Live Facial Recognition vans to be deployed in Southend tomorrow
Southend has seen high visitor numbers today as sun-seekers from across south Essex packed the beach.
Live Facial Recognition is a tool used by police forces to identify wanted individuals among the public - it does not store the information of pedestrians who are not already on police databases.
We're now on WhatsApp! Join our new channel at https://bit.ly/4eGOxig to get all the latest breaking news and exclusive stories delivered straight to your phone.
A spokesperson for Essex Police said: "Our Live Facial Recognition vans will be in Southend tomorrow, Sunday June 22, as part of our policing plan to keep the city safe.
"If you've got questions about how the technology works, please speak to our officers and they'll be happy to explain."
Busy - Sun-seekers have flocked to Southend in recent days (Image: Lucy North) Southend seafront has seen large visitor numbers throughout the day as residents seek to make the most of this weekend's mini-heatwave.
Live Facial Recognition has been deployed in Southend on numerous occasions in the past, with vans parked on both the seafront and High Street.
You can find out more information about Essex Police's use of Live Facial Recognition at essex.police.uk/police-forces/essex-police/areas/essex-police/au/about-us/live-facial-recognition
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pekan Nanas school hall brawl: 18 men arrested for rioting with weapons (VIDEO)
KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — Police have arrested 18 men after a brawl broke out at a school hall in Pekan Nanas, Pontian late Friday night. The incident, which occurred around 11.30pm on July 4, was reported by a member of the public who called the Pontian police headquarters. Responding swiftly, officers from the district's Criminal Investigation Division were dispatched to the scene. The suspects, all local men aged between 17 and 48, were apprehended on the spot. They are being investigated under Section 148 of the Penal Code for rioting with weapons, and Section 427 for causing mischief. If found guilty, they face up to five years in prison, a fine, or both under Section 148, and up to two years' jail or a fine under Section 427. The police have stressed they will not compromise when it comes to crimes that threaten public peace and safety. The statement comes as videos of the fight continue to circulate on social media, prompting concern from the public. Authorities have urged the public not to share unverified footage or information related to the case. Anyone with information has been asked to contact the Pontian police hotline at 07-6869999.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Post Office Horizon scandal: Why hundreds were wrongly prosecuted
The Post Office Horizon scandal has been called the UK's most widespread miscarriage of justice, after hundreds of people were prosecuted on the basis of data from faulty software. The scandal led to widespread public anger, partly as a result of a hit TV drama, and has been the subject of a lengthy inquiry. The first part of the report from the official inquiry into what happened is due to be published on Tuesday 8 July. More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted because of incorrect information from the Horizon computer system. Many sub-postmasters went to prison for false accounting and theft, and others were financially ruined. The Post Office itself took many cases to court, prosecuting 700 people between 1999 and 2015. Another 283 cases were brought by other bodies, including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). In 2017, a group of 555 sub-postmasters - led by campaigner Alan Bates, who has since been knighted - took legal action in a landmark court case against the Post Office. In 2019, the Post Office agreed to pay the group £58m in compensation, but much of the money went on legal fees. However, the action paved the way for dozens of sub-postmasters to have their convictions quashed in 2021. The episode came to wider public attention last year after it was depicted in an ITV drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office. The outcry triggered by the drama led to legislation being rushed through Parliament to bring in a law quashing convictions from the Horizon scandal. There are now a number of compensation schemes under way, and as of 2 June 2025, more than £1bn has been awarded to thousands of sub-postmasters across all schemes. Many former sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses say the scandal ruined their lives. Some used their own money to cover non-existent shortfalls because their contracts said they were responsible for unexplained losses. Many faced bankruptcy or lost their livelihoods. Marriages broke down, and some families believe the stress led to serious health conditions, addiction and even premature death. 'I'm terrified' - Post Office victim still fears seeing old customers 'I thought mum left me, she'd been sent to prison' There isn't a single compensation scheme for sub-postmasters to apply to, and individual eligibility depends on the particular circumstances of each case. The four main schemes are aimed at groups of victims who had different experiences of the scandal. As of 2 June 2025, about £1.039bn has been awarded to just over 7,300 sub-postmasters across all four redress schemes. That total breaks down as: Horizon Shortfall Scheme - £559m Group Litigation Order Scheme - £167m Overturned Convictions Scheme - £68m Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme - £245m Prof Chris Hodges, chair of the the independent Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, told the BBC that some individual compensation claims were "well over £1m". How do the Post Office compensation schemes work? Horizon was developed by the Japanese company Fujitsu, for tasks such as accounting and stocktaking. It was introduced by the Post Office in 1999. Sub-postmasters quickly complained about bugs in the system after it falsely reported shortfalls, often for many thousands of pounds, but their concerns were dismissed. The Horizon system is still used by the Post Office and maintained by Fujitsu. The Post Office says it has continued to make improvements to the system while it plans "to move to a new system that is being developed". A public inquiry began in 2022 and heard evidence from Post Office and Fujitsu employees. Last year, Sir Alan Bates appeared at the inquiry, telling it that the Post Office had spent 23 years trying to "discredit and silence" him. Paula Vennells, who was Post Office chief executive between 2012 and 2019, gave evidence in May 2024. She was quizzed for three days and at times broke down in tears. She apologised to the sub-postmasters and their families "who have suffered as a result of all that the inquiry has been looking into for so long". The first part of the inquiry's report is due to be published on Tuesday. The inquiry became almost box office viewing - racking up more than 20 million views on YouTube. People with no connection to the Post Office told the BBC how they became engrossed watching. Who is Paula Vennells? Alan Bates says Post Office run by 'thugs in suits' Ms Vennells resigned from her role at the Post Office in 2019. In January 2024, she said she would hand back her CBE. In August 2023, the then-Post Office chief executive Nick Read said he would return bonus money awarded for his work on the Horizon inquiry. Fujitsu Europe director Paul Patterson said the firm had a "moral obligation" to help fund compensation payments. