Prison staff fake checks on suicidal inmates, watchdog warns

A prisons watchdog has warned of the “widespread falsification” of records claiming checks on suicidal inmates have been carried out.

A report from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) Adrian Usher found evidence that prison staff had lied over mandatory welfare checks for prisoners at risk of self-harm.

It comes as prisoner deaths have soared by 35 per cent year on year, with 486 deaths investigated by the ombudsman in 2024-2025, 100 of which were self-inflicted.

This includes 393 deaths in prison, up 106 compared to the previous year, and 73 deaths within 14 days of being released from custody.

There was also a 15 per cent increase in complaints from prisoners as widespread overcrowding puts the system “under strain”, the report found.

“I am concerned about the rise in complaints and deaths we have seen, and we are working closely with the services in remit to understand what the causes may be,” Mr Usher said.

The ombudsman’s report noted the prison population is getting older thanks to longer prison sentences and a significant rise in historic sexual offence convictions.

The report also identified systemic issues around falsified records, particularly relating to at-risk prisoners subject to Assessment, Care in Custody, and Teamwork (ACCT) monitoring.

It comes after checks of prison CCTV proved staff had lied about carrying out welfare checks on a prisoner who died.

“This year, we have been disappointed to identify widespread falsification of records by staff, particularly relating to ACCT checks (intended to provide support to and monitoring of prisoners considered at risk of suicide and self-harm) and routine checks which also serve as an opportunity to check on prisoners’ welfare,” the report said.

“In one case, a review of CCTV on the wing where the prisoner died identified that staff had falsified his ACCT document, recording that they had conducted checks when they had not.”

As a result, the ombudsman recommended that staff who have been found to falsify records face disciplinary action.

The Prison Reform Trust said the findings were “shocking and unacceptable” as they called for urgent reform.

“The findings of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman’s Annual Report are deeply troubling and highlight the urgent need for reform in our prison system,” chief executive Pia Sinha said.

“The 35 per cent increase in investigations following a death, particularly among older prisoners, is a stark reminder of the human cost of overcrowded prisons and systemic failings.

“The identification of widespread falsification of records, especially in monitoring prisoners at risk of suicide and self-harm, is shocking and unacceptable. ​It underscores the need to support staff with proper training and resources, but also to hold them accountable when standards are breached.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “While the majority of deaths are due to natural causes, we take each and every one very seriously and anyone found falsifying records faces disciplinary action and being referred to the police.

“We have also improved observation checks of those at risk of self-harm – ensuring CCTV is properly reviewed.”

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you

Tributes paid to man stabbed to death outside Knightsbridge hotel

Tributes have been paid to a 24-year-old man who was stabbed to death outside a luxury hotel in central London.

Blue Stevens, from Hampshire, has been named in reports as the victim of the attack in Knightsbridge on Wednesday night.

The Metropolitan Police are investigating whether the attack outside the Park Tower hotel and casino was a robbery.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after the emergency services arrived around 9.30pm, the force said.

Bouquets of flowers and cards were laid at the scene, with the victim named in one of the tributes as Mr Stevens.

His friends and family have taken to social media to pay tribute to the young man, with a woman believed to be his mother writing: “Please. I want him back.”

Another, believed to be his cousin, wrote: “ This is heartbreaking. R.I.P young Blue, this ain’t fair all for a watch and in front of his family and friends. My heart goes out to my cousins and I’m always here if you need me.

“Just want to add if you carry a knife, it don’t make you a “BIG MAN” it makes you a coward and shows how weak you are and a young life has been taken before his time. When will this stop.”

The incident happened near luxury hotel The Park Tower Knightsbridge but did not involve any guests or staff, according to a spokesperson.

The spokesperson added: “We are very saddened by this incident that occurred on the street adjacent to our hotel. Our thoughts are with the victim’s family at this difficult time.

“We can confirm that the incident did not involve any of our hotel guests or staff. We are fully cooperating with the authorities as they investigate this matter.”

