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BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
County lines drug arrests in West Midlands rail operation
Nine people have been arrested as police targeted West Midlands rail stations to tackle county lines drug Transport Police (BTP) and West Midlands Police swooped on stations in Coventry, Wolverhampton and Birmingham over two cash and weapons were seized, two men were recalled to prison and seven people including five children were the subject of safeguarding referrals, BTP said. More than 30 stop-and-searches were conducted and two men were taken to safety from a suspected "cuckooed" premises - where criminals take over the home of vulnerable people. Safeguarding organisations, The Railway Children and The Children's Society, were part of the operation and encouraged station staff, passengers and commuters to be mindful of child exploitation and to report any concerns they Supt David Udomhiaye said: "This week's activity to shut down county lines and identify and safeguard those they exploit was another nail in the coffin for the gangs that hide behind the vulnerable."These operations, using resources including our passive drugs dogs, knife arch and covert officers, take place every day across the network, sometimes you'll spot us, sometimes you won't, but rest assured we're always there to take action." Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Independent
02-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Pupils punished for incorrect uniform due to cost pressures, charity warns
More than two in five parents say their children have faced negative consequences for incorrect uniform as it is unaffordable, a survey has found. A poll of 3,000 parents of school-aged children in the UK found some pupils have received detention, been placed in isolation or been excluded for not having the correct uniform. Nearly two in five (38%) parents said they struggle to pay for the school uniform their child needs, according to the poll for The Children's Society. The survey, carried out by Censuswide in June, found 42% of parents said school uniform was not more affordable this year (2024/25) compared to the previous academic year (2023/24). It comes as the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which is currently being considered in the House of Lords, includes a proposal to cap the number of branded uniform items schools in England can require. The survey found 44% of parents said their children have faced negative outcomes for wearing the incorrect uniform, or for not having a required item, as the uniform is unaffordable. Around one in eight (12%) said their child had received a detention for uniform breaches, while 9% had been placed in isolation, and 8% had been excluded. The poll found 15% of parents said their child had not been able to participate in lessons and 12% were not able to participate in extracurricular activities due to incorrect uniform. Mark Russell, chief executive at The Children's Society, said: 'Punishing children for circumstances outside their control is deeply unjust. 'Every child should be able to attend school without fear of detention, isolation, or exclusion because of uniform costs their families cannot afford.' Nearly four in five (78%) parents believe there should be a specific limit on the number of branded uniform items that schools can require, the survey found. The charity is calling on the Government to implement proposals set out in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill to introduce a limit of three branded items of school uniform to help families. Mr Russell added: 'At a time when many families are already struggling to afford the basics, we can't let the cost of school uniforms make life even harder for children.' Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: 'The experiences reflected in this survey are worrying, and demonstrate just how tough the financial position is for some families who face having to make impossible decisions. 'Most schools – in our experience – are acutely conscious of cost pressures on families and work hard to support the many children in our country who live in difficult financial circumstances. 'We support the Government's intention of limiting the cost of uniforms – though we think this would be better achieved with a monetary cap rather than specifying the number of branded items that are allowed.' Ahead of the committee stage debate on the Bill in the House of Lords on Thursday, schoolwear retailers have repeated warnings that the proposed cap of three branded school uniform items could increase costs for families. Matthew Easter, chairman of the Schoolwear Association, said: 'We have repeatedly tried to engage with ministers in a constructive way to warn of the risks of this policy backfiring – harming the very families it's meant to help, and putting small community businesses and local jobs at risk. 'A blunt, one-size-fits-all cap will only drive-up costs and reduce access to essential support.' Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'School uniforms can create a sense of community and belonging for children but they shouldn't cost the earth. 'Through our Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill we are capping the number of costly branded uniform items – putting money back into the pockets of working families as part of our Plan for Change. 'Whilst it might upset those who profit from branded items, it's clear from the Children's Society research that we have the backing of parents. It means schools can continue to benefit from a cohesive uniform, while parents can shop where suits their budget.'