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has been criticised for delaying meeting Sir Alan when he was postal affairs minister in 2010. He says he was "deeply misled by Post Office executives". The BBC discovered that former Prime Minister David Cameron's government knew the Post Office had dropped a secret investigation that might have helped postmasters prove their innocence. What are the different Post Office compensation schemes? Post Office scandal victims claims not chased due to harassment fears
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Post Office scandal victim: 'I need someone to be punished'
Former sub-postmaster Harjinder Butoy spent more time in prison than any other victim of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal. After 18 months in jail, it then took another 15 years to clear his name. He is one of dozens of sub-postmasters who gave evidence to the official inquiry into what happened. The inquiry chair, Sir Wyn Williams, will deliver the first part of his final report on Tuesday, which will focus on the human impact of the scandal and will also look at compensation. But Mr Butoy is not sure he will be able to watch. "It's going to bring back too many bad memories for me," he told the BBC, adding he needs "someone to be punished". The Post Office scandal is believed to be one of the biggest miscarriages of justices in UK history. Thousands of victims were wrongly blamed for financial losses from the faulty Horizon computer system which was rolled out across the Post Office branch network from 1999. More than 900 people were prosecuted and 236 were sent to prison. Mr Butoy was one of them, convicted of stealing more than £200,000 from his branch in Nottinghamshire in 2007. "We lost everything from the day I got sentenced. We lost our business. I had to declare bankruptcy. My wife and three kids had to move back in with my parents, " he says. After he was released from prison his conviction meant he struggled to find work and his health also suffered. "I just want everyone to know the impact, what's happened to us all. But I also need someone to be punished and let them go to prison and feel like what we've been through," he says. His conviction was overturned in 2021. Parliament later passed a law exonerating all those who had been convicted. The inquiry heard from 189 people who gave evidence on how the scandal had turned their lives upside down. Many lost their businesses, some lost their homes, and most lost their reputations and financial security. The second part of the inquiry's report – on how the scandal happened and why – may not be published until 2026. Although Harjinder Butoy may not be watching, Wendy Buffrey and Nichola Arch will be among dozens of victims and their families travelling to hear Sir Wyn speak as he presents Volume 1 of his report. Many more will be watching the proceedings livestreamed over the internet. Mrs Buffrey, who had a Post Office in Cheltenham, was suspended after an audit in December 2008 and prosecuted. She had to sell her house and business to pay off the alleged shortfall in her accounts, and has suffered with her mental health. She says the publication of the report is going to be "a huge day". "To actually have the establishment recognise what they've put us through is huge," she said. "The apologies we've had from the Post Office have been so mealy-mouthed, not thought through, and really not sincere." Mrs Arch, who managed the Chalford Hill branch near Stroud, says: "You would hope the government would acknowledge every detail of that report." She was accused of stealing from pensioners, shunned by her local community, and spat on outside a local supermarket. After two years she was found not guilty, "but the damage had been done by then". The impact on her family was "like a tsunami", she says. "It's like a cobweb. It just affects every single friend, family, child, you know, connected to you." Why were hundreds of Post Office workers wrongly prosecuted? Post Office scandal victims claims not chased due to harassment fears Post Office criminal trials may not be until 2028 For many victims of the scandal, the most pressing issue is financial redress. That's the main reason why Sir Wyn has split his report into two, to publish his findings on the progress of compensation as soon as possible. He has taken a keen interest on how redress is being delivered, holding several hearings on the issue and delivering an interim report in 2023 where he likened the various schemes to a "patchwork quilt with some holes in it". "Compensation has been a painful issue," says solicitor David Enright, from Howe & Co, which represents hundreds of wronged sub-postmasters. "However, we are also hoping [the report] will remind people of what the real harm has been, and that is the shattering of families across the country. " According to the latest figures from the government, more than £1bn has been paid out in compensation to over 7,300 sub-postmasters. However, hundreds are still waiting for their final payments and many are locked in disputes over the amount they have been offered. Mr Butoy has only just submitted his claim for compensation. It has taken three years to gather all the necessary reports and paperwork. "Clearing our name was so good. But compensation is very hard. It's like they don't believe us, don't trust us." His solicitor, Neil Hudgell, whose firm also represents hundreds of other former sub-postmasters, told the BBC that if the situation doesn't improve, full and fair redress for all victims could take another two to three years. Hudgell Solicitors says it has helped more than 300 people agree damages totalling more than £170m. However, Mr Hudgell says his firm still has more than 700 cases waiting to be resolved through the various compensation schemes. Meanwhile, the police officer leading the investigation into the scandal has admitted criminal trials may not start until 2028. For Mr Butoy, and others who want to see those responsible held to account, the wait continues.
