Latest news with #GuinnessPartnership
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Woman says rats 'ruined everything' in her Launceston home
A woman says she has been driven out of her Cornwall home after an 18-month fight to tackle a rat infestation that has destroyed parts of her house. Merrily Sanders, of Launceston, said the rats had "ruined everything" in her home on Moorland Road, forcing her to move in with her son. She said the rats had gnawed through her garden fence, walls, flooring, bathroom and feels let down by her housing association and said the stress had affected her mental Guinness Partnership apologised and said the condition of the gardens of neighbouring properties had attracted the rats. It said contractors had attended to carry out pest control and further visits had been arranged. It added the neighbouring gardens had also now been cleared, and potential access points to Ms Sanders property had been blocked. Ms Sanders explained there were droppings everywhere, her electricity was tripping and her kitchen completely ruined. She said the infestation had prevented her from having her grandchildren visit and left her feeling like the housing association "don't care" and "don't take it seriously". Ms Sanders says she first reported the issue to the Guinness Partnership a year ago. "I've been on out-of-hours emergency calls but nobody has been out to me, they don't care."She added: "I should not have to live and rely on living in other peoples houses. I want to be safe in my own house." The Guinness Partnership said: "We are sorry Ms Sanders has had problems with rats in her home."We recognise the impact this situation has had on Ms Sanders and did offer her hotel accommodation while the problem was being treated, which she declined."It added: "As some of Ms Sanders' belongings were damaged when the rats were in her home, we have also made a payment to Ms Sanders as a goodwill gesture."It said the situation would be kept under review.
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Transgender 'Soho icon' fell to her death from Westminster bridge 'when she climbed onto the side to urinate' while wearing white Chanel suit, inquest hears
A trans woman who plunged off Westminster Bridge had probably climbed onto the side to urinate, an inquest heard. Natasha Reddington-Romanov's disappearance sparked dozens of missing person appeals when she vanished after leaving a nightclub last September. Friends said the 55-year-old hadn't had gender reassignment surgery and was known for peeing when drunk by cocking one leg thanks to her often complicated undergarments. After dinner with a friend on September 20 last year, she was walking home intoxicated in a white Chanel suit when she needed the loo. And she made a fatal mistake - lifting one leg over the side of the central London bridge in an attempt to relieve herself and slipping over the edge. It was theorised by coroner Paul Rogers that she may have plunged so far under the water she was caught by a strong 'riptide' which stopped her from surfacing. Her body was found a mile upstream by the steps of Vauxhall Bridge at around 11am the following morning, despite intensive searches which started minutes after she was seen to fall. The inquest at Inner West London Coroner's Court heard that Miss Reddington-Romanov, 55, was born in Dunstable, Beds, as John James Reddington. She had lived most of her adult life as a woman, with GP notes from 2003 showing she was taking hormones. She legally changed her name in May 2005 and had a wide circle of friends both in and outside London. She worked as a facilities manager for affordable housing provider the Guinness Partnership, with colleagues describing her as 'a wonderful woman whose kindness and warmth lit up every room.' The court heard that on September 20 last year, she went for dinner with the owner of Soho jazz club Trisha's, Patricia Bergonzi. Friend of 15 years, Vanessa Frank, 48, said that Miss Reddington-Romanov had been so busy at work that she hadn't had a drink for a month and said she wondered whether the alcohol she had consumed that night had affected her particularly strongly. After her friend's death, Ms Frank viewed CCTV footage showing her near the bridge and said she appeared 'inebriated in a way I hadn't seen her before.' She remembered a previous occasion where her friend had cocked her leg up to urinate in a doorway when they were on a night out in Soho. 'She didn't undergo gender reassignment surgery,' Ms Frank told the court. 'She literally would lift one leg at a right angle and brace against something and that would allow her to manoeuvre as she wanted to. 'I viewed the video and I was not 100% left without doubt, but my strongest feeling was that she'd done as she normally did and at one point she tried to cock her leg and she lost her footing.' She said she and all of Miss Reddington-Romanov's friends were truly shocked by what had happened and had seen no sign of depression or worry. 'She was emotionally pragmatic, in a way where she knew life didn't always give you roses,' Ms Frank said. 