appleby-in-Westmorland, in Cumbria, was hit by severe flooding as the River Eden burst its banks, with residents battling to protect their homes.  Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service urged people not to drive through floodwater after they rescued a number of motorists, while police forces across the country advised people to stay off the roads.  The River Irwell burst its banks at Radcliffe and Bury Council set up a rest centre in a leisure centre for residents affected by the flooding.  A major incident was declared in Lancashire, where firefighters received 311 calls, including 192 related to flooding before it was stood down.  Areas including Whalley, Longton and Rossendale were affected, with some properties in the Blackpool area evacuated.  Firefighters in the town had to rescue a motorist whose car got stuck in deep floodwater and a man escaped with minor injuries after being trapped for over an hour when a tree fell on a car in Flitwick, Bedfordshire.  Meanwhile, tourists are stranded abroad as delays hit airports on the continent as well as in the UK.   Speaking to the MailOnline, one passenger who has been left stranded in Morzine on the border of France and Switzerland, said her flight was cancelled with no word from travel provider EasyJet.  Lisa Norton from London had been skiing at the resort and was due to fly home from Geneva on the 9.40 pm flight this evening. Whilst on a ski lift she received a notification from the EasyJet app stating that her flight had been cancelled.  'We were supposed to be going home tonight but the soonest they can fly us home is Wednesday and I need to get back for my job and my child.  We are going to Geneva and from there we will fly from Paris, where we have had to get a Eurostar ticket to London.'

Lisa, who had been on the trip with her twin sister since Wednesday said it has cost her nearly £1,000 to make different travel arrangements.  'We didn't even get an email. There are a few people here at the resort who are in the same situation but have decided to stay here until they can get a flight back.  The weather has been stunning in France, we knew the storm was coming.' MailOnline has contacted EasyJet.

London's Gatwick and Heathrow airports have both seen disruption, leaving many passengers faced with hours of chaos.  Travellers hoping to arrive at Heathrow were faced with 37 cancellations and a further 50 delayed flights, while Gatwick saw more than 40 delays to both arrivals and departures.  Elsewhere around the country, flights are disrupted into and out of airports including the Glasgow, Manchester and Liverpool hubs.  Flights are delayed arriving and leaving major European cities too, with Frankfurt Airport seeing 21 cancelled departures and a further 116 delays.  Flights to and from major UK airports were cancelled and disrupted, including Qantas flight QF10, which returned to Heathrow after experiencing a suspected tailstrike during take-off.  Engineers found no damage to the fuselage of the Boeing 747, but the flight to Perth was cancelled because of limits on the crew members' flying time, the airline said.  A passenger on a flight from Florida said the plane's landing at Gatwick Airport on Sunday morning was aborted three times before finally landing on its fourth attempt.  Keith McDowall, 90, from Islington in north London, said: 'I've never had anything quite like it. I admit I was scared. It (the plane) was veering around and it kept shaking. The pilot did a very good job to land it.'

Zoos across the country including Chester and Blackpool closed their doors to protect the animals, but it didn't stop two pesky wallabies escaping from their enclosure in Southampton.  The two marsupials were sheltering behind a fence when it was knocked down by a huge gust of wind and they hopped away.  Police officers were alerted at 11.30 am and the animals were found looking very wet and cold in a bush. Their owners came to collect them and they are now back home safe and well. A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: 'Trees down all across the New Forest helping where we can.  Oh, and two Wallabies that had escaped their enclosure in Calmore, Southampton, Hants, are now safely back where they belong.  They were being kept privately. The wind blew down the fence they were behind, some horses wandered into their field and they scarpered or should I say hopped.'

In Northampton, the roof of a building was blown off following 60mph winds in the area. The roof of the Sol Central was seen hanging on by a thread at around 9.20 am today. A car narrowly avoided being crushed by the panels as they flew off the roof.  Commuters at London's Euston station also faced struggles today as many packed into the station only to be faced with delays.  In London, a crane was bent over by gusts 'like it's made of spaghetti', according to Lindsey Wells, 36, who pictured the damage near Stanmore Tube station. A North Wales Twitter user shared footage of rough seas flooding roads and bringing water to his front door on Tremadoc Bay in Criccieth, Gwynedd. 'This is quite an exceptional storm and I haven't seen wind this strong for quite a few years,' 58-year-old company director Gethin Jones said.

The storm has also prompted all eight of London's Royal Parks, including Richmond and Hyde Park, to be shut until Monday, while in Ireland, the opening ceremony of Galway's year as the European capital of culture has also been called off.  A trampoline blown onto train tracks in Chelsfield, south London, disrupted rail services from the South-East into the capital.  And a North Wales Twitter user shared footage of rough seas flooding roads and bringing water to his front door on Tremadoc Bay in Criccieth, Gwynedd.  'This is quite an exceptional storm and I haven't seen wind this strong for quite a few years,' 58-year-old company director Gethin Jones told the PA news agency.

Gusts of 86 miles per hour were recorded in Capel Curig, in North Wales, at midnight, while the Isle of White saw 81mph winds on Sunday morning, while Cumbria saw 151.8mm of rain in 24 hours.  Met Office meteorologist Helen Roberts said 'quite exceptional' gusts of between 60 and 70mph would be seen in inland areas, with the worst of the weather likely to hit before 6 pm, although warnings are in place until 9 pm.  'As well as the strength of the wind there is the rain to come today,' she said.

'So far, we have seen some impact from the rain, which has been heavy and persistent across Northern Ireland and northern England in the last 24 hours.  It is likely we will see a further impact from the wind such as falling debris, roof tiles coming off, branches and trees down, with disruption to travel as well.'

Heathrow Airport said it had agreed with its airline partners to 'consolidate' Sunday's flight schedule in a bid to minimise the number of cancelled flights.  British Airways said in a statement: 'Like all airlines operating into and out of the UK tomorrow, we are expecting to be impacted by the adverse weather conditions across parts of the UK on Sunday.'

The airline said it was offering rebooking options for customers on domestic and European flights flying to and from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City on Sunday.  Virgin Atlantic has posted a list of cancelled flights on its website. It said it was 'contacting affected customers and rearranging their travel arrangements'.

This is while an overnight flight from New York to London is likely to have broken the fastest-ever crossing time after reaching speeds of more than 800mph.  The flight took just four hours and 56 minutes, according to Flightradar24. A 200mph jet stream hurtled towards the UK, pushing the plane to record-breaking speeds.  It departed JFK at the airport on Saturday and reached Heathrow at 11.20 pm. This is while flights travelling in the opposite direction were more than two hours longer than usual.  Speaking to the Independent, a BA spokesperson said: 'We always prioritise safety over speed records, but our highly trained pilots made the most of the conditions to get customers back to London well ahead of time.'

Ferries have also been disrupted, as P&O said all services at the Port of Dover were suspended due to strong winds and Mersey Ferries cancelled all services until further notice.  The train firms which have issued 'do not travel' warnings are Gatwick Express, Grand Central, Great Northern, Hull Trains, LNER, Northern, Southeastern, Southern, Thameslink and TransPennine Express.  Fog, snow and rain will bucket down on much of the nation and high winds are powerful enough to rip tiles from roofs, forecasters warned.  Weather maps show 1,000 mile-wide Ciara being catapulted across the Atlantic, bringing 30ft waves to the South-West and North-West coasts and 50ft waves offshore.  Drivers are being warned to take extra care on the roads due to the potential of difficult conditions caused by heavy rain, particularly on coastal or exposed routes.  In Scotland, the bad weather prompted officials to put in place a 40mph speed limit on the Queensferry Crossing, while ferry passengers also faced disruption, with many Caledonian MacBrayne services cancelled due to the conditions.  Robert Morrison, Caledonian MacBrayne's director of operations, yesterday said: 'There is a very high possibility of weather-related disruption to services across all 28 of our routes so people should be aware of this before setting off on their journey.  We will of course be looking keep sailings running when conditions allow.  I would urge passengers to allow extra time for their journey, keep track of the status of their sailing on the website or on social media and be prepared for delays and cancellations.'

The Met Office also warned that homes and businesses in the Scottish Borders are likely to be flooded, with a chance that some communities may be cut off by flooded roads.  Several bridges were closed to high sided vehicles on Saturday with the Erskine, Dornoch, Skye and Kessock Bridges among those affected.  In the Highlands, a lorry overturned on the A96 at Gollanfield. Police said there were no reports of any injuries.  However the road will remain closed overnight as it is not safe to recover the vehicle at the moment due to high winds.  In Aberdeenshire, a coach overturned on the B9000 at the A90 slip road for Newburgh.  Meanwhile, Network Rail said that winds of up to 90mph are expected on the West Highland Line and the Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh routes on Sunday and said that services will be suspended during the worst of the weather.  The company tweeted: 'We expect extreme winds of 80-90mph to affect the West Highland Line & Inverness Kyle of Lochalsh tomorrow. Services will be suspended on those routes during the worst of the weather tomorrow. It's not safe to run in these conditions.  Once the storm passes, we'll inspect both routes with locomotives on Monday at first light for obstructions before reopening.'

