‘Call to shield police from trials’ and Ofwat ‘faces axe’
The acquittal of Martyn Blake, the firearms officer who shot Chris Kaba in 2022, continues to lead the papers. The Metro reports on the revelation that Mr Kaba was named as the gunman in a shooting in a busy nightclub a week before he died. On Tuesday, the judge in Mr Blake’s trial lifted restrictions that prevented reporting of Mr Kaba’s criminal history while the trial was ongoing. The paper says a gang has put a £10,000 bounty on Mr Blake’s head because of Mr Kaba’s death.
Mr Blake has been forced to flee his home and now faces a “lifetime under threat”, according to the Daily Mail. The paper says the judge has extended a ban on the publication of Mr Blake’s address, photos, or even descriptions of his appearance.
The Guardian says the National Police Chiefs’ Council has asked the government to make it harder for officers to be investigated and prosecuted over incidents like that in which Mr Kaba died. The paper also quotes campaigners calling the move an attempt to secure “effective immunity” for officers. And it says Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to make an announcement on speeding up a review of how police are held to account.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley wants officers to be exempt from criminal charges unless prosecutors can show they deliberately departed from their training, according to the Times. The paper also says that, despite his acquittal, Mr Blake is still likely to face gross misconduct proceedings that could end in his dismissal, which would add to “simmering resentment among firearms officers”.
The i reports that water regulator Ofwat faces being axed, saying it has lost the confidence of politicians and the public after mass illegal sewage dumping in the UK’s waterways. The paper says the UK and Welsh governments are launching a commission to “consider radical reform” of the water industry, adding that ministers have ruled out nationalisation.
Regulators are expected to rule that a new treatment for Alzheimer’s is too expensive for use in the NHS, according to the Daily Telegraph. The paper says research has suggested the drug – donanemab – can slow the disease by 35%, but looks likely only to be available through private clinics or as part of clinical trials. It adds that any such decision will disappoint groups that have campaigned for better access to new drugs on the NHS.
The Daily Mirror reports that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met the winners of its Pride of Britain awards on Tuesday and was “overcome by their heroic tales as they outlined how he could help” their various causes. The paper quotes Sir Keir telling the group: “I’ll do my best for you”.
HSBC has announced a “sweeping reorganisation that will redraw its operations between east and west”, according to the Financial Times. The paper says the bank’s businesses in the UK and Hong Kong will be two of four new standalone units and that the move is intended to allow it to “better navigate geopolitical tensions”.
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