'She was loved by all who knew her. She was one of the most well-balanced people I knew. If she had a problem she'd meet with friends and vent and talk it through.' Metropolitan Police officer Sgt James Lewis, of the emergency response unit at Charing Cross, said Miss Reddington-Romanov's fall into the water was witnessed by people who crowded round the spot on Westminster Bridge just after 3am on September 21. The government's security CCTV control centre was alerted too when the crowd was spotted peering into the darkened waters by operators. Sgt Lewis said officers were on scene by 3.28am, two marine units were ordered as well as a police helicopter which was later stood down. 'Natasha couldn't be seen,' he said. 'It was a fast-moving tide.' He said the body of a man dressed in women's clothing resurfaced eight hours later and attempts to identify the individual began. Meanwhile Miss Reddington-Romanov was reported missing when she didn't turn up for work as usual that Tuesday. A huge search operation which included appeals went out, explaining that she had last been seen between Greek Street and Bateman Street in Soho at around 2am as she headed to her home south of the river in Southwark. Sgt Lewis recovered CCTV footage of what happened from several angles but it was jumpy and didn't cover the exact moment the 55-year-old fell. 'She put her handbag on the ground and she reached over, she climbed over the bridge,' he added. 'Unfortunately the footage itself was jumpy. 'All you can see is Natasha climbing onto the side of the bridge and all of a sudden she wasn't there.' Coroner Mr Rogers said the 'critical nanomoments' were missing, adding: 'It doesn't help me identify whether she jumped or fell.' However the transwoman wasn't attacked or injured and third party involvement was ruled out, he went on. A post mortem examination showed that she had bruising to the forehead, most likely from striking a parapet on the way down, and had suffered a heart attack when in the water. Aside from river water in the lungs and stomach, there were no other injuries and the cause of death was given as drowning. A toxicology report showed Miss Reddington-Romanov was significantly intoxicated with a blood ethanol reading of 211mg per 100ml of blood. The legal limit for driving is 80mg. Readings of between 200mg and 300mg per 100ml of blood are consistent with a comatose state, however the coroner said that post mortem redistribution of alcohol occurs, meaning he could not be sure how drunk she had been when she fell. The 55-year-old was well known in Soho for her vibrant dress sense. After her death, Trisha's put up a tribute to her on Instagram, saying: 'Our Natasha Reddington-Romanov. Soho icon, showgirl, forever and always in our hearts. 'There will never be another one like you and the streets of Soho forever less glamorous. We love you so very very much. 'It is beyond words to express how much insurmountable gratitude I personally have for everyone who has helped us search for her and showed the outpouring of love and support she deserved. 'Thank you with all my heart.' Recording a conclusion of accidental death, Mr Rogers said: 'Natasha enjoyed her life and cared for others. She had many friends and was valued in her working life. 'She was not known as someone who was depressed or struggled with life. She had been out for dinner with a friend that night and the friend also saw nothing out of the ordinary. 'Natasha was walking back in the early hours, she was unsteady and walking more slowly than usual. She stopped and lifted her leg over the parapet and then she was gone. 'Ms Frank described a previous occasion when Natasha had lifted her leg in a similar way wearing undergarments which made it more difficult with her male genitalia. 'She said she saw that same movement on the CCTV. Natasha was significantly intoxicated when she entered the river. She sometimes performed this awkward manouvre to urinate when drunk.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Sheffield fly-tipping is a 'blight on our community'
Fly-tipping in part of Sheffield has become an "unsightly, overflowing hazard that blights our community" according to Cordon, 42, said the area around Castle Court, off Cricket Inn Road, had become a dumping ground for waste, including beds, mattresses and broken said he had raised the issue with the Guinness Partnership, who are responsible for managing the property and estate, but no action had been a statement the Guinness Partnership partnership apologised and said it was taking urgent action to clean up the mess. Mr Cordon said he walked his dog through the woodland behind Castle Court on a daily basis and had seen piles of waste accumulate over several years."I see new stuff added nearly every day on top of the old stuff" he said."When bits of rubbish accumulate people keep adding to it, because they think it's ok to dump stuff."Many of these bits have weeds and roots twisted around them, they've been here so long." In a letter written to The Guinness Partnership last week, Mr Cordon said the amount of dumped waste has "grown exponentially over the years" and was now an "unsightly, overflowing hazard that blights our community".He said the area had become a "major health hazard" and described the lack of action a "complete dereliction of duty". In a statement The Guinness Partnership said: "We are sorry that residents have had to put up with third party fly-tipping in the area and apologise for the length of time taken to deal with it."We are urgently clearing the area and will review measures to deter future fly-tipping, and inspect the area regularly in future." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How DWP powers mean your landlord can take money from benefits payments