The rail manager said there will be a 50mph precautionary speed limit for trains, adding that 'major travel disruption' is expected.  They advised passengers to 'only travel by train this Sunday if absolutely necessary'.  Disruption could continue into Monday morning as repair work may be hampered by the conditions.  The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued 15 flood alerts and 20 flood warnings.  Snow and ice are set to bring disruption to commuters in the North-West, Yorkshire and the Midlands over the next two days with the Met Office issuing yellow warnings in all three regions over the next two days.  The coastguard warned people not to be reckless if they see people in danger in the water.  A spokesperson said: 'If you see someone else in danger in the water, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. If you have something that floats that they can hold on to, throw it to them.  Don't go in the water yourself too many people drown trying to save others.'

Some ferry journeys have also been affected by the bad weather.  Changes include times being adjusted on trips to and from Le Havre and Sunday's two Cherbourg to Poole trips being cancelled.  A yellow warning of wind covers the entire country, while an amber warning has been issued for south-east England as Ciara rolls down towards the continent.  Many attractions have dismayed tourists by shutting shop, including the Royal Parks which announced it will be closing all of London's eight parks, including Green Park, Hyde Park and St James's Park.  In a statement, they said: 'In liaison with our tree experts and Health and Safety team we have made this decision to ensure the safety of all park users including vehicle users and cyclists.'

Weather maps show 1,000 mile-wide Ciara being catapulted across the Atlantic, bringing 30ft waves to the south-west and north-west coasts and 50ft waves offshore.   Wind will remain a problem tomorrow but it is the additional threat from heavy snow which has prompted yet another yellow warning, between midnight on Sunday and noon on Tuesday.  Areas above 490ft (150m) can expect up to an inch of snow, rising to four inches above 980ft (300m). The Met Office has also forecast lightning strikes, blizzards and 'considerable drifting of lying snow'.  Looking further ahead, Chief meteorologist Frank Saunders added: 'In the wake of Storm Ciara, it'll remain unsettled and very windy across the UK and it'll turn colder with wintry showers and ice an additional hazard, as we head into the new week.'

Ben Aldous, RAC patrol of the year, said: 'Drivers will need to take extreme care with the strong winds forecast for this weekend, especially on coastal or exposed routes. Combine the strength of the wind with heavy showers, and you have a recipe for some treacherous driving conditions.  We strongly recommend drivers reduce their speed and leave plenty of space between their vehicle and those around them, and be particular careful when passing high-sided vehicles when the potential for strong cross-winds could blow them off course. Drivers in rural areas should be particularly cautious of falling debris.'   

Heart-stopping moment lifeboat almost capsizes on a mission to rescue 'idiot' surfer as Storm Ciara lashes the Sussex coast

By Isabella Nikolic for MailOnline

A lifeboat almost capsized after being battered by waves on the Sussex coast during a Storm Ciara rescue mission.  Heart-stopping footage shows the boat being tossed around by the waves before one huge breaker smacks into its side and forces it out of the water.  The volunteers on the boat, from RNLI Hastings, were on a mission to save an 'idiot' surfer who had become separated from his board off the coast of Hastings thanks to 93mph gales from Storm Ciara.  Paul Hogg, who uploaded footage of the rescue mission, said: 'Brave boys from RNLI off out to rescue some idiot surfer off Hastings in Storm Ciara. Come home, safe boys.'

In response, one onlooker called Richard Connolly uploaded footage of the surfer in trouble alongside the caption: 'This is the surfer when he lost his board and it went from bad to worse for him. He even refused help from standers-by. He could have prevented this whole scene with the rescuers.'

The surfer is seen thrashing around in the water as waves upon waves of seawater smash into him and drag him further out.  The Hastings branch of the RNLI has confirmed that all those on board the boat have returned safely from the mission.  In a post on Twitter, they wrote: 'After a dramatic video has been posted most of you know hat we've been out on a shout but we're happy to report that we're all safe, well and uninjured and the boat is undamaged and safely berthed next to RNLI Eastbourne. We're on our way back to Hastings now.'

An RNLI spokesman said that all of their lifeboats are built to withstand harsh conditions. RNLI Poole uploaded the video to Twitter alongside the caption: 'Our colleagues out on a shout at Hastings.

Shocking moment National Express coach avoids being crushed by INCHES as a huge tree is blown into a London street by Storm Ciara

By Jemma Carr for MailOnline

This is the terrifying moment a bus-load of National Express passengers narrowly escape death when a falling tree misses them by seconds.  High winds caused by Storm Ciara sent the tree crashing onto the road directly into the path of the coach outside London's Victoria Station earlier today.  Storm Ciara has caused gales of up to 93mph, ripping down cranes, windmills and even a pub up and down the country.  The shocking dashcam footage, from a car going in the opposite direction, shows the coach turning a corner onto a tree-lined road.  One of the trees sways back and forth in the wind as the coach and the car get closer to it. Suddenly, the tree is sent clattering to the tarmac.  Branches fall onto the car's windshield as a loud crash is heard before the driver stops and exclaims: 'Bloody hell.'

Reverse dash-cam footage shows just how narrow the bus's escape really was. The falling tree clips the front of the coach as it comes to an emergency stop.  A concerned driver comes out from between parked buses to see what happened as the video ends. The clip comes as footage of a hotel collapsing into raging floodwaters in Scotland emerged.  Further wintry weather is set to hit the UK on Monday and Tuesday, with the Met Office issuing a yellow warning for snow and ice in the North West, Yorkshire, and the Midlands.  The M11 has been shut in both directions in Cambridgeshire after an airport hangar in Duxford airfield, the location of the largest aviation museum in the UK, was damaged by high winds.  Gusts of 93 miles per hour were recorded in Aberdaron, a village at the tip of the Llyn Peninsula, in north Wales, while Cumbria saw 151.8mm of rain in 24 hours.  The town of Appleby-in-Westmorland in the county was hit by severe flooding as the River Eden burst its banks, with residents battling to protect their homes.  Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service urged people not to drive through floodwater after they rescued a number of motorists.  Avanti West Coast said no trains will run north of Preston on Sunday until further notice because of the impact of Storm Ciara, and London Euston Twitter account has warned people not to travel. National Express has been approached for comment.

Dramatic moment Scottish hotel COLLAPSES into raging flood water as Storm Ciara unleashes her wrath across the UK

By Phoebe Eckersley for MailOnline

This is the moment a hotel collapsed into raging flood water as Storm Ciara unleashed her wrath across the country and wreaked travel havoc with 93mph gales.  The Bridge House Guest House in Hawick, Scotland, was taped off at around 9.30 am by emergency services after water began travelling up the embankment.  Fire crews rushed to the scene after the water smashed into the building. Footage shows the exterior of the Scottish Borders hotel crashing into the torrents below, this morning.  A large section of the guest house is seen tumbling into the murky water as Storm Ciara batters the UK with more than 90mph winds and heavy rain.  A kitchen and former stairway, lined with paintings, is revealed behind the subsiding building.  A Police Scotland spokesperson told the Mirror: 'The building has been evacuated and there have been no injuries.' 

Hotel guests and staff were seen spilling on to the street as chiefs evacuated it.  The building's foundations were partially washed away in the swollen River Teviot.  An eyewitness, who was due to stay overnight at the guest house, was advised that his reservation was cancelled due to fears of the hotel's collapse.  The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) issued multiple warnings for the Borders after Britain's biggest storm in seven years swept into Scotland.  Around 900 properties were without power after the storm affected supplies in Mull and Lochearnhead in Perthshire.  Passengers are being advised to check before travelling by several rail companies in Scotland and the United Kingdom and to defer their plans until tomorrow.  Hundreds of tourists have been stranded as hundreds of flights into and out of European airports were cancelled as Britain's biggest storm in seven years swept into Scotland, with snow predicted for tomorrow.  In Scotland, officials put in place a 40mph speed limit on the Queensferry Crossing, and ferry services were also cancelled after a weather warning for gusts of up to 75mph was issued by the Met Office.  British Airways cancelled around 140 flights due to take-off and landing restrictions and Virgin Atlantic grounded a dozen long-haul departures.  The storm wreaked havoc and saw a total of 214 flood warnings in place demanding immediate actions, with 177 alerts also suggesting that flooding is possible.  Avanti, which runs services on the line from Scotland, northwest England and the West Midlands to London Euston, Tweeted: 'Journey times will be DOUBLED, please avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.'

Thousands stranded as 90mph winds blight airports, rail lines and motorways

By Sophie Law for MailOnline

Storm Ciara is battering the UK with heavy gales and gusts of wind reaching more than 90mph, causing widespread travel chaos.  Thousands of passengers have been left stranded across the country after trains and planes were cancelled, with motorways shut as floods rip through towns and waves crash the coastlines.  Flooding and debris on rail lines have caused delays and many major stations across the country have been shut due to overcrowding.  Meanwhile, hundreds of flights have been grounded - with Gatwick, London's busiest airport, the worst affected with around 300 arrivals and departures cancelled.  Planes are being diverted as far as Germany after being unable to land at UK airports due to dangerous weather conditions.  British Airways has cancelled flights from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City, while Virgin Atlantic are running a reduced timetable.  A plane arriving at Birmingham airport was captured swaying in high winds as the pilot attempted to land amid severe winds conditions.  The M11 has been shut in both directions in Cambridgeshire after an airport hangar in Duxford airfield, the location of the largest aviation museum in the UK, was damaged by high winds.  The major motorway caused chaos near Stansted Airport, with traffic queuing for more than a mile after Highways England said the hangar is 'likely' to blow onto the road.  Highways England tweeted: 'M11 is being closed in both directions between J9 and J10 at Duxford airfield an aircraft hangars roof has been damaged in the wind and is likely to be blown on to the motorway please avoid the area #StumpsCross #Whittlesford #Royston.'

