Tributes to ‘role model’ father who fell to his death at Oasis gig
A man who fell to his death during Oasis’s Saturday night gig at Wembley has been named as Lee Claydon.
The father from Bournemouth fell from the upper tier balcony of the London stadium during a sell-out concert by the Gallagher brothers.
Describing him as a “loving family man” who loved fishing and outdoor activities and a “role model” to his son, Lee’s brother Aaron Claydon said: “We will miss him so very much.”
Aaron paid tribute to his brother on a GoFundMe page set up to support Lee’s partner, Amanda, and their family.
In the post, he said Lee was “the man I have always looked up to” who “would have done anything for any of us”.
“Our family has been turned upside down and are struggling to deal with this devastation and unexpected loss,” Aaron wrote.
“Lee leaves behind his son, dad, partner, brothers, sisters, nephews and niece.
“Lee was a loving family man who was a role model to his son Harry and was loved so much by all his family. Lee would have done anything for any of us and he was taken from us far too soon and we will miss him so very much.
“Lee loved all outdoor activities, one of his favourite hobbies was fishing. He also loved music and his guitar. He also really enjoyed going to watch and support the boys and his nephew at their football games.
“Amanda and the boys have our full support at this very sad time, which is why we would love to be able to help them financially as well as emotionally.
“Please help us raise as much funds as we can to take one worry off Amanda and family right now as they are going through any family’s worst nightmare.”
Aaron also took to Facebook to pay tribute to his brother, writing: “Still in shock and cannot believe I am writing this, but sadly over the weekend I lost by best mate the man I looked up to and the man I was lucky enough to call my brother Lee Claydon.
“This is gonna be a tough long journey and I have set up this GoFundMe page to help and support his loved ones. Please read and share.
“Until we meet again Rkid.”
Lee’s cousins, Shannon Gabrielle and Richard Norris, also paid tribute to Lee on the social media platform and shared the fundraiser.
“Absolutely shocked and gutted to hear about our cousin Lee Claydon,” Mr Norris wrote, describing the incident as “heartbreaking beyond words”.
“Please consider supporting the fundraiser to help his loved ones during yet another incredibly difficult time,” he said.
Shannon Gabrielle wrote Lee had died “after no doubt having the time of his life at the Oasis concert this weekend”.
She added his death had “devastated the whole family” and said any donations would help support his “closest knit” relatives.
“You just don’t fathom you will go out for a night of amazing fun and not come home at the end of it,” she wrote.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Metropolitan Police said: “A man – aged in his 40s – was found with injuries consistent with a fall.
“He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
“The stadium was busy and we believe it is likely a number of people witnessed the incident, or may knowingly or unknowingly have caught it on mobile phone video footage.
“If you have any information that could help us to confirm what happened, please call 101.”
The Gallagher brothers also said they had been left “shocked and saddened” by the news of the death following their show.
On Sunday, a spokesperson for Wembley said: “Last night, Wembley Stadium medics, the London Ambulance Service and the police attended to a concert-goer who was found with injuries consistent with a fall.
“Despite their efforts, the fan very sadly died. Our thoughts go out to his family, who have been informed and are being supported by specially trained police officers.
“The police have asked anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them.”
Suicidal teen warned mental health hospital staff ‘slept on shifts’
A suicidal teenager revealed that staff “slept on shifts” and said the scandal-hit mental health hospital she was being held in should be “shut down” in a note she wrote before her death, an inquest has heard.
Ruth Szymankiewicz, 14, died on 14 February 2022 after she was left alone at Huntercombe Hospital, near Maidenhead in Berkshire, despite requiring constant one-to-one observation, Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court was told.
In the 15 minutes she was left alone, Ruth, who had an eating disorder, made her way to her room, where she self-harmed. She was found and resuscitated before being transferred to hospital, but died two days later from a brain injury.
In a note written before she died, which was read aloud on Tuesday at the inquest into her death, Ruth said there was a lack of therapy at the hospital, which she said had an “unsafe number of staff”.
It read: “I don’t really know who this is really directed to… Huntercombe, it doesn’t deserve a capital H.
“It is the s***test mental health institution you could get… the unsafe number of staff, how the place makes you worse, the staff literally sleep on their shifts. I don’t want this to happen to any other patients ever. My suggestion is, shut this place down.”
On 7 February, days before her fatal self-harm incident on 12 February, Ruth had been able to self-harm in a similar way, the court heard.
