Latest news with #CraigFrance
Metro
16-07-2025
- Metro
New police unit to challenge 'predators' targeting women in London bars
Specially-trained police officers will start patrolling London's nightlife to protect women just trying to live their lives. In an attempt to crack down on predatory behaviour at night, officers are being deployed at party hotspots in the hope to reduce the number of assaults, spikings and worse. It comes as the UK is seeing an 'epidemic' of violence against women and girls, with the number of number of rapes and sexual assaults have increased from 34,000 to 123,000 across the country in 2023-2024. Chinese PhD student Zhenhao Zhou was jailed for life for drugging and raping women at parties in London, with police believing he could have attacked more than 50 women. Craig France, 34, was jailed for 10 years in March after he was found to have lured young women to 'afterparties' at his house where he would subject them to sex attacks while they were 'completely out of it'. And it's not just sexual crimes. In March, men 'armed with machetes' tried to storm Mayfair nightclub Tabu after they were denied entry. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Even celebrities have been accused of bringing violence to London's nightclub scene, with Chris Brown in court last week charged with 'attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent'. The announcement of the new specialised patrols came alongside the government's £53 million pledge to target dangerous offenders. Domestic abuse perpetrators who are deemed to pose the highest risk 'will be forced to change their behaviour' according to the Home Office. This includes 'intensive' one-to-one case management for up to a year, and protections orders to keep offenders away from those they hurt. More Trending The scheme – which first began to be piloted in 2016 – reportedly saw physical abuse cut by 82% and sexual abuse down by 88%. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'The roll out of these new programmes means the relentless pursuit of perpetrators who pose a risk to women and girls whether they operate at home or on the streets – and intervening early to prevent further harm. 'Through our mission to make our streets safer, we will take every opportunity to challenge and change dangerous behaviours, intensively monitor and manage perpetrators who pose a risk, and give victims the support they need to take back their lives.' In March, Westminster Council began requiring all new licensed venues to assess risks to women's safety. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Boy, 15, admits to throwing chair over Stratford Westfield balcony MORE: Iconic London attraction will close for years during £60,000,000 upgrade MORE: 'Elegant' UK seaside town gets new direct train to London after it was axed five years ago
Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
What happened to 24 Hours in Police Custody's nightclub predator
The Channel 4 show 24 Hours in Police Custody followed Craig France, 34, who would pursue women late at night, lure them to his 'after-parties' back at home where he'd commit sexual offences 24 Hours in Police Custody's latest two-part episode focused on the harrowing case of a serial rapist who deliberately preyed on vulnerable women at night-time, enticing them to his 'after-parties' where he'd film himself sexually abusing them while they were unconscious. Craig France, 34, was well known in and around the Peterborough area. He was a regular in the town's pubs and nightclubs, especially at weekends — a party boy persona that hid his deepest and darkest secrets. The Mirror takes a look at exactly what has happened to the vile criminal ever since his arrest on the hit Channel 4 programme. Craig France case details In the chilling first episode, it was recalled how the investigation first started. One caller had claimed she was raped by France, but had little to no memory of exactly what transpired. Cambridgeshire Police would go on to arrest the 34-year-old and execute a search of his home address. They found 10 digital recording devices which had video footage of the alleged victim, incapacitated, being dragged in and out of the hot tub located in his rear garden. Then a second young woman would come forward with similar allegations. Despite not remembering the incident entirely, the victim - who was 18-years-old at the time of the alleged crime - recalls meeting "good friend" France at a nightclub, and how many times they, along with other people, would end up back at his home. She remembers at times waking up with lower stomach pain, as well as bleeding and bad cramps, and France would later send her footage of them engaging in sexual contact. Something she could not remember. In total, police obtained thousands of images and over 4,000 videos containing France and several victims off his numerous devices. Officers then had the difficult task of telling the other women identified in the clips. Where is Craig France now? France would go on to plead guilty in March this year, admitting to sexual offences against four women, including rape and assault, and was sentenced to 10 years and seven months in incarceration. