Woman feeding pigeons with bread arrested and handcuffed by police

A woman feeding pigeons in the street was arrested and handcuffed in a “ridiculous” incident caught on camera.

Video posted on social media shows the woman aged in her forties being detained by a group of at least six police officers and council enforcement workers in Harrow, London, on Wednesday.

In the footage captured by a passer-by, the woman looks visibly distressed as she is placed in handcuffs at around 2.30pm on the High Street in Wealdstone, before her pockets are searched. She is then marched by two officers and put in the back of a police van.

The man filming can be heard repeatedly expressing his outrage at the scene, and other passers-by are similarly heard questioning the incident, with one saying, “This is ridiculous.”

The local council said the woman was in “breach of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) relating to bird feeding” and issued her with a £100 fine. Anyone in breach of the PSPO must pay a £100 fixed penalty notice, otherwise they may face prosecution.

Police said the woman was arrested after she “repeatedly refused to provide her personal details” when asked by officers, which is an offence.

Once her details were obtained, the force said she was de-arrested, and the matter was passed over to council officers.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “At around 2.30pm on Wednesday 7 January, officers were approached by local council enforcement officers dealing with an anti-social behaviour incident on Wealdstone High Street, Harrow.

“A woman, in her forties, was repeatedly asked to provide her name and address so that a fixed penalty notice could be issued. After speaking with officers for around 20 minutes, she repeatedly refused to provide her personal details.

“She was arrested on suspicion of breaching Section 50 of the Police Reform Act, which requires people to provide their name and address when requested to do so by the police.

“Her details were later obtained, and she was de-arrested and dealt with by council officers.”

A Harrow Council spokesperson said: “There was a breach of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) relating to bird feeding.

“The individual refused to provide their details, which is an offence, and also refused to stop feeding pigeons when asked to do so.

“Our PSPO is in place to help keep our streets clean and safe for everyone, and anyone found breaching these faces a £100 fixed penalty notice.”

Trump warned Greenland dispute threatens crucial US defence agreements

Donald Trump’s hostile approach to Greenland threatens to undermine the largely unfettered access the United States has with the Danish territory, America’s leading expert on the issue has warned.

Barack Obama’s former assistant secretary of state Frank Rose was the last U.S. official to negotiate a defence deal with Denmark and the Greenland Home Rule administration and spoke exclusively to The Independent about the international dispute threatening to break NATO.

“Like many things with the president, I don’t disagree with what he’s trying to do,” he said. “I disagree with the means he’s trying to get there.”

Rose described Greenland as “critical” to U.S. defence and in 2003/2004 was responsible for negotiating the agreement for satellite defence on the island as part of the early warning system for attacks on America.

He noted that thanks to another treaty in 1951 the U.S. can “do whatever it wants” militarily on Greenland with the consent of the Danish government “and they were never going to say no”.

But he warned that with President Trump’s bellicose language of forcibly taking Greenland from Denmark, that the consent needed might not be forthcoming if the U.S. wants to put 10,000 troops on the island again – the number it had there until the end of the Cold War.

On Friday, Trump reiterated his intentions to take to take the territory one way or another and showed no sign of backing down.

“We’re going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not,” he told reporters. “We’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor. I would like to make a deal, the easy way. But if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way.

“I’m a big fan of Denmark, they’ve been very nice to me. But the fact they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn’t mean they own the land. I’m sure we had lots of boats go there also.”

The issue has has shocked NATO allies with U.K. prime minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking twice to the president about it in a bid to persuade him to back off his demands.

When it was put to Rose that Denmark and Greenland are not going to be cooperative because of the international backlash to Trump’s threats, he replied: “That’s quite possible.”

He went on: “I’ve worked with Danes for 25 years of my career. They are wonderful allies. They have shed blood for the United States in Afghanistan. These people are good allies.

“You know, you really don’t want to upset your friends for no reason. Sometimes you need to upset your friends. Okay, that’s just, that’s life. This is not one of those situations where we need to upset our friends to get what we need.

“I say this, as someone who’s actually negotiated with the Danes and the Greenland Home Rule government back in 2003/ 2004 to enhance the security of the United States, I understand how important Greenland is.”

As a a junior staffer at the Pentagon working on missile defense, he was responsible for working with the Danish government and the Greenland Home Rule government to allow them to upgrade the radar as part of the homeland missile defense mission.

