Jason Arday found dead

The former professor resigned from the University of Cambridge last week stating that he needed ‘time to heal’ but that it was ‘not the end of his work.’

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

AUGUST 14, 2026

Jason Arday has been found dead aged 41.

The Metropolitan police says the former professor was found "unresponsive" at an address in Battersea in London on Friday afternoon.

A spokesperson for the force said: “Sadly, a 41-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.

“His next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by officers.

“At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious.

"The case is being investigated by officers from the Met's Central South Command Unit. A file will be prepared for the coroner.”

Jason had recently become the subject of sustained media coverage which investigated his qualifications and charitable achievements, as well as his life story of being diagnosed with autism and not learning how to speak till he was 11.

Reports had initially been sparked by accusations of plagiarism which he was cleared of by Liverpool John Moores University.

Media commentary took aim at diversity, equity and inclusion policies in light of questions surrounding the youngest Black professor at Cambridge which made front pages and international news.

On August 5, the academic released a letter of resignation from the University of Cambridge through non-profit organisation the Good Law Project who had ‘campaigned in solidarity’ with him alongside several public figures.

His Resignation letter.

Dear colleagues,

It is with profound sadness that I write to resign, with immediate effect, from my position at the University of Cambridge and Jesus College.

When I accepted the extraordinary honour of becoming Professor of Sociology at Cambridge, it was, without question, the greatest professional privilege of my life. To become the youngest Black professor in the University’s history was something I could scarcely have imagined as a child growing up with a diagnosis of autism, unable to speak until I was eleven years old.

The response from so many people across the world was overwhelming. Thousands celebrated not simply my appointment, but what it represented: that talent, perseverance and hope can triumph over even the greatest adversity. It has been the privilege of my life to teach my students, to learn alongside them, and to witness their curiosity, kindness and ambition. They have given me far more than I could ever have given them.

Sadly, the years since my appointment have also been marked by an unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack. While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement. The relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.

I have tried to continue because I believe deeply in the values of higher education, in rigorous scholarship, and in the transformative power of universities. I have tried because of my students, my colleagues and the countless people who have written to tell me that my journey gave them hope.

But there comes a point when the personal cost becomes too great.

I have a family. I want to be present for them. I want to reclaim some peace, some privacy and some semblance of an ordinary life. I no longer wish to feel as though I am living under a constant spotlight, where every aspect of my life is subject to public examination and judgement.

For my own wellbeing, for my family, and for those who have stood by me throughout this difficult period, I have concluded that the only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away.

This decision should not be interpreted as a loss of faith in scholarship or in the values that first brought me to Cambridge. Nor should it be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me. It is simply the decision of someone who has reached the limits of what any person should reasonably be expected to endure.

To my students: thank you. Teaching you has been the greatest honour of my academic career. Your brilliance, compassion and determination give me enormous hope for the future.

To my colleagues and to the many thousands of people, from every corner of the world, who have supported me, defended me, written to me, and believed in me when it mattered most, I offer my deepest gratitude. Your kindness has carried me through some of the darkest moments of my life.

This is not the end of my work. It is simply the end of this chapter.

I need time to heal. I need time to simply be myself again.

And when that time comes, I will return.

I will return stronger, wiser and with the same determination that has always defined my journey. There is still so much work to do, and I look forward to doing it alongside so many of you in the years ahead.

For now, however, I ask only for understanding, for compassion, and for the space to begin again.

With gratitude,
Professor Jason Arday

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Stephen says that assumptions about Black people aren’t only restricted to law.

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

AUGUST 12, 2026

A prominent Black barrister says he was assumed to be a defendant and told he could not park at a London court car park.

Stephen Akinsanya, a top criminal barrister for 34 years who was awarded an OBE for his services to the prevention of knife crime and youth violence says he was told that he could not drive into a court car park because “it was not for defendants.”

The incident which occurred last month at a court he had been visiting for 30 years, left the youth mentor feeling “perplexed” and reminded of his days as a junior barrister when he was made to question if he ‘belonged.’

Now, decades since completing his lengthy studies to become qualified, Stephen says he feels “frustrated” by the assumptions made after all these years which continue despite the vast contribution by Black people to the UK.

Speaking to the Community Reporter, Stephen recalled how he felt ‘taken aback’ by the security guard whom he believes was of Asian heritage.

He said: “I’ve been going to [this court] for over 30 years, but I decided to drive to that day and usually the security guard will ask, ‘Are you counsel?’, and then you’ll usually respond by saying, ‘Yep, I’m counsel appearing in Court Five.’

“They’ll take your vehicle registration number and get you to sign their little sheet that they’ve got. Then they raise the barrier and let you in.”

But on this occasion, Stephen says he was not asked if he was counsel and that he was simply told he could not park.

“The young man said, ‘You can’t park here’, Stephen said.

“So I asked, ‘Well, why not?’, and he said, ‘Well, defendants can’t use the car park.”

Confused by the assumption, the barrister says he began to question the guard on how he had arrived at the conclusion that he was a defendant.

Stephen said: “I asked him, ‘Well, why do you think I’m a defendant? Why do you assume I’m a defendant? ‘I’m counsel.’

“Then I proceeded to give him a little lesson saying, ‘Look, I’ve been coming to this court before you were born.’

“I said, ‘You really shouldn’t assume who people are without making a proper enquiry and you’ve got to be really careful not to assume that people are just defendants.’

“The guard then raised the barrier, and I went and parked my car and then the very next day, I saw him in the car park.

“When I pulled in, he raised the barrier without any questioning. He obviously remembered who I was.”

But although Stephen says the incident didn’t ‘upset him’, he admitted it brought back memories of when he first became a barrister in 1993.

He said: “I’m too old and too ugly to be worried about stuff like that but I just thought perhaps for a much junior barrister, it’s the sort of thing where our profession can be quite intimidating, and then you have this feeling of imposter syndrome even when you start.

“And so, something like that could just knock your confidence. 30 years ago, it did make you feel like, ‘Do I belong? Someone just thinks I’m a defendant after all that work of training and qualifying.’”

With racism on the rise in the UK following a series of riots targeting ethnic minorities across the country over the last three years, Stephen says he sees countless comments where Black and Asian people are viewed as the only face of criminality.

The barrister said: “I’ve read stories where there happens to be a Black defendant who’s either been convicted or sentenced. I read some of the comments [on social media] before I turn them off because they say, ‘it’s the usual suspects’, or ‘what do you expect?’

“Usually these assumptions are towards Black and brown people where people forget that crimes are committed by white people, Chinese people, all sorts of people commit crime.”

But Stephen says these assumptions and racist views of Black people aren’t only restricted to law, and that his friends who work in different fields have faced similar experiences.

He said: “I had a lot of friends of mine reach out to me and one of them said, ‘My brother is a consultant obstetrician in a hospital in London and when he turns up to the hospital, people still think he’s the cleaner.’

