Source: Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) published on this website Tuesday 30 September 2025

A former maths teacher has been sentenced for the sexual abuse of numerous girls and multiple child sexual abuses of young girls.

Syed Shahreear Ahmed, 36, has been found guilty of 21 criminal charges including, grooming, sexual activity with a child, taking and making indecent images of a child, rape, and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, extended for five years.

Ahmed was a maths teacher at a secondary school in Essex until he resigned after his arrest in May 2023.

An investigation by the Metropolitan Police and subsequent prosecution review and analysis of his two smartphones showed that he had been in contact with numerous girls and young women on social media, making arrangements to meet them and engage in sexual activity.

Claire Brinton, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service said: 

“Syed Ahmed targeted his young, often vulnerable victims via social media platforms with the sole aim of grooming them for child sexual abuse.  He pretended to be a 16-17 year old male and arranged to meet the victims so that he could rape and sexually assault them knowing that they were under 16 years of age.  He kept imagery of much of his abuse on his devices.The lifelong physical and emotional trauma caused to victims by men like Ahmed cannot be understated.

“We would like to thank the victims in this case for coming forward and reporting this devastating crime. I hope this conviction sends a clear message that the CPS will relentlessly pursue justice and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, whenever that abuse took place.

“I encourage any victims of child sexual abuse and sexual violence to report the crimes committed against them to the police. You are not alone and there is always help available.”

Detective Inspector Peter Harvey, from the Met Police’s Specialist Crime – Complex Case and Exploitation, said:

“It is due to the bravery of the girls who came forward that we have been able to achieve this outcome and I thank them for providing the evidence needed to ensure Ahmed will face a long term of imprisonment.

“During a long-running and complex investigation alongside Cambridgeshire, Thames Valley, Essex and Kent Police, we were able to piece together Ahmed’s offending.

“He would track children online, before quickly manufacturing a personal meeting and carrying out the most appalling acts on girls as young as 14-years-old.

“A manipulative serial predator, I remain concerned that Ahmed may have committed other offences that have yet to be reported to us. I would urge anyone who may recognise this man and believe he may have come into contact with you or your loved ones to please contact us immediately.

“Specialist officers are available to offer support and signpost to external partners. Any reports will be fully investigated and dealt with the utmost sensitivity, care and compassion.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank colleagues from Cambridgeshire, Thames Valley, Hertfordshire, Essex and Kent Police who showed true professionalism and determination and were key in bringing Ahmed to justice.”

To deal with some of the more complex and challenging child sexual abuse cases like this, the CPS has established a dedicated Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit to share specialist understanding, build strong cases and increase the amount of successful prosecutions.

Source: Sussex Police published on this website Tuesday 2 September 2025 by Jill Powell

A care home worker who stole sentimental jewellery from an elderly resident has been jailed.

Police were called after staff at Bethune Court in Boscobel Road, Hastings, reported the theft on 21 March, 2024.

The victim – an 82-year-old woman – discovered jewellery including her late husband’s gold wedding ring had been taken from the bedside table in her private room.

As enquiries were ongoing, the victim’s family posted an appeal for information on social media. This was seen by a local pawnbroker, who believed they had recently accepted the same ring from regular customer.

She was identified as Rita Cooney, who worked as a housekeeper at the care home.

The 58-year-old, of Hillcrest Avenue, Bexhill, was arrested and charged with theft, which she was convicted of.

At Lewes Crown Court on 14 August, she was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.

She was also charged with fraud, and that offence will lie on file.

Investigating officer, PC Wesley Brickstock, of the Hastings Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This was a despicable act committed by a woman who exploited the vulnerability of an elderly resident in a place where she should be able to feel safe.

“I’d like to thank the victim and her family for their support in our investigation, and the local pawnbroker who diligently notified police, ensuring we could bring Cooney to justice.”

Source: Medicines and Health Care Products Regulatory Agency published on this website Wednesday 17 September 2025 by Jill Powell

The importance of medicine safety and how to report side effects of medicines via the Yellow Card scheme is now part of the statutory guidance for schools in England.

On World Patient Safety Day (17 September), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is proud to announce a major milestone in its mission to protect public health: for the first time, the importance of medicine safety and how to report side effects of medicines via the Yellow Card scheme is now part of the RSHE statutory guidance for schools in England. 

Working in close partnership with the Department for Education (DfE), the MHRA has successfully embedded this life-saving knowledge into the statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance – reaching children and young people in classrooms across the country. 

This bold step puts patient safety into the hands of the next generation, giving them the tools to recognise and report side effects from medicines. 

Putting safety at the heart of education 

The curriculum changes are reflected in the statutory guidance , which now links directly to the Yellow Card scheme and a dedicated child-friendly guide tested with over 3,500 children and young people.