He said the radar “is really critical with regards to our ability to protect the East Coast of the United States from long range missile threats from North Korea and potentially Iran.”

It is also critical to track missiles in space or ones fired over the poles by Russia or China.

The United States occupied Greenland during the Second World War after Denmark fell to Nazi Germany and then the treaty of 1951 meant that they could station whatever military they wanted afterwards.

“So Trump absolutely right about the strategic importance of Greenland, but fundamentally, under the 1951 Defense of Greenland Treaty, we basically have wide latitude to deploy additional troops as needed,” Rose said.

“We have all the legal rights necessary to do what we need to do. This is Donald Trump. He gets many of these, the fundamental issues right, but it’s how he goes about it. And I wish somebody on the National Security Council or the State Department was telling him that we can do whatever we need to do there.”

New footage from ICE agent’s phone shows what woman said before being fatally shot

Thousands of anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement demonstrations are expected to occur across the country this weekend in response to the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis this week.

The nonviolent protests, being called “ICE Out For Good,” are scheduled to take place Saturday and Sunday in New York, Los Angeles, Boulder, Chicago, Philadelphia and more.

Groups, such as Indivisible, Voto Latino, ACLU, Disappeared in America Campaign and 50501, are helping organize the lawful protests, which call for the government to reduce ICE presence in cities and demand accountability.

Anti-ICE protests have been ongoing in Minneapolis. Several protesters have been spotted wearing costumes, waving signs that read “abolish ICE” and blowing whistles in the city’s downtown area.

Meanwhile, new cellphone footage of the fatal shooting, reportedly taken by ICE officer Jonathan Ross, emerged Friday. The video, obtained by Alpha News, shows the officer’s interaction with Good before firing shots into her vehicle.

Britain’s former top judge tells Starmer: Make things right on IPP

A former lord chief justice has urged Sir Keir Starmer to end the scandal of cruel indefinite jail terms, accusing ministers of ignoring “the urgency of the situation”, as scores of prisoners languish in jail with no hope of release.

Comparing the cases of those locked up under imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences to the Post Office and infected blood scandals, Lord John Thomas argued it is “time for the state to recognise that a mistake has been made” and called for ministers to “bring justice at long last to those never released”.

IPP sentences – recognised as “psychological torture” by the UN – were scrapped in 2012, but not retrospectively, leaving almost 2,500 inmates who were already jailed incarcerated with no release date as the government continues to refuse to resentence them.

At least 94 people have taken their own lives in prison after losing hope of getting out.

Victims of the scandal, whose tragic cases have been highlighted by The Independent, include Leroy Douglas, who has served almost 20 years for stealing a mobile phone; Thomas White, 42, who set himself alight in his cell and has served 13 years for stealing a phone; and Abdullahi Suleman, 41, who is still inside 19 years after he was jailed for a laptop robbery.

Lord Thomas, a crossbench peer, last month tabled an amendment to the Sentencing Bill calling for IPP prisoners to be given a release date within two years of their next parole hearing, but it was voted down by the government this week.

It came alongside another defeated amendment tabled by Edward Garnier KC, a former solicitor general under the Conservative government, which called for a panel of judges to reconsider the plight of every prisoner on an indefinite jail term.

Writing for The Independent, Lord Thomas argued that IPP sentences have left some prisoners facing “extraordinary” sentences which are “wholly disproportionate to the crime” they committed.

“The IPP sentence is now accepted to have been wrong in principle by absolutely everyone. How, therefore, can we as a nation justly continue to imprison people under such a sentence?

“There is no answer to this question, save that the policy of the government is unjust,” he wrote.

Lord Thomas continued: “Psychiatric evidence is clear that if we lock someone up for an indefinite time for an offence that is not that serious, we are likely to do them damage.

“People on IPP sentences are being subjected to increased risk because their imprisonment is unjust and they lose all hope. It is time for the state to recognise that a mistake has been made.

“If we can do justice in the terrible cases of the Post Office and infected blood scandal, we can do it here.”

Lord Timpson has been at the forefront of trying to push reform in the new government, and is understood to have been arguing for many of the changes that Lord Thomas specifies in his mission for change.

Even though deputy prime minister David Lammy showed sympathy for change while in opposition, he has been reluctant to embrace the changes he once advocated.

