Source: Northamptonshire Police  published on this website Wednesday 26 August 2026 by Jill Powell

Two men have been jailed after being convicted of controlling prostitution for gain in Northamptonshire.

Yong Wang, aged 52, of Bective Road, Northampton, was sentenced to 17 months' imprisonment, while Chang Xian Wu, aged 42, of Charminster Road, Bournemouth, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.

The pair were sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on Friday, August 21, after pleading guilty.

The convictions followed an investigation by Northamptonshire Police into the operation of brothels within the county.

Detective Inspector Carrie Powers, of Northamptonshire Police's Serious and Organised Crime Team, said: "The exploitation of vulnerable people for financial gain will not be tolerated in Northamptonshire.

"Wang and Wu have played a significant role in facilitating and profiting from prostitution, putting their own financial interests above the welfare of those involved.

"I welcome the sentences handed down by the court and hope this outcome sends a clear message that we will continue to pursue those involved in this type of criminality and bring them before the courts."

Anyone who has concerns about exploitation or suspicious activity linked to organised crime can report information to Northamptonshire Police online at www.northants.police.uk or by calling 101. In an emergency, always call 999.

Source: Ministry of Justice published on this website Monday 24 August 2026 by Jill Powell

Victims-survivors of rape and sexual abuse will get 24/7 support through a free, trauma-informed, confidential helpline thanks to new Government funding.

The Ministry of Justice has announced it has awarded £8.7 million to Rape Crisis England & Wales to continue their vital around-the-clock Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line.

Free to use, the helpline offers confidential emotional and listening support to all victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse aged 16 and over.

Since it launched in 2022, the service has supported survivors through more than 200,000 calls and 75,000 webchats.

This funding reflects the Government’s commitment to tackle these horrendous crimes and support victims.

Minister Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones said: 

“I’ve heard far too many devastating stories from traumatised survivors of rape and sexual assault who felt lost or unsure where to turn for support. 

“I want to say to everyone affected by one of these horrendous crimes, the Rape Crisis helpline team is always there – to listen to you, believe you and answer your questions. 

“We’re honoured to be able to continue to support their invaluable work and I’d like to thank everyone in the team for their dedication to supporting survivors.”

Ciara Bergman, Rape Crisis England & Wales CEO said:

“I’m delighted that Rape Crisis England & Wales will continue to provide the national 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, delivering confidential, free and specialist support for thousands of survivors throughout England and Wales.

“The service’s success, and the volume of survivors we’ve already provided with high-quality, trusted support, are testament to the dedication and expertise of the Rape Crisis movement. Our partners, support line staff and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that whenever the time is right, no matter who they are or when it happened, someone will be there to listen, believe and support them.

“Helpline specialists can also help direct victim-survivors towards long-term support services, whether they have told anyone about the crime or not. The new funding will support Rape Crisis to develop the service further, including by introducing British Sign Language Interpretation and providing dedicated support for survivors with different needs.”

The Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor have also barred rape, certain child sex and other grooming offences from upcoming changes to prison sentences, protecting the public from these dangerous criminals.

The changes mean rape and certain child sexual offences will be added to the exclusions that are already in place for 18,000 offenders, including those who have been found by a court to be the most dangerous or anyone serving a life sentence.

The Government is also injecting more than half a billion pounds into vital support services to help victims and witnesses through the justice process. This will see a £550 million investment over the next three years into specialist services that offer practical and emotional support to victims and witnesses, such as counselling and advice on attending court.

Further information

• Rape Crisis England &Wales’s 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line is for anyone aged 16 and over in England and Wales who has been affected by rape, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, or any other form of sexual violence – at any point in their life. You can contact the service at any time, day or night, all year round, on 0808 500 2222.
• The new grant funding will run from 1 October 2026 – 30 September 2029.

Source: Which published on this website Tuesday 25 August 2026 by Jill Powell

A scam email which tells you that your TV Licence payment has failed, encourages you to follow a malicious link to make payment.

The email threatens a £1,000 fine, but the link directs you to a fraudulent TV Licensing website designed to steal your personal and financial information when you enter them. 

Scam emails like this can be reported by forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk and websites to the National Cyber Security Centre

To see a copy of the fake email and other recent scams The latest scam alerts from Which? - Which?

Source: Norfolk Police published on this website Friday 21 August 2026 by Jill Powell

A man has been jailed for 19 years for multiple sex offences against a vulnerable young child, leaving her with ‘trauma for life’.

Trevor New-Watts, 57, of George Pope Close, Norwich, was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on Friday (14 August 2026). He had previously denied committing his crimes but following a nine-day trial in July was found guilty of two counts of rape of a child, four counts of sexual assault of a child and two counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. 

Police launched an investigation on 6 December 2022 after receiving a call from a relative of the victim, a vulnerable young girl who had disclosed multiple offences against her. The girl had used drawings to explain where she had been touched and what had happened to her. All offences took place between August 2021 and December 2022.

Officers arrested New-Watts the same day and seized his mobile phone - further devices were also seized from his home address. Searches were found on his phone asking how long DNA evidence would last on his body. When New-Watts was questioned by police, he gave a 'no-comment' interview.

A relative of the victim said New-Watts had ‘stolen’ the girl's childhood, adding she'd been ‘left with physical, emotional, and psychological injury and trauma’.

In court Judge Mark Dennis described New-Watts' offending as 'wicked'. He sentenced him to 19-years in prison and issued him with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, an indefinite restraining order against the victim and placed him on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life. 

Following sentencing Detective Constable Tabitha Goodrum said: “It took a great deal of bravery for this victim to talk about what happened to her especially at such a young age. What New-Watts did caused a great deal of trauma and continues to have a profound impact on the victim and their family’s life.

“Not only did New-Watts refuse to accept responsibility for what he has done, he has put the victim and their family through the ordeal of a trial. We would like to say thank you to them for coming forward to police and hope that the fact he is now behind bars will help, at least in some way, to seeing justice done.”

If you would like to report a sexual offence, call 999 in an emergency. 101 is the non-emergency police number to report a crime or you can access help and support services here.