Latest news with #StokeonTrent
Sky News
5 hours ago
- Sky News
Jodie Sheeran: Family of grooming gang victim call for case to be reopened after 'failings'
The family of a woman who conceived a baby after being groomed by a gang in Stoke-on-Trent are calling for the police to reopen her case, saying she was "failed all those years ago". Jodie Sheeran, then aged 15, was allegedly taken to a hotel and raped in November 2004. She is believed to have been groomed by a group of young men of Pakistani heritage for a year beforehand. Jodie's son, Jayden, was born nine months after the attack. Following the allegation, a man was charged, but the case was dropped the day before the trial was due to start in September 2005. Jodie died in November 2022 from an alcohol-related death. Speaking on The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee, Jodie's mother Angela has welcomed the national grooming gangs inquiry, saying: "This could be my chance to get justice for Jodie… I've fought so long." As part of the inquiry, more than 800 cold cases will be followed up on by the National Crime Agency (NCA). And Angela is calling for Jodie's to be one of them. "I'm just hoping that poor Jodie is included," she said. "Because they just keep telling me she's dead and there's nothing they can do, it's her word against his. But I don't want to forget Jodie. "Just because she's dead, it shouldn't mean that she doesn't matter. "She should be with us because they failed her all those years ago," Angela added. Angela and Jodie's father, David, say there were multiple failings when Jodie's case was first investigated. The case went to trial but before proceedings were due to begin, a police officer knocked on the family's door to tell them the charges had been dropped. Jodie's father David said the family were told this was because of the teenager's "reckless lifestyle" and that they were later told their daughter was "an unreliable witness". "They bottled it, they were scared of being called racist," he told Sky News. The family say they never received any formal communication on why the charges were dropped. A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said: "The failure in 2005 to explain to Jodie and her family why her case was discontinued was wrong. This should not have happened, and we are profoundly sorry for the devastating consequences this has had. "Though the records from 2005 no longer exist, we worked carefully in 2019 to review the available evidence from police files, and a separate prosecutor concluded that there was insufficient evidence to charge the suspect with rape. We wrote to Jodie explaining this decision. "Subsequently, as part of our handling of a complaint in 2023, we reviewed the available evidence again and concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support a prosecution for either rape or sexual assault - which we communicated to Jodie's family. "The way the CPS handles these cases has changed significantly over the last two decades; we have since established a dedicated Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit to tackle these awful crimes and recruited victim liaison officers across the country so every victim has a dedicated point of contact. "But we recognise these improvements bring little comfort to Jodie's family - and we continue to offer them our deepest condolences for the loss they have endured." 'I felt nothing but loved' by my mum, says Jodie's son Jodie's son Jayden has now joined his grandparents in fighting for justice. "In primary school, I was questioning who I am and what am I," he said. "Why am I with this family when I'm completely different to them? "Friends used to ask me in primary school, 'why are you a different colour to your nan and grandad', 'why don't you see your mum? Why don't you see your dad?'." "I know my mum did everything she could for me," he said. "When I was with her, I felt nothing but loved." Jayden said he knows who his father is and saw him locally just two weeks ago, "but he didn't even recognise me." In a statement issued to Sky News, Staffordshire Police said it met with Angela Sheeran in both 2023 and 2024 to discuss her daughter's case. It said: "One suspect was identified and, while several reviews have been conducted, including speaking to potential witnesses and victims that Mrs Sheeran provided contact details for, we regret that no new evidence has emerged that would allow us to take further action at this time."