Numerous platforms at London's Victoria Station were closed after the roof was battered from the wind.  National Rail issued a warning on Twitter saying: 'Platforms 1-6 at London Victoria are currently closed until further notice due to damage to the roof.'

Network Rail has imposed a blanket speed restriction of 50mph across the network today, warning passengers to only travel if 'absolutely necessary'. Commuters at London's Euston station also faced struggles today as many packed into the station only to be faced with delays.  The train firms which have issued 'do not travel' warnings are Gatwick Express, Grand Central, Great Northern, Hull Trains, LNER, Northern, Southeastern, Southern, Thameslink and TransPennine Express.  Avanti West Coast said no trains will run north of Preston on Sunday until further notice because of the impact of Storm Ciara, and London Euston Twitter account has warned people not to travel.  In Scotland, officials put in place a 40mph speed limit on the Queensferry Crossing, and ferry services were also cancelled after a weather warning for gusts of up to 75mph was issued by the Met Office.  Ferries have also been disrupted, as P&O said all services at the Port of Dover were suspended due to strong winds and Mersey Ferries cancelled all services until further notice.  London's Gatwick and Heathrow airports have both seen disruption, leaving many passengers faced with hours of chaos.  Travellers hoping to arrive at Heathrow were faced with 37 cancellations and a further 50 delayed flights, while Gatwick saw more than 40 delays to both arrivals and departures.  Elsewhere around the country, flights are disrupted into and out of airports including the Glasgow, Manchester and Liverpool hubs.  Virgin Atlantic has posted a list of cancelled flights on its website. It said it was 'contacting affected customers and rearranging their travel arrangements'.

Fears grow for Britain's largest aviation museum in Cambridgeshire as high winds batter the hangar roof

By Emily Webber for MailOnline 

The AirSpace hangar houses some of the world's most famous aircraft including the Lancaster, Spitfire, Concorde and Vulcan.  Storm Ciara has caused part of the roof to be ripped open with insulation pictured on the M11.  The motorway has been closed between junction 9 and 10 northbound and junction 11 and 9 southbound.  Police have warned residents in the vicinity of the hangar to remain indoors as the possibility of the roof being blown off grows.  AirSpace officially opened in July 2008 and houses more than 30 aircraft.  The collection includes an Airco DH.9 which is a single-engine biplane bomber deployed in the First World War.  It is one of six remaining DH.9's in the world and is the only one in the UK.  IWM tweeted: 'Extreme weather has caused part of the M11 around IWM Duxford to close.  We are monitoring the situation closely and will assess whether the site will re-open tomorrow, Monday 10 February.'

British Airways flight to Heathrow 'travels faster than 800mph'  A British Airways flight is thought flown back from New York at more than 800mph.  Storm Ciara is battering Britain with wind and torrential rain, but the conditions helped the aircraft get back speedily to the UK.  Flight Radar, a popular online tracking service for aircraft, said the BA flight left JFK airport on Saturday and reached Heathrow in four hours and 56 minutes.  In a tweet, they said:  If we're not mistaken, BA now retakes the fastest subsonic NY-London crossing from Norwegian'.

A spokesman for British Airways said: 'We always prioritise safety over speed records, but our highly trained pilots made the most of the conditions to get customers back to London well ahead of time.'

Travelling in the next 24 hours?

Storm Ciara set to cause significant disruption, but here's what to do to make sure your trip isn't halted

Storm Ciara is set to cause significant disruption across the country today as yellow and amber weather warnings cover the whole of the UK, and airports in every region are braced for cancellations and delays.  One expert today said that it's not the airline's fault if you miss your flight due to poor road and rail connections.  Emma Grimster, the spokeswoman at TravelSupermarket, said: 'Remember, if you miss your flight due to road conditions or the failure of public transport to get you to the airport, this is your responsibility and the airlines are within their rights to charge you for a new flight.  Missed flight cover in a good quality travel insurance policy will be able to help with this.  If your flight is cancelled, the airline must give you the option of rebooking an alternative flight, or if there are no suitable flights you can request a refund.  If you are delayed by two hours or more, your airline should also provide you with food while you wait and accommodation where appropriate.  However, as weather conditions are out of the control of the airlines, they will not be liable for the cost of your onwards accommodation or any other arrangements you have booked ahead. Be aware of what your travel insurance policy offers in terms of assistance to claim back any costs incurred.'

Storm Ciara: How to keep your valuables safe

As the Met puts in place weather warnings across the country it's important to know how your home and business could be hit, and how you can protect it.  Aviva stated that simple measures can be put in place in order to prevent you from losing your most precious items.  What to do to protect against the storm:

· If possible, park vehicles in a garage, or away from large trees

· If time allows, and it is safe to do so, check for loose tiles on the roof, secure any weak fencing etc to minimise the risk of causing damage to other parts of your property

· Safely store or secure any garden furniture, ornaments, bikes or children's toys / outside play equipment

· Make sure all doors and windows are closed

A diver has died in an accident off Oban in Argyll during Storm Ciara.  It is believed the 50-year-old got into difficulties in the Sound of Kerala today.  Police said the death was being treated as 'unexplained' but there were 'no suspicious circumstances.'  The man was with a group of divers who were located on the shore at the south of Oban. It is believed the death is not weather-related.  Oban Lifeboat was unable to reach the group because of the weather coupled with the fact that the ambulance service was already on scene.  'At 10.15 today a 999 call was received by HM Coastguard regarding a diver in difficulty near Oban,' said a statement by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

'A coastguard helicopter, the Oban Coastguard Rescue Team and Oban Lifeboat were sent to the scene. The diver was recovered from the water by people on the scene.'d spokesperson said: 'Police are currently investigating the sudden death of a 50-year-old man in South Oban, around 10.40 am on Sunday.  The death is currently being treated as unexplained but there does not appear to be any suspicious circumstances. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.       

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7960603/Streatham-terrorist-Sudesh-Ammans-mother-disgusted-rampage.html

Mother of Streatham terrorist reveals her 'disgust' at son's attack, claims he was radicalised in Belmarsh and how he asked for his favourite mutton biryani just hours before his knife rampage

    Haleema Khan, 41, has described her 20-year-old Streatham terrorist son Sudesh Amman as a 'lovely boy'
    She is trying to get her son's body from the police to bury him after finding out on TV about his death in Streatham
    Amman lived with Mrs. Khan and his five younger brothers in Harrow but was jailed for terror offences in 2018
    One friend said Amman used to say 'I am going to bomb you' and 'When I grow up I am going to be a terrorist'

By Shekhar Bhatia and Mark Duell for MailOnline

Published: 10:17, 3 February 2020 | Updated: 18:03, 3 February 2020

Terrorist Sudesh Amman asked his mother for his favourite mutton biryani meal just hours before he was shot dead by police in London, she revealed today as it emerged she was left 'disgusted' by the terror attack.  Haleema Khan, 41, of Dunstable, Bedfordshire, learned about both yesterday's attack in Streatham and her son's death from TV news, having spoken to him on the phone earlier in the day when he asked for the meal.  It comes as Mrs. Khan revealed three pictures of Amman as a boy shirtless and pulling a face while playing on the pavement; posing with a neck chain while eating with a fork, and holding a vacuum cleaner.  She described her son as a 'lovely boy' as she fought back tears today while telling MailOnline how she felt he was radicalised at HMP Belmarsh in Thamesmead, South East London. The top-security jail has been home to a number of high-profile extremist prisoners, including Lee Rigby killers Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale.  Mrs. Khan said Amman had also developed extreme views after looking at Islamist material online. She is now trying to get her son's body from the police as soon as possible to bury him.  Amman lived with Mrs. Khan and his five younger brothers in Harrow, North West London before he was jailed for terror offences at the Old Bailey in December 2018. A family source said Mrs. Khan was 'disgusted' by the attack, although neighbours said she had been convinced of her son's innocence even after he was convicted.  In the Queen's Speech before Christmas, Boris Johnson immediately promised changes including tougher surveillance, 14-year sentences for all serious terror offences, and a government review of license conditions for 74 terrorists who had been let out of jail early. Two of the 72 have since been recalled to prison, MailOnline understands.  However, the Parole Board has confirmed it did not reassess Amman to ascertain if he was a danger before his release, and it emerged Amman had displayed several 'risk indicators'.  After the Fishmongers' Hall terror attack on November 29, a raft of measures was proposed including forcing dangerous terrorists who receive extended determinate sentences to serve the whole time behind bars.  Mr. Johnson, whose government is under pressure to answer how yesterday's terror attack was allowed to happen just weeks after he promised tighter controls, has now said Ministers are preparing to take action to end the automatic early release of prisoners currently in jail for terrorist offences.  On January 21 the Government vowed to introduce new anti-terror measures in the 'first 100 days' of its administration to carry out the Prime Minister's pledge on tougher sentences, overhaul the terrorist licensing regime, double the number of specialist counter-terror probation officers and introduce polygraph testing.  He was elected on December 12, suggesting a deadline of March 21 to implement the new Counter-Terrorism Bill.  Scotland Yard said armed officers were following Amman on foot yesterday as part of a 'proactive counter-terrorism surveillance operation' in Streatham High Road.  The three victims were taken by ambulance to south London hospitals. One man, in his 40s, is no longer considered to be in a life-threatening condition following treatment, police said. A woman, in her 50s, who had non-life threatening injuries has been discharged from hospital.  It also emerged today that Amman was put under full surveillance on the day he was released from prison and within days, counter-terrorism officials were so worried about him that those tailing him were armed.   Meanwhile, a source close to Amman's family said his mother was 'disgusted' and 'very upset' with her son's knife rampage and rejects his fanatical extremist beliefs.  The family source told MailOnline today: 'Haleema is disgusted by what he has done and his beliefs, but she is a mother and has lost a son so she is very upset and sad.  But they are relieved that he wasn't able to kill anyone. It has hit them very hard, but now they are trying to get his body from the police as soon as possible and bury him.  This is done as quickly as one can for Muslims as is custom and prayers for him will begin shortly.'