No arrests have been made so far and a crime scene will remain in place, with the pavement surrounding the hotel and adjacent restaurant Nusr-Et – run by Turkish chef Nusret Gokce, known as ‘Salt Bae’ – closed off.

The man’s next-of-kin are aware and are being supported by specialist officers.

Superintendent Owen Renowden said: “Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones following the shocking events that took place last night.

“Detectives from the Specialist Crime Command, supported by local officers, are working at pace to establish the circumstances of what happened.

“We are aware of reports that this incident was a robbery. Although this is an active line of inquiry, we are keeping an open mind about all possible motives and the exact circumstances are still to be determined.

“We understand the impact this incident will have on the local community and you will see extra officers in the area to help answer any questions or concerns.”

People are urged to call police on 101 referencing CAD 8521/09JUL, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, with any information.

Gregg Wallace faces backlash from charities over autism defence

Gregg Wallace has come under fire from disability charities after appearing to link misconduct claims against him with an autism diagnosis.

The 60-year-old television presenter is facing multiple accusations, including claims that he made inappropriate sexual jokes, asked for the phone numbers of female production staff, and behaved unprofessionally around female colleagues on set. Wallace has denied these allegations.

In a statement about an investigation into those claims, the former MasterChef host said that he had recently been formally diagnosed with autism, and suggested that his neurodiversity was “suspected and discussed by colleagues across countless seasons” of the show.

He went on to add that TV bosses had failed to “investigate my disability” or “protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment”.

A friend of the presenter doubled down on the claims, suggesting Wallace could not wear underwear “because of his autistic hypersensitivity to labels and tight clothing”.

However, Seema Flower, founder of disabilities consultancy BlindAmbition, told BBC News that there was “no excuse” for inappropriate behaviour and asked: “Where does it leave us if we use autism as an excuse to behave in whatever way we like?”

Emily Banks, founder of neurodiversity training body Enna, told the broadcaster that autism “doesn’t absolve anyone of responsibility, and it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t tell the difference between right and wrong”, while Dan Harris from the charity Neurodiversity in Business said that autism “is not a free pass for bad behaviour”.

A National Autistic Society spokesperson said: “Every autistic person is different, just like every non-autistic person is different, so it is important not to generalise or make judgements based on the actions, words or behaviour of any one individual.”

The remarks come just days before the publication of a report on some of the claims made last year. It led to MasterChef production company Banijay commissioning a report on Wallace, overseen by the law firm Lewis Silkin.

The presenter first stepped away from his role on MasterChef nine months ago, after the BBC received complaints about his conduct. Broadcaster Kirsty Wark claimed that Wallace told “sexualised” jokes while they were filming Celebrity MasterChef in 2011, while Location Location Location’s Kirsty Allsopp alleged that he made a comment to her about his sex life, leaving her “so embarrassed” that she thought she “might cry”.

Musician Sir Rod Stewart also claimed that Wallace had “humiliated” his wife, model and presenter Penny Lancaster, when she appeared on Celebrity MasterChef and accused him of being an “ill-mannered bully”.

The presenter initially responded to the accusations of inappropriate behaviour by claiming that they came from “a handful of middle-class women of a certain age”, a comment that sparked considerable backlash.

Wallace later apologised, claiming that he “wasn’t in a good head space” when he shared the comments on social media.

His lawyers, meanwhile, said that “it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.

Wallace was later replaced by Grace Dent on the celebrity edition of the show. He was also dropped as an ambassador for the charity Ambitious about Autism.

On Tuesday (8 July), it was reported that Wallace had been sacked as a MasterChef host before the publication of the investigation’s findings, as BBC News said that it had been approached by more than 50 people with new claims about the presenter.

The claims, which Wallace denies, included allegations that he groped a MasterChef colleague.

On the same day, Wallace launched a lengthy tirade against the broadcaster, claiming that he had decided to “speak out” and share the findings of the months-long investigation into his on-set behaviour, which he described as “full and forensic”.

In a post shared on Instagram, he said that he “cannot sit in silence while my reputation is further damaged to protect others”, and stated that the then-unpublished investigation “exonerates me of all the serious allegations which made headlines last year”.