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) would also enact a forfeiture and destruction order for his many devices. Andrew Young, from the CPS, explained: "Craig France is a deplorable predator who targeted young women and established their trust before ruthlessly exploiting them. By filming and photographing the offences, France built up and extensive set of images which were stored in his phone, all kept for his own sexual gratification, he and he alone is to blame for his disgusting offending. "Determined to seek justice for the brave women he abused, the CPS worked closely with Cambridgeshire Police to demonstrate the extent of his offending and built a set of charges which gave France little option to plead guilty to. The bravery and resilience shown by his victims during this process has been extraordinary, and we hope they feel justice has been served for them. "The CPS will continue to work tirelessly to pursue those who commit sexual abuse and hold them accountable for their crimes, including asking the court that any relevant devices and images obtained as part of the offending are forfeited and destroyed." Raising awareness Detective Chief Inspector Helen Tebbit, along with her team who featured on 24 Hours in Police Custody, said in a statement: "Firstly, I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to the victims, who, despite their ordeals, supported the investigation and bravely shared their stories on 24 Hours in Police Custody. This programme will show that sexual predators can cleverly disguise their depraved behaviours — victims may not realise they are being groomed. "France portrayed himself as everyone's best friend — caring, fun, and provided what his victims thought was a safe place to party. But in reality, he preyed on young women who had barely entered adulthood for his own sexual gratification. I would encourage anyone who thinks they might've been a victim of a sexual offence to contact us on 101 or via web chat on the force website." Authorities believe there are more unidentified victims of France's out there, and there's hope the two-part episode will help raise awareness and give them enough bravery to come forward. Speaking to the BBC, Tebbit remarked: "I don't think we will ever fully understand how many victims there are of Craig France. But I do think that there are likely more victims out there. I hope that anyone watching the programme sees that we have a team of specially trained officers who who will work tirelessly to ensure we do the very best for victims of serious sexual violence and hopefully that comes across." Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!
Wales Online
07-07-2025
- Wales Online
24 Hours in Police Custody fans left 'raging' after predator's 'unbelievable' sentence
24 Hours in Police Custody fans left 'raging' after predator's 'unbelievable' sentence 24 Hours in Police Custody viewers were left outraged after hearing the sentence of predator Craig France on Monday night 24 Hours in Police Custody viewers were left "raging" after learning about the sentencing of a predator on Monday (July 7). The Channel 4 programme offers an unfiltered look into the high-stakes world of police work, shadowing detectives as they investigate serious crimes around the clock. The most recent two-part investigation, titled Nightclub Predator, took viewers behind the scenes with Cambridgeshire Police's Rape Investigation team as they tirelessly worked to bring Craig France to justice for his horrific crimes. The probe into 34-year-old France was initiated when a young woman came forward in August last year to say that she had been raped. A search of France's Peterborough residence led to the discovery of numerous hidden cameras, which had recorded over 6,000 deeply disturbing images and videos, reports Cambridgeshire Live. Craig France was sentence to ten years in prison (Image: Cambridgeshire Police ) Article continues below 24 Hours in Police Custody predator Craig France sentence and where he is now READ MORE: Prior to his trial, France pleaded guilty to charges of rape, sexual assault, voyeurism and exposure, which were accepted. This admission of guilt made him eligible for a reduced sentence of ten years and seven months. One of France's victims expressed her frustration, saying: "It makes me really angry when I think about him having a shorter sentence just because he admitted to it. It doesn't mean he's sorry." Detective Chief Inspector Helen Tebbit also voiced her concerns, stating: "It haunts me that we'll never know the extent of his offending has been. We can't just assume that the digital evidence we have is everything that could of ever happened. "But the important thing is he can no longer commit them, and that's the biggest win out of this." 24 Hours in Police Custody airs on Channel 4 (Image: Channel 4 ) After watching the episode, several of the show's viewers took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their outrage after learning of France's sentence. "Absolutely appalling sentence, I'm absolutely raging," one person wrote, with another adding: "This is unbelievable." Another shared: "This is truly frightening. He should spend the rest of his life behind bars," while a third said: "It's just got worse and worse as the episodes have gone on. This is absolutely disgusting." Article continues below A fourth viewer echoed the sentiment, arguing: "10 years is an insult to those poor women and is further evidence of our horrendous criminal justice system! I couldn't care less if he pleaded guilty - what he did and the impact it has had on their lives shouldn't be downgraded because he said he did it!" Since France was sent to prison, new potential victims have come forward. However, Cambridgeshire police believe there could be many more women who are unaware of his crimes against them. 24 Hours in Police Custody is available to stream on Channel 4
Cosmopolitan
07-07-2025
- Cosmopolitan
Craig France now - what happened to 24 Hours in Police Custody's nightclub predator?