Amman attended Park High School, an academy in Stanmore with 1,650 pupils which was labelled 'outstanding' in its most recent Ofsted inspection.  A spokesman for Harrow Council told MailOnline today: 'We can confirm that he attended the school between 2011 and 2016.'

One female friend from Harrow told the London Evening Standard about conversations with Amman when they were younger, saying: 'He kept on saying. 'I am going to bomb you'.  'He said 'I have got a grenade in my pocket and if you take one step closer to me I am going to set it off'.  We thought he was joking but he kept on saying it. He said, 'when I grow up I am going to be a terrorist'.'

A former neighbour of Amman, Savita Khimani, 51, said: 'After he was convicted last the mother still believed her son was wrongly accused and hadn't done anything.  'The last time I spoke to her was about three months ago. They went very quiet. Last time we asked the police what happened and we were scared because armed police were there all the time.  We've never had any issues with them and we just had a casual conversation to be honest. The brothers never addressed anything about him being sent to prison.'

Her son, Jignesh Khimani, 20, went to school with Amman. He said: 'He was a normal boy at Park High School (in Stanmore). He kept himself to himself.  He was a quiet lad. There were no red flags at all. He did have friends. The family all acted normally.  I would see the brothers out and about but we never saw his dad. Sudesh had no social media whatsoever.'

The two-story terraced home in Harrow, which the family is said to have lived in for 18 years, now sits empty following the family's move shortly before Christmas.  All but one of the house's front-facing windows were blocked by drawn curtains today.  Amman attended Kenmore Park Junior School, whose alumni include Tessa Peake-Jones who played Raquel Turner in Only Fools and Horses.  One neighbour in Harrow described the Amman's as 'a normal family' who she knew vaguely as their children went to the same school Kenmore Park Junior School.  Remembering a previous police raid on the house she said happened around three years ago, she said: 'I was shocked.   'When they did the first raid I thought it was for Can't Pay Take It Away. We have been here for 20 years and the kids went to the same school as theirs.  I didn't really know the guy because I only saw the younger ones. They seemed like a pretty normal family. I said hello to them a few times. The only time I saw the mum was when they were passing.'

In December 2018, Amman smiled and waved to his mother and brother in the public gallery at the Old Bailey when he was jailed for 13 terror offences.   Wearing a black prayer cap and long black tunic, Amman smirked when he was told that he was facing a sentence of just three years and four months.  The maths and science student at North West London College with a fascination for knives refused to stand for the judge and could not stop laughing.  The fanatic kept a notebook in which he wrote that his 'goals in life' were: 'Die as a shuhada', which means martyr, and 'go-to Jannah', which translates as paradise.  Amman told his girlfriend to kill her parents, bought a combat knife and airgun in readiness for a terror attack and tried to radicalise his younger brothers.  He sent Isis recruitment material and shared an Al Qaeda magazine to a family WhatsApp group that included his three younger brothers aged between 11 and 15.  Amman had been jailed for three years and four months in December 2018, when he pleaded guilty to 13 counts including possessing bomb-making manuals and knife-fighting guides, but he was automatically released just days ago, halfway through his sentence, despite fears he still held extremist views.  In the Queen's Speech before Christmas, Boris Johnson immediately promised changes including tougher surveillance, 14-year sentences for all serious terror offences, and a government review of licence conditions for 74 terrorists who had been let out of jail early.  But the Parole Board has confirmed it did not reassess Amman to ascertain if he was a danger before his release, and Amman had displayed several 'risk indicators', including lack of remorse and allegiance to an extremist group.  It was 'obvious' to think tank the Henry Jackson Society that he was 'one of the most high-risk extremists around'. Police had kept Amman, who was released on licence and subject to a curfew, under active surveillance.
 
The jihadis who slipped through the net: How Streatham knifeman Sudesh Amman is the latest terrorist to carry out an attack while on British authorities' radar

The convicted terrorist who went on a knife rampage in south London yesterday is the latest in a growing list of Islamists to strike while on the radar of security services.  Sudesh Amman was able to stab two people on Streatham high street despite being under close surveillance by MI5 and anti-terror police following his release from jail.  He was freed just a few days ago under 'very stringent' licencing conditions, meaning armed police who were tracking him arrived on the scene in moments.  But officers were unable to prevent him from knifing one man in the stomach and a female cyclist in the back before he was eventually shot dead outside Boots chemist.  Amman, 20, becomes the second convicted terrorist to carry out a knife attack in Britain within ten weeks, following a similar rampage by London Bridge attacker Usman Khan.

Usman Khan, 28, killed two people at Fishmongers' Hall in 2019

Khan, 28, was shot dead by police on London Bridge in November after killing two people at a nearby rehabilitation conference while out on licence for terror offenses.  The son of a taxi driver, he got an indeterminate jail term in 2012 after admitting preparing terrorist acts, including the plot and starting a terror training camp in Pakistan.  In 2013 the Court of Appeal changed that to a 16-year fixed sentence which meant Khan had to serve only half.  While on licence in November, he stabbed Cambridge graduates Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, to death while wearing a fake suicide vest at Fishmonger's Hall.  In the aftermath of Khan's attack, it was claimed Khan had reformed and become a model prisoner while in prison, which helped him win permission to travel unescorted from his Stafford bedsit to London.  But Khan was moved to a Category A prison after he was involved in incidents of violence and threats to endanger staff.  Khan was released from HMP Woodhill in Buckinghamshire in December 2018.

Khuram Butt, 27, the ringleader of 2017 London Bridge attack that killed eight people

The ringleader of the 2017 London Bridge attack that killed eight people, Butt had been the subject of a two-year investigation by security services.  However the chief coroner, in a report into the atrocity, said police and MI5 did not recognise the threat he posed.  Mark Lucraft QC said this was despite Butt's association with Islamic State fanatic Anjem Choudary and an appearance in the documentary The Jihadi Next Door.  The probe was twice suspended due to pressure on resources and the authorities did not pass on tip-offs about his extremism, including one from a family member.  There was also a two-month delay in translating a request from the Italian authorities for information about his fellow attacker Youssef Zaghba.  An Old Bailey inquest heard that Butt, who was an MI5 subject of interest (SIO), had looked at extremist material online in the months and years before the attack, including propaganda for so-called Islamic State, violent images and sermons from extremist preachers.  Bereaved families said MI5 and counter-terror police should review their assumptions about the weight placed on an SIO's so-called mindset material.  Mr. Lucraft said there is no evidence investigators are not capable of making those judgments properly after police and security services pointed out that many SIOs possess such material.

Khalid Masood, 52, who killed five people in 2017 Westminster attack

Masood killed five people and injured more than 50 after he mounted the pavement in his car outside the Houses of Parliament and went on a knife rampage.   The 52-year-old Briton was probed by MI5 from as early as 2004, with concerns high enough that he was classified as a threat to national security.  However, the file on him was closed in 2012 as it was deemed that he was not considered a serious threat.  Masood, a violent criminal who picked up a string of convictions during his time living in Kent and Sussex, is believed to have converted to Islam while he was serving two prison sentences between 2000 and 2004.  After emerging from prison, he went to Saudi Arabia to teach English in trip a thought to have been inspired by his new-found spirituality.  When he returned from Saudi around 2009, he moved to Luton, a city in which a number of extremists and Islamic radicals were operating.  Theresa May would later tell the House of Commons that 52-year-old Masood was considered a 'peripheral' figure at the time.
       
Salman Abedi, Manchester Arena bomber who killed 22 in 2017

Abedi, the jidahi terrorist who detonated a suicide vest at Manchester Arena in 2017 and killed 22 people, was also known to British security services.

But was not deemed high risk, despite five community leaders reporting him for extremist views.

A report found a series of failures on behalf of security services, including how he had visited a category An extremist inmate in prison.

Counter-terror police were also alerted to Abedi frequently travelling to Libya from 2014 onwards but he was not made the subject of travel restrictions or monitoring.

