Latest news with #Where'sWally
Scottish Sun
19 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Police slammed over daft hate crimes including trans woman banned from ladies loo & man singing Scots song in England
The bizarre cases were among at least 6,300 non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) recorded in 2024 LOO-NACY! Police slammed over daft hate crimes including trans woman banned from ladies loo & man singing Scots song in England COPS are still logging bizarre hate incidents — including the singing of anthem Flower of Scotland at an English railway station. An investigation by The Sun reveals how police — under fire for not catching shoplifters and burglars — are wasting vital time on the 'non-crime hate incidents'. 5 Police across Britain stand accused of failing to tackle 'actual crimes' while instead investigating 'hate' complaints (stock picture) Credit: Alamy 5 One force probed concerns about a man singing anthem Flower of Scotland at an English train station (stock picture) Credit: PA:Press Association 5 Cops also investigated a pub landlord who stopped a transgender woman using his ladies' loo (stock picture) Credit: Alamy Former officers and MPs want the 'crackers' cases scrapped. Police stand accused of failing to tackle 'actual crimes' while instead investigating 'hate' complaints — including one about a pub landlord who stopped a transgender woman using his ladies' loo. Cops also logged a case after a caller put on an Indian accent to order a chicken tikka masala from a takeaway. Another force was contacted by a person whose new boss called their designer clothes 'fake' and told them of an intimate Where's Wally tattoo. The bizarre cases were among at least 6,300 non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) recorded in 2024. The true figure would be much higher as 15 of the 44 police forces in England and Wales did not disclose figures under a Freedom of Information request. MPs and top cops led calls to stop wasting time on NCHIs, which are recorded where no criminal offence has been committed but the 'victim' feels it was motivated by hate or prejudice. Shadow Justice Minister Robert Jenrick said: 'We have lost the plot. 'Practically everyone in the country will have at some point said something that would get them reported. 'This is crackers. Moment Met boss dodges question over two-tier policing of riots by grabbing reporters' mic & chucking it to floor 'We need to scrap NCHIs altogether.' Reform UK's Lee Anderson added: 'The majority of these incidents are reported by total snowflakes. 'These are the people who should be charged with wasting police time. 'Officers should be investigating proper crimes not hurt feelings. 'Those who complain should go and live on a remote island with some of our celebrities who make a living out of being offended.' The person in Bedfordshire upset by the Where's Wally tattoo also complained of the supervisor asking about their shoes and requests to remove their durag hair covering. The incident was recorded as 'sex-based and hate-motivated'. The police log obtained by The Sun says: 'The victim felt irritated for the rest of the shift as it was mean and uncalled for.' In Dunstable, Beds, a complainant said they heard a neighbour gossiping on their Ring doorbell, then point at their home and make an insult before walking off. Bedfordshire Police said: 'We record hate related incidents in line with national guidance set out by the College of Policing.' South Wales Police, which dealt with the trans row, recorded 40 NCHIs last year. It said one 'perpetrator' was aged nine, another 11. Humberside Police logged the case where a person put on an Indian accent to order a curry. West Yorkshire Police handled 175 complaints — one from a man who claimed his bins kept being moved because he was gay. Forces that did not provide their figures included London's Met — the UK's biggest — West Midlands, Essex and Devon and Cornwall. Ex-Met detective Peter Bleksley said: 'These examples are ludicrous and a total waste of police time. 'Waste of police time' 'It is not a policing matter if someone is singing Flower of Scotland. 'If it were, the whole of the Met would have to be deployed when Scotland play rugby at Twickenham. 'These are mostly juvenile situations and officers should not lower themselves to getting involved. 'It is a serious problem when a lot of actual crimes are not investigated.' NCHIs were introduced in 2014 and are meant to help forces develop intelligence on situations that could potentially escalate. In some cases, cops speak to those supposedly committing offences. An NCHI can remain on file for six years and, in some cases, be disclosed to a prospective employer. A report this week by think tank Civitas called for NCHIs to be abolished. Author Hardeep Singh said: 'Some activist groups continue to weaponise them against their political opponents. "We've seen the most absurd incidents being recorded over the years, and precious police resources should not be drained by policing online ideological disputes.' 5 Cops also logged a case after a caller put on an Indian accent to order a chicken tikka masala from a takeaway Credit: Getty - Contributor 5 Another force was contacted by a person whose new boss called their designer clothes 'fake' and told them of an intimate Where's Wally tattoo Credit: Alamy In 2023, the Home Office issued guidance instructing officers to consider if there was genuine hostility in the incident or whether it could be considered freedom of speech. Earlier this month, Greater Manchester Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said the policy of recording NCHIs had 'passed its sell-by date'. Sir Andy Marsh, head of standards body the College of Policing, called on officers to use more 'common sense' and signalled that the recording of NCHIs needs to be scrapped. He said: 'What we've wrapped up that objective in doesn't stand up to scrutiny on many occasions under the common-sense test. 'We need to fix it. 'I don't want to be policing freedom of speech.'