The former greengrocer said that the report found him “guilty of inappropriate language between 2005 and 2018”. He apologised “without reservation”, adding: “I recognise that some of my humour and language, at times, was inappropriate.”

However, he maintained that the report showed the “most damaging claims” against him, “including allegations from public figures which have not been upheld”, to be “baseless”.

“I was hired by the BBC and MasterChef as the cheeky greengrocer,” he continued. “A real person with warmth, character, rough edges and all. For over two decades, that authenticity was part of the brand.

“Now, in a sanitised world, that same personality is seen as a problem.”

The former Inside the Factory host added that he “will not go quietly” and “will not be cancelled for convenience”.

In response to Wallace’s statement, the BBC told The Independent: “Banijay UK instructed the law firm Lewis Silkin to run an investigation into allegations against Gregg Wallace. We are not going to comment until the investigation is complete and the findings are published.”

Latest Tory defection to Reform leaves only one question for Badenoch

The defection of Sir Jake Berry, a former Tory chairman, to Reform was a genuine shock last night.

As Kemi Badenoch prepared to give a major speech just hours later on welfare reform, it left her looking increasingly lost and irrelevant.

Already, there were questions over why she had chosen today of all days to deliver a major speech when the news was very much focused on migration and the mini-summit between Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, who would be grabbing the attention.

But with Sir Jake’s defection, there would only ever be one subject anybody would ask her about at her press conference: “Who is leaving next?”

While he was not the first ex-Tory MP to be converted to Nigel Farage’s cause, he is without doubt the most substantial and significant to do so. And he will not be the last.

He also represented a very different type of Conservative to join Reform. Figures such as Lee Anderson, Marco Longhi, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, David Jones and Anne Marie Morris were all on the hardcore Brexiteer right wing of the party, but that is not the case with Sir Jake.

Last time he spoke to The Independent, he was at the launch event for Tom Tugendhat’s leadership bid. Tugendhat supposedly represented the type of Tories who would rather vote Lib Dem than Farage.

Sir Jake had been a Remainer during the Brexit referendum; he was also a Boris Johnson loyalist and served under Liz Truss. He is essentially a career politician, someone who was an MP for 14 years, sought ministerial office, was not on the right of the party, and had been a Tory for 30 years.

His admission, “I know what was wrong, I was there”, as he defected, was a pretty scathing attack on his former party.

A friend of Sir Jake’s messaged The Independent last night to say: “He followed his heart.”

A cynic might suggest that his heart was telling him he wanted to be an MP again, and winning back the seat he lost last year would be more easily achieved by standing for Reform.

But this does mark a significant moment. If Farage is now attracting not only the ideologues but also career politicians who want to join a party because it improves their chances of being elected, then the mood is changing.

Sir Jake’s departure tells people, more than any other defection, that the centre-right party most likely to win is Reform led by Farage, rather than the Tories led by Badenoch. Even Starmer is calling Reform the real opposition.

That makes the Tories irrelevant and a bit like the Liberals in the 1920s, with the emergence of Labour, looking like they are a dying and soon-to-be minor fringe group.

Certainly, it is hard to find a member of Ms Badenoch’s top team in her shadow cabinet or many Tory MPs who are up for the fight. Apart from Robert Jenrick, shadow chancellor Mel Stride and a few others, not many of them are making headlines.

The snarky response from a CCHQ (Conservative Campaign Headquarters) source to say Berry “had more positions than the Kama Sutra, and is now living proof that Reform will take anyone” has also angered several Tories who are currently wavering about joining Reform.

Ms Badenoch’s comments at her speech today at the Centre for Social Justice rather grated, too.

“If there are people who are not Conservatives, people who have probably been holding us back for a long time, then they should go to other parties that fit in with their values,” she said when asked about Berry. This was a man who spent a lot of time trying to get funding for the North of England to ensure the Tories did not lose many of the seats they ended up losing.