Abedi's case was flagged for review but was not re-examined before he slaughtered parents and children at the Ariana Grande concert

The Abedi family, originally from Libya, fled during the Gaddafi dictatorship with the father returning to fight with opposition forces when the uprising began in 2011.  Both brothers travelled to Libya in April 2017, then Salman returned alone before carrying out the suicide attack in Manchester.  He detonated his device at the end of the concert, with 353 people, including 175 children, around him in the foyer of the venue.  As well as the 22 dead, 16 people suffered serious injuries including paralysis, loss of limbs, internal injuries, and serious facial injuries involving complicated plastic surgery.

Ahmed Hassan, 18, whose homemade bomb failed to explode at Parsons Green Tube station in 2017

The 18-year-old Iraqi asylum-seeker left a homemade bomb on a District line commuter train in 2017 which partially exploded after the train arrived at Parsons Green station.  He claimed during an asylum interview that he had been trained to kill by ISIS against his will and spent several hours a day in a mosque under their command, receiving religious education.  After those comments, he was brought to the attention of MI5 on February 2, 2016, during a discussion with Counter-Terrorism Policing, but he was never made a subject of interest.  Instead, he was referred to the Channel mentoring scheme part of the Prevent de-radicalisation programme in February 2016.  It was not until June 2016 that he was made an 'active' Channel case and nine formal meetings were then held of the joint agency Channel panel at which his case was discussed.  However, Hassan was never assigned a mentor, for a six-month period in 2017 there were no panel meetings, and at the time of the attack, the panel was considering closing his case.

Darren Osborne, 48, killed one in 2017 Finsbury Park mosque attack

Darren Osborne, from Cardiff, drove a vehicle into a group of people gathered near a mosque in Finsbury Park in north London on June 19, 2017, killing Makram Ali.

He was said to have had an extensive criminal history dating back to 1984, including 33 convictions for 102 offences ranging from offences against the person to drugs and theft.  He had not been investigated by MI5 or Counter-Terrorism Police before launching his attack and was 'not known to be a member of, or have links to, any extremist right-wing groups.'  Osborne first appeared a court in his home town of Weston Super Mare aged 15 in 1984. Before the terror attack, he was last in court in 2014.  He had planned to drive into crowds attending a pro-Palestinian march in London in June last year, and he claimed he hoped to kill Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and London mayor Sadiq Khan.  But road closures meant he couldn't get near the march and, after driving around London looking for Muslim targets, he drove at a group of people outside the Muslim Welfare House in Finsbury Park.

Sudesh Amman, 20, stabbed two people in Streatham in 2020

Amman was a convicted terrorist under police surveillance having recently been freed from prison when he went on a knife rampage in Streatham.  The 20-year-old bearded Islamic fanatic, who was on licence and known for having a fascination with knives, dived into a local convenience store to steal a £3.99 blade before embarking on a bloody stabbing spree.  Wearing a fake suicide vest, he targeted pedestrians at random on the Sunday afternoon, stabbing one man in the stomach, before knifing a female cyclist in the back just after 2pm in Streatham, South London.  Armed police who had been following him closely, were on the scene within minutes, chasing him down the high street shouting 'stop' before opening fire, shooting him dead outside a Boots chemist.  He was jailed in December 2018 for three years and had served only half his more than a three-year sentence for the possession and distribution of extremist material.  Whitehall sources said he had been very recently released 'despite concerns over his conduct' because the law did not give them the power to keep him locked up.  He was let out at the end of January on 'very stringent' licencing conditions included a curfew, it is understood.  Today, the Prime Minister is expected to come forward with new plans to further crackdown on terrorist offenders. 

'Die as a martyr': Terrorist revealed four 'life goals' in a chilling notebook

The Islamic terrorist shot dead by police in London yesterday kept a notebook with his four 'life goals' including being a martyr and going to paradise.  Sudesh Amman's notes were revealed when he was jailed for 13 terror offences at the Old Bailey, 14 months before his terror rampage in Streatham yesterday.  He kept a notebook in which he wrote that his 'goals in life' were: 'Die as a shuhada', which means martyr, and 'go-to Jannah', which translates as paradise.  It said: 'We need the jihad, the jihad doesn't need our goals in life: 1) Die as a shuhada; 2) Go to Jannah; 3) Have fun with all my hoor al-ayn; and 4) Party with my brothers and my mother in Jannah.'

The Old Bailey was also told during the sentencing hearing in December 2018 that Amman had been fascinated with carrying out a terror attack using a knife.  Speaking after he was jailed, Alexis Boon, then head of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, said of the notebook: 'Top of the list, above family activities, was dying a martyr and going to 'Jannah' the afterlife.'

In online messages with friends, Amman said he wanted to play violent computer game Call of Duty 'in real life'.  He also said he played Fortnite and video game Far Cry 5 in an exchange with other jihadis on the messaging service Telegram.  But the chat was infiltrated by undercover Dutch blogger Mark Van Den Berg, who then shared the extremist with UK intelligence agencies.  Agreeing for his screenshots from April 2018 to be released, Mr Van Den Berg said Amman went under the name Abu Malik on the app.  One screenshot shows Amman, whose handle is Strangertothisworld on the app, apparently admitting: 'I got ps4 too but I prefer Xbox.'

In another he says: 'Ugh too much police xddddddd just leave us all alone. We want to have fun with hoor al ayn XDDDDDDDDDDDDDD and play COD IRL.'

Amman then asks another Dutch or Belgian Jihadi, going under the name Ebu Darda: 'u got Fortnite?' to which Ebu replied: 'pc yea.'

What were the charges Sudesh Amman faced?

1.  Possession of an electronic document titled 'How to make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom'.
2.  Possession of an electronic document titled 'Bloody Brazilian Knife Fightin' Techniques'.
3.  Possession of an electronic document titled 'Close Combat' from a United States Marine Corps training manual.
4.  Possession of an electronic document titled 'US Army Knife Fighting Manual Techniques'.
5.  Possession of an electronic document titled 'Anarchists Cookbook- version 2000', a derivative of a book called the 'Anarchists Cookbook' first published in the USA in 1971.
6.  Possession of an electronic document titled 'Improvised munition handbook pdf', a US Army technical manual.
7.  Posted on his family WhatsApp group a link to a pdf copy of the 'Inspire 16' magazine and at the time of doing so intended an effect of this to be a direct or indirect encouragement or other inducements to the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism
8.  Dissemination of an electronic document titled 'Make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom'.
9.  Dissemination of an electronic document titled For the Sake of Allah (CAR/13)
10.  Dissemination of an electronic document titled al-e1b8a5ayc481t-media-center-22lets-go-for-jihc481d22_dvd.mp4
11.  Dissemination of an electronic document titled The-Islamic-state-22my-revenge22_dvd.mp4
12.  Dissemination of an electronic document titled theYNC.mp4
13.  Dissemination of an electronic document titled video1235.mp4

What Boris's government promised but so far NOTHING is in place

In the Queen's Speech before Christmas, following his December election win, Boris Johnson pledged to end the early release of dangerous terrorists and introduce minimum 14-year jail terms.  Last year two people were killed by convicted terrorist Usman Khan, 28, at Fishmongers' Hall after he attended a prisoner rehabilitation event.  He had been released on licence in December 2018.  'If you are convicted of a serious terrorist offence, there should be a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years - and some should never be released,' the Prime Minister said then.  'Further, for all terrorism and extremist offences the sentence announced by the judge must be the time actually served - these criminals must serve every day of their sentence, with no exceptions.'

Mr. Johnson has now said the Government has 'moved quickly' to introduce measures to strengthen the UK's response to terrorism.  Last month details of The Counter-Terrorism (Sentencing and Release) Bill were released.  They included forcing dangerous terrorists who receive extended determinate sentences to serve the whole time behind bars, and scrapping early release from jail for those classed as dangerous and handed extended determinate sentences.  Terrorists deemed not to be a risk would have to serve two-thirds of their sentence before the Parole Board could consider them for release, as part of the bill.   The required legislation has yet to be passed by MPs as politicians concentrated on getting Brexit done. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7930861/NHS-staff-briefed-handle-dead-bodies-infected-coronavirus.html

Number of UK patients tested for coronavirus rises to 52 while NHS staff are briefed on how to handle DEAD BODIES as Britain is put on high alert and GPs are told to QUARANTINE suspected victims

    Public Health England said corpses must be put in sealed bags because the virus can escape through lungs
    Medics have told to wear 'full-face visors' and GPs are to avoid any suspected victims and quarantine them
    The lethal virus from China has stricken two in Paris, another in Bordeaux and is 'accelerating', the dossier says
    It comes as the number of cases worldwide soared to more than 2,000, with 56 dead in China
    52 people have been screened by NHS up by 21 patients on yesterday but all tests have come back negative
    Home Secretary Priti Patel said the Government was 'looking at all options' to help Britons leave Wuhan

By Ross Ibbetson For Mailonline

Published: 09:57, 26 January 2020 | Updated: 17:50, 26 January 2020

The number of UK patients tested for coronavirus has jumped to 52 with NHS staff being briefed on how to handle corpses infected with the lethal Chinese virus after it spread to three locations in nearby France.  The dossier published by Public Health England warns that the virus which has stricken two in Paris and another in Bordeaux is 'accelerating.' It comes as the number of cases worldwide soared to more than 2,000, with 56 dead in China.  PHE's document obtained by The Sunday Times advises: 'The act of moving a recently deceased patient onto a hospital trolley for transportation to the mortuary might be sufficient to expel small amounts of air from the lungs and thereby present a minor risk.  A body bag should be used for transferring the body and those handling the body at this point should use full PPE [personal protective equipment].'