The latest two-parter in Channel 4 true-crime series, 24 Hours in Police Custody, has a particularly harrowing case which looks at a prolific sexual predator. Craig France, 34, was well-known by locals in Peterborough for being a regular in the town's pubs and nightclubs, being spotted in Flares and other night venues at the weekends. However, his hard-partying persona merely covered up his true identity as a serial rapist who secretly filmed numerous encounters with young women who he had lured back to his home and plied with alcohol. Here's what happened to France following his arrest. The first episode of this week's 24 Hours in Police Custody shows how one caller launched the investigation after claiming she had been raped by France, but had little memory of the attack. The Cambridgeshire Police went on to arrest France and search his home, where they found 10 digital recording devices. While France offered no comment, police went on to find videos of the alleged victim, incapacitated and being dragged by France in and out of the hot tub in his back garden. As this investigation is ongoing, a second young woman comes forward and claims she has also been sexually assaulted by France. Having no memory of the incident, the woman, who was 18 at the time of the alleged assault, remembers meeting France while in nightclubs and considering him a 'good friend'. However, she also recalls that many times after nights out, groups of them would end up back at his house. She also remembers at times waking up with pain in her lower stomach, and bleeding with bad cramps. Later, France sent her videos of the pair having sexual contact — which she did not recall. As police got videos and photos off his numerous devices, detectives found thousands of images and over 4,000 videos containing France. Officers were then tasked with telling other women identified in the videos that they had been covertly filmed by France. In March this year, France pleaded guilty to sexual offences against four women, including rape and sexual assault. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) also successfully sought a forfeiture and destruction order for his devices. France was sentenced to 10 years and seven months in prison. Speaking about the case, the Crown Prosecution Service's Andrew Young said: 'Craig France is a deplorable predator who targeted young women and established their trust, before ruthlessly exploiting them. 'By filming and photographing the offences, France built up an extensive set of images which were stored in his phone, all kept for his own sexual gratification. 'He, and he alone, is to blame for his disgusting offending.' Young continued: 'Determined to seek justice for the brave women he abused, the CPS worked closely with Cambridgeshire Police to demonstrate the extent of his offending and built a set of charges which gave France little option but to plead guilty to. 'The bravery and resilience shown by his victims during this process has been extraordinary, and we hope they feel justice has been served for them. 'The CPS will continue to work tirelessly to pursue those who commit sexual abuse and hold them accountable for their crimes, including asking the court that any relevant devices and images obtained as part of the offending are forfeited and destroyed.' Elsewhere, Judge Mr Justice Mark Bishop said France 'posed a risk to society'. Detective Chief Inspector Helen Tebbit and her team feature on 24 Hours in Police Custody, and were the ones that brought France to justice. In a statement, Tebbit said: 'Firstly, I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to the victims, who, despite their ordeals, supported the investigation and bravely shared their stories on 24 Hours in Police Custody. 'This programme will show that sexual predators can cleverly disguise their depraved behaviours — victims may not realise they are being groomed. 'France portrayed himself as everyone's best friend — caring, fun, and provided what his victims thought was a safe place to party. But in reality, he preyed on young women who had barely entered adulthood for his own sexual gratification.' She added due to the nature of France's offending, there may be further victims out there. 'I would encourage anyone who thinks they might've been a victim of a sexual offence to contact us on 101 or via web chat on the force website,' she said. If you or anyone you know has been impacted by the details of this article, visit: Rape Crisis England & Wales, Rape Crisis Scotland, or The Rowan (for Northern Ireland). RASASC provides emotional and practical support for survivors, families and friends. For additional support with mental health, visit Mind. Kimberley Bond is a Multiplatform Writer for Harper's Bazaar, focusing on the arts, culture, careers and lifestyle. She previously worked as a Features Writer for Cosmopolitan UK, and has bylines at The Telegraph, The Independent and British Vogue among countless others.