The Spinoff
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
‘I'm still searching for Wally': Donovan Te Ahunui Farnham's childhood favourite
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Donovan Te Ahunui Farnham, author of Whānau: Reo Māori phrases to share with the people you love. The book I wish I'd written I'm very fortunate that I get to work alongside highly proficient speakers of te reo Māori and, while my passion lies in normalising te reo and I believe that Whānau has something to offer speakers at any level, I'd love to write a book that clearly and thoroughly explains some of the most common language errors that people make, from pronunciation to semantics to grammar. I could really geek out in a book like that, complete with footnotes, diagrams and a glossary that's almost as big as the book! Unfortunately, two friends of mine, Dr Hona Black and Te Aorangi Murphy-Fell, beat me to it. I'll always harbour a grudge towards them for that. Everyone should read Everyone should read something from the Kotahi Rau Pukapuka range. I'm a licensed translator and interpreter of te reo Māori, and that collection features the best translations out there. No Māori-language book has gotten my oldest son more excited that Hare Pota me te Whatu Manapou, the translation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The book I want to be buried with Such a morbid question deserves a morbid answer. I'd like to be buried in the most eco-friendly manner possible. I'm not sure which book would breakdown the fastest – maybe a newspaper? The first book I remember reading by myself Where's Wally! I know it should probably be more profound, or something that paints me in a more cultured light, but I didn't find my love of reading until I was an adult. Growing up, we had two main options for entertainment: go outside or watch TV. I wasn't read to as a child, but sometimes going outside led me to the library and the Where's Wally collection was so much fun! I'm still searching for Wally in The Land of Wallies. Fiction or nonfiction I've spent a lot of time with my nose buried in Māori-language grammar books, so I'd have to say I read more nonfiction, but I have a well-used Audible subscription and have absorbed a large amount of fiction since I signed up. Even though I was a late bloomer when it came to reading, we've always tried to fill our house with books and foster a love of reading. Because of this, I've managed to do a lot of catching up alongside my kids and my boys and I loved the Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games series, the Percy Jackson series, just to name a few. It's a crime against language to My pet peeve is macrons in the wrong place, especially if someone has added one where it doesn't belong! There's a world of difference between tara and tāra, but I'll let you look that one up for yourself. The only graffiti I've ever done was adding a macron or an apostrophe to a sign. Luckily, this serial orthographic corrector is still at large. The book that made me cry My wife says that I only have two emotions: 'grumpy' and 'not-grumpy', so I can't claim a book has literally brought me to tears, but my 8-year-old nephew lives with us and he hasn't had an easy life, so far. We love Dog Man by Dav Pilkey and, I won't spoil it too much, but there's a child (or kitten to be more precise) that isn't able to live with his parents. However, he grows up with a loving whānau and is an awesome, well-rounded kid. It's hard to find a book where the child isn't raised by their biological parents, let alone one where the foster parents are portrayed as a positive, stable part of their lives. Dog Man has so many positive messages for children. We're big fans of the series. So no, I didn't cry, but I did sit non-grumpily and stare out the window for a while, which for me is practically sobbing. The book I never admit I've read Apart from my wife, no one knows about my fleeting obsession with The Walking Dead – the popular TV show that started around 15 years ago. Well, I was so into it, that I also read the comic book series and would wait eagerly every month or so for a new one to come out. I read just over 100 of them, before deciding that I needed to give it up cold turkey. Edit: I just Googled it. They only made 193! It might be time for a relapse. If I could only read three books for the read of my life they would be Ladies and gentlemen, strap yourselves in for possibly the most boring answer to this question that you've ever heard. If there were an apocalypse and I could only read three books for the rest of my life, they would be as follows: A Dictionary of the Māori Language by Herbert A Māori Reference Grammar by Ray Harlow Ngā Pēpeha a ngā Tīpuna by Hirini Moko Mead and Neil Grove These three are the staples in my reading diet, but hey, if the apocalypse comes, I'll be prepped to correct anyone's Māori-language! Encounter with an author A disturbingly large number of my friends are authors, and whenever one of them publishes a book, I