“All of the people who are not interested in coming up with a proper policy plan and just want to jump ship are welcome to do so, because when the time comes at the next general election, the public are going to be looking for a serious, credible alternative,” she said of a man who had been a loyal servant of the party for three decades.

She hit back at Farage for being left-wing and promising lots of benefits giveaways, calling him “Jeremy Corbyn with a cigarette and a pint”.

Answering a question about what the Reform leader has got that she hasn’t, Ms Badenoch claimed: “What Nigel Farage has got that I haven’t got is telling people whatever it is they want to hear. If people want the truth, they should come to the Conservatives.”

Yet the fact is that Sir Jake was well liked among the Tories and had founded and led the Northern Research Group of Tory MPs. He was an influential figure who might encourage many others to cross over.

Another ex-Tory MP messaged The Independent in the wake of his announcement to say they too were “close” to defecting, deploring the insults levelled at Sir Jake by the party leadership.

They said: “I hate CCHQ with every fibre.”

There is another serious point. Getting people like Sir Jake helps Reform professionalise. He is a very strong campaigner and organiser who can teach it about setting up ground campaigns and using data. Berry brings expertise that is currently lacking in Reform.

Meanwhile, as the news agenda goes on to small boats and Farage is parading his latest recruit, nobody really wants to hear a speech by Ms Badenoch on welfare.

Even though her message was serious and important (although typically lacking in policy detail), it was the wrong speech, wrong time, wrong circumstances again for a Tory leader who cannot catch a break.

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Good riddance to Christian Horner – he should have gone ages ago

So, Christian Horner is out. Relieved of his duties. Released. The man who once strutted through the paddock with the smugness of a Bond villain and the job security of royalty has finally been handed a one-way ticket out of the Red Bull garage.

“Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today,” the team’s parent company, Red Bull GmBH, said in a statement on Wednesday.

To be clear: this isn’t a piece gloating about someone losing their job. But if ever there was a fall from grace that felt both inevitable and (dare I say) overdue, it’s Horner’s.

The official reason for his departure hasn’t been disclosed in full. I’m sure statements are being carefully crafted, PR machines are in overdrive, and lawyers are no doubt hovering over every syllable. But we do know one thing: Red Bull has apparently finally decided it’s no longer willing to absorb the PR fallout, the internal tensions and the endless off-track drama that has surrounded Horner like a toxic cloud for far too long.

And while we may never know exactly which straw broke the camel’s back, we can certainly look at the haystack it came from.

Horner’s leadership of Red Bull Racing has always been divisive. On paper, his CV is golden: multiple constructors’ championships, a conveyor belt of talent, and a team that eventually dethroned the Mercedes dynasty. He has helped turn Red Bull from an energy drink marketing stunt into the most dominant force in Formula One.

But behind the scenes, there have long been whispers of a controlling culture, a tendency to micro-manage and a management style that blurred the lines between assertiveness and arrogance.

He’s never been short on bravado – or enemies, for that matter. Whether sparring with Toto Wolff, downplaying tensions between his drivers, or defending questionable team orders with a smirk, Horner made a habit of deflecting criticism while maintaining an air of invincibility.

That air has now popped like a punctured rear left.

And while it’s important to be careful about drawing direct links, it’s impossible to discuss Horner’s downfall without acknowledging the events of last season, when he faced allegations involving an inappropriate relationship with a junior staff member.

Those accusations were strenuously denied and ultimately did not lead to disciplinary action. But they left an indelible mark. Whether the team wanted to admit it or not, Red Bull had a culture problem on its hands – and Horner was at the centre of it.

What followed was a season of distraction. The headlines weren’t about Max Verstappen’s dominance or technical upgrades to the cars – they were about internal politics, HR investigations, and whether Red Bull was fast becoming unmanageable off the track.

Even when the dust settled, there was a lingering sense that Horner had become more “liability” than “leader”. And that’s a dangerous thing in a sport where image, sponsorship and media narrative are vital.

Let’s not forget Horner had also become one of the most powerful figures in F1. He wasn’t just team principal; he was the face of Red Bull Racing and the de facto voice of the paddock. When broadcasters needed a pre-race interview, it was Horner who always stepped forward.