BBC News
14 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Blaze at buildings in Longton prompt city taskforce to be set up
Stoke-on-Trent City Council is to set up a taskforce "by the end of the week" to tackle problems with vacant announcement was made in the aftermath of a significant fire which engulfed four buildings on The Strand in Longton late on Tuesday cause of the fire was not yet known, but at its height more than 20 firefighters were involved in putting it road could remain closed for a number of days, according to councillor Chris Robinson, due to concerns over the building's structural safety. He apologised for the disruption caused, but said safety must come Wednesday morning, pieces of brickwork from the gable end could be seen being removed from the building using a fire comes days after a blaze at The Crown Hotel which shut off part of King Street. "We've got them all over the city, these [types of] buildings," Robinson said."We need to get them brought back in [order], and the landlords to take some responsibility."We are having a taskforce with the local MPs, the fire service, the police, ASB team – to try and get everybody onboard to [decide] how we can move forward and get these buildings secure."He said while the authority had powers to take over properties and bill landlords for work carried out, it was a lengthy process and it was often difficult to trace the properties' appears to have been hurt in the blaze in Longton, and an investigation is underway – including checking CCTV to work out if anyone went in or out of the Ward, centre manager at the nearby Longton Exchange shopping centre, said it was "such a beautiful building" and that it was sad to see what had shopping centre and the rest of the town centre were open as usual, he said, but advised people travelling into the town that they may need to use alternative routes due to the road closure. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The one change that worked: lonely and losing confidence, I was saved by an open-mic night
I take a calming breath, then step up to the microphone. Here, in this crowded bar, I know that, despite my nerves, reading out my poetry will be a joyous experience. I had been attending these open mics for a year and this was my first time performing. As a student, I had been active and sociable, but a period of mental ill health in my early 20s dented my confidence. I am partially sighted, too, which means going somewhere new can be daunting; I can miss the visual cues for striking up conversation, while navigating unfamiliar surroundings is tricky. By the time I was 28, I was stuck in a cycle of safe activities, such as dinner with my circle of friends in our go-to restaurants. I also felt disconnected from my community in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, where I had moved for university. Sometimes, I felt lonely, especially as most of my uni friends now lived further away – social occasions were something that needed to be planned weeks in advance. I didn't know many people locally any more and realised I needed to do something to forge new connections. Then a new friend of my husband asked if we wanted to join her at a poetry open mic that night. I was unsure – at the time, I often felt an internal resistance to new experiences. But I knew I had to move forward. We arrived at the bar and perched on stools at the back. It was busy. I sipped my drink awkwardly. Then the person opposite said hello and we chatted until the host took to the stage. Everyone applauded and cheered as the poets performed. During breaks, I chatted to others with ease. These were people who lived in the same city as I did. They were sharing their poetry with one another, laughing and joking. I was hooked. It reignited the spark of impromptu nights out that seemed to belong to a past version of me. I remembered how much I loved the shared experience of art. I became a regular and started to recognise familiar faces, looking forward to catching up over a pint of cider and spoken-word poetry. The acquaintance who had first invited me soon became a good friend. And it wasn't just the poetry night. I started trying other experiences, eager to make more connections within my community. Yes to a gig at that new venue. Yes to a community fair. I was moving out of my comfort zone. I posted on Facebook to ask for recommendations of places to visit locally and soon found myself exploring a beautiful country park with a friend. I now feel a stronger connection with my adopted home town and with the people who live here. Watching others perform their poetry, I was inspired to write my own. Standing on the stage two years ago, reading my fledgling poems, I felt buoyed by the community spirit. That open mic showed me the joy of stepping out of my comfort zone. It helped me find myself again. I am beginning to feel that I belong. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Rail services disrupted after cables damaged
Rail passengers face a day of delays overhead electric cables were damaged in Staffordshire. The damage was caused at Kidsgrove on Monday evening, and National Rail said services between Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield were expected to be affected until the end of Tuesday. Partial repairs have enabled some lines to be reopened, the company added, with tickets accepted on alternative services. Network Rail is due to complete repairs overnight, with services expected to return to normal on Wednesday. National Rail said Avanti West Coast services running from London towards Manchester would not call at Macclesfield, instead diverting to Crewe. Northern services will run between Macclesfield and Manchester Piccadilly only, it added. Avanti West Coast customers would be permitted to use existing tickets at no extra cost on selected CrossCountry or London Northwestern Railway services, a spokesperson said. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Do not travel warning after tree blocks West Coast Main Line Thatched roof blaze caused by lorry hitting cables Network Rail
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Kidsgrove cable damage leads to disruption for rail passengers
Rail passengers face a day of delays overhead electric cables were damaged in damage was caused at Kidsgrove on Monday evening, and National Rail said services between Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield were expected to be affected until the end of repairs have enabled some lines to be reopened, the company added, with tickets accepted on alternative Rail is due to complete repairs overnight, with services expected to return to normal on Wednesday. National Rail said Avanti West Coast services running from London towards Manchester would not call at Macclesfield, instead diverting to services will run between Macclesfield and Manchester Piccadilly only, it West Coast customers would be permitted to use existing tickets at no extra cost on selected CrossCountry or London Northwestern Railway services, a spokesperson said. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on Facebook, X and Instagram.