“I’ve got friends of mine who work in the city. I’ve got friends of mine who, when they turn up at board meetings to make a presentation - people naturally assume that the person who is presenting is the white colleague and not the Black person.”

But Stephen says that limiting beliefs about Black people’s abilities begins in schools at a very young age.

The youth mentor said: “In school, I had two types of teachers. One teacher who told me I wouldn’t amount to anything, and I should stick to sports because I was good at football and that’s what I was going to do. Either do that or work in some kind of labour-intensive job.

“And then another teacher who was very different. She said, I could be anything I wanted. And I stayed in touch with that teacher throughout all of my professional life until she passed away two years ago. I made a point of flying up to Scotland to be at her funeral and I read her eulogy.

“People have a perceived bias about what Black people are. [They believe] we might be able to represent in terms of sport and entertainment, but that’s about it.”

Annual diversity statistics from the Ministry of Justice show that in the last 10 years, the proportion of Black judges has scarcely risen from 1.4% to 1.6%.

But Stephen says those statistics ‘feed down’ and that he doesn’t believe there are no Black people “good enough” for the role.

He said: “The needle’s not moved significantly for 10 years and why has it not?

“There are two schools of thought. Either, people are not applying, and so if you don’t apply, you won’t get appointed. But, we know that’s not true because data tells us that people are applying in more numbers than ever.

“Or the other proposition is that it’s this merit-based system and if you’re not good enough, you don’t get appointed. So, you’re saying that in 10 years, no Black person’s been good enough? I don’t accept that.

“[Something] is going wrong at a certain stage of the selection process.

“There are so few Black judges and it feeds down that if you don’t see Black judges, people are less likely to believe that there are more Black lawyers.”

But the barrister says he hopes more Black children, men and women will pursue their dreams of working in the justice system and he says he aims to help them get there.

He said: “You need a strong family network to also encourage you, and those of us who are in the profession who’ve “made it”, need to be visible.

“I’m a firm believer of what I call not being part of the pull-the-ladder-up brigade where you get to the top of where you are and you pull the ladder up so you don’t want anyone else to be there.

“I’m staunchly against that and that’s why I’m very visible.”

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In a statement on social media, the longstanding MP apologised for the “hurt caused.”

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

JULY 30, 2026

MP Diane Abbott has been readmitted to the Labour Party following a year-long suspension.

The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington was suspended from the party for a second time over comments made in a BBC interview where she said there was a “difference between racism which is about colour” and “other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don’t know.”

Abbott’s first suspension was back in April 2023 after she wrote in a letter to the Observer newspaper that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people “undoubtedly experience prejudice” but that they were “not all their lives subject to racism.”

Now, following a “process in line with party rules”, the longest serving female MP says she has been issued a “formal warning” and has been readmitted to the party.

In a post on X where she made the announcement, the MP wrote: “Today, following a process conducted in line with party rules and approved by the independent review process I have been readmitted to the Labour party.”

“I have been issued with a formal warning for a tweet I previously posted. By inadvertently referring to the Israeli Defence Force as the ‘Jewish Defence Force’, I used wording that conflates the actions of the state of Israel with the Jewish community.

“I am deeply sorry for any hurt caused by that conflation and apologise for the hurt caused by it.”

She added: “I have been and remain a lifelong anti-racist and remain deeply committed to opposing racism in all of its forms.”

Prior to Abbott’s readmission, we reported on a petition for her to be reinstated into the Labour Party reaching over 35,000 signatures.

In an article featured on Labour Hub, John McDonnell MP for Hayes and Harlington said:

“Andy Burnham says he aims to change the culture of the Labour Party and return the party to a broad church – a pluralist party where people’s views are respected. A first step would be to restore the Labour whip to Diane Abbott.”

Speaking on behalf of the petition organisers, Matt Willgress added: “We will keep speaking up for Diane Abbott to be reinstated and stand with Diane in all her campaigning for equality, social justice and peace.”

Following the Abbott’s reinstatement, Labour MPs have taken to social media welcoming the news.

Labour MP for Liverpool and Riverside Kim Johnson wrote: “Diane’s contribution to the Labour movement cannot be overstated.

“She has spent decade breaking barriers, challenging injustice and inspiring generations along the way.

“Welcome back, Diane.”

While Labour MP for Ealing Central and Acton, Rupa Huq wrote on X: “Welcome Back.”

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A charity boss tackling youth violence has accused the Metropolitan police of adultifying the boy as he says Black children don’t get to be children.

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

JULY 27, 2026

A Black child was handcuffed on the ground and detained by police officers after “play fighting” with “his white friends”.

In a viral clip shared on social media of the incident which occurred on Saturday July 25, it showed a Black boy being handcuffed on the floor with an officer standing over him in Isle of Dogs, east London.

A voice in the video can be heard saying, “be gentle, he’s a child” while the boy asks the officer why he is being detained as he pleads saying, “I haven’t done anything.”

The police officer tells the boy that he’s been detained for a Section 1 search on the grounds that he was seen “fighting” to which the boy interjects and says he was “play fighting.”

A man witnessing the interaction can be heard telling the officer that the boy has “tears running down his face” and that he is “scared” before the child is taken away by two officers.

Now, the Metropolitan police have told the Community Reporter that after searching the boy, no offences were identified.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan police said: “We are aware of a video circulating on social media of a boy being detained and searched in the Isle of Dogs at the weekend.

“Videos online often only show a snapshot of what took place, without any context or background information.

“Officers were on patrol close to Alexia Square at 20:30hrs on Saturday, 25 July when they witnessed a group who appeared to be fighting.

“It was not clear from a distance how old those in the group were.

“On noticing the police officers, the group ran from the area and dispersed, discarding items – including a balaclava – as they did so.

“Officers pursued two of the group on foot and detained one close to Pepper Street, where a stop and search was carried out.

“Following engagement with him and the rest of the group, no offences were identified and all were given words of advice around their behaviour including about running from police when challenged and wearing balaclavas which, while not an offence in itself, has the potential to intimidate the public and will inevitably draw the attention of officers.”

But since the video has gone viral online, the Metropolitan police has been accused of “adultifying” the child.

Ben Lindsay OBE, the CEO of Power the Fight - a charity tackling youth violence said watching the video ‘upset’ him.

He said: “ It’s shocking, it’s upsetting. It makes you angry.

“I don’t think Black children are allowed to be children. There’s a history in this country of the Met police looking at young Black boys and girls in a much more of adult fashion than they deserve. So, it’s that whole thing of adultification.

“The way he was handcuffed when he was put to the floor. Was there a normal way to detain or question that young man without putting on handcuffs? Putting him on the floor? Bending his arm?

“There’s a lot of questions which should be asked about the Met police and how the police continue to engage with the Black community. Particularly our young boys and girls.”

Black people are four times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people and a 2026 study Investigating ​Disproportionality in ​Stop and Search by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and King’s College London found that the grounds used to justify stops and searches of Black Londoners were “vaguer than those used for White Londoners.”