The Independent understands there have been heated exchanges at the top of government, with the debate pivoting on the possible public disdain over the release of prisoners against the compassion of not locking people up and throwing away the key.

Lord Thomas’s remarks come just days after The Independent reported on the plight of 233 prisoners serving indefinite sentences who have been transferred to secure mental health units, in many cases because the hopeless nature of the jail term has left them profoundly damaged.

Meanwhile, a senior doctor who treats IPP prisoners warned that more will likely take their lives in custody unless the government moves to end the scandal.

Calling for ministers to take urgent action, Lord Thomas said: “2026 should be the year in which we at last remedy this longstanding injustice.

“It should not be a year when our government leaves the stain of IPP on our otherwise world-renowned system of justice and shows we, as a country, cannot pass the unfailing test of any civilisation.”

The Independent revealed in September that the United Nations will investigate whether Britain is breaching human rights law by arbitrarily detaining prisoners trapped on IPP sentences.

Campaigners and their legal team launched a landmark complaint on behalf of five men who have served a combined total of 84 years incarcerated under IPP jail terms, including for minor crimes.

The case, lodged with the UN’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in September 2025, includes a bombshell letter from Mr Lammy, which proves he agrees the jail term is a “grave injustice” which causes “simply horrendous” mental trauma.

The letter, written in 2021 when he was shadow justice secretary, says the implementation of the jail term was “tragically flawed”, adding: “It is now painfully clear that the IPP sentence was far too broad, and many low-risk offenders are serving IPP sentences today for committing minor offences in the past.”

Meanwhile, senior judges who imposed the jail terms have revealed their regret for their part in the “injustice”.

Former High Court judge Sir John Saunders said he would apologise to offenders he handed IPP jail terms.

The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment.

Frank under mounting pressure as Tottenham host Aston Villa in FA Cup

Tottenham host Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round as Thomas Frank faces a pressure clash in the all-Premier League tie.

Spurs have one win in six games and fell to a 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth in midweek to add to the unhappy atmosphere in north London. With the club struggling in the Premier League, the FA Cup represents Tottenham’s best chance of success this season but they face a tough tie against high-flying Villa.

Unai Emery’s side remain in an excellent position in the Premier League despite Arsenal recently ending their 11-game winning run, as well as the midweek draw at Crystal Palace. Villa’s last silverware was 20 years ago, in the 1996 League Cup, while their last FA Cup triumph was in 1957.

Both of these clubs have a proud history in the FA Cup, with Tottenham winning the trophy eight times to Villa’s seven. Follow live updates from the FA Cup third-round tie, which is live on BBC One, below

Your dream cruise formula: From Caribbean islands to European cities

If your ideal holiday is one that blends fuss-free adventure with great culinary choices and sumptuous relaxation, then book yourself onto a cruise immediately. From experiencing rich cultures, visiting breathtaking beauty spots, and dining on delicious delicacies – cruising has become one of the most luxurious ways to travel.

This dream-holiday formula is something that Virgin Voyages has perfected with its multi-award-winning, adult-only cruises, which sail across Europe, North America and the Caribbean. From entertaining onboard experiences and modern facilities to exciting escapades on land, these are the types of trips that are worth writing home about, and why Virgin Voyages has been named Travel + Leisure ® World’s Best #1 Mega Ship for an impressive three years in a row.

Here’s what would-be Sailors can expect from a Virgin Voyages cruise…

Whichever of the 150-plus destinations you choose to sail to, one thing remains guaranteed, you’ll get an unforgettable journey, and leave with happy stories to share with loved ones back home. Why not make those memories on Virgin Voyages’ impressive Lady Ships, with Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady and Brilliant Lady each offering a distinct personality which is encapsulated in everything from decor to destinations. Expect enough amenities and activities to entertain a small city: from tequila tasting to spa days and over 20 premium eateries serving menus curated by Michelin starred chefs. There’s a whole holiday’s worth of experiences before you’ve even docked at your first port.

Be gone any thoughts of pokey, old-fashioned interiors and get ready to embrace charming cabins with a super-yacht aesthetic. No matter which of the Virgin Voyages sleeping quarters you choose from, you’ll be met with super comfortable beds, a roomy rainshower, mood lighting, free Wi-Fi and a large flat-screen HDTV. Want to really push the boat out? Opt for luxury suites that promise five-star comfort and opulence, with champagne tables, sun loungers, handwoven terrace hammocks and in-room bars. Virgin Voyages ‘RockStar’ Sailors can also enjoy everything from VIP entrances to private access to rooftop terraces.

