Latest news with #SimonEvans
BBC News
13 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Opposition groups query Lancashire County Council's 'Doge' review
Plans by Reform UK to bring in a team of central advisors to scrutinise Lancashire County Council's operations have been questioned by opposition Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) is already working in some local authorities that the party has run since May's local opposition councillors in Lancashire said they were worried about information the Doge team would have access to at County Hall, and how they could use the council's deputy leader Simon Evans said: "Any efficiency findings are being done in partnership with the council. Agreements are still being sorted out - we're not at [that] point yet - but it will happen soon." 'Disappointing' Opposition group leader, Independent councillor Azhar Ali, said he would meet chief executive Mark Wynn to discuss his concerns about how any Doge visit would sit with the local authority's GDPR said: "People call it Doge - I call it dodgy, there's no structure to it."I just think this is a way of deflecting from the difficult decisions that the new Reform administration needs to make."No date for when the Doge team will arrive at County Hall in Preston has been set, something the Conservative group leader Aidy Riggott said was "disappointing"."We are now almost 12 weeks on from the elections and... the county council still hasn't provide any update or shared any communication with councillors as to how this process might work, or what safeguards are in place."Rigott said that while he would welcome Doge's visit, it was "highly unlikely" that the team would uncover "any scandal or ridiculous waste of taxpayers' money".But Reform UK's Evans said: "We've already found £500m government bonds bought by the last administration that are only worth £120m - we are finding out quite a lot." 'Finding waste' The leader of the council's Labour group, Mark Clifford, also expressed concerns about how sensitive data could be accessed and used by the Doge team."Where will this information end up? These entrepreneurs [who are part of Doge] are saying they're going to do it for free."Does that mean that they are never going to sell any of the information on, they're never going to apply for a contract at any council in the UK in future?"Evans said many people "get Doge all wrong - they think it's all about cutting - it's really not, it's about finding waste, and redirecting that to the front line".But Ali said: "If there is waste, they've got 53 councillors who have time on their hands, who can come in and start going through the books, this is a waste of time."The BBC has approached Reform UK's national headquarters for comment. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Telegraph
07-07-2025
- Telegraph
‘Naive' head boy killed two friends in car crash day after passing test
A 'naive' head boy killed two of his friends in a car crash the day after passing his test, an inquest heard. Jenson Bridges, 17, lost control of his Audi before it smashed into a tree at 'excessive speed' in Offoxey Road, in Tong, near Shifnal, Shropshire. Bridges died alongside Simon Evans, 18, a taekwondo world champion, and Jacob Holman, a 17-year-old restaurant worker. George Taylor, 17, suffered life-changing injuries but survived the crash, which happened at around 11.15pm on March 14. An inquest in Shrewsbury heard that, after Jenson passed his driving test, the group had met up with eight other friends to 'go for a drive.' Friends said Jenson had turned off the traction control in his car, so he could 'wheelspin' away from a Vauxhall Corsa and VW Golf. They told police they thought Jenson was exceeding the national speed limit of 60mph and travelling at around '90-95mph' as he sped off. Heath Westerman, assistant coroner for Shropshire, said Offoxey Road had been described by forensic officers as in a 'state of disrepair' with numerous potholes and bumps. Investigating officers said the vehicle's speedometer was stuck at 37mph, but disregarded that and suggested the incident was 'not a low-speed' crash. The court was told that the car suffered 'catastrophic' damage, with the near-side front wheel detaching from the vehicle. Investigators believe the car hit a bump in the road, causing it to hit the nearside verge, which threw the vehicle into a hedgerow and finally into a tree. Following the crash, the two cars following the Audi stopped, and the eight occupants did what they could to offer life-saving help to their four friends. Bridges and Holman both later died in hospital from 'non-survivable head injuries'. Evans died instantly from 'multiple traumatic injuries' after being ejected from the car. The coroner said Jenson's Audi had passed its MOT, was taxed, had valid insurance and was found to have had 'no mechanical defects' at the time of the crash. Jenson was also found not to have any drugs or alcohol in his system. Recording a conclusion that the three teenagers had died as a result of a road traffic collision, the coroner said: 'The collision was caused by the naïve actions of a young, inexperienced and newly qualified driver.' Following their deaths, family members paid tribute to the boys. Jacob, of Codsall, Staffordshire, was described as 'funny, loving and caring' while Simon, of Perton, Staffordshire, was hailed a 'loving and kind gentleman' who 'always had a smile on his face'. Jenson, of Brewood, Staffordshire, had the 'purest heart, who loved life and lived it to the full', said his family.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Speeding Audi driver, 17, told worried friend 'I know these lanes, mate' before horror crash left him and two friends dead just a day after passing his test
