Abigail Hunt

The M25 was closed in both directions between junctions 22 and 21A near St Albans after a major fire at an industrial unit in Ventura Park created risks from secondary explosions, smoke and debris. Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service deployed 15 fire appliances, while National Highways imposed diversions and warned of delays of about 60 minutes. Residents were advised to keep doors and windows closed and avoid the area. The motorway was later confirmed safe to reopen, although significant congestion was expected to continue as traffic cleared.

Gerry Duffy, 76, pleaded guilty at Willesden Magistrates' Court to three counts of property damage and unlawfully destroying fish after entering neighbour Andreas Ptohides's garden and contaminating a koi pond with motor oil and detergent. The incident, which followed complaints about the pond's noisy pump, killed five or six koi carp and caused £565 in damage. Duffy received a two-year conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £565 compensation.

A woman and a teenage girl died after a group encountered difficulty in the water off West Mersea beach in Essex. Emergency services responded on the evening of 22 July, with three others taken to hospital, one in serious condition. Essex Police and local coastguard teams confirmed the fatalities and appealed for witnesses. The East of England Ambulance Service dispatched multiple teams, including air ambulances, but two patients could not be resuscitated. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances and urge anyone with information to come forward.

Two children were killed when a 30‑foot vessel struck a channel marker near Berkeley Township, New Jersey, ejecting them into the water, where they were later found unresponsive and pronounced dead at a hospital. New Jersey State Police are investigating the incident. In a separate event, two firefighters died in a blaze near Bordeaux Airport that briefly halted departures before operations resumed once the fire was contained.

Armed police responded to reports of a person carrying a weapon in Hersham, leading to the arrest of two 18‑year‑old men and temporary lockdowns at nearby schools and a nursery. The lockdowns were lifted after officers secured the area. Police continue to investigate and urge witnesses to come forward. In a separate case, Anthony Durkan admitted to 26 voyeurism offences after hidden recordings of women were discovered, prompting police to appeal for additional potential victims across North London.

A man identified as Ellis Heather received a life sentence with a minimum term of 28 years for murdering Stephen Morrison during the filming of a drill music video in Epping Forest in 2020. Morrison died after being stabbed during a dispute at the shoot. The sentencing followed a six‑year investigation involving extensive CCTV review and evidence analysis. Statements from the victim’s family and police highlighted the lasting impact of the crime and the lengthy effort to bring the perpetrator to justice.

Shabir Ahmed, a ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang convicted of 30 child rapes, has been released from prison but cannot be deported despite losing his British citizenship due to protections for pre‑1973 Commonwealth arrivals under the Immigration Act 1971. Authorities informed victims of his release and imposed strict conditions including curfews, exclusion zones, electronic tagging and lifetime sex‑offender registration. Deportation efforts failed after Pakistan refused to accept him following his renunciation of Pakistani citizenship.