Furthermore, medics meeting any potentially infected people should wear 'full-face visors,' while GPs should avoid contact with patients and place them into immediate quarantine.  'In the absence of effective drugs or a vaccine, control of this disease relies on the prompt identification, appropriate risk assessment, management and isolation of possible cases,' the document adds.

As of Sunday afternoon, 52 people across the UK had been tested for the deadly flu-like virus a rise of 21 on yesterday but all tests were confirmed as negative.   Home Secretary Priti Patel said the Government was 'looking at all options' to help Britons leave Wuhan following reports that officials have been asked to examine the logistics for an airlift from the city.  It comes as the Foreign Office last night prepared a charter flight for around 200 British citizens and diplomats trapped in Wuhan, where 11million is on lock-down.  Meanwhile, health officials are continuing to track down around 2,000 people who have recently flown into the UK from Wuhan.  Yet thousands of revellers celebrated Chinese new year in central London despite worries about coronavirus spreading to the UK.  Infection concerns did not dampen festivities, as a 50-foot golden dragon and a bagpipe procession travelled from Charing Cross to Chinatown where hundreds of red lanterns lined the streets.  It comes as a top Chinese health official said today that the new virus was becoming more contagious than SARS from the same family of coronaviruses which killed nearly 650 people across Beijing and Hong Kong in 2003.  The three patients in France are doing 'very well,' France's director-general of health Jerome Salomon said.  However, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo said Sunday that the Chinese Lunar New Year parade in the city where two are infected was being cancelled as a 'precaution.'   'Yesterday, I met members of the Chinese community in Paris who themselves wished to cancel the procession' scheduled for Republique square, the mayor told reporters.   

Health officials in France were tracking other people the three had been in contact with.  Britain's Department of Health confirmed it is trying to find 'as many passengers as we can' who arrived from Wuhan in the past two weeks to check on their wellbeing.  It is understood Border Force officers have been recruited to help speed up the search for passengers as testing for the virus continues in the UK.  One British man who had travelled to Wuhan to visit his girlfriend is stuck in the city after his return flight on February 3 was cancelled, and he described trying to get out of the area as 'impossible'.  The 29-year-old, who did not want to be named, said: 'There have been sporadic warnings from local government in Chinese to tell us that there will be road closures.  There is no news on when the airport will re-open therefore the airline (China Southern) have just cancelled the flight.  I've also had no help from the UK Embassy in Beijing who are conveniently closed for the weekend.'

England's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said there is a 'fair chance' cases will emerge in Britain.  The professor spoke following a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergency committee in Whitehall on Friday, chaired by Health Secretary Matt Hancock.  He said: 'I am working closely with the other UK chief medical officers.  We all agree that the risk to the UK public remains low, but there may well be cases in the UK at some stage.'

He added: 'The UK has access to some of the best infectious disease and public health experts in the world.  A public health hub will be set up in Heathrow from today. This consists of clinicians and other public health officials, in addition to existing port health measures.'

In an interview, Prof Whitty said: 'We think there's a fair chance we may get some cases over time.  'Of course, this depends on whether this continues for a long time, or whether this turns out to be something which is brought under control relatively quickly.'

He added: 'I think we should definitely see this as a marathon, not a sprint, we need to have our entire response based on that principle.  'At the minute it definitely looks like this is a lot less dangerous if you get it than Ebola, and a lot less dangerous than the recent coronavirus MERS, and it's probably less dangerous if you get it than SARS virus.  'What we don't know is how far it's going to spread, that really is something we need to plan for all eventualities.'

Suzan Tokdemir, 51, an English teacher, took the photos after flying into Beijing International Airport on Saturday evening after travelling on an almost-empty flight into the Chinese capital city from Hong Kong.  Ms Tokdemir took pictures of cabin crew on the Hong Kong Airlines flight wearing masks while serving refreshments from the trolley.  In another the outside of the airport, only three people could be seen in a usually packed area.  The airport in the Chinese capital city has ranked second-busiest airport in the world every year since 2010 and usually sees around 100 million passengers pass through it a year.  Ms Tokdemir, who teaches English at an international middle school in Beijing, said: 'It was quite eery. It's not what you'd expect at Beijing Airport.  It took me 15 minutes from getting off the plane to standing outside the front of the airport that included collecting my luggage, passport check, fingerprint scan, everything.  On the flight, there were only about 50 passengers. I looked around as was getting off the plane, and I estimated there can't have been much more than 50 people.  It was one of the big planes, with eight seats across in a row, but they put us all at the back of the plane the front half of the plane was completely empty.  All the flight attendants were masked, and most of the passengers were too.  They took them off to eat the food and then put them straight back on.  Before we got off, they came round and disinfected the plane, and there was an announcement telling people to declare any symptoms they might have,' Ms Tokdemir added.

Ms Tokdemir, who left Phuket, Thailand on Friday morning, and flew back to Beijing via Bangkok and Hong Kong, said it was 'spooky' to see the numbers dwindle on each of her connecting flights.  'Even at Hong Kong airport, almost everyone was masked,' she said.

'At Beijing International Airport, we had to keep taking our masks off, so that our faces could be identified which sort of defeats the point.'

And she added that even the motorway in Beijing was 'empty', saying: 'Usually you can hardly move on the motorway. The coronavirus has emptied Beijing.  I had hired a driver to take me home, and he got stopped by masked police on the way back and had his temperature checked.  It was really spooky, it was like something out of a sci-fi movie,' said Ms Tokdemir.

She is due to return to work on February 7, after four weeks off to mark Chinese New Year.  But Ms Tokdemir said that some of her colleagues, who have left the country during the break, are unsure about whether to return.

Reporting by SWNS

Coronavirus fears fail to dampen Chinese New Year celebrations in London

Thousands of revellers, including many from China, celebrated Chinese new year in central London despite worries about coronavirus spreading to the UK.  Many people welcoming the Year of the Rat in the biggest celebration for the lunar festival outside China were wearing filter masks to protect themselves against the respiratory virus.  But coronavirus worries did not dampen festivities, as a 50-foot golden dragon and a bagpipe procession travelled from Charing Cross to Chinatown where hundreds of red lanterns lined the streets.  Outside restaurants and cafes in Chinatown, people were queuing down the street, and many gathered to watch firecrackers heralding the start of the celebrations in Trafalgar Square.  Meanwhile, the Foreign Office has urged Britons trapped in the Hubei province of China, which has been on lockdown for several days following the coronavirus outbreak, to leave the area if they are able to.  Chinese student Siyan Li, from Shandong, was wearing a face mask as she celebrated in Chinatown because she was 'afraid' of the virus.  The 22-year-old Nottingham University student said: 'China has advised everyone to stay at home and not come out. I'm afraid.  I don't know if there are many people with this kind of fear, but I think this (the mask) is a good way to protect myself.'

Conan Zhao, 35, and his wife Daisy Huang, 27, were holidaying in London for Chinese new year and were also wearing masks as 'a precaution'.  Mr Zhao, from Shenzhen in China, said: 'The most important thing is self-protection - you need to protect yourself, but there is no need to worry.'

He added: 'We came here for Chinese new year, and it's our first time in London.  Chinese people have come to London for a very long time and we wanted to see how people celebrate Chinese new year here.'

Lily Ferreira and Katerina Jelinkova, two volunteers helping to manage the festivities for the London Chinatown Chinese Association (LCCA), said they were worried about the effect of the virus on their performers from China.  Miss Ferreira, a 25-year-old music and business student from Portugal who was wearing a mask, said: 'Some of our performers came from China, so we were worried about getting them here, but it hasn't been a problem.'

Miss Jelinkova, 22, from the Czech Republic, said she would wear a mask in central London anyway because of air pollution.  Phillip Rowell, a British scriptwriter who lived in Hong Kong and Singapore during the Sars virus outbreak in 2003, said he was not worried about another respiratory virus from the region.  Mr Rowell, 49, who was celebrating with his wife and son, said: 'We lived through a few of those things in Asia, we had Sars when we were there and I always think it looks worse on the news.  I'm sure it's serious, but the numbers (of those infected) are actually quite low at the moment, so I wasn't really worried about being around Chinese people or anything like that.  We had breakfast in a Chinese dim sum place this morning, it was packed, people were waiting for tables, there was no sense of people staying away.'

He added he has 'faith in the Chinese government' because they 'learned their lesson' after Sars, which killed 774 people in 17 countries.  Elaine Lui, a Newcastle University media student from south-east China, also said she was confident precautions in China would help to tackle the virus.  She said: 'I have a friend in Wuhan but I'm not worried. The Chinese people, we will protect ourselves and also protect everyone else.'

Suzanne Corbin, 64, from Whitstable, Kent, said she 'definitely' thought about coronavirus before coming to the festival, but 'decided the risk was really low'.  She said: 'I come every year because I love the tradition of the Chinese new year.  I love the dragons, the dancing, the noise, the celebration of spring. There's a lot of people out enjoying it.'

Can tourists still travel to China?