make a point of asking them to sign a copy for me. Not one of them has accepted graciously. Now, of course, I have my own book, and I can wholeheartedly say that I have not accepted signing my friends' books graciously either. It's so awkward and I wouldn't wish it on anyone … until one of them publishes again. Then it's back ambushing them with pen and book in hand, for the sake of the collection. What are you reading right now Right now, I'm partway through my sister's Master's thesis. She's amazing – she's working on undoing the narrative of 'The Angry Māori Woman', interviewing Māori women in leadership roles. She's done a great job telling their stories, but it is a Master's thesis and it's slow going. Maybe I need to wait for the audiobook version. Whānau: Reo Māori phrases to share with the people you love by Donovan Te Ahunui Farnham and illustrated by Rehua Wilson ($30, Hachette) is available to purchase from Unity Books.
The Independent
22-03-2025
- The Independent
A Where's Wally tattoo, Hitler moustache and Palestine flag sticker recorded as hate incidents by police
A disagreement in the workplace over a colleague discussing a genital Where's Wally tattoo and someone sticking an 'Adolf Hitler moustache' on their face featured in more than 6,500 non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) recorded by 28 police forces in Britain last year. Forces also recorded a neighbour parking too close to a car as well as a report of two white females singing a song with 'Africa' in a lyrics while a black woman walked past. NCHIs should only be recorded by police forces where no criminal offence has been committed but the person reporting it believes the incident is motivated by hostility or prejudice because of race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity. Personal data can only be logged if there is a serious risk of significant harm or it could lead to a criminal offence. They are recorded for officers to gather intelligence on hate incidents in communities - but critics say they are an intrusion of freedom of speech. Under Home Office's guidance, police officers and staff should take a 'common sense' approach, and not log trivial, malicious or irrational reports. But Freedom of Information Act requests by The Independent show that while many NCHIs clearly meet the threshold for recording, several appear to be questionable. Bedfordshire Police recorded 'fuss' in a work place when a colleague described a Where's Wally tattoo on his genitals as part of an incident logged that also included the worker calling a cap the complainant was wearing a durag, which they said 'came across as quiet racist/stereotypical'. Cumbria Police recorded an NCHI were two white women sang a song with Africa in the lyrics whilst walking past a black female in a store, which the complainant perceived to be a hate incident due to race. The same force logged a man stating on public forums words to the effect of 'European Union citizens, steal your jobs without putting money in and take money out without contributing to society'. And its officers also recorded a NCHI after it was reported a person made a sticker to look like an Adolf Hitler moustache, and then stuck it to their face. Staffordshire Police recorded a Palestine flag sticker being stuck on a shop shelf calling for a boycott of Israeli produce. North Wales Police logged a neighbour parking closely to the complainant's son, and also a pentagram symbol spray painted on a lawn which was believed to be linked to religious hatred and antisocial behaviour. The force also recorded an incident where a person had objected to a disabled person riding a mobility scooter on a pavement. Humberside Police recorded a 'smirking' learner vehicle blocking a guide dog's owner's right of way on a pavement. The force also logged an incident where a male pupil called a person 'Rishi'. Another NCHI recorded by the force read: 'Female sends an email to family members and copies in police email. The email is nothing to do with police and is a long rant aimed at family members and refers to them as "pure evil Nazis".' Dorset Police recorded an incident summarised as 'brown sauce over car', and two other NCHIs were linked to youth pride events. Dyfed-Powys Police logged an incident over a person targeted with radio static noise while playing outside in a dispute that started 'when they fell out over a chicken'. The Home Office's code of practice on non-crime hate incidents was updated in 2023 to raise the threshold for when personal data can be recorded on a NCHI in response to concerns over freedom of speech. It appeared to reflect a fall in NCHIs recorded by the 29 police forces that responded to the FOI request. A total of 6,684 NCHIs were logged last year in the 12 months ending on 31 October last year - although two forces provided the data on calendar years. That figure was down from 7,036 the year before, and 8,389 in 2020/21. Police Scotland recorded the most NCHIs, 1,173, followed by South Yorkshire, 513, and Nottinghamshire, 