With power comes ego. And with ego, eventually, comes downfall – especially when the performance of the team is no longer enough to offset the noise behind the scenes.

It’s also telling that Red Bull decided to act at this point – right in the middle of the season. Clearly, Horner’s winning record wasn’t enough to justify his continued leadership. That says a lot about what may have been brewing behind closed doors.

There’s a cautionary tale here. One that extends beyond Horner himself. Formula One has always had its characters: brash team principals, cut-throat decision-making, and even blurred personal-professional boundaries. But the sport is changing.

Sponsors demand accountability, staff demand safety and respect, and fans demand integrity. The days of “boys will be boys” and sweeping scandals under the carbon fibre rug are coming to an end. Slowly, yes. But undeniably.

And in that context, Christian Horner started to look increasingly like a man out of time. His dismissal isn’t just an HR decision – it’s a signal. A signal that even the most successful figures are not immune to scrutiny. That culture matters. That reputation, once cracked, doesn’t always hold under pressure.

What’s next for Horner? A long break from the sport seems inevitable. A PR rehab tour may follow. Perhaps a book? Maybe a Netflix cameo if Drive to Survive decides to go full Shakespearean tragedy.

And for Red Bull, this could be a clean slate. A chance to rebuild not just their leadership structure, but their internal culture. To prove they can dominate without drama, lead without intimidation, and evolve with the sport they helped redefine.

As for the rest of the paddock, well, it’s time to take notes. F1 may be fast, but it looks like karma eventually catches up with you.

There’s a reason for Gregg Wallace’s behaviour – and it’s nothing to do with ‘autism’

Have you heard the one about the greengrocer who managed to land himself a job as one of the nation’s best-loved TV cookery judges, only to get sacked for “inappropriate language and humour”? Perhaps he should grow a pear…

If you can hear boos and a heckle at the back, it’s probably because Wallace, who’s now 60 and should definitely know better, has been getting away with this kind of “unacceptable behaviour” for 20 years – and now that he’s been called out for it, seems to be using his “neurodiversity” as an excuse.

Since an initial investigation was launched in November – when Wallace was asked to stand down from hosting MasterChef – the BBC claims more than 50 people have come forward to report him for making inappropriate sexual comments, in addition to an original 13. Eleven women have also accused him of inappropriate sexual behaviour, such as groping and touching and taking his trousers down in front of them.

Wallace denies the claims – in fact, he came out swinging when the allegations first broke; blaming “middle-class women of a certain age” (now that really is funny). And this week, in a lengthy Instagram post, while he did apologise for “some” of his humour and language, he also mentioned his autism diagnosis. Sorry, is he really using his neurodivergence to try to excuse his inappropriate behaviour? Pull the other one…

Wallace says the Silkin report into his alleged misconduct, which is due to be published this week, will clear him of the “most serious and sensational allegations” against him, though he has stated: “I recognise that some of my humour and language, at times, was inappropriate. For that, I apologise without reservation.”

On Instagram, he insisted he was “never the caricature now being sold for clicks”, but was hired by the BBC and MasterChef as “the cheeky greengrocer”; a real person with warmth, character and “rough edges”. “For over two decades,” he wrote, “that authenticity was part of the brand. Now, in a sanitised world, that same personality is seen as a problem.”

But then he added a bombshell: “My neurodiversity, now formally diagnosed as autism, was suspected and discussed across countless seasons of MasterChef. Yet nothing was done to investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over twenty years. That failure is now being quietly buried.”

Now, I hate to put myself anywhere near the same bracket as Wallace (and have had my own encounter with him, which I won’t go into here). But I am neurodivergent, like an estimated 15 to 20 per cent of the UK population. So are most of my family (there’s a strong genetic predisposition for autism, ADHD and dyslexia, which won’t come as any surprise to those who live with the conditions).

That’s around 13 million of us. And it grates to see what looks like Wallace blaming – or attempting to mitigate – the inappropriate language he’s admitted to on ASD.

