Latest news with #CategoryC
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Pictured: Inmate, 46, found dead in his cell as fellow prisoner, 26, is charged with murder
A prisoner was was allegedly murdered by another inmate has been pictured for the first time. Neil Ashby, 46, was found dead in his cell at HMP Stoke Heath, near Market Drayton, Shropshire, at around 7.40am on Tuesday. Fellow prisoner Jonathan Alcide, 26, has been charged with his murder, West Mercia Police have said. No further details about the alleged attack have been released at this time. Alcide has been remanded in custody and will appear at Telford Magistrates' Court on Thursday. Court records show that Ashby appeared at Walsall Magistrates Court in January this year accused of harassment. It was said that he had breached a restraining order imposed the month before by turning up at a woman's place of work. The case was due to be heard at Wolverhampton Crown Court on February 21 at 10am for sentencing. A spokesperson for West Mercia police said yesterday: 'A man has been charged with murder following the death of an inmate in HMP Stoke Heath on Tuesday morning (July 1). 'Jonathan Alcide, aged 26, of HMP Stoke Heath, remains in police custody and is due to appear at Telford Magistrates Court tomorrow (July 3).' A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice added: 'Police are investigating the death of a prisoner at HMP Stoke Heath on Tuesday 1 July. 'It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.' HMP Stoke Heath is a men's Category C prison that houses nearly 800 inmates. In the UK, Category C prisons are considered closed, meaning they have secure perimeters and are designed to prevent prisoners from escaping. However, they are not considered high-security like Category A or B prisons.
Sky News
16-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Poundland to stop paying rent at hundreds of stores in rescue deal
Poundland will halt rent payments at hundreds of its shops if a restructuring of the ailing discount retailer is approved by creditors later this summer. Sky News has learnt that Poundland's new owner, the investment firm Gordon Brothers, is proposing to halt all rent payments at so-called Category C shops across the country. According to a letter sent to creditors in the last few days, roughly 250 shops have been classed as Category C sites, with rent payments "reduced to nil". Poundland will have the right to terminate leases with 30 days' notice at roughly 70 of these loss-making stores - classed as C2 - after the restructuring plan is approved, and with 60 days' notice at about 180 more C2 sites. The plan also raises the prospect of landlords activating break clauses in their contracts at the earliest possible opportunity if they can secure alternative retail tenants. In addition to the zero-rent proposal, hundreds of Poundland's stores would see rent payments reduced by between 15% and 75% if the restructuring plan is approved. The document leaves open the question of how many shops will ultimately close under its new owners. A convening hearing has been scheduled for next month, while a sanction hearing, at which creditors will vote on the plan, is due to occur on or around August 26, according to one source. The discounter was sold last week for a nominal sum to Gordon Brothers, the former owner of Laura Ashley, amid mounting losses suffered by its Warsaw-listed owner, Pepco Group.