Whether your spirit is one of a dancing queen or a sophisticated theatre-goer, Virgin Voyages has nightlife and entertainment options to suit every taste – developed with the help of the world’s most-talked-about directors, choreographers, and artists. Choose from 80s parties, festival acts or classic stories like Romeo and Juliet – reinvented with a circus twist. Each ship offers something different, so if you’re a Virgin Voyages regular, you’ll never see the same thing twice. Save your vocal chords for the private karaoke rooms, while the casinos and gaming arcades could elevate an already winning mood even further.

Don’t want to leave your full-on fitness regime behind when you go on holiday? Or are you just curious to try a new healthy group class? Whatever your wellness wishes, there’s plenty to keep you busy onboard with workouts for every level. There’s yoga, HIIT, weight training, boxing, meditation and more, plus running or walking the signature 255-metre-ish Virgin red running track, which curves around the top of the ship in a halo shape. If relaxation is your main goal, head to the spa for everything from steam room and sauna to hot stone massage and seaweed wrap. The beauty salon offers a range of professional treatments, from manicures, pedicures and nail art to IV therapy, Botox and fillers.

While you’re free to enjoy port cities at your own leisure, Virgin Voyages also curates an array of land excursions or ‘Shore Things’ for those who want to immerse themselves in local culture. Why not enjoy a barefoot fish cookout on the Mexican island of Cozumel, a late night party on the Greek Island of Mykonos or visit the historic halls of Harvard University when sailing through Boston, Massachusetts. If you’re cruising the Caribbean, choose from a beach day in St Vincent and The Grenadines; explore the private island of Mustique or visit the colourful buildings of the capital Kingstown. Do as much or as little as you like – you’re always in charge!

Proving that there really is a cruise for everyone, Virgin Voyages’ child-free cruises visit almost endless destinations that span Europe, North America and the Caribbean. Choose a five-night cruise from New York to Bermuda, taking in the paradise pink-sand beaches, maritime history and cafe culture of the island, or maybe a seven-night voyage starting in Los Angeles and sailing to Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan in Mexico. For a trip closer to home, soak in the Mediterranean sunshine while visiting Europe’s most famous cities and islands starting in the homeports of Greece and Spain. Tick off an array of bucket list destinations with the Idyllic Ibiza cruise aboard the Valiant Lady; set sail from Rome to Barcelona with stop offs at the superluxe Amalfi Coast, Cannes and Ibiza – now, that’s what you call an A-list adventure.

With so many incredible destinations to visit and on-board luxury to explore, a cruise with Virgin Voyages is a holiday you’ll never stop talking about.

Discover Virgin Voyages luxury range of cruises and plan your next adventure today

Mahmood to end support for some asylum seekers in bid to shut hotels

Shabana Mahmood will end the government’s duty to support all destitute asylum seekers as she seeks to shut more asylum hotels, sources have said.

The home secretary intends to remove support from some asylum seekers and begin evicting people from hotels in the spring.

In a move first reported by The i Paper, Ms Mahmood will target asylum seekers who could support themselves financially but choose not to, along with those who have a right to work, who break the law or work illegally, and those who refuse an order to leave the UK.

This is expected to allow her to remove support from thousands of the 111,651 people receiving payments or accommodation from the government. However, many are likely to remain eligible for support.

Around 36,000 asylum seekers were housed in hotels at the end of September, the latest available figures show, with the Home Office saying that fewer than 200 hotels are now in use.

Sir Keir Starmer’s government is attempting to demonstrate progress on deterring small boat crossings and cutting the asylum bill, with Ms Mahmood said to be expecting further hotel closures by April.

Other policies under consideration, according to The i, include finding alternative accommodation for asylum seekers, such as military barracks or multiple-occupation houses, expanding the one in, one out deal with France and striking a new agreement with Germany.

Asylum seekers from Syria could also face removal to their home country, with the government deeming it safer after the fall of the Assad regime at the end of 2024.

A Labour source said: “The home secretary is a woman in a hurry. She is working tirelessly to introduce these reforms to restore order and control to our borders.”

But Ms Mahmoud’s approach to the issue has sparked backlash from within her own party.