On Monday, the court heard that the support worker responsible for monitoring Ruth was working under a false identity and had completed just a day or a day and a half of online training the day before his first shift at the children’s psychiatric hospital.
Evidence presented at the inquest also revealed that on the day of Ruth’s death, he was working on another ward in the hospital, but had been assigned to Ruth as Thames Ward, where she was being cared for, was short-staffed.
According to evidence submitted by Thames Valley Police, the worker is thought to have entered the country under his real name, which police did not disclose, and later assumed his fake identity, Ebo Achempong.
Sergeant Francesca Keen, of Thames Valley Police, who investigated the careworker, told the inquest he had been employed at the trust through an agency called Platinum Care.
Sgt Keen confirmed that a fake passport had been found at the home of another suspect as part of a fraud investigation launched after Ruth’s death.
According to Sgt Keen, the agency contacted referees provided by the careworker; however, it is not clear whether the referees provided photo verification in respect of his identity. He attended the agency’s office in person following his training, and showed a passport.
The inquest previously heard that the careworker “just left” Ruth after his shift ended, meaning she was left alone for 15 minutes, during which time she was able to self-harm.
On Tuesday, the court heard that although he had left Ruth alone, he was still on the premises when the ambulances arrived after other staff found her.
He returned to the hospital the next day to give a statement, but later left the country for Ghana “never to be seen again”.
The Huntercombe Hospital in Maidenhead, also called Taplow Manor, closed in 2023 after a joint investigation by The Independent and Sky News. It was part of a group of institutions, formerly run by the Huntercombe Group and now taken over by Active Care Group.
The inquest continues.
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 befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
For anyone struggling with the issues raised in this article, eating disorder charity Beat’s helpline is available 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677. NCFED offers information, resources and counselling for those suffering from eating disorders, as well as their support networks. Visit eating-disorders.org.uk or call 0845 838 2040
Trump says he ‘didn’t know’ about Ghislaine Maxwell prison transfer
Donald Trump says that he was not behind the order directing Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer from a prison facility in Florida to a minimum security facility in Texas dubbed “Club Fed”.
The president claimed on Tuesday that he’d only learned about the prison transfer in news reports. Maxwell remains in prison on a 20-year sentence for crimes committed with Jeffrey Epstein, her former boyfriend. Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting charges for sex trafficking children.
“I didn’t know about it at all. I read about it just like you did,” Trump told a reporter who asked him if he’d personally approved the transfer. He added: “It’s not a very uncommon thing.”
Trump went on to defend the private meeting between his former personal attorney, Deputy Attorney Todd Blanche, and Maxwell — something he also insisted wasn’t “unusual”.
The meeting was heavily scrutinized, as the Department of Justice did not explain why Maxwell would have information that the FBI and federal prosecutors didn’t uncover during her prosecution, or Epstein’s. Blanche met with Maxwell for nine hours over two days, releasing only a short statement on Twitter with no details from the meetings. He hasn’t commented publicly on the matter since.
Trump has been criticized for his handling of the so-called Epstein files and their non-release by his administration, both among the president’s typical critics as well as among members of Trump’s own MAGA base.
Maxwell, adding fuel to that fire, offered to testify to the bipartisan House Oversight Committee only if she were to receive a clemency deal for her testimony from the government. Trump has repeatedly been asked if he’ll pardon Maxwell; the president has hedged that he’s “allowed” to, without indicating whether he was specifically considering it.
“I’m allowed to do it, but nobody’s asked me to do it,” said Trump during a Newsmax interview on Friday. “I know nothing about it. I don’t know anything about the case, but I know I have the right to do it. I have the right to give pardons. I’ve given pardons to people before, but nobody’s even asked me to do it.”
Inmates at Maxwell’s new digs include Theranos fraudster Elizabeth Holmes and “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah. Nicknamed “Club Fed,” it’s described as a relatively low-security facility with a sports field, a program where inmates can participate in training service animals, and generally does not house offenders with sex crimes on their records, absent a federal waiver.
Trump and his administration have now been battling the firestorm over the Epstein investigation for a full month. In early July, the Department of Justice and FBI released a joint memo stating that a list of Epstein’s alleged co-conspirators or other evidence linking the powerful men rumored to have taken part in the sexual abuse of minors did not exist within the agencies’ files. The memo also concluded that Epstein’s 2019 death in federal custody was by suicide.
At the same time, the Justice Department told Americans that no further releases of files of the investigations would occur. This infuriated MAGAworld and reignited conversations about the topic across social media and the podcasting spheres, as Trump’s associates spent months and in some cases years ginning up speculation around the Epstein case and adding fuel to conspiracy theories involving Joe Biden and the so-called “Deep State”.