Reasons for stop and search on Black people included wearing concealing clothing, being in a high crime area known for robbery and weapons, or being given grounds for Stop and Search that don’t make it clear what is being searched for.

In the video of the boy being arrested, the officer says that they had seen the children fighting but didn’t know what was happening.

The officer goes on to say that they had “issues” with children as young as the boy “carrying weapons” and that the street was “well known.”

Charity boss Ben says that stop and searches that lead to no further action “happen again and again” which “traumatises” children.

He said: “When the police are doing stop and search, there needs to be an explanation and there needs to be a lot more care for the young people because that young boy now is going to have a very unfortunate view of the police.

“What it comes down to is that there’s a lack of care for our Black children. The way he was put into handcuffs, the way he was put to the floor. The long term effects on that poor child. It’s heartbreaking.”

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Calls grow for new PM Andy Burnham to reinstate MP Diane Abbott into Labour Party

Diane Abbott who was the first Black woman to be elected into parliament has been suspended twice after expressing her views on racism.

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

JULY 21, 2026

A petition for MP Diane Abbott to be reinstated into the Labour Party a year after she was suspended has reached over 35,000 signatures.

The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington was suspended from the party for a second time over comments made in a BBC interview where she said there was a “difference between racism which is about colour” and “other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don’t know.”

Following the interview, then Prime Minister Keir Starmer who resigned yesterday just two years after he was elected - suspended the longstanding MP who was the first Black woman to be elected into parliament.

Now, with Andy Burham becoming the latest prime minister of the UK, a petition organised by Arise Festival Volunteers and sponsored by Labour Assembly Against Austerity is calling for him to reinstate her.

In an article featured on Labour Hub, John McDonnell MP for Hayes and Harlington said:

“Andy Burnham says he aims to change the culture of the Labour Party and return the party to a broad church – a pluralist party where people’s views are respected. A first step would be to restore the Labour whip to Diane Abbott.”

Speaking on behalf of the petition organisers, Matt Willgress added: “We will keep speaking up for Diane Abbott to be reinstated and stand with Diane in all her campaigning for equality, social justice and peace.”

Abbott was first suspended from Labour in April 2023 after she wrote in a letter to the Observer newspaper that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people "undoubtedly experience prejudice" but that they were “not all their lives subject to racism.”

Labour labelled her comments “deeply offensive and wrong” while the Board of Deputies of British Jews slammed the letter calling it “disgraceful” and wrote to Starmer demanding for the whip to be removed from the MP.

Then Tory Energy Secretary Grant Shapps accused the MP of antisemitism writing on Twitter that, "Once again, Jewish people have to wake up and see a Labour MP casually spouting hateful anti-semitism.”

Following an apology from Abbott and an investigation by Labour, she was was then readmitted into the party in May 2024, a year later.

But the MP who has represented Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987 and is the longest continuously serving female Labour MP which earned her the title Mother of the House - has faced a torrent of racist abuse in her years as an MP.

A 2022 report by Amnesty International which analysed tweets aimed at women MPs in the run up to the 2017 general election found that she experienced the most abuse which was “incredibly disproportionate” and that she was the target of almost a third (31.61%) of all abusive tweets analysed.

The vitriol aimed at Abbott focused on her gender and race, and included threats of sexual violence.

In 2024, the Guardian revealed that the Conservative Party’s biggest donor Frank Hester told colleagues that looking at Diane Abbott makes you “want to hate all black women” and that she “should be shot.”

In a statement later released by the businessman on social media, it stated that Frank Hester ‘accepted’ that he was “rude about Diane Abbott in a private meeting several years ago” but his criticism “had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin.”

Speaking at the time, Abbott told BBC Newsnight that she had expected “more support” from her party stating that Starmer had not reached out to her personally after Hester’s comments were revealed.

Now, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s plans to change ‘the culture of the Labour Party’, thousands have signed the petition backing the veteran MP and calling for her suspension to be lifted.

For more information about the petition, click here.

The Labour Party has been contacted for comment.

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Teenage martial arts champion ‘eternally grateful’ after NHS surgeon saves her Commonwealth Games dream

Frema says that the St George’s Hospital surgeon listened to her and that it made a ‘huge difference.’

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

JULY 13, 2026

A teenage martial arts champion competing in this month’s Commonwealth Games says she is “eternally grateful” after an NHS surgeon saved her sporting career.

Judo champion Frema Agyei feared her competing days were over after a devastating injury left her with a torn ligament.

The A-level student from Colliers Wood in south London says she experienced a searing pain in her left wrist during her intense practice sessions when she first realised something was wrong.

But after being treated by Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon Shamim Umarji and her team at St George’s in Tooting, south west London - the 17-year-old was able to return to competing and go on to qualify for Glasgow 2026.

Frema said: “Miss Umarji saved my sporting career, without a doubt.

“There are no words to describe how grateful I am to her.

“She explained the mechanism of my wrist, what had happened and why I was in pain with certain movements. She asked the right questions and listened to me, which made such a difference.

“I really wanted to avoid surgery and she offered a way of treating my injury that could avoid it – and it worked.

“Without her, I wouldn’t be completing in the Commonwealth Games and I am eternally grateful to her.”

Frema’s father Kofi echoed his daughter’s praise for the care Frema received.

Kofi said: “We need more people in the NHS like Miss Umarji.

“She is amazing and can turn water into wine in my eyes. She listened to us – she was like the man from Del Monte and said ‘yes’ – we wouldn’t be going to Glasgow if it wasn’t for her.

“Miss Umarji has made such a big impact in our lives.”

Frema will be in the under 57kg category representing Ghana where her father is from.

Frema said: “As part of my judo, I have to do body conditioning which includes pull-ups and push-ups – but I was in so much pain, it was impossible.

“In turn, that affected my performance as I was in pain with the most basic moves, so I just couldn’t do my judo.”

Frema was told that she had a torn ligament, resulting in a ganglion cyst forming in her wrist – which is a thick, jelly-like fluid that develops along the joints or tendons.

To treat the cyst, Frema was given an injection to drain the fluid and a week later had an ultrasound-guided sterile injection, where ultrasound imaging was used to guide a needle into her wrist.

As well as treating Frema, the surgeon also arranged for her to shadow her team on work experience, to help her choose between two career paths – becoming a doctor or a dentist.

Kate Slemeck, Managing Director for St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Frema’s story is just one example of the expert dedicated and compassionate care our teams provide every day.

“Frema is an inspiration and we wish her all the success at the Commonwealth Games.”

Katy Vaughan, CEO of St George’s Hospital Charity, said: “Every day we see the extraordinary, life-changing difference our NHS colleagues make to patients and families like Frema’s.

“Supporting and celebrating the people who care for our community is at the heart of what we do at St George’s Hospital Charity, which is why we’re proud to sponsor the gesh CARE Awards once again.

“The awards are an opportunity to recognise the remarkable people behind our NHS and celebrate the dedication and excellence that make stories like Frema’s possible.”