When new measures were announced last year, Labour backbenchers publicly condemned the “shameful” package.

In November, former Labour frontbencher Richard Burgon said the government’s asylum plans “scrape the bottom of the barrel” and are “a desperate attempt to triangulate with Reform”.

Some 41,472 people crossed the Channel in small boats last year, the second-highest annual total on record but still lower than the peak year of 2022 when there were 45,774 crossings.

So far in 2026, just 32 people have made the crossing, arriving in a single boat on 5 January.

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick used a Daily Telegraph column claiming that “mass migration and the abject failure of integration” had left the police unable to “assert control or maintain order” in some parts of the country due to the influence of “Islamism”.

Man killed when tree fell on caravan during Storm Goretti

A man has been killed by a tree falling onto a caravan as Storm Goretti battered the UK with up to 99mph winds.

The man aged in his 50s was found dead in the Mawgan area of Helston on Thursday evening, when a rare red weather warning for “dangerous, stormy” gusts was in force across Cornwall.

Devon and Cornwall Police said emergency services were called at around 7.35pm on Thursday, and work took place on Friday to remove the tree. The man’s death is not being treated as suspicious, and his next of kin have been informed.

Warnings for snow and ice remain in force across much of the UK on Saturday as tens of thousands of people are still without power after the storm hit the country.

Yellow warnings for snow and ice continue until Sunday and rail disruption may be seen through the weekend across England, Wales and Scotland, National Rail said.

About 28,000 properties were without power in the South West at 6am on Saturday, according to the National Grid’s website, along with close to 1,700 in the West Midlands and about 150 in the East Midlands, while all power has been restored in Wales.

On the evening the man died, the Met Office had warned that “violent gusts” would hit parts of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, bringing a potential danger to life. When the red alert was in place between 4pm to 11pm, winds of 99mph were recorded at St Mary’s Airport on the Isles of Scilly, a new record for the site, according to the forecaster.

Storm Goretti, named by French weather forecaster Meteo France, was described as a “multi-hazard event” by the Met Office, with weather warnings for snow, wind, rain and ice issued across the UK this week, and as much as 30cm of snow covering parts.

Forecasters warned that the combination of melting snow and rain will increase the flood risk for some in the coming days.

Forecasters recorded 15cm of snow at Lake Vyrnwy in Powys and 7cm at Preston Montford in Shropshire and Nottingham. In Scotland, there was 27cm at Altnaharra in Sutherland, 26cm at Loch Glascarnoch and 22cm at Durris in Kincardineshire.

The highest rainfall total was recorded in Cornwall, with 61.8mm at Colliford Dam, followed by 57mm at Ddolwen Bridge, Dyfed, and 54mm at White Barrow in Devon.

A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place until 3pm on Saturday, with further snowfall possible across parts of northern England and much of Scotland, while a widespread risk of ice is expected to cause disruption.

A separate yellow warning for ice covers large parts of England and Wales until midday on Saturday as partially thawed snow refreezes, accompanied by wintry showers and freezing fog.

In Northern Ireland, a yellow warning for snow and ice will run until 11am on Saturday, with the Met Office warning of icy patches and some hill snow.

A yellow warning for snow and ice will be in force for much of Scotland, the East and West Midlands, north-east and north-west England and Yorkshire from 2am until 3pm on Sunday.

A further 2-5cm of snow is likely in the warning area, with 10-20cm possible above 200 metres.

Downing Street said support was being offered to homes left without power on Saturday.

The Met Office has advised those within the regions covered by alerts to prepare for delays to journeys, which could involve dangerous driving conditions, and to take extra time when travelling to help avoid slips and falls on the ice.

In an online forecast, Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth said Saturday will be off to a “cold start” with the risk of “icy stretches” before dry and sunny conditions for some.

She said: “So do take care if you’re travelling this morning.

“Across eastern areas of England, there’ll be a few showers through the day, some of these sleety in nature but for most of us, it will be a dry day and for some there will be some sunshine.

“I think a large swathe of northern areas of England, southern Scotland, eastern Scotland as well will see plenty of dry and bright weather.

“If you are heading out there, you will want a few layers because it is another chilly one out there.

“The winds are relatively light, however, so there’s not too much in the way of wind chill, but yes, you’ll certainly want to be wrapping up if you’re heading out this afternoon to enjoy some of that drier weather.”