Right-wing influencers were even called to the White House at one point this year to receive binders titled “Phase One” of the administration’s Epstein document release plan. Phase two never materialized.
The furor proved impossible for Republican members of Congress to ignore, and a number have called on the administration to provide more transparency. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the August recess early to avoid a forced vote on a measure to compel the Justice Department to release documents from the case, but that measure is expected to be a fight Congress wages in September once lawmakers return.
Ad watchdog slams Zara over ‘unhealthily thin’ model photos
Fashion giant Zara published “socially irresponsible” photos of models who appeared to be unhealthily thin, the advertising watchdog has ruled.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received a complaint regarding two product listings on Zara’s website in May.
One featured a model wearing an oversize pocket shirt, while another featured a different model in a voluminous combined short dress.
The complaint argued the ads were irresponsible because the models appeared unhealthily thin.
Zara defended the images, stating the models had worked for well-known and reputable fashion brands and confirmed both had medical certification proving they were in good health.
The retailer said that neither of the images had been modified, beyond very minor lighting and colouring edits.
Zara confirmed that it had amended the product listings after receiving the complaint and removed the specific images.
The ASA said the low-cut design of the shirt in the first ad drew attention to the model’s upper chest area, creating a focal point around her collarbone, which was protruding.
In addition, the positioning of her arms, while wearing a baggy shirt, created the impression that her arms, shoulders and chest were very slim.
The ASA said: “Overall, we considered that the pose of the model and the choice of clothing in the ad created the impression that the model was unhealthily thin.”
The watchdog also said that the styling and lighting of the second image and the choice of clothing meant the ad created the impression that the model was unhealthily thin.
The ASA said: “For the above reasons, we concluded that the models… appeared unhealthily thin and that the ads were irresponsible.”
Zara has been approached for comment.
In July, a Marks & Spencer advertisement was banned by the ASA as it also featured a model who appeared to be “unhealthily thin”.
The ASA noted the model, dressed in slim-fit trousers and a white top, “appeared thin and she wore large pointed shoes which emphasised the slenderness of her legs”.
Furthermore, the ruling highlighted that camera angles distorted the model’s head, making it appear out of proportion and “highlighted her small frame”.
A Zara UK spokesman said: “We note the ASA’s decision following an individual complaint regarding two images on our website which we removed when the ASA made us aware.
“We are committed to responsible content and follow stringent guidelines and controls in the selection and photographing of models, as well as in the selection of images.”
MP encourages constituents to ‘embrace’ AI version of himself
A Labour MP has helped to create an AI politician – encouraging his constituents to “embrace” an artificial intelligence version of himself.
Mark Sewards, the Labour MP for Leeds South West and Morley, said it was “the UK’s first virtual MP”.
In a message urging local residents to “give AI Mark a try”, the MP, who was elected for the first time last year, said the “AI revolution is happening and we must embrace it or be left behind.”
Mr Sewards said he worked with the company Neural Voice, based in his constituency, on the AI MP.
Neural Voice stood a candidate, AI Steve, at the last general election, suggesting he could put trust back into politics, with constituents proposing and voting on what AI Steve should do as a local MP, with the chair of the firm Steve Endacott appearing in parliament to enact what they decided.
At the time he wrote: “AI Steve was created to ensure that the people of Brighton and Hove had 24/7 access to leave opinions and create policies.”
Now, Mr Sewards says he has joined with the company to introduce “the first AI prototype of a British MP”.
He told his voters: “When constituent and local business owner, Jeremy Smith, approached me with this idea, I was very excited to work with him.”
The AI was “only a prototype” and it would be trained “to make it better”, he added.
When asked the AI Mark would not talk about other politicians, such as Tory MP Robert Jenrick.
Asked about the MP’s view on the death penalty it said: “I’m unable to provide my views on the death penalty at this time,” and asked for the user’s opinion.
Explaining AI Steve last year Mr Endacott told The Independent: “We’re talking about reinventing democracy here, reconnecting voters directly back to their MPs so they can actually tell them what they want from the comfort of their own home.
“The difficulty is a lot of people react against it before they have read it and just think Skynet [the AI that created the Terminator in the Arnold Schwarzenegger film franchise]. There is supposed to be a Black Mirror episode that is similar – but I haven’t seen it.