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Body found in search for missing US teen

Nolan’s heartbroken mother has asked for privacy while his family grieves their “sweet son.”

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

JULY 7, 2026

A body has been found in the search for a teenage football player who disappeared during Fourth of July celebrations.

Nolan Xavier Wells, 18, had visited Horn Island, Mississippi, on Saturday July 4 and is said to have vanished around 3pm after a boat trip with friends, according to local reports.

His mother then reported him missing later that night sparking a “massive search” involving numerous authorities.

A body believed to be that of the teen was then found around 8:45 a.m. on July 6 in the water near the northwest end of Horn Island by a park ranger.

Although formal identification has yet to take place, the boy’s family wrote on social media stating that Nolan had died.

Nolan’s mother Christine expressed her devastation at losing her son as she asked for privacy to grieve.

On Facebook, she wrote: “I want to thank our family, friends, community, United Cajun Navy, local law enforcement, and everyone involved for all the love, support, resources over the last few days.

“His father Elmore Wonsley, our family, friends and I are absolutely devastated.

“My heart is broken for our sweet son who was always willing to cheer and uplift others. Nolan was a special soul, God took his time creating our son. I ask that you all please give me and my family privacy as we grieve. Thank you all again. God bless.”

Officials have not yet released details around the circumstances of his death and an investigation remains ongoing.

Nolan’s cause of his death will be determined by the Jackson County Coroner office following an autopsy.

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Kassandra Gordon says she felt “humiliated” after she was forced to leave the coach at Stansted Airport.

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

JULY 5, 2026

A Black female traveller says she was left feeling “distressed” and “stereotyped” after a coach driver refused to take her on a prebooked airport shuttle in the middle of the night.

Kassandra Gordon from London claims that after travelling back from a holiday at 3.30am on July 3, as she boarded a Flibco coach at Stansted Airport - the driver told her she wasn’t first in the queue and then refused to take her from Essex to London stating that she had an “attitude.”

Kassandra who works as a jewellery designer says that the driver who she believes was white had told her to let an Asian couple onto the coach before her.

However, she says the pair then corrected him and confirmed that she was the first in line.

But after the solo traveller showed the driver her ticket and boarded the shuttle, she claims he told her she “had an attitude” and that he would not turn on the engine until she got off.

Speaking exclusively to The Community Reporter, Kassandra said: “It was humiliating and distressing because how do I get home safe? I didn’t want to be stranded.

“I don’t know why he would do that to me. Knowing that it’s late. Knowing that I did not do anything.

“I’m asking him, ‘why? What did I do?’, and he couldn’t give me an answer. And I said, ‘I’m going to stay here, because I don’t feel safe if you leave me out there.’

“I said to him, ‘if you have a daughter, you wouldn’t do that to them. You wouldn’t just kick someone like a daughter at 3 o’clock in the morning.”

“He said, [I had] an attitude, when I hardly spoke to him.”

Kassandra says that she felt racially “stereotyped” by the driver.

She said: “I picked up on the microaggression [from the driver]. That’s when I felt it was racial because there’s was no evidence to show that [I had an attitude]. Why would I have attitude?”

Kassandra says that she felt the driver was “embarrassed” when passengers confirmed that she was the first in the queue.

She added that after he allegedly said she had an “attitude”, she already knew where the situation was heading.

Kassandra said: “The driver felt embarrassed or fragile because he was corrected.

“How can I have attitude towards a person who I barely spoke to? My first interaction with him was to show him my ticket.

“[I just thought], ‘I see where this is going and I’ll just be quiet and call the police.”

But once police arrived, Kassandra says ‘the law was not on her side’ and that officers informed her that the driver had the right to refuse her entry and that she would need to exit the coach.

Essex police say they were called to a “dispute between a bus driver and passenger” and that following discussions with both parties at the scene “no offences were identified.”

According to the Flibco’s terms and conditions listed on their website, drivers reserve the right to refuse passengers entry if they do not comply with a number of rules they set out.

In a video Kassandra recorded of the incident, she can be heard asking police why she had to “inconvenience” herself by taking another coach, to which an officer can be heard saying, “it is what it is. Ultimately, it’s his decision and we can’t force him to let you on the bus.”

Kassandra claims that when police questioned the driver on why he couldn’t take her, she heard him say he “had a feeling” about her and that he was “uncomfortable.”

After being forced to leave the shuttle feeling “distressed”, Kassandra claims that Black stewards wearing Flibco vests began mocking her in childlike voices saying, “Oh, she thinks I’m racist”, which she says made the situation worse.

She said: “I felt mocked and even stupid. They started laughing at me. Mocking me.

“I think about my safety a lot when I’m out and about travelling because I have to. Then you come back home and this is what you’re met with.”

Kassandra says she was able to get to London after an off-duty coach driver who had witnessed the incident told her to board the coach he was taking.

As soon as Kassandra arrived home, she says she contacted Flibco’s CEO Tobias Stüber on LinkedIn after feeling that the situation wouldn’t be taken seriously by staff she spoke to.

She says that the CEO then called her and said that an investigation was underway.

The jewellery designer also posted a video of the incident on social media which the coach company’s team left a comment under.

On Instagram, Flibco wrote: “We deeply feel the concerns of everyone who is driving awareness towards this incident and we hear you. Our CEO Tobias spoke to Kassandra Gordon shortly after in a call personally.

“Since yesterday, we continue to investigate the situation with the highest priority. Our teams have spoken to the driver, the coach controller have reviewed the situation. Any kind of racism, discrimination or bullying has no place at Flibco and our partners.

“Drivers who don’t meet our high passenger safety standards will be immediately suspended from operations. Flibco will stay safe for every passenger who trusts on us.”

The Community Reporter approached Flibco and its CEO Tobias Stüber for comment, but they did not respond.

We approached Essex police and a spokesperson said: “Our officers were called to a dispute between a bus driver and passenger at Stansted Airport’s Terminal Road North at about 3.35am on Friday 3 July.

“Following discussion with both parties at the scene, no offences were identified. While this was not a criminal matter, our officers identified a second bus to assist the passenger in being able to complete their journey safely.”

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Anaka Women’s Collective says 200 families were rehoused after they stepped in to help those affected by racist attacks last month.

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

JULY 2, 2026

A grassroots women’s collective supporting migrants has raised over £250,000 and rehoused 200 families affected by racist attacks in Belfast, Northern Ireland, last month.

Black and Asian people along with migrants saw their homes attacked and set on fire by violent masked mobs who exploited a knife attack on a white man which occurred days earlier and saw a Sudanese man charged with attempted murder.

Families were left fearing for their safety after addresses were shared on social media by far-right groups which resulted in newborn babies, children and their parents being forced to flee.

Women’s collective Anaka which supports migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the capital says they then stepped in after receiving floods of WhatsApp messages from terrified residents including those whose houses were on fire.