Three teenage friends died in a horror crash after a 'naïve, young and inexperienced' driver lost control of his Audi the day after passing his test, an inquest heard today. Jenson Bridges, 17, smashed into a tree while driving his Audi A1 hatchback at 'excessive speed' – seconds after reassuring one of his four passengers 'I know these lanes, mate'. Jenson, who was head boy at his school died alongside Taekwondo world champion Simon Evans, 18, and restaurant worker Jacob Holeman, 17. The fourth occupant of the car, George Taylor, 17, suffered life-changing injuries but survived the smash on a lane at Tong, near Shifnal, Shropshire. The inquest also heard that a 20-second Snapchat video was taken by Simon Evans just seconds before the crash, late on March 14. In the video, the sound of Jenson Bridges wheel-spinning his car was heard as he took off along Offoxey Road. Later in the video, a voice was heard to say 'slow down', followed by the reply 'Simon, I know these lanes, mate'. An inquest heard Jenson had passed his driving test just the day before the crash and the group met up with eight other friends to 'go for a drive.' Friends said Jenson had turned off the traction control in his car, so he could 'wheelspin' away from the other two cars, a Vauxhall Corsa and VW Golf. They told investigating officers they thought Jenson was exceeding the national speed limit of 60mph and travelling at around '90-95mph' as he sped off. Heath Westerman, the Assistant Coroner for Shropshire, said Offoxey Road was described by forensic officers as in a 'state of disrepair' with numerous potholes and bumps. Investigating officers said the speedometer was stuck at 37mph, but disregarded that and suggested the incident was 'not a low speed' crash. The court was told that the car suffered 'catastrophic' damage, with the near side front wheel detaching from the vehicle and the front of the car deformed. There were no witnesses to the crash, but investigators said they believed the driver had over-corrected after going over a dip in the road, causing the car to enter a spin and hit a hedgerow and then the tree. Investigators said they could find no defects on the Audi and concluded a lack of driving experience and inappropriate speed were the cause. Following the crash the two cars following the Audi stopped, and the eight occupants did what they could to offer life-saving help to their four friends. But Jenson and Jacob both died in hospital on the following days from 'non-survivable head injuries'. Simon died instantly from 'multiple traumatic injuries' having been ejected from the car. The three dead boys were all wearing their seatbelts, Shrewbury's Guildhall was told. Mr Westerman said Jenson's Audi, a 1.4l hatchback with 123bhp, was MOT'd, taxed, had valid insurance and was found to have had 'no mechanical defects' at the time of the crash. The driver was also clear of drugs and alcohol at the time of the incident. In his findings, Mr Westerman concluded that all three boys died as a result of a road traffic collision. He said: 'On the evidence I have heard, I am satisfied Bridges was not racing another vehicle and had not met up with friends and acquaintances with an intention to race. 'He was a newly qualified driver who was excited to be on the road but lacked the experience to know how a car handles with three passengers in it at speed over a bumpy road. 'I find that at a junction before the accident, he turned off the traction control. 'While it is not possible to calculate how fast the car was travelling, I find he was driving at excessive speeds. 'Having driven at excessive speeds down Offoxey Road with three passengers, he was unable to control the car as it negotiated a ditch. ' It then clipped the off-side grass verge, collided with hedgerow and then a tree. 'The damage was devastating. I find the condition of the car did not contribute. I find the condition of the road did not contribute.' He added: 'The collision was caused by the naïve actions of a young, inexperienced and newly qualified driver.' Following the tragedy, devastated family members paid tribute to all three boys. Jacob, a trainee chef from Codsall, Staffordshire, was described as 'funny, loving and caring' while Simon, of Perton, also in Staffordshrie, was hailed a 'loving and kind gentleman' who 'always had a smile on his face'. His family said the part-time chef, who was studying vehicle mechanics at college, 'had so many hobbies, he was a blue belt in Taekwondo and he even became world champion, before he moved onto his next hobby, of which there were many.' Sports-mad Jenson, of Brewood, Staffordshire, had the 'purest heart, who loved life and lived it to the full', said his family. The inquest comes three months after another speeding teenager who caused the deaths of three fellow sixth formers was ordered to be detained for 24 months. Edward Spencer, 19, had only passed his test six weeks before the 64mph collision on a rural B-road and had a history of 'showing off' at the wheel, a court heard. His Ford Fiesta span out of control after hitting a verge as he drove Matilda Seccombe, 16, Harry Purcell, a 17-year-old twin, and Frank Wormald, 16, home from school – killing all three near Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, in April 2023. The car crossed the carriageway and hit an oncoming Fiat 500, leaving the driver and her two stepchildren with serious and enduring injuries, the court heard. Following his sentencing at Warwick Crown Court, the bereaved families called for the introduction of 'graduated' driving licences - which could include a ban on new drivers carrying younger passengers or a late-night driving curfew for the first few months on the road - to help prevent further similar tragedies.
