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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The bodies of three sisters were recovered off Brighton beach.

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

MAY 21, 2026

A fundraiser has been launched for three sisters who died in the sea off Brighton beach.

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.

The sisters were from the Uxbridge area of London and 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.

As we reported yesterday, their father made a heartbreaking tribute to his daughters expressing how their passing had “left an emptiness that words cannot heal.”

Now, the dad’s brother has launched a fundraiser to cover the expenses for arranging three funerals “as the family struggles to come to terms with what has happened.”

On GoFundMe the brother wrote: “This appeal is being made on behalf of my brother Joseph and the family following the devastating loss of his three beloved daughters — Jane, Christina and Rebecca — who tragically lost their lives in the sea at Brighton on 13th May 2026

“As a family, we are still struggling to come to terms with what has happened. The girls had so much life ahead of them, and their loss has left a pain and emptiness in our hearts that words cannot describe.

“No parent should ever have to bury their child, let alone all three.

“While trying to process this unimaginable tragedy, my brother is now also faced with the heartbreaking task of arranging three funerals. As a family, we simply want to give the girls the loving and dignified farewell they deserve.”

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 now 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.”

For more information about the GoFundMe, click here.

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Emergency services were called to the beach near Black Rock car park off Madeira Drive where the bodies of three women were sadly recovered from the sea nearby.

Three women whose bodies were recovered from the sea off Brighton beach have now been formally identified.

Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walter, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, who were sisters from the Uxbridge area of London drowned in the early hours of Wednesday 13 May.

Emergency services were called to the beach near Black Rock car park off Madeira Drive where their bodies were sadly recovered from the sea nearby.

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.

Following the three women’s formal identification, their heartbroken father Joseph has now paid tribute to his “beloved” three daughters whose deaths have “left an emptiness that words cannot heal.”

Joseph said: “Today, with a heart full of sorrow and love, I pay tribute to my beloved daughters — Jane, Christina, and Becky — whose lives ended so tragically far too soon.

“No words can truly describe the pain of losing three daughters in the prime of their lives. Jane, Christina, and Becky were more than daughters to me; they were my joy, my strength, and the beautiful light that filled our family with happiness and love.

“Each of you was unique and precious in your own special way. Your smiles brightened dark days, your laughter brought comfort, and your presence made life more meaningful. Though your time on earth was short, the impact you made will remain in our hearts forever.

“Jane, your strength and loving spirit will never be forgotten. Christina, your kindness and beautiful heart touched so many lives. Becky, your warmth and joyful soul brought happiness wherever you went. You were deeply loved, and you will always be deeply missed.

“The tragedy of losing all three of you has left an emptiness that words cannot heal. There are days when the grief feels unbearable, yet I hold tightly to the memories we shared — the laughter, the conversations, the love, and the bond that death can never take away.

“Though you are no longer here beside us, your spirits live on in our hearts every day. Love like yours never dies. You will forever remain a part of our lives, our prayers, and our memories.

“Rest peacefully, my precious daughters — Jane, Christina, and Becky. You may be gone from our sight, but never from our hearts.

“Forever loved. Forever missed. Forever remembered.”

Sussex Police say the sisters’ next of kin are being supported by specialist officers

They added that the investigation into their 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 now 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.”

*The second image has been generated by the family, based on a genuine photograph of the women when they were younger, Sussex Police say.

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Part 2 - Windrush Compensation: A scandal within a scandal?

This story has been updated from 154-year-old birth certificate to 129-year-old. Furthermore, Vandebilt did not get his citizenship till 20 years later instead of 17 years*

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Last week, we brought you Part 1 which revealed how Vanderbilt McIntosh, a former paint maker who lost his 12-year career as a result of the Windrush scandal was then awarded £1,147 for loss of employment.

We are working to ensure that this horrific scandal is not forgotten and the stories of Black people affected are told. Through journalism, we aim to continue shedding a light on the dark and holding power to account.

With the support of our loyal paid subscribers, we have been able to produce this four-part series which we believe is incredibly important and deserves the public’s attention.

We’d like to welcome all the new subscribers who have joined us since we released Part 1. We appreciate your support.

If you value the work we do, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. It’s needed now more than ever.

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Without further ado, here is the trailer for Part 2.

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On Sunday, part one revealed how Vanderbilt McIntosh, a former paint maker who lost his 12-year career as a result of the Windrush scandal was then awarded £1,147 for loss of employment. He was written to about the award in February this year after five years of being denied a penny of compensation.

Here’s a snippet of Vandebilt recalling how he was informed of the amount.

Now, the Home Office has responded to our request for comment a week after we sent it stating that they are “committed righting the wrongs of the past.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The Home Office Windrush Scandal is one of the most shameful events in this country’s history, and we are committed to righting the wrongs of the past, to ensure the grave injustices victims faced never happen again.

“As at the end of February, the Windrush Compensation Scheme has already paid over £125 million across 3,913 claims, and in January major reforms to the scheme came into effect, offering greater compensation for victims and faster decisions for over 75s.