With the funds raised by the collective, the group says they were able to rehouse the displaced and deliver essential groceries including baby formula and nappies for mothers and fathers fearful of even walking to shops.

But nearly a month since smoke filled the streets of Belfast, vulnerable communities dealing with the trauma of the violence still remain “on edge.”

Speaking to The Community Reporter, Ruth from Anaka said: “It was devastating. You just go into absolute action mode.

“A lot of our members with newborn babies were without formula so we had these requests coming in and you imagine the family that’s sitting there and they’re actually terrified to leave the house even though they need essential things.

“There’s a woman that we know of within our community who was having contractions - a pregnant woman - she was too scared to go to the hospital.

“These are people who we’ve known for years and have personal connections with.

“It’s devastating really because we do pride ourselves on a lot of different things in Belfast and being a lot more of a diverse community than it used to be 10 years ago but it seems like it’s going in the wrong direction.”

But Ruth says some people still need support weeks later as the violence has had a lasting impact especially on children who remain “on edge” including a 15-year-old girl left traumatised by the riots.

Ruth said: “[A 15-year-old girl’s] brother was playing out in the back yard because he couldn’t play out the front for weeks, and his football hit their house. The girl ran from one end of the house to the other. She thought it was a petrol bomb. This was a week after [the riots] happened.

“She stayed in her mum’s bed for two weeks sleeping by her side. She was so terrified.”

After Anaka launched their fundraiser, they say they were able to rehouse 200 people whose lives were turned upside down overnight after the third year in a row of violence on this scale targeting ethnic minorities and migrants in Northern Ireland.

Ruth said: “200 families were rehomed, put in hotels, temporary accommodation and in a different area in Belfast. Also [we were] giving people lifts and providing taxis.

“Where possible we could lift share with people who had volunteered so that people didn’t have to be out in the street and walking around to appointments and different things.”

But with upcoming Twelfth of July celebrations in Northern Ireland, Ruth says communities are “on edge” as they fear violence may erupt once again.

She said: “People just feel on edge and the Twelfth of July is coming up here in Belfast, so there’ll be bonfires and stuff.

“The tension’s building and we have to sort of just be aware of things that happen and just look out for people.”

Overall, the organiser says that as a result of normalised hatred through what she describes as “pogroms” - racism has seeped into schools and that after the violence last month, one boy was suspended for reacting to racial abuse from other students.

She said: “It affects everything. People’s safety, children that have maybe been born here that are suffering.

“Racism seems to be on the rise and I think that people are a lot more loose lipped and it feels like we need something big. [We need] a big shift because we can’t continue like this.”

For more information on the fundraiser which has now raised £261,100 click here.

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The reaction to the latest report proves Black women are not seen as mothers otherwise real change would have come a long time ago.

BY MELISSA SIGODO

JUNE 30, 2026

A new national report into neonatal and maternity care should be a “watershed moment”, the Health Secretary says. Maternity care needs an “overhaul” and a Maternity Commissioner must be appointed. Women have been failed on a “scale that shames our society” except, this isn’t the first report to reveal such distressing findings.

In 2023, a Black woman at Liverpool Women’s Hospital died due to what a maternity investigation called “unconscious cultural bias.” She wasn’t the first. In 2018, a maternity report showed that Black women were five times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth compared to white women - clearly warranting a watershed moment, except it never came.

We’ve heard the stories of racism in healthcare. We’ve heard of how Black women are refused pain relief. We’ve spoken about the trauma of childbirth, the negligence, the cruelty and the baby deaths. We’ve known that all we could do was advocate for ourselves during the most vulnerable time in our lives. We’ve known how grave the situation is for Black women and how the government has known it too. Yet, despite years of Black women dropping dead in the NHS, it’s only now that we’re promised it will be a “watershed moment”, and rather than rejoicing - it feels bittersweet.

It’s hard not to think of the Black mothers who didn’t live to see their children. It’s hard not to question why previous reports which recorded our suffering didn’t prompt change on this scale. It’s hard not to notice the difference in media coverage when Black women aren’t centred. It’s hard not to feel that Black women’s pain has been overlooked despite what the government already knew.

But when you start to unpack those questions, the truth is when it’s just Black women worse affected, we simply don’t count. Black mothers are not seen as mothers. If we were, a watershed moment would have already happened. Instead, we’re relegated to our own category where our deaths are isolated and we’re simply not considered in the bigger picture which should have brought society shame.

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Review: Worthy - a one-woman show by Nova Reid

Worthy triumphs at defying Black cultural norms and giving Black women a much needed and refreshing escape.

BY MELISSA SIGODO

JUNE 28, 2026

“I don’t look like what I’ve been through”, says Nova Reid who joyfully enters the stage at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre dancing in a white waist-length cape, a chic black jumpsuit and glittery spiked Louboutin heels. A basket filled with handwritten affirmations and questions from her audience awaits, and she’s keen to commence her first act by reading them aloud and indulging fans who have travelled from as far as Australia and Barbados to see her relatable, authentic and unscripted one-woman show.

In a world where Black women are under constant attack, Worthy provides a refreshing escape. Nova’s two-hour show is the antidote for toxic online comments, podcast bros and society’s rabid desire for Black women to be ‘perfect’, push through and place themselves in harm’s way. Through intimate stories of her vulnerable experiences as a child, an anti-racism activist, author, former actress and a Black woman who ‘learned what it means to be unworthy before knowing what it means to be worthy’ – Nova is magnetic and effortlessly puts on an unflinching show that sticks a middle finger at anyone who has ever attempted to undermine her worth or expects Black women to be strong.

Nova’s debut triumphs at defying Black cultural norms around ‘keeping things private’ when it comes to health and abuse. She bravely shares the darkest moments of her life which include having 37 uterine fibroids removed and a near-death experience that triggered a career change. Through honest and raw stories from her past that speak to the title of her show, Nova reveals the racial barriers she encountered in the theatre industry, experiencing the most harm from Black people while working on anti-racism and the subject of abuse committed by Black men against Black women. She fearlessly answers questions rooted in self-worth that are often shied away from or remain virtually impossible to broach online without sparking pointless social media wars. Guided by the audience, Nova unpacks her journey from girlhood to womanhood and Worthy reminds us why safe real-life spaces and theatres which stage Black talent are invaluable for Black women’s stories to be told meaningfully without interruption or judgement.

In the second act, Nova returns to the stage barefoot in a gold jumpsuit while carrying three lit candles. She sits on the floor and pays tribute to incredible Black women whose lives were tragically cut short by cancer. Teneisha Bonner, Faye Hamilton and Kanya King. She makes a point that although these women achieved extraordinary careers, the memories she cherishes of them are of much more than their accolades.