Using “inappropriate language and humour” is no hallmark of conditions like autism or ADHD. I can honestly say that I’ve never, to date, been accused of “making lesbian jokes constantly” in the workplace, of asking probing questions about the “logistics” of someone else’s sex life or having to apologise after making a “rape joke” which caused another female contestant on Celebrity MasterChef to become “really distressed” (according to Ulrika Jonsson).

I’ve never been accused of “humiliating” anyone’s wife and being an “ill-mannered bully”, as Rod Stewart posted on Instagram in November; or of making “disgusting” sexual jokes and having to apologise to my colleagues for it. I’ve never blamed my employer on social media for failing to “protect” me or those around me… from myself.

And as a person for whom neurodivergence is part of my everyday life – at work, at home, with friends and at family gatherings – I take offence at the idea that the superpower (some call it a disability and for many it is; I simply prefer to reframe it positively) so many of us were born with is responsible for bad behaviour.

It’s not autism that caused Gregg Wallace to engage in “inappropriate language and humour” – so why mention it in the same post where you admit to it? Neurodivergence isn’t a “get out of jail free” card for people to do whatever they like and shrug off the consequences. So why is it increasingly used as an excuse? And why aren’t we calling this apparent justification out for what it really is – pulling a fast one?

While I’m not suggesting Wallace is a criminal, we’ve seen countless examples of rule-breakers trying to get a softer sentence by blaming autism or ADHD for their antisocial behaviours, even in the most serious of offences.

Hassan Sentamu, for example, who was found guilty of killing 15-year-old Croydon schoolgirl Elianne Andam in 2023 – he stabbed her in the neck after a row over a teddy bear – tried to deny murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility because he had autism. Sentamu claimed his autism spectrum disorder had caused him to “lose control” during the meeting to exchange belongings with his ex-girlfriend, who was Elianne’s friend.

In Idaho, Bryan Kohberger’s defence team have tried to remove the death penalty from the table if he is convicted in the 2022 slayings of four University of Idaho students, citing his autism spectrum disorder diagnosis – they’ve argued that executing someone with autism would constitute cruel and unusual punishment under the eighth amendment to the US constitution.

In February this year, the mother of Louis De Zoysa – a man found guilty of murdering police officer Matt Ratana – told LBC her son “is not evil” and that his actions were the result of an “autistic meltdown”.

In April last year, Mohan Babu, a GP in Havant, Hampshire, was jailed for three and a half years after sexually assaulting three vulnerable patients in his care – but not before his lawyer blamed his “autism” (the judge threw out the excuse, saying Mohan Babu was “capable of making choices regardless of autism”).

In 2021, a paedophile caught with child sex abuse images for a second time in Liverpool blamed his Asperger’s syndrome and ADHD; in 2023 an ex-RAAF intelligence officer dubbed “Australia’s worst ever paedophile” broke down in court after saying his autism was somehow responsible for hundreds of child sex offences; and in 2016, a US Tea Party activist blamed his autism and depression after pleading guilty to child sex abuse charges.

And on and on. It shouldn’t need pointing out, but demonising an entire group of people as common perpetrators of bad behaviour doesn’t help anyone. It only stigmatises us further, when the truth is that neurodivergent people know right from wrong just as well as the next neurotypical in the office (or TV studio).

In fact, most of us spend so much time “masking” (the process by which we fight hard to act “normal” around other people) that we are, in fact, hyper-aware of social norms and situations. We can find them difficult – so, we overcompensate.

As someone who knows (really knows), I just don’t buy the idea that Gregg Wallace – in the limelight for decades, a darling of quintessentially British reality TV, one of the BBC’s biggest stars – was some naif ingénue; that he had so little idea of how to behave because of his disability that he has spoken out of turn, consistently, since 2005.

Then again, perhaps Wallace had no intention of blaming his autism for his misconduct – and this was yet another example of his “inappropriate use of language”.

But I can’t help marvelling that his autism didn’t make him slip up on screen – so, why did it only disable him off camera? I’d love to hear the punchline for that…