The content covers: 

• What a side effect is 
• Why it’s important to report problems with medicines  
• How to submit a Yellow Card report 
• Who the MHRA are and how they help keep the public safe 

World Patient Safety Day emphasises the need for stronger measures to protect children from preventable harm. The inclusion of this important information on the curriculum reflects this call by making young people active participants in the safety of the healthcare system. 

The inclusion in education ensures that even the youngest members of society know how to: 

• Take charge of their own health 
• Speak up when something doesn’t feel right 
• Play a direct role in improving the safety of medicines and medical devices for all 

Accessible, empowering, actionable 

• Young people are guided to seek support from a parent, carer, teacher, or healthcare professional if they’re worried about a possible side effect, and they are shown how to report it through the Yellow Card website: https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk  
• The guide for children and young people explains reporting in simple, clear terms and is now an official part of the resources supporting Health Education in England. 

About the Yellow Card scheme 

• The Yellow Card scheme is the UK’s system for reporting suspected side effects to medicines, medical devices, and other healthcare products. Managed by the MHRA, the scheme plays a crucial role in monitoring product safety and taking action to minimise risks. 
• Now, for the first time, children and young people are actively encouraged in this system – not just as potential patients, but as active participants in ensuring safer healthcare for all. 

Source: The Charity Commission published on this site Thursday 31 July 2025 by Jill Powell

The Charity Commission for England and Wales has criticised the Central Oxford Mosque Society and The Mosque and Islamic Centre of Brent, both of which failed to prevent their platforms being misused to communicate inappropriate material.  

It was found that there was misconduct and / or mismanagement committed in connection with the charities.  

Central Oxford Mosque Society 

The Commission opened a case into the charity after concerns were raised about posts on the charity’s social media platform in October and November 2023.  

The posts commented on the recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East. One provided information on what to do if arrested at a protest and advertised the services of a specific private solicitor’s firm. Another featured a graphic cartoon which seemed to criticise media reporting of the conflict. A third post included another cartoon suggesting the media misrepresents the situation in Palestine. Both cartoons were shared by the charity just three days after the attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. The Commission considered that the sharing of these cartoons could create community tensions in the context of the conflict in the Middle East.  

The regulator engaged with the trustees, who were unable to explain how the posts furthered the charity’s purposes for the public benefit. It found that, at the time of publishing the posts, the charity had no social media policy in place and that only one trustee had access to the social media account. The trustees’ responses to the Commission also failed to acknowledge or recognise all of the concerns about the posts in question.  

The Commission concluded that the posts were outside the charity’s purposes, and that two were divisive and inflammatory.  

The Official Warning sets out actions the charity is to take to address the wrongdoing, including to create, implement and adhere to robust policies, including a social media policy, and to ensure all of the charity’s activities are in furtherance of its purposes.   

The regulator acknowledges that, since it gave the charity notice of its intention to issue an Official Warning, the charity’s trustees have taken steps to address the concerns. 

The Mosque and Islamic Centre of Brent 

The Commission opened a case after concerns were raised in the media about speeches held at the charity’s premises. The sermons were promoted on the speaker’s social media channel.  

The Commission determined that of five speeches given at the charity’s premises in November and December 2023, four included inflammatory and divisive content, two contained content that could reasonably be interpreted as encouraging support of Hamas, a proscribed organisation, and one could be reasonably interpreted as discouraging worshippers from engaging with democratic processes.  

The Commission found that, at the time of the speeches, the charity did not have effective policies in place to manage risks related to speakers at the charity. In response to the regulator’s concerns, the charity’s trustees did not demonstrate that that they fully understood the risk of reputational harm being caused by the sermon and were unable to offer adequate assurance that they would take action to prevent a similar failure in the future.  

The Official Warning sets out steps the charity now needs to take to address the concerns.  

The Commission notes that, since it gave the charity notice of its intention to issue an Official Warning, the charity has adopted a written policy on speakers.  

Charity Commission Assistant Director for Investigations and Compliance, Stephen Roake said

“We recognise that recent events in the Middle East are emotive and distressing. But it is precisely in times of conflict that charities are expected to bring people together, not to stoke further division.  

“Trustees of charities have a legal duty and responsibility to ensure everything their charity does is capable of furthering its purposes, and must also take steps to protect the charity’s assets, including its reputation.  

“Sadly, in the case of these two charities, the trustees failed to have appropriate processes in place, and allowed their charity’s names and reputations to be exposed to serious harm through inflammatory and divisive language, and in one case, seeming to associate the charity with a proscribed organisation.  

“We expect the trustees to continue to take swift action to address the respective concerns.”

During the last 18 months, the Commission has opened more than 300 regulatory cases involving charities supporting different sides of the Middle East conflict. It has issued formal statutory guidance to charities in around 100 of these cases, and has made more than 70 referrals to the police where it considers a criminal offence might have been committed.