Latest news with #NeilBlanchard
Metro
04-07-2025
- Metro
Murder police searching for missing man find someone else's body
Police have launched a second murder investigation in Cornwall after discovering another body while hunting for a man feared dead. Officers visited a home in Sticker, a village near St Austell, as part of a missing person investigation. They arrested a 39-year-old man from Sticker on suspicion of fraud and of murder, as well as a woman in her 30s on suspicion of murder. While searching for the man on Tuesday, officers were called to woodland between Truro and Probus, roughly 10 miles away from Sticker. The body of a man in his 40s had been discovered. But after formal identification was carried out, the body was not that of the missing person, who still hasn't been found. The force is treating the man's death as suspicious. Detective Superintendent Jon Bancroft said the separate murder investigations are not linked. He said: 'Detectives from the major crime investigation team will be considering all possible lines of inquiry and members of the public should be reassured every available resource is being utilised to do so.' Detective Inspector Neil Blanchard added: 'We appreciate how the unique circumstances surrounding these investigations may be causing the public concern. 'The discovery of a body, the day after a male suspect was arrested, has proven to be unrelated to the initial missing person investigation.' A woman in her 30s from Newquay was also arrested on suspicion of murder on Wednesday after the body was discovered. The pair arrested earlier in the week remain in custody. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Biker dad will retire and buy wife a hot tub after £3,900,000 Lottery win MORE: British man shot dead in Mexico was 'in the wrong place at wrong time' MORE: Chilling joke made by mum-of-four before she died in skydiving accident
Scottish Sun
02-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Missing person found dead in woodland as man, 39, and woman in her 30s arrested over ‘linked fraud and murder'
Cops urged people not to speculate on the circumstances 'FRAUD MURDER' Missing person found dead in woodland as man, 39, and woman in her 30s arrested over 'linked fraud and murder' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) POLICE have arrested two people on suspicion of murder and launched an urgent investigation after a body of a man was discovered. Cops rushed to a wooded area between Truro and St Austell in Cornwall, after reports of concern for the welfare of a man at around 6pm yesterday. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Two people have been arrested by Devon and Cornwall Police on suspicion of murder Credit: Alamy Devon and Cornwall Police sadly found a man's body, which was already deceased. A woman in her 30s from Newquay, has today been arrested on suspicion of murder. A 39-year-old man from Sticker was also arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody at this time. The same man was earlier arrested on Monday on suspicion of fraud as part of enquiries into a missing man. Cops had swooped on a property in Sticker, near St Austell before making the initial arrest. The force have now said: "Further information came to light during a search which resulted in the man also being arrested on suspicion of murder." Formal identification of the body has yet to take place but the family of a man has been informed, said cops. Police are understood to be keeping an open mind, but it is believed the two incidents are linked. DI Neil Blanchard, from the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: 'We appreciate that these events may appear concerning to the public, but we would like to ask people not to speculate while we work to ascertain exactly what has happened. 'Scene guards will remain in place both in the wooded area and in the St Austell area. "We believe the incidents could be linked but there is nothing to indicate a wider threat to the public.' If you have any information or footage that could help with enquiries, Devon and Cornwall Police can be contacted online or by calling 101 quoting reference number 50250167097. Alternatively, independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online at or by calling freephone 0800 555111.
BBC News
30-01-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Care providers say council fees will not meet rising staffing costs
People with learning disabilities and their carers have held a demonstration calling for fairer funding of social gathered outside County Hall in Chichester where West Sussex council leaders were discussing next year's budget care spending is due to increase by almost £30 million, a rise of 5.3%, but care providers say an uplift of a least 8% is needed to cover mandatory increases in staffing government says it is given £3.7 billion extra to local authorities for 2025-26. The Sussex Learning Disability group combines the leaders of all of Sussex's not-for profit care and support organisations, including Southdown, Guild Care, Active Prospects, Grace Eyre, Amaze, Ferring County Centre and Speak group says increases in the national living wage and employers' national insurance from April will not be covered by the fee increases councils are members say a carer working 16 hours per week currently costs them about £60 per year in employer national insurance contributions, but that is set to rise to £700-£800 per chair Neil Blanchard, chief executive of Southdown, said: "The role of our organisations is not to subside services that the local authority have a duty of care to provide and they're contracting us to provide." Some of those at the demonstration who have learning disabilities said they were concerned about their current level of care being attends the Aldingbourne Trust's day centre. She said: "We do arts and craft, cooking, computing and I'm just learning maths and English. "I feel that is we have to have cutbacks it would be bad."Matthew, who is supported to work, said: "Working makes me feel like I'm one of everyone else, because working with friends is better than doing nothing at all."Alison, who has home care support, said: "They come and see me in my home and talk to me. "If I didn't have that I'd be depressed and worried." West Sussex County Council cabinet members came out to meet with at the meeting Amanda Jupp, cabinet member for adult services, acknowledged "the intended funding does not fully meet the needs" of care users. She said: "We are committed to lobbying government to fund us better." A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We are taking action by increasing funding to allow disabled people to stay in their homes, boosting the carers allowance and professionalising the workforce."The Casey Commission will work to build consensus around the future of adult social care that is fair and affordable."The commission is set to publish its first report on the future of social care next year.