“This government also established a £1.5 million Advocacy Support Fund, giving trusted community groups the funding they need to help people with their claims.”

Since releasing the first episode of our series, the public response has been intense. If you follow me on Twitter & Threads @melissasigodo or @TheCommunityreporter on Instagram, you will have seen the countless comments and the strength of feeling in response to the Vanderbilt’s story.

The public response truly highlights the importance of the work we are doing to shed a light on the dark and to hold power to account. These stories cannot go unheard and it is fundamental that we ensure they don’t. The Windrush scandal and the issue of citizenship should matter to all of us.

Part two of our four-part series drops this Sunday so be sure to look out for that.

In the meantime, if you would like to support this work which has been made possible through our paid subscribers, please upgrade to become a paid subscriber.

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Vanderbilt McIntosh lost a 12-year career as a paint chemist at the hands of the UK Home Office’s Windrush scandal. His life fell apart and he was forced to move to another country with his wife Hetticia and their three children. Now in his 70s, after battling half a decade to get compensation and having been denied several times by the Home Office scheme – Vanderbilt was finally awarded compensation. A figure which left him in disbelief.

This is part one of their story.

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With the current debate on immigration, the rise of racism and the far-right’s influence on politics - the Windrush scandal which saw mainly Black people stripped of their British citizenship should be on the forefront of the news. Despite being a gross injustice and a dark forewarning of the potential future of minorities in the UK, the stories of those affected by the scandal are often overlooked.

But with the support of our loyal paid subscribers, we have been able to produce a four-part series where we spoke to Hetticia and Vanderbilt McIntosh, a couple who lived in the East End of London and have faced an ongoing five-year battle for compensation for the scandal which tore their lives apart, even forcing them to leave the country. You’ve helped cover petrol costs, editing software and some of the critical necessities needed to make this possible. As a result, we’ve produced an important and pertinent series which takes a look at the couple’s story and asks the question - is the Windrush compensation scheme a scandal within a scandal?

The stories of Black people who continue to be affected by the scandal should never be forgotten and with your help, we are making sure of that and holding power to account.

Thank you for your support and if you would like to help us continue this important work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. It’s needed now more than ever.

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So without further ado, here is the trailer.

Windrush Compensation: A scandal within a scandal?

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“I survived an unprovoked attack by a stranger - now the kindness of strangers is helping me recover”

Tharel arrived in the UK on holiday from Barbados when a brutal attack changed his life.

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

MAY 3, 2026

After two and a half weeks in an induced coma, holidaymaker Tharel Thompson woke up to the sound of organ support machines and a life he didn’t recognise.

What should have been an enjoyable night out at the Walkabout Bar in Reading, ended with him being stabbed in the head in a brutal unprovoked attack that doctors doubted he would survive.

After getting the news of her son being in critical condition, his mother Yvonne rushed to take the first flight from Barbados to be at his bedside along with his father.

As Tharel slowly woke up and asked, “what happened to me?” - both parents braced themselves to explain.

British Army soldier Krisma Anthony, 23, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempted murder following the horrific attack but since then, keen jet skier Tharel has been forced to relearn the basics of how to walk again without access to NHS funding for his expensive and vital treatment.

Although Tharel has remained determined to regain his independence, the 31-year-old has suffered 10 seizures in the two years since the life-changing incident in February 2024.

“It’s scary”, his mother told the Community Reporter.

“The first seizure I saw was very scary because I didn’t know what was going on.

“I have to make sure he’s lying on his side, so his passageway is open and he doesn’t choke.

“I have to make sure he doesn’t have any objects around him that could hurt him.”

Tharel says he doesn’t remember the seizures when they last for more than five minutes but he hopes they’ll eventually stop.

He said: “If the seizure is long, more than five minutes, its confuses me. I don’t even remember my clothes getting changed.

“My mum will say she had to change my clothes, but I don’t remember. I don’t remember what’s happened.

“The doctors told me I have to take the medication as long as I need to. That’s the clearest answer I’ve gotten. I’ll have to take it as long as I need to. I’m hoping it goes away.”

Tharel and his mother have had to adjust to the reality of their “new normal” in a foreign country away from family in sunny Barbados.

They’ve been fortunate to find new friends and a place to stay in the last two years while Tharel awaits a critical surgery.

But till an operation date is confirmed, Yvonne says they are making the most of their time but that it feels as though they are simply “existing.”

Yvonne said: “We haven’t been sightseeing or anything like that because Tharel gets motion sickness.

“But we recently discovered a nature trail. We’ve been going there recently to get out of the house now the sun is out, but we haven’t been able to do any sightseeing. And we don’t really have the funds to get around like that.

“On a typical day, we get up, say grace, have breakfast, have a shower, go for a walk, have lunch, take a rest and go for another walk. Tharel exercises in between as well.

“We’re existing. We’re not living our life. We need the surgery for some kind of normalcy.”