465. In November, the College of Policing chair Lord Herbert of South Downs suggested the need for a 'rebalancing' over the public's response to the incidents, saying police should be able to focus on their job rather than deal with 'mere disputes' that damage public confidence. And last September, watchdog His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services found that police were recording and attending too many NCHIs, and not consistently applying national guidance. Critics include Hampshire Police and Crime commissioner Donna Jones, who said NCHIs should be scrapped in their current form. She said police should not be responding to an incident that was not a crime. The Tory politician told The Independent: ' The police exist to investigate crime and protect the public. The fact that more than 6,000 'non-crime' incidents were recorded in 2024, including reports about stick-on moustaches, tattoos, and song lyrics shows just how flawed the guidance is. 'This issue stems from poorly worded legislation and unclear guidance issued to police forces, which has left officers in an invidious position of taking time away from tackling serious crimes like burglary, shop theft, street robbery, and sexual assault. 'Hate crimes are impactful and some can be very serious. When these actual crimes are committed, the police must act and take appropriate action. Victims of hate crimes deserve the right support. Policing should focus on criminal offences, with clearer laws to prevent unnecessary interventions. 'But the clue is in the title, if it's not a crime, police shouldn't be involved; they simply don't have enough time. Officers don't have the resources to monitor playground disputes or pub conversations. This legislation needs an urgent overhaul so police can focus on delivering justice for victims and making communities safer.' A National Police Chiefs' Council, which is currently reviewing the use and effectiveness of NCHIs, said forces faced an 'operational complexity' in balancing freedom of speech and protecting communities and individuals from hate crime. A spokesperson told The Independent: 'There is a high bar for prosecuting the offence of stirring up racial hatred, which is substantially different from the grounds for recording and investigating an allegation. 'There are many complaints across offence types that pass the test for recording and investigation but do not reach the threshold for prosecution once investigations are complete. We recognise there are strongly held and competing views on hate crime and the criminal justice response to it.' A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: 'Police need to apply their judgement in establishing whether there is hostility towards a protected characteristic group. If, having applied their judgement and taking account of the full context, no hostility is found, the incident must not be recorded as an hate incident.' The Home Office said home secretary Yvette Cooper had made clear the 'consistent and common-sense approach' required when dealing with NCHIs. A spokesperson added: 'The home secretary has also made clear that she believes all police forces should be focused on the central priorities of the government's Safer Streets Mission, including rebuilding neighbourhood policing, reducing anti-social behaviour, and making progress towards the unprecedented ambition to halve knife crime and violence against women and girls within a decade.'
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Library volunteers dress as famous book characters
Saundersfoot Library has kicked off early celebrations for World Book Day. The official event is on March 7, but the library began festivities earlier in the week. Visitors may have seen famous literary characters such as Wally from "Where's Wally?" and the Very Hungry Caterpillar, helping out around the library. They were seen assisting customers and organising book displays. The library's volunteers, dressed as various characters, have been praised for bringing the joy of reading to life. A spokesperson for the library said: "Our volunteers have truly embraced the spirit of the day, bringing characters to life and reminding everyone of the joy of reading." More characters are expected to appear, including a pirate from one of Jan Stradling's books and Amber Brown from Paula Danzinger's series. The library is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 4pm, and Saturdays from 10am to 1pm.
BBC News
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Send in: What are you wearing for World Book Day?
Lots of you will be marking World Book Day on want to know what you are wearing, if you've chosen to dress Wally, from Where's Wally, to Matilda - which literary creation will you be dressing up as?You can send us your pictures here or let us know what you're wearing in the if you have no idea what to wear, why not check out our guide for some last minute costume ideas? If you get stuck, a parent or guardian can also help you upload them here.