As the show comes to an end, it forces you to pause and to reflect on your own feelings of worthiness and how you show up for yourself in life. In freeing herself of the weight of society’s expectations, Nova frees women of all colours in the audience along with her. She gives herself permission to just be. To not have to fulfil a purpose, to exist and to look after herself. She takes the stage and embraces who she is. She tells us, “I’m not interested in people who want to debate my humanity” -a statement that sadly needs to be made. But now, her one-woman show stands as a reminder that despite how the world attempts to dehumanise Black women and erase our worth - we are indeed still worthy.

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We have reached the end of our Windrush series on Windrush Day today and potentially with another prime minister stepping down. But as many survivors have told me, they have no interest in celebrating while they continue to battle for justice to be served by the changing faces of No. 10 Downing Street.

This last episode unpacks the injustice which has carried on through successive governments despite promises that lessons would be learned, as well as a hidden and crucial aspect of the scandal which Hetticia and Vanderbilt are demanding answers for.

I want to say thank you to you all for supporting this work and thank you to Hetticia and Vanderbilt for sharing their story on camera which is far from an easy thing to do. They graciously let us into their son’s home and into their lives.

If you would like to support this vital work, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help us continue reporting without fear or favour and holding power to account.

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Without further ado, here is the last episode of Windrush Compensation: A scandal within a scandal?

Leave a comment below and tell us what you thought of the series.

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It’s Melissa here and I just wanted to say thank you.

Thank you for supporting this work by being a paid subscriber. You have made this important series possible. You’ve given Hetticia and Va…

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The Commissioner says he will continue working with the Home Office to improve the scheme.

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

JUNE 9, 2026

The Windrush Commissioner will not be pushing for the compensation scheme to be made independent from the Home Office despite a new report’s recommendation.

Civil rights charity Black Equity Organisation (BEO) has released a damning report into the housing related consequences of the Windrush scandal which saw mainly Black people experience a “loss of identity and displacement due to housing and citizenship issues” caused by the Home Office.

During a launch of the Windrush Legacy – Homes Lost, Lives Shattered report at the Houses on Parliament on June 8, survivors shared their accounts of going through homelessness and being threatened with eviction after wrongly losing their rights to be in the country.

One survivor revealed that after successfully claiming compensation from the Home Office scheme, she was then forced to use the award to pay rent arrears.

In the report, eight years since the scandal was exposed, participants stated they felt concerned about a “conflict of interest” with the Home Office running the compensation scheme and that they considered the department ‘unfit’ to do so.

But when asked by the Community Reporter if the compensation scheme should be moved from the Home Office following calls from victims and the recommendation made in the report - Windrush Commissioner Clive Foster who was in attendance for the launch stated that he ‘agreed in principle’ but stopped short of calling for the scheme’s removal.

He said: “I am definitely looking at working with the Home Office on how they are managing the scheme and that it works for the people it was designed to do.”

Calls for the compensation scheme to be removed have been echoed by lawyers, campaigners, advocates and academics involved in Grenfell, Hillsborough, and Windrush scandal justice campaigns.

In a open letter written to the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and published by Black Lives Matter UK last month, the collective demanded for the scheme to be expanded, for legal assistance to be provided and for it to be moved away from the Home Office.

In the letter, advocates labelled the Home Office’s compensation scheme a “profound failure” with campaigners citing research by law reform charity JUSTICE and the University of Sussex and Dechert LLP which ‘laid bare the disparity.’

It read: “Two-thirds (66%) of all applicants are initially refused any payment at all. The scheme's success rate is the lowest of any major state redress scheme.

“The application form is 44 pages long—more than four times longer than the form for child abuse survivors in Lambeth, and three times longer than the Post Office Horizon form.

“Despite this evidence, the Windrush scheme remains inside the Home Office, the very department that caused the scandal. It offers no guaranteed legal assistance, forcing traumatised, elderly victims to fight alone against a system designed to minimise payouts.”

Speaking at the launch, researcher Euen Herbert who was affected by hostile environment policies stated that the Windrush scandal is “ongoing” as victims struggle to get justice and he personally faces challenges in finding work after being left unemployed for years.

When we asked the Commissioner how his words would now make a difference to the Home Office despite the department being told numerous times of its ‘failings’, he stated that it would not ‘just be his words’ but that it would “require a commitment” from government.

As well as removing the scheme from the Home Office, other recommendations made by BEO’s report include mandatory Windrush training for councils and housing departments and abolishing the Right to Rent scheme which they say has been found to “cause discrimination and harm to Windrush survivors and ethnic minorities at large in the private rented sector.”

The report further recommended that the Windrush Commissioner and the Home Office should work with African High Commissions to notify and assist African Windrush survivors, “especially those locked out of the UK.”

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The formidable founder’s passing was announced by her platform on social media.

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

JUNE 5, 2026

MOBO Awards founder Kanya King has died aged 57.

The CEO who had remortgaged her home to create one of the UK’s leading music honours fought a battle with colon cancer.

In 1996, she launched the annual British music award ceremony to celebrate music of Black origin despite being told “Black music was too niche.”

30 years later, Kanya partnered with pub and brewing company Greene King to open a live music venue House of MOBO in South London.

The year before, she had shared her stage four bowel cancer diagnosis on Instagram and used her story to raise awareness and save lives.

Now, MOBO has announced that their founder who was awarded a CBE in 2018 for services to music and culture, passed away peacefully on June 3, 2026, “surrounded by her family, close friends and love.”

The statement shared by MOBO on Instagram read:

“It is with immeasurable sorrow that the MOBO Organisation announces the passing of its Founder and CEO, Kanya King CBE.

“Kanya passed away peacefully on 3 June 2026 after a courageous and characteristically determined battle with colon cancer. She was surrounded by her family, close friends and love.

“Thirty years ago, Kanya King remortgaged her home, alone, without institutional backing or industry support, to build a stage that would transform British music forever.”

The tribute added that Kanya was had been told that “Black music was too niche” and “that there was no market” for it, but instead she used people’s doubts to build her legacy.

The statement read: “She was a single mother from a Kilburn council estate who was told that Black music was too niche, that there was no market and that the industry was not interested. Instead of arguing, she built. Six weeks later, the first MOBO Awards was broadcast to the nation, and nothing was ever the same again.

“What Kanya created was never simply an awards ceremony. It was an act of cultural justice. MOBO did not just celebrate Black music; it legitimised it, amplified it and transformed the cultural landscape of the UK.

“From Stormzy, Little Simz and RAYE to Craig David, Ms. Dynamite, Kano, Amy Winehouse, Sade, Krept & Konan, So Solid Crew, Central Cee and countless others, generations of artists have benefited from Kanya King's vision.

“She built a platform that reached hundreds of millions of people around the world. She was awarded a CBE and received an Ivors Academy Honour in 2025. She never stopped. She never asked for permission. She never accepted that the word “no” was final.

“When she stood on the MOBO stage in Newcastle in February 2025, just months after her diagnosis, she told the audience: “I never allowed someone to define my limits. Not in life. Not in business. And I’m certainly not going to have that happen now.”

“That was Kanya King. Right to the very end.