“I’m very centrist, very practical. Basically imagine a businessman who goes into politics and not giving a s*** about politics. I don’t care about ego.
“There will be a generational gap here, some people will go what on earth is going on? We are trying to reinvent democracy, it’s serious it’s not a joke or a PR stunt. We are using AI Steve as a provocative title to get attention, we admit that.
“You can’t replace MPs. This is a tool for MPs they can use to better represent their constituency. We’re not aiming to make decisions by computer.
“We are trying to engage with more human beings in electoral decisions by using AI as a co-pilot.
“We’re serious. You have to be honest. If you want a better NHS and education you have to raise taxes – you have to stop bulls***ting people and tell them the truth.”
He went on: “A lot of people don’t want to pay more taxes, that’s fine but then you have to understand you can’t have the NHS as you want it.”
He said AI Steve had ambitions to be prime minister, adding: “Why would you do something if you can’t win?”
Trump ‘readies fresh sanctions’ against Russia’s shadow fleet of oil ships
US special envoy Steve Witkoff will be reaching Moscow today to meet with Russian leadership as Washington attempts to convince Russian president Vladimir Putin to sign a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine.
US president Donald Trump has grown significantly frustrated with Mr Putin in recent weeks and has given him until this Friday to make progress toward peace in Ukraine or face tougher sanctions.
Mr Trump is reportedly considering imposing new sanctions on Russia’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers if Vladimir Putin does not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine by Friday.
Moscow’s “shadow fleet” – vessels whose ownership is secret – transport oil around the world to evade western sanctions. White House sources say the sanctions would an easy first step to try to force Mr Putin into a truce, according to the FT.
But sources close to the Kremlin say Mr Putin is unlikely to bow to the sanctions ultimatum.
Yesterday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he had had a “productive” conversation with Mr Trump on ending the war, sanctions on Russia and the finalisation of a US-Ukraine drone deal.
Why Musk’s $29bn Tesla payout is a blessing in disguise
It is commonly believed that Elon Musk owns the Tesla car company. He doesn’t. First, Musk only owns about 16 per cent of the company’s shares – even with the approximately $29bn (£22bn) additional share allocation he’s just received – so he is actually a minority shareholder.
Second, Tesla isn’t strictly a car company, even though it obviously makes them. It is principally a tech company, so its valuation and business model are radically different, and are based on its lead on autonomous (or self-driving) transportation.
Only recently, Tesla boasted that a customer in Austin, Texas, had their Model Y delivered to them directly from the assembly line, with the car driving itself for the half-hour trip. Tesla is built on self-driving technology, and that, in turn, is predicated on the continuing genius of Elon Reeve Musk.
So that explains a lot in respect of this headline-grabbing story about his “$29bn pay packet”. Such an outrageous package was proposed for, and by, Musk some years ago – but, given the objections of some shareholders, a court ruled it out. It actually amounted to some $50bn in 2018, but times change, and it seems as though Musk and his company have been devalued by his more recent adventures in Magaland.
In any case, a more ingenious method of turning capital into income was devised so that the richest person in the world could be just that little bit more loaded. Before the share deal, he was worth around $400bn, so he’s going to be a bit less than 10 per cent better off once the new shares have been sorted out. Enough to rub along.
This story, then, tells us a few things about Musk and Tesla. It certainly seems to be a further signal that he is moving away from politics and back to business. The Doge episode and the association with Donald Trump didn’t serve him, or his business interests, well.
Contrary to hopes/fears that having him hanging around the Oval Office and Mar-a-Lago as “First Buddy” would lead to some lucrative government contracts, now Trump is threatening to cut him off – which is especially bad news for SpaceX.
Musk has also gone a bit quiet about the “America Party” he has been planning in an effort to block Trump’s ruinous Budget by winning key seats in Congress in elections next year. Maybe Musk will press on with that, but it seems less likely he’ll do much more than provide lavish funding.
It’s just as well. The Doge project, for all the hype, is over, and it may have done more harm than good to the wellbeing of the American people (and, undeniably, the wider world) in destroying the US international aid agency.
The ill-advised salutes, the nutty tweets (as some of us still insist on calling them), and all the whooping about at the Trump rallies made Musk look more idiotic than evil, and were a grievous distraction. Not even he was able to help run the US, SpaceX, Tesla, and whatever else is going on simultaneously.
Musk was at risk of being the formerly richest man on Earth who overstretched himself and failed spectacularly in politics and in business. As the old Rolling Stones song – so popular at those Trump-Musk rallies – goes, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”.