BBC News
07-07-2025
- BBC News
Staffordshire crash which killed teens 'caused by naive driver'
A crash which claimed the lives of three teenagers and left another with life-changing injuries was "caused by the naïve actions of a young, inexperienced, newly-qualified driver", a coroner has Bridges, 17, had passed his driving test the day before his Audi A1 hit a tree on Offoxey Road near Tong in Staffordshire in teenager, from Brewood, Staffordshire, died along with two passengers - 18-year-old Simon Evans from Perton, Staffordshire, and 17-year-old Jacob Holman from Tettenhall, Heath Westerman said it was "the most tragic of all" inquests he had carried out. The hearing at Shrewsbury's Guildhall heard that toxicology reports showed no sign Jenson's driving had been impaired, but there was evidence to suggest his driving was "excessively quick".The inquest also heard a 20-second Snapchat video taken by Simon Evans just seconds before the the video, the sound of Jenson Bridges wheel-spinning his car was heard as he took off along Offoxey in the video, a voice was heard to say "slow down", followed by the reply "Simon, I know these lanes mate".There were no witnesses to the crash, but investigators said they believed the driver had over-corrected after going over a dip in the road, causing the car to enter a spin and hit a hedgerow and then the said they could find no defects on the Audi or road surface that might have caused the crash and concluded a lack of driving experience and inappropriate speed were the cause. The occupants of two cars following behind witnessed "a truly horrific sight", the coroner said and they "tried to offer lifesaving interventions to their critically-injured friends".The coroner said Mr Evans died at the scene, while Mr Bridges and Mr Holman died later in Bridges' family described him as a "remarkable young man who brought immense love and joy into people's lives", who had a "legacy of love and kindness".He had been a head boy at Birchfield School and they said he had been "full of energy and enthusiasm".Jacob Holman's mother described her son as "caring and well-loved", someone whose death had left an "irreparable hole in the family".The family of Simon Evans described their son as "a gentle giant who would do anything for anybody".They said the thought of their son losing his life at the side of the road was "a haunting image that we will carry every single minute at every single day".They also said they would join families campaigning to prevent similar tragedies. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
South Wales Argus
17-06-2025
- General
- South Wales Argus
Salvation Army helped Simon Evans get back to work
Simon Evans, 49, from Wrexham, praised The Salvation Army's Employment Plus team for their support during his search for work. In gratitude, he will now volunteer at the charity's upcoming Employability Day event in Wrexham. Mr Evans said: "My life changed. "They listened. "They empathised. "They understood. "You can't put a monetary value on being able to change somebody's life for the better. "Now it's important to me that I give something back to others." The Salvation Army is hosting drop-in events across Wales this week to mark Employability Day, including sessions in Wrexham, Aberystwyth, and Carmarthen. Jobseekers will be able to access employment advice, training opportunities, volunteering information, and meet with potential employers. Abi Gardner, assistant regional manager for The Salvation Army's Employment Plus service in Wales, said: "We work with people across Wales who are desperate to work but who face the biggest barriers to getting employment, such as physical and mental ill-health or a lack of relevant skills, education or affordable childcare." The Employment Plus service is delivered in 247 Salvation Army churches, centres and hostels.