“The 2026 MOBO Awards, held during the Organisation’s landmark 30th anniversary year, will be dedicated entirely to her memory.

“The world was a profoundly better place with Kanya King in it. The MOBO family is heartbroken, but endlessly grateful, proud and inspired by everything she gave to music, culture and future generations.

“Rest in power, Kanya.

“You built this.

“All of it.”

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In a letter seen by the Community Reporter, students say plans to cancel the course months after it started have ‘damaged trust in the university’

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

JUNE 4, 2026

Birmingham City University (BCU) students have raised concerns that the institution is “contradicting” its own equality, diversity and inclusion strategy following plans to axe its MA in Black studies and global justice.

Five Black staff members are now at risk of redundancy just months after the course began.

The announcement comes following the closure of BCU’s Black studies undergraduate course in 2024 and lecturers who now face losing their jobs include the UK’s first professor of Black studies Professor Kehinde Andrews along with Sociology lecturer Dr Kadian Pow.

Dr Pow has slammed the plan labelling it a “systemic failure”, and in a letter seen by the Community Reporter written to Vice-Chancellors, Professor Donna Whitehead and Professor David Mba - students have accused BCU of a ‘significant failure in its duty of care’ and have raised concerns over the university appearing to ‘contradict’ its DEI aims.

Speaking anonymously to the Community Reporter, one student who planned to join the course this year said the announcement left them feeling ‘undervalued.’

They said: “Nobody knows how to feel about it because it’s kind of like, ‘if they could just get rid of us that easily, how much do they respect us as academics?’

“A lot of the events that Black studies have hosted had a direct impact with the [Black] community. We had events based in community centres or things that literally directly contributed and reflected the community.

“So now that we don’t have that in a higher education space, it shows the community that they’re not valued, their academics are not valued, the effort that they put in is not valued. It doesn’t give a good message out to the community.”

In the letter to the vice chancellors, students highlighted the university’s aims to “actively participate in equality charters to make BCU a more accessible and inclusive university, improving outcomes for disadvantaged communities.”

The university’s DEI strategy states that its Race Equality Charter would work on “improving the representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff and students in higher education” however, students say that plans to shut down the Black studies course appear to “contradict” BCU’s goals.

The undergraduate says the response to their concerns which was not written by the vice chancellors, told them to fill out a complaint form.

The student said: “They just said, ‘thanks for the email, and sorry, you feel this way. If you want to complain, here’s the formal complaint form’.”

Overall, students expressed that the cancellation of the course had damaged “trust and confidence” in the university.

Professor Andrews and Dr Pow say the course is unique to others across the country as it includes a “community orientated” aspect which has seen students get involved in the Black community in various ways such as packing aid for those affected by Hurricane Melissa.

Dr Pow who is Jamaican-born and moved to the UK from the US says that community stakeholder involvement is important to Black studies as ‘Blackness is community oriented.’

She said: “Blackness is very community oriented itself because Blackness is under attack and relegated. If we’re not sticking together, it makes it even more difficult.

“So, if you’re studying Black studies, one of the things you have to do is know how to have empathy and love for Black people, and that means helping and being in community with Black people.”

The university recently welcomed renowned US civil rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw onto campus for a highly anticipated event organised by staff.

Despite successful high profile gatherings, lecturers say they have been told their work will end this month before the course completes in September due to ‘low uptake.’

Staff added that the eight students on the course will be forced to rely on one staff member till then.

Professor Andrews said: “[Black studies] was one of the best for employability and definitely in terms of postgraduate study that I’ve ever seen. A lot of students came with very few qualifications with them [who were] mature students. They just wouldn’t have come to university at all if it were not for Black studies.

“I’ve always said the problem with the uptake is that the marketing has been horrendous.

“They just seem to just do the normal promotion for any degree but it’s completely unique because there’s no degree like it. So, it really needs a different approach. It just hasn’t been given a chance.”

England’s higher education sector is facing a growing financial crisis and Dr Pow says that universities across the country are cutting humanities programmes amid the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).

She says that the move by educational institutions is adding to the “decline” of “critical thinking.”

Dr Pow said: “We see the rise of AI and people depending on that a rise of STEM, and everybody wanting to make everything towards science and engineering.

“But the humanities and social sciences - that makes us human. That’s what enabled us to have critical thinking skills and literacy and critical thinking. It’s in decline.

“By getting rid of programmes like this, that’s where I’m talking about systemic failure.

“We’re adding to the decline in how people’s perspectives and how we think of each other, how our political knowledge, our sociological and humanity knowledge.

“It’s a decision that will impact, not just the staff that are currently there, not just the students that are currently there but it’s impacting the future of education.”

Professor Andrews claims he was told that an equality impact assessment had not been done before announcing the plans.

He said: “They even admitted they’re supposed to do their equality impact assessments by law and they told us they didn’t do it.”

A spokesperson for BCU said: “Following a review of Birmingham City University’s postgraduate portfolio, a small number of courses will be withdrawn from September due to low demand for master’s level study in the respective subject areas. This includes MA Black Studies and Global Justice. The University is exploring opportunities for alternative provision in each case.

“A consultation process is underway with affected staff to discuss the impact of the course closures and explore reasonable options to minimise roles at risk. Any proposals are part of this ongoing consultation, no final decisions on staffing have been taken, so it would not be appropriate to comment on potential outcomes at this time.

“All current students will be able to complete their studies. Applicants holding offers will be supported to explore suitable alternative options, either at Birmingham City University or elsewhere.”

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Towards the end of last year, Hetticia and Vanderbilt’s battle with the Home Office took an alarming turn as Hetticia was hospitalised twice in one month for stress induced high blood pressure which she says was caused by dealing with the compensation scheme.

This week’s episode takes a look at the physical and mental toll of their fight as well as unpacking what the couple says are the government body’s “contradictions” when it comes to denying awards to those who have suffered at their hands.

The Home Office has yet to provide a comment.

To support this work, do consider becoming a paid subscriber. It helps us to continue holding power to account.

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Thank you for your continued support and a special thanks to our paid subscribers who are making this series possible.

If you want to see more of this work, please consider upgrading your subscription to help us continue to hold power to account.

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In episode three, we’re going deeper into the compensation scheme.

Without further ado, here is the trailer.

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The boy’s mother has now made a complaint against Kent Police as she says the use of handcuffs was not justified

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

MAY 27, 2026

A mother says she was left feeling “heartbroken” when her 12-year-old son told her he had been handcuffed by police after “innocently playing with an abandoned stop sign.”

Hilary Ibhagbemien says her child who is in Year 7 came across a stop sign lying with other material on the side of the road while out with his friend which they began playing with during the day at a park in Buckhurst Lane, Sevenoaks, on May 25, 2026.

The kids then left the object on the ground but soon after, they were approached by two Kent Police officers who handcuffed them before conducting a stop and search on ‘suspicion of theft of a road sign’ and for ‘weapons used to remove it’, the mother says.