The 31-year-old needs a titanium plate fitted on his skull to protect his brain, and the deposit for that alone is £10,000.

But through the family’s journey, the kindness of strangers has raised £58,000 on GoFundMe which has paid the deposit for Tharel’s key surgery and his rehabilitation.

When the amount was reached, speaking to the Community Reporter at the time, Yvonne shared how she got down on her knees to give thanks.

With still over £100,000 needed to cover the full bill for his medical expenses, more people including a local church community and a sky diving enthusiast are stepping up to support the family.

Jonathan who has completed over 300 jumps for charity recently took to the skies for Tharel in April.

“I said to myself, ‘I have to do this for this young man’, Jonathan recalled.

“That could have been my family. That could be my brother, my cousin. He’s young. He’s got the world ahead of him. No one should have gone through that.”

A local church in Reading has also been moved to hold a service to give thanks for Tharel’s life and to raise funds for his medical bill.

The service held by Reverand Josh Wilson, Reverand Polly Falconer and Reverand Lapompe took place at Reading Minister Church on February 8 where residents came together to support the 31-year-old.

Now, a Give Tharel Five campaign has been launched in the hopes that people will donate £5 towards his GoFundMe and to share his fundraiser with five people in a bid to help him reach his goal and start living again.

Two years since Tharel woke up in hospital feeling “glad to be alive” he has come a long way his mother says.

After doctors telling her he wouldn’t make it, she believes it was a complete “miracle.”

“I was just telling Tharel the other day, because we were going through some of the messages that I was sending back and forth with my family at the time - it brought back a big rush of emotions”, Yvonne said.

“He came far from the state he was in. I remember when I first saw him, the incident happened on the Sunday, and I first got to England on the Monday - seeing his head swollen so big like that.

“On Tuesday morning, they took out his skull. The doctors kept saying, they don’t know if he’s going to make it.

“That was a miracle that he survived to be honest.”

Over the last two years, the 31-year-old has remained positive and hopes to get better with each day that comes.

Although he was brutally attacked by a stranger which changed his entire life, Tharel says he’s been reminded through the charitable acts of people he never knew before that “there is still kindness in the world.”

For more information about the GoFundMe and to give Tharel five, click here.

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“We continue to feel the absence of our father’s kindness, his humour and his guidance”, his family said.

STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO

APRIL 29, 2026

A man who brutally killed a “kind and gentle” pensioner in an unprovoked attack has been sentenced to life in jail.

Phillip Fraczek pleaded guilty to murdering 79-year-old Franklin Agbotui who had retired from a long and successful career in the Merchant Navy.

Fraczek entered a block of flats in West Ham, east London, on May 15, 2024 at around 1.30pm, where he tried to enter multiple properties before he fell asleep on the floor.

At around 2.55pm, he was woken and asked to leave by Franklin, but 10 minutes later, neighbours heard banging noises and screaming coming from his flat.

Metropolitan Police were called and found the pensioner horrifically injured and oficers performed emergency CPR before he was taken to hospital by London’s Air Ambulance where he sadly died five days later on May 20.

On Monday April 27, 2026, after pleading guilty to murder and assault of an emergency worker, Fraczek has now been sentenced to life with a minimum 20 years and fours months.

In a victim impact statement, Franklin’s family expressed how the death of their “deeply present” father had left a void in their lives.

They said: “Our father lived a quiet, humble life grounded in integrity, respect, perseverance, education and faith. He instilled these values in us consistently and led by example.

“Despite his modest nature, he was deeply present in our lives - offering guidance, checking in regularly and sending daily messages. He was a constant, steady source of support. Beyond our immediate family, he was an active and valued member of his church community, where his absence has also been keenly felt.

“We continue to feel the absence of our father’s kindness, his humour and his guidance. The regular contact and reassurance he provided are no longer there, leaving a void in our daily lives.

“His death has had a profound and far-reaching impact on our wellbeing, our sense of stability and our family as a whole. The consequences - emotional, practical and long term - remain ongoing, and we continue to navigate life without the presence and support that defined his role in our lives.”

A neighbour whose door Fraczek had knocked on hours earlier, spotted him trying to flee the scene and alerted officers who chased him on foot.

He was then caught and arrested two streets away on Geere Road with his knuckles and Nike trainers covered in blood which forensic scientists were later able to confirm was Franklin’s.

As the two officers restrained him, he attacked them and headbutted one in the jaw.

Detective Superintendent Kelly Allen, whose team led this investigation, said: “Franklin was known to friends and neighbours as a kind and gentle man, often seen tending the flowers in their shared garden. He had a long and successful career in the Merchant Navy and had earned a happy retirement.

“This was horrifically taken from him by Fraczek - whose unprovoked and savage attack has rocked this community.

“I would like to thank the Met officers who put themselves in harm’s way to chase down Fraczek and detain him, bringing him immediately into custody and preserving vital evidence.

“Our thoughts remain with Franklin’s family and friends, and hope the lengthy sentence can bring them some degree of peace.”

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