Flights to mainland available but foreign office warn against going to Hubei

Flights to and from China are still available, but tourists will be hamstrung in their ability to travel on the mainland.  The UK Foreign Office has advised against all travel to the Hubei province where the coronavirus spawned.  The eastern city of Wuhan is under lock-down and the government has enforced an effective travel ban.  Four cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and the eastern province of Shandong announced bans on long-distance buses from entering or leaving their borders.  Cruise operators including Royal Caribbean Cruises and Costa Cruises said they had cancelled a combined 12 cruises that had been scheduled to embark from Chinese ports before Feb 2.  Many cinemas across China were closed with major film premieres postponed.  Shanghai Disneyland, which expected 100,000 visitors daily through the holiday period, has already closed.  Airports around the world have stepped up screening of passengers from China, although some health officials and experts have questioned the effectiveness of these efforts.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7900713/The-days-hell-Survivors-account-final-hours-Auschwitz-Birkenau.html

Auschwitz the last days of hell: Exactly 75 years after its last inmates were freed, the survivors of one of humanity's most vile atrocities tell their heartwrenching accounts

By Jonathan Mayo For The Daily Mail
Published: 22:01, 17 January 2020 | Updated: 00:21, 18 January 2020

On July 11, 1944, Winston Churchill was shown evidence provided by four escapees from Auschwitz of the mass murder of Jews at the extermination camp.  For two years, the Nazis had managed to keep the gas chambers in Auschwitz, southern Poland, a secret.  Churchill wrote to his Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden: ‘There is no doubt this is probably the greatest and most horrible crime ever committed in the whole history of the world all concerned in this crime who may fall into our hands, including people who only obeyed orders by carrying out the butcheries, should be put to death.’

The complex at Auschwitz was the principal Nazi extermination camp in World War II, covering at least 15 square miles.  The site was chosen for the camp because the main railway lines from Germany and Poland passed through the area. Prisoners deported there had to pay their own rail fare, calculated by kilometres travelled.  Auschwitz contained five crematoria, made and patented by German engineering company Töpf and Sons, who had worked out they could dispose of 4,756 corpses a day.  The crematoria contained gas chambers, mortuaries and changing rooms. These had numbered hooks, suggesting the prisoners would return to collect their belongings.  By the summer of 1944, the German army was retreating across Western Europe and, crucially for the inmates of Auschwitz, the Soviets were advancing towards Poland. Panic had set in among the SS guards, who feared for their lives at the hands of the ruthless Red Army when it arrived.  The end was in sight for the few survivors of one of humanity’s most vile atrocities...

January 5, 1945
Snow is lying thickly on the ground across the Auschwitz complex. Temperatures are well below freezing.  The Soviet Red Army is only a few miles away. Many SS officers and their families have already left, with cases full of valuables plundered from murdered inmates.

January 6
The prisoners in the women’s camp are ordered out of their barracks to watch a hanging.  The SS have identified four women working as slave labourers at the nearby IG Farben industrial plant as the suppliers of explosives used in an attack on the guards.  Just before a noose is put around her neck, one of the women, Ala Gertner, calls out: ‘You’ll pay for this! I shall die now, but your turn will come soon!’

January 17
The brutal Nazi doctor Joseph Mengele, known as ‘The Angel of Death’, flees Auschwitz, taking with him all the evidence of his experiments on the prisoners, most of them children.  His sadistic procedures included injecting chemicals into the eyes of living subjects in a bid to change their colour, sewing twin boys together back to back in a crude attempt to create conjoined twins, and removing organs without anaesthetic.

January 18
Columns of smoke rise over Auschwitz as the SS frantically burn death certificates, files and other written evidence of their crimes in huge bonfires.  Today a mass evacuation of the camp will begin; prisoners well enough to march will be taken to other camps further west.  Of the 67,000 inmates who remain at Auschwitz, about 56,000 are to be led away.  The rest, too sick to move, will be left behind to die. At midnight, the inmates are lined up.  ‘A cold wind blew in our faces. We talked about nothing but where they were taking us and what they intended to do with us,’ said Filip Müller, a survivor of three years in the camp.

These ‘death marches’ are being replicated in camps all over Poland, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Austria.  The prisoners are escorted by SS guards desperate to avoid advancing Soviet troops.  They have heard guards from Majdanek extermination camp have been executed as war criminals.  Some have got rid of their SS uniforms and are dressed in the rags of their victims.  As many as 250,000 people will die on the roads before the end of the war.

January 19
Those on the death marches from Auschwitz survive by eating the snow on the shoulders of the people in front of them; if they bend down to pick up the slush they risk being shot.  As the prisoners march slowly west through Poland, SS Lieutenant Colonel Rudolf Hoess is heading in the opposite direction.  Hoess had been given the task of building Auschwitz by Himmler and had been the camp’s brutal commandant, living in luxury with his wife and five children just 100 yards from the campgrounds.  He is driving back to Auschwitz, past what he describes as ‘stumbling columns of corpses’, to make sure all evidence linking him to the genocide has been destroyed.  But Hoess will be forced to turn his car around as the Russians advance towards him. In 1946, he will be captured and a year later hanged at Auschwitz.

January 22
Twenty-six-year-old Primo Levi, who arrived in Auschwitz in February 1944 as part of a transport of Jews from Italy, has spent the past 11 days in the infirmary suffering from scarlet fever.  But he feels well enough to explore the camp with a French schoolteacher named Charles. Emboldened by the shrinking numbers of guards, they venture into the SS quarters.  They find bowls full of half-frozen soup, mugs of beer and a chessboard left mid-game.  Primo and Charles load up with medicines, vodka, newspapers and eiderdowns to take back to the infirmary.  Half an hour later, a unit of SS return to the quarters and find 18 French Jews in the SS dining hall. They are all shot in the head and their bodies dumped in the snow.

January 23
Soviet planes attack the IG Farben plant nearby, but stray bombs land on a British POW camp called E715 that is part of the Auschwitz complex.  Its 230 POWs have not been part of the Auschwitz death march and are hiding in air-raid shelters.  For the past few weeks, they have watched injured German soldiers walk past their camp and are convinced victory is imminent; they are desperate to survive what may be the last few weeks of the war.  Just before daybreak, the bombing ends and the German guards order the British POWs to assemble at the main gate of the camp.  Twenty-five-year-old Arthur Dodd from Cheshire, a prisoner at Auschwitz for 14 months, makes his way through the snow. During his time at the camp, his weight has dropped from 10st to 6st.  When Arthur reaches the camp gates he is amazed to find them wide open. A senior German officer tells the POWs they are free to leave and can head east to meet the Soviets or west towards the Americans and British.  Arthur fears the Russians and so decides he would rather take the longer route west.  Only four soldiers opt to walk towards the Russian lines. Arthur hears later that they were mown down by Russian tanks.  Inmates employed at Auschwitz’s Identification Service have been instructed by the SS to destroy the thousands of negatives of prisoners’ ID photographs.  The photos were intended to be a way to identify prisoners if they escaped, but their rapid emaciation made these images useless.  Two inmates, Wilhelm Brasse and Bronislaw Jureczek, keen to preserve evidence of the atrocities at Auschwitz, pull more than 40,000 negatives from the flames.

January 25
The SS sentries have been removed from the watchtowers at Auschwitz and most of the guards have fled, but the killings don’t stop.   In one sick-bay the SS shoot 350 Jewish patients in their beds. Since Arthur Dodd and the rest of the British POWs from E715 left Auschwitz, they have walked more than 50 miles, often treading on bodies half covered in snow.  Arthur is at the rear and regularly has to stop to persuade his fellow soldiers to keep walking. Some give up and die.  The men are all beginning to suffer from frostbite. Every time Arthur closes his eyes, his eyelids freeze. A sergeant trots up and down the line, encouraging the men with promises of food and shelter at the end of the day.  Many weeks later, Arthur finally makes it to Regensburg, south-east Germany, where he is liberated by American troops.

January 27, 8 am
In Auschwitz town, Red Army soldiers are fighting pitched battles with the retreating German troops.  Much of the town was built for the 3,000 SS guards and their families. A total of 231 Soviet soldiers die liberating Auschwitz town and the camps.

3 pm
A unit of Red Army soldiers arrives at the gates of Auschwitz and slowly makes its way inside. Ten-year-old Eva Kor and her twin sister, Miriam, are lying in their bunks. For the past nine months, the girls have been subject to inhuman experiments by Dr Mengele who has killed about 1,500 pairs of twins in two years.  Eva and Miriam fought to stay alive for each other because they know that, if one dies, the other will be surplus to requirements.  The girls hear shouts of ‘We’re free! We’re free!’, and they run to the door of the barracks but can’t see anything in the snow.

It takes a few moments before they can spot Soviet soldiers in white camouflage.  The girls, dressed in rags and covered in lice, the run-up to the soldiers who give them biscuits and chocolate.  It is the hugs the twins receive from the soldiers that are more precious.  Eva recalled: ‘A hug meant more than anyone could imagine. We were not only starved of food but of human kindness.’

Primo Levi and his friend, Charles, are on their way to a communal grave, carrying a stretcher containing the body of a man who died in the night, when they see four Soviet soldiers on horseback ‘Four messengers of peace, with rough and boyish faces beneath their heavy fur hats’.

Ten-year-old Paula Lebovics watches the Soviet soldiers and thinks they look ‘tattered and worn and beaten up’ and not smart like the Germans.  One comes over and picks Paula up, rocks her in his arms and weeps. ‘You mean somebody cares about me?’ Paula thinks.