Before leaving the officers who did not find any weapons on the boys, Hilary says her young son who had complied with police then called her sounding “distressed and shaken.”

Now, following the incident, the mum has made a complaint against Kent Police stating that the response from the officers was “disproportionate” and furthermore, “excessive force” was used by handcuffing the preteenager who was ‘not violent and had not attempted to flee.’

Speaking exclusively to the Community Reporter, Hilary says that her only son who usually enjoys playing outside has avoided going outdoors since the incident.

She added that the ordeal left her feeling “distressed” and that at just 12-years-old, her child has now ‘already had a negative experience with police.’

Hilary said: “I was heartbroken. I just felt so distressed by the phone call [from my son]. I felt anxious because I didn’t know how my child was feeling.

“I was shocked. I didn’t have the words. I just didn’t understand. Me, and his dad.

“He sounded very, very shaken up, and said to me, ‘Mum, I don’t want you to panic, but something has happened. An incident has happened and I’m with the police at the minute.’”

Hilary says she told her son to give the phone to the officer whom she then asked what the grounds were for searching him.

She says that the officer mentioned there had been a ‘theft of a road sign’ and said that it was appropriate to stop and search him ‘to see if he was concealing any weapons that were used to remove the road sign.’

But Hilary says that police did not mention handcuffing her child which she found “alarming” stating that her “worst fear” as a Black parent had been realised.

The mum said: “It’s my worst fear. Literally, my worst fear has come true where I did fear for the day that my child would be stop and searched. I just did not think it would happen to him so soon at such a vulnerable age of 12.

“It’s infuriating. It’s very alarming and it’s scary because if you can do that to a child, what else can you do? Especially knowing that handcuffing can only be used, when necessary, reasonable, and proportionate.

“My son said that he didn’t understand why the officer was putting handcuffs on him. And he kept on reiterating that they were playing innocently, and that he was just trying to make people smile and being friendly.

“He wasn’t violent, attempting to flee or posing any threat that would justify the use of force. And I just think that the officer’s actions were just unlawful, disproportionate and doesn’t support Kent Police’s own policies on child centred policing and safeguarding.

“I am honestly really appalled and really disappointed by the conduct used. If you can’t trust the police to look after your child’s best interest, then where do we go from here?”

Hilary says that as a result of the incident, her son was unnecessarily made to feel ‘fearful.’

She said: “They put fear into him for no reason.

“He’s such a chilled boy. Everyone who knows my child speaks about his composure, speaks about how happy of a child he is, speaks about how lovely he is to be around.

“It’s hard to imagine the officer even putting handcuffs on my child. I don’t even want to see it.”

The mum who is currently studying law believes that if her child was white, police would have given him a “warning” rather than “criminalising” and “adultifying” him.

She added that her son told her that two Black boys he did not know who were in the park were also stopped and searched even though they were not near the stop sign.

Hilary said: “I honestly feel like he would have been [treated differently] if it was a group of white boys playing with a stop sign. It would have just been a warning or being told, ‘put the stop sign back. You shouldn’t be playing with that.’

“That would have been over and done with. I just don’t understand why she escalated into the level of handcuffing my child and stopping and searching him.”

Hilary says that when she asked for the officer’s name and badge number, they were “combative” but eventually gave a first name and badge details.

The mum says that the officer who also took down her email address said they would send a record of the stop ‘immediately’ however, she says she has yet to receive it days later.

She added that her son was not given a record of the search even though this is police protocol and she is calling for CCTV and bodycam footage to be released.

Kent Police say they called the children’s parent and guardians, but Hilary says she did not receive a call from police and that it was her son who called her.

Furthermore, police added they stopped a group of five young people, however, the boy’s mum says her son was only with one friend and that they did not know the two Black boys who were stopped.

The Community Reporter asked Kent Police why the child was not given a record of the search. We also asked why all the children stopped in the park were treated as a group when they did not know each other.

Furthermore, we asked if any disciplinary action will be taken following the incident.

However, Kent Police has yet to respond directly to our questions.

A spokesperson for Kent Police told us: “Officers responding to reports a road sign had been stolen from Dartford Road, Sevenoaks on 25 May 2026 conducted a number of enquiries, including reviewing CCTV, which showed a group of young people with the sign shortly after it was taken.

“A group of five young people were subsequently stopped in a park in Buckhurst Lane and searched. The sign was recovered from the group and their parents and guardians were called by officers to explain stop and search procedures had been carried out.

“Afterwards, the group were given words of advice and were allowed to move on.

“A formal complaint has been made regarding the stop and search of one of the young boys in the group and until it has been completed, it would be inappropriate to make any further comment on that individual case.”

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Jane, Christina and Rebecca died in the sea last week

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

MAY 24, 2026

A vigil is set to be held for three sisters who died in the sea off Brighton last week.

The bodies of Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were recovered from the sea in the early hours of Wednesday 13 May.

Sussex Police say they are currently investigating to understand how the women came to be in the water.

They added that there is no evidence to suggest third-party involvement or criminality, but that specialist detectives are working hard to gather the full facts and circumstances of their deaths.

After the sisters were formally identified, their father Joseph made a heartbreaking tribute expressing how their deaths had “left an emptiness that words cannot heal.”

Now, a local community group Women of Colour in Brighton is planning a vigil for the women to ‘honour their lives.’

Writing on Instagram, the group wrote: “Honouring the lives of Jane Adetoro, Christina Walters, Rebecca Walters - three Black women who were pulled from the sea in Brighton.

“We gather in grief, remembrance, solidarity and love.

“Join us as we hold space for Black women, women of colour sisterhood, for mourning, for collective healing and for the guidance of ancestral wisdom.”

The vigil is set to be held at 8pm today May 24 at Black Rock Beach in Brighton.

Sussex Police say the investigation into the women’s deaths has involved the review of hundreds of hours of CCTV, enquiries at properties and businesses around the beach area to try and trace the women’s last movements and extensive engagement with our partners in Brighton and London.

They are appealing for anyone who has any information that could help the investigation to come forward.

Particularly anyone who may have seen the three women around the Madeira Drive area between 10pm on Tuesday, 12 May, and 5.30am on Wednesday, 13 May.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police online or via 101, quoting Operation Ledmore, serial 438 of 20/05.

Chief Superintendent Adam Hays, Divisional Commander for Brighton and Hove said: “The thoughts of everyone at Sussex Police are with the family of Jane, Christina and Rebecca following this devastating loss.

“I know this incident has had a profound impact on the local community in Brighton, and across the country and I’d like to reassure the public we will leave no stone unturned in our investigation to understand exactly what led to the tragic events of that Wednesday morning.

“This investigation will continue in earnest, with Jane, Christina and Rebecca’s family at its centre. I would ask that they are given the privacy to come to terms with this terrible tragedy.”

A fundraiser launched to help with the costs of arranging the three sisters’ funerals has now surpassed its £18,000 goal reaching over £41,000.

For more information about the GoFundMe, click here.

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