Wales Online
07-07-2025
- Wales Online
24 Hours in Police Custody predator Craig France sentence and where he is now
24 Hours in Police Custody predator Craig France sentence and where he is now Channel 4's 24 Hours in Police Custody has a new two-part special called Nightclub Predator. Craig France raped a woman and secretly filmed three others in his home (Image: Cambridgeshire Police ) A disturbing case involving a sexual predator who targeted vulnerable young women forms the focus of a new two-part 24 Hours in Police Custody special. Titled Nightclub Predator, the Channel 4 programme takes viewers inside Cambridgeshire Police's Rape Investigation unit as they worked relentlessly to bring Craig France to justice for his appalling offences. Det Ch Insp Helen Tebbit explained: "This programme will show that sexual predators can cleverly disguise their depraved behaviours - victims may not realise they are being groomed." The probe into France, aged 34, commenced when a young woman bravely reported being raped in August last year. When officers searched France's Peterborough residence, they uncovered multiple concealed recording devices containing over 6,000 shocking images and videos, reports Cambridgeshire Live. During a search of Craig France's home, officers found several hidden cameras Article continues below Detectives found that France had filmed himself committing horrific acts against his victims whilst they were either unconscious or sleeping. Three additional victims were informed that, without their knowledge, they too had been recorded. Given the vast amount of footage and the nature of France's criminal behaviour, police believe there may be further victims who have yet to come forward. Investigators suspect each woman may have fallen victim to the same pattern - becoming targets of voyeurism after being filmed whilst unconscious, having consumed excessive amounts of alcohol provided by France, who then engaged in sexual activity with them whilst recording. Despite mounting evidence against him, Craig France applied for bail following his arrest, putting the investigative team in a race against time to secure CPS approval for charges of rape and voyeurism. The possibility of France being released from custody added urgency to the situation, compelling the team to approach the women in France's videos with the distressing news that they might be unsuspecting victims of his crimes. Police search Craig France's hot tub following allegations of rape What became of Craig France? In March 2025, Craig France, from Hammonds Drive in Peterborough, received a sentence of 10 years and 7 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to sexual offences, including rape and voyeurism, involving four victims over the period from 2021 to 2023. France had taken advantage of intoxicated women, bringing them back to his residence after nights out in Peterborough to commit these crimes. He also confessed to sexual assault, indecent exposure, and voyeurism, with offences spanning across 2021, 2022, and 2023, as Judge Bishop was informed. Judge Bishop learned that France, who worked as a lorry driver, perpetrated these acts at his home and even circulated recordings of his conduct. BBC News reported that Judge Bishop remarked on France's single admitted rape case, highlighting the "severe psychological harm" suffered by the victim and labelling France as a "significant risk". Det Ch Insp Tebbit commented on the case, saying: "France portrayed himself as everyone's best friend – caring, fun, and provided what his victims thought was a safe place to party. "But in reality, he preyed on young women who had barely entered adulthood for his own sexual gratification." Cambridgeshire Police are urging for any potential victims to come forward (Image: Cambridge News ) Cambridgeshire Police have issued an appeal for any additional victims to come forward. The force has urged those who believe they may have been subjected to a sexual offence to get in touch by dialling 101 or using the web chat service on their website. DCI Tebbit highlighted that, given the extensive footage and the nature of France's crimes, there could be more victims who have not yet come forward. "I would encourage anyone who thinks they might've been a victim of a sexual offence to contact us on 101 or via web chat on the force website," she stated. Article continues below The police emphasised their commitment to taking all reports of sexual offences with utmost seriousness, assuring that they have a team of specially trained officers to investigate such allegations thoroughly and professionally, alongside a network of support services ready to provide assistance. 24 Hours in Police Custody is available to stream on