5 pm
Red Army Lieutenant Ivan Martynushkin is making his way through the camp. He is struck by how calm it is and by the gratitude in the eyes of the prisoners.  Several of the emaciated prisoners have made some simple red flags to show their thanks to their liberators.  Although he feels compassion, Ivan is not overwhelmed by what he sees. In the past year, he has witnessed many horrors in camps, villages and towns. Auschwitz is just the latest atrocity.  Smoke is coming from 29 warehouses full of prisoners’ personal effects that the SS set alight before they fled.  The inmates have nicknamed the warehouses ‘Canada’ a place they think of as a land of plenty.  Inside, the soldiers find piles of children’s clothing, more than 300,000 women’s coats and dresses, 44,000 pairs of shoes, and seven tons of human hair ready to be made into work clothes and to line the boots of U-Boat crews.  Over the past few years, the Reichsbank has been sent the prisoners’ confiscated money, household goods went to German settlers in Poland, and Luftwaffe pilots received wristwatches.

6 pm
Captain Alexander Vorontsov, a film cameraman accompanying the Soviet troops, makes his way through the camp, appalled at what he sees.  He enters the barracks, some without roofs, and tries to talk to the prisoners. They look like ‘skeletons clad in skin, their eyes staring blankly’.

The barracks are dark and he has no lights, so Alexander doesn’t film, but instead writes down what they tell him.  Alexander films survivors, the dead and dying in the next few days. He also photographs Eva and Miriam Kor and Paula Lebovics standing at the wire fence.  Visiting Auschwitz years later, Eva said: ‘We couldn’t believe we really were free, so we kept walking out the gate and back in again. To do that without being shot was such a feeling of freedom.’

11 pm
In the dark of the infirmary, Primo Levi cannot sleep.  Although he knows he has survived the terrors of Auschwitz, he is overcome with a feeling of pain: ‘The pain of exile, of my distant home, of loneliness, of friends lost, of youth lost and of the host of corpses all around.’

Aftermath

As the Soviet troops explored the camp, they discovered 648 corpses, 600 prisoners in the slave labour camp and about 7,000 in the main camp.   It is impossible to know exactly how many died, but historian Laurence Rees writes: ‘The current estimate is that of the 1.3 million people sent to Auschwitz, 1.1 million died. A staggering one million were Jews.’

The Soviets and Red Cross set up field hospitals to care for the sick and dying. Their staff were assisted by many former inmates who were doctors and nurses.  Many patients died as a result of their imprisonment, and some may have died from eating too much food too soon.  News of Auschwitz was slow to reach the outside world. Despite repeated requests by the Foreign Office for information about the camp, it was only in April 1945 that the British were sent a brief telegram by the Russians stating that ‘more than four million citizens of various European countries were destroyed by the Germans’.

The British thought this figure had to be a mistake it could not be the number of deaths from a single camp.  Primo Levi, who in 1947 published one of the greatest Holocaust memoirs, If This Is A Man, never recovered from the trauma of his experiences in the camp.  In 1987, aged 67, he fell from the third-floor landing of his apartment building in Turin, Italy, and died. A coroner later ruled the cause of death as suicide.  The Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel said of him: ‘Primo Levi died at Auschwitz 40 years later.’

Hitler’s Last Day: Minute By Minute by Jonathan Mayo and Emma Craigie is published by Short Books, £8.99.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7836835/British-mother-24-died-suddenly-holiday-Tenerife.html

British mother, 24, died suddenly while on holiday in Tenerife with her one-year-old daughter six weeks after 'she was attacked in her home town'

  Megan Brannan, 24, from Motherwell, Scotland, had been on holiday in Tenerife
  She was found dead in her bed by her father days after complaining of feeling ill
  Six weeks earlier she sustained injuries from an attack in Motherwell, Scotland
  Police Scotland are treating the death as unexplained and enquiries are ongoing

By Bhvishya Patel For Mailonline

Published: 11:12, 30 December 2019 | Updated: 17:08, 30 December 2019

A police probe is underway after a mother died suddenly while on holiday in Tenerife following an assault in her home town six weeks prior. Megan Brannan, 24, had been enjoying a sun-soaked break with her one-year-old daughter Kaedy in the Spanish resort of Costa Adeje when she unexpectedly died on October 14 just weeks before her daughter’s first birthday. However, investigations are now being carried out by Police Scotland to examine if an injury sustained by the mother-of-one during an attack in her home town of Motherwell, Scotland, on September 5, may have contributed to her death. The former Our Lady's High pupil, had been enjoying a holiday with her daughter Kaedy, sister Toni, father Thomas, 61, and mother Margaret, 57, when she was found dead in her bed - two days after complaining of feeling ill. The hairdresser, who used to work in The Highlander Bar, a popular Scottish-themed venue in Tenerife, was found lying in her bed by her father Thomas. However, it is now claimed Ms Brannan, who has been described by her sister Toni as a 'role model' and 'very special angel', had been assaulted in Motherwell prior to her holiday in Spain. A source told The Sun: 'Megan was assaulted a few weeks before she went on holiday. It is possible her death’s linked to an injury she suffered during the assault. It’s vital police get to the bottom of what happened. Her family believed it was a tragic death or the result of an illness, so this has come as a complete shock to them. They need answers.'

Following her death, Ms Brannan's sister took to Facebook to pen an emotional message which read: 'Very unexpected heartbreak for our family on our holiday as heaven gained a very special angel yesterday morning. My sister, my role model, my best friend, the light of my life.  You taught me everything I know, you were a mother figure to me you did everything you possibly could in your life to make sure I was okay and protected me at all costs.  We had a bond like no other and no one could ever understand how close we were and I promise I will do exactly that to your precious baby Kaedy.  When I was at my lowest point in life and couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel you helped me through and gifted me with your little princess K and I want to thank you so much for that you have left us all gifted with this beautiful baby and we will always remember you through her.  We will make sure she remembers how special you were and how much you loved her.  You were the most caring mother, sister, daughter and best friends to many you were loved by everyone and this is why it's the most heartbreaking surreal tragedy.'

In her message, Ms Brannan's sister said she could not process the death and felt it was a 'bad dream'  'Can't process any of it at all and keep pretending to myself it's a bad dream I'm going to wake up from don't know how I'm ever going to recover from this but I will try my hardest to stay strong for you Megan, there is no place you would rather have passed than your favourite country Tenerife.  Hope your up there busting down thotiana (sic). I will forever love you sissy.'

A Police Scotland spokesman told MailOnline: 'Police Scotland is investigating the death of a 24-year-old woman from Motherwell who passed away in Spain on 14 October, 2019.  The death is being treated as unexplained and enquiries are ongoing.'

Following Ms Brannan's death, a GoFundMe page, set up to help the hairdresser's family, raised £1,800.  Chinese lanterns were also let off by family and friends on the Spanish island of Tenerife in honour of the mother-of-one.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/euthanasia-and-assisted-suicide/

Euthanasia and assisted suicide

Euthanasia is the act of deliberately ending a person's life to relieve suffering.  For example, it could be considered euthanasia if a doctor deliberately gave a patient with a terminal illness drugs they do not otherwise need for their comfort, such as an overdose of sedatives or muscle relaxants, with the sole aim of ending their life.  Assisted suicide is the act of deliberately assisting or encouraging another person to kill themselves. If a relative of a person with a terminal illness obtained strong sedatives, knowing that the person intended to use the sedatives to kill themselves, they may be considered to be assisting suicide.

The law

Both euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal under English law.

Assisted suicide

Assisted suicide is illegal under the terms of the Suicide Act (1961) and is punishable by up to 14 years' imprisonment. Trying to kill yourself is not a criminal act.

Euthanasia

Depending on the circumstances, euthanasia is regarded as either manslaughter or murder. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment.

Types of euthanasia

Euthanasia can be classified as:

    voluntary euthanasia, where a person makes a conscious decision to die and asks for help to do so
    non-voluntary euthanasia, where a person is unable to give their consent to treatment (for example, because they're in a coma) and another person takes the decision on their behalf, often because the ill person previously expressed a wish for their life to be ended in such circumstances

Active and passive euthanasia

You may have heard the terms "active euthanasia" and "passive euthanasia".  "Active euthanasia" is sometimes used to refer to deliberately intervening to end someone's life for example, by injecting them with a large dose of sedatives.  "Passive euthanasia" is sometimes used to refer to causing someone's death by withholding or withdrawing treatment that is necessary to maintain life.  It's important not to confuse "passive euthanasia" with withdrawing life-sustaining treatment in the person's best interests. Withdrawing life-sustaining treatment because it's in the person's best interests can be part of good palliative care and is not euthanasia.

End of life care

If you are approaching the end of your life, you have a right to good palliative care to control pain and other symptoms as well as psychological, social and spiritual support.  You can find out more about:

    where you can receive your care, including in a hospice
    coping with a terminal diagnosis
    ways to start talking about the fact you are dying
    managing pain and other symptoms
    coping financially and benefits entitlement
    making a legally binding advance decision to refuse treatment
    creating a lasting power of attorney so someone you trust can make decisions for you if you can't make them in the future
    why it can help to plan ahead for your future care

Find palliative care services near you.