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced it will reassess a controversial computer program that has deducted millions of pounds of rent payments from universal credit claimants without their consent. Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said she would "right the wrongs" of the system after a legal challenge saw a judge rule that the system processing tens of thousands of deduction requests each year was unlawful. The case was brought by tenant Nathan Roberts, who was shocked to discover that the DWP did not ask him before docking £500 from his benefits at the request of his landlord, Guinness Partnership, whom he was in a dispute with over repairs. Up to 10.3 million deductions from claimants' payments for rent and service charge arrears, worth £479m, have been made via the DWP's process since 2017, a freedom of information request made by i news has shown. When it was introduced under the roll out of universal credit in 2013, the then-Conservative government said it would prevent claimants being evicted from their homes because of overdue arrears. Here's what we know about the system, its current powers, and what to do if a deduction has been made. The DWP has the power to automatically deduct up to 20% of someone's monthly universal credit payments for outstanding rent repayments using the controversial program. While the concept of benefit deductions for the likes of rent arrears has been a part of the UK benefits system since the 1970s, it was automated under the Conservative government when universal credit was introduced. The deductions can be made without the person being consulted by either their landlord or the DWP. This affects people in both social housing and private tenants. In the case of the private tenant, since 2017 they have been able to challenge the application for the direct payment within seven days if they do not have rent arrears or are engaged in a formal disrepair dispute with their landlord and are withholding rent. This is not the first time automated payments like this have been ruled unlawful. In 2022, a similar program that allowed utility companies to automatically deduct hundreds of pounds a year from individuals' benefits without their consent was also declared unlawful by the High Court. Helen Timson, a disabled former police officer, brought a case against the government after her utility company repeatedly deducted payments from her universal credit — including £81 a month for a year-and-a-half for a non-existent debt, the Guardian reported. While the DWP was required to make deductions only if they were in the "interests of the claimant", the court heard workers green-lit the deductions without consulting or informing the claimant – meaning they could not be in a position to decide whether the deduction was in the claimants' interests. However, the right for the DWP to make deductions on behalf of a utility provider are still in place today. As of April 2025, deductions for utility bills fall under the category of third-party deductions, which will be set at 5% of the standard allowance from April 2025. The DWP can take more than the general limit if it would prevent a claimant's fuel supply from being cut off. The general limit for all debt deductions is currently 25% of your universal credit standard allowance. This will go down to 15% from April 2025. It's important to note that while the system is being reviewed, it has not yet been scrapped or halted. If you notice a deduction from your universal credit payment that you don't recognise or suspect to be rental related, you can take the following steps: Check your universal credit online account for any messages or notifications about the deduction. Contact the universal credit helpline immediately at 0800 328 5644 to inquire about the deduction and its reason. If you disagree with the deduction, you can challenge the decision by asking for a 'mandatory reconsideration' within one month of the decision date. You can do this by writing a message in your universal credit online account, filling out a CRMR1 mandatory reconsideration request form on writing a letter to the DWP at the address on your decision letter, or calling the number on the decision letter (if near the deadline). When requesting a mandatory reconsideration, include the date of the decision, specific reasons why you disagree, and your name, address, and national insurance number. The DWP has said it will now look at this process and consider better ways of ensuring landlords get the rent they are owed in a fair and proportionate way while benefit claimants are protected from falling into debt. The work and pensions secretary also confirmed the DWP will not appeal this decision. In response to the ruling, Kendall said she was "determined to right the wrongs that have persisted in the benefits system for too long", adding that the rental payment deductions "is one of these". "As well as urgently reviewing this system, I am bringing forward major changes to the health and disability benefits system so that it works for everyone, underpinned by the biggest employment reforms in a generation. "We will continue to listen to people's concerns, and transform our benefits system to one of fairness, not punishment," she added.