The Independent
02-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
School children put in detention because parents can't afford uniform
More than two in five parents report their children have faced negative consequences at school, including detention and exclusion, because they cannot afford the required uniform, a new survey has found. The poll of 3,000 parents across the UK, commissioned by The Children's Society and conducted by Censuswide in June., highlights the significant financial burden school uniforms place on families, leading to punitive measures for pupils. Specifically, 44 per cent of parents said their children had faced negative outcomes for wearing incorrect uniform or lacking a required item due to affordability issues. Among those affected, one in eight (12 per cent) children received a detention for uniform breaches, while nine per cent were placed in isolation, and eight per cent were excluded from school. The findings underscore a widespread struggle, with nearly two in five (38 per cent) parents admitting they find it difficult to pay for their child's school uniform. The financial strain appears to be worsening or stagnating for many, as 42 per cent of parents reported that uniform costs were no more affordable this academic year (2024/25) compared to the previous one. The survey's findings come as the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, currently under consideration in the House of Lords, includes a proposal to cap the number of branded uniform items schools in England can require. This legislation aims to alleviate the financial pressure on households and ensure that no child is penalised for their family's inability to meet costly uniform demands. The poll found 15 per cent of parents said their child had not been able to participate in lessons and 12 per cent were not able to participate in extracurricular activities due to incorrect uniform. Mark Russell, chief executive at The Children's Society, said: 'Punishing children for circumstances outside their control is deeply unjust. 'Every child should be able to attend school without fear of detention, isolation, or exclusion because of uniform costs their families cannot afford.' Nearly four in five (78 per cent) parents believe there should be a specific limit on the number of branded uniform items that schools can require, the survey found. The charity is calling on the Government to implement proposals set out in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill to introduce a limit of three branded items of school uniform to help families. Mr Russell added: 'At a time when many families are already struggling to afford the basics, we can't let the cost of school uniforms make life even harder for children.' Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: 'The experiences reflected in this survey are worrying, and demonstrate just how tough the financial position is for some families who face having to make impossible decisions. 'Most schools – in our experience – are acutely conscious of cost pressures on families and work hard to support the many children in our country who live in difficult financial circumstances. 'We support the Government's intention of limiting the cost of uniforms – though we think this would be better achieved with a monetary cap rather than specifying the number of branded items that are allowed.' Ahead of the committee stage debate on the Bill in the House of Lords on Thursday, schoolwear retailers have repeated warnings that the proposed cap of three branded school uniform items could increase costs for families. Matthew Easter, chairman of the Schoolwear Association, said: 'We have repeatedly tried to engage with ministers in a constructive way to warn of the risks of this policy backfiring – harming the very families it's meant to help, and putting small community businesses and local jobs at risk. 'A blunt, one-size-fits-all cap will only drive-up costs and reduce access to essential support.' Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'School uniforms can create a sense of community and belonging for children but they shouldn't cost the earth. 'Through our Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill we are capping the number of costly branded uniform items – putting money back into the pockets of working families as part of our Plan for Change. 'Whilst it might upset those who profit from branded items, it's clear from the Children's Society research that we have the backing of parents. It means schools can continue to benefit from a cohesive uniform, while parents can shop where suits their budget.'
Sky News
04-06-2025
- General
- Sky News
Charities welcome half a million more children being eligible for free school meals
Charities and school leaders have welcomed free school meals being opened up to more than half a million extra children. The government has announced it will make children in all households on universal credit in England eligible for free school meals from September 2026. Parents will be nearly £500 better off each year because of the change, the Department for Education said. Currently, only pupils from households with an income of less than £7,400 a year are eligible for free school meals, meaning hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty do not have access to them. The latest figures, from January 2024, show 2.1m children were eligible for free school meals - 24.6% of all pupils in England. The government has not said how it will fund another 500,000 children's school meals. It also claimed the eligibility expansion would lift 100,000 children across England completely out of poverty, but did not provide details of how. Charities broadly welcomed the change, with The Children's Society calling it a "practical, compassionate step that will make a real difference". Chief executive Mark Russell said it is a move his charity has been pushing for and would lift thousands of children out of hunger and help ease the pressure on households struggling to make ends meet. The Child Poverty Action Group said it was "fantastic news and a game-changer for children and families". "We hope this is a sign of what's to come in autumn's child poverty strategy, with government taking more action to meet its manifesto commitment to reduce child poverty in the UK," Kate Anstey, head of education policy, said. School leaders' union NAHT welcomed the change but asked for the government to introduce "auto-enrolment so no child entitled to a free meal misses out". NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman added: "It's vital that this positive extension of free school meals is backed up by other tangible measures which help lift even more children out of poverty when the government's child poverty taskforce reports back later this year." 2:37 At the end of May, the government delayed publishing its child poverty strategy until the autumn over Treasury concerns about the cost implications of ending the two-child limit on universal credit, which is expected to be part of the strategy. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch pushed Sir Keir Starmer on whether he will lift it at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday after the PM last week said the government "will look at" scrapping it, in his strongest indication yet that he will. On the free school meals announcement, Sir Keir said: "Working parents across the country are working tirelessly to provide for their families but are being held back by cost-of-living pressures. "My government is taking action to ease those pressures. Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents' pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn. "This expansion is a truly historic moment for our country, helping families who need it most and delivering our Plan for Change to give every child, no matter their background, the same chance to succeed." Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson called it a "giant step" towards ending child poverty.
The Independent
03-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Government to create new law in drug trafficking crackdown
The Government is proposing a new law to criminalise the practice of "plugging", where gang leaders coerce vulnerable people into concealing drugs and cash inside their bodies. The amendment will be incorporated into the Crime and Policing Bill to combat county lines drug operations, where children and vulnerable adults are often forced to swallow or hide items, risking serious harm and fatal overdose. Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips said the new offence aims to hold gang leaders accountable and could lead to a decade in prison. The government has committed £42 million to tackle county lines gangs, resulting in over 800 violent criminals charged and 1,200 drug lines closed since July 2024. Jack O'Neill of The Children's Society said that children forced to carry drugs are victims of abuse and exploitation.
