Violent crimes against parents by children up 60% since 2015, shows London data

The number of violent offences involving an adolescent attacking their parents or step-parents has increased by more than 60% in the past decade, according to figures recorded by the UK’s biggest police force.Data released by Scotland Yard reveals that there were 1,886 such offences recorded in 2015 but this increased to 3,091 in the first 10 months of 2025 alone.The offences involved a suspect aged between 10, the age of criminal responsibility in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 17 who had been recorded as being the child or stepchild of the alleged victim.The Metropolitan police figures suggest a major surge in recorded incidents amid the Covid pandemic, although the numbers had been edging up over the previous four years and have seemingly plateaued in the past two years.There were 1,886 offences recorded in 2015, 1,804 in 2016, 2,068 in 2017, 2,290 in 2018 and 2,292 in 2019

Huge rise in number of people in England’s A&Es for coughs or hiccups

Millions of people are turning to A&E departments in England for minor ailments including coughs, blocked noses and hiccups, according to data that health leaders say lays bare a failure to give patients prompt access to primary care.Emergency wards are designed for serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies only. But many are becoming swamped with patients whose health concerns should be dealt with elsewhere, including a near tenfold increase in people seeking help for a cough.A&E attendances for hiccups, dizziness and a myriad of other minor conditions have also soared. The trend of patients heading to emergency departments with non-emergency symptoms is underlined by the fact that doctors found nothing wrong with more than 2 million A&E patients in 2024-25

Judge me on what I do, says new EHRC chair after transgender groups’ criticism

The new chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission has asked campaigners who raised doubts about her appointment to “judge me on what I do”.In one of her first media interviews since her appointment at the start of December, Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson pledged to “uphold the rights of everybody across all protected characteristics”, after the UK government overruled the objections of parliament’s women and equalities committee about her suitability for the job.Stephenson argued that open letters she had signed opposing censorship on campus and violence against campaigners had been “really widely mischaracterised as kind of anti-trans letters”.Instead, she said, they were in line with her “lifelong commitment to protecting and upholding human rights, including the right to freedom of expression and freedom of association and basic democratic rights”.Stephenson donated to the 2022 campaign of the barrister Allison Bailey, who was found to have been unlawfully discriminated against by her chambers for her gender-critical views

‘Absolutely frightening’: surge in ketamine cases hits urology wards in England and Wales

Experts have warned that urology departments across England and Wales could be close to breaking point as ketamine-related hospital admissions have “skyrocketed” in the past few years.Ketamine, a class B dissociative drug used for pain relief and sedation, is increasingly used recreationally in England and Wales. It is one of only three drugs, alongside magic mushrooms and hallucinogens, to have become used more regularly since 2015.Recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows that ketamine usage, while down slightly from the previous year, is still high. The numbers who say they have used the drug in the past month has increased by 251

Offenders in England and Wales to have alcohol levels tracked over new year period

Thousands of offenders in England and Wales will have their alcohol levels tracked over the new year festive period by electronic tags that monitor the wearer’s sweat.The tags, which are now worn by 5,000 people who have been released from prison or who are serving a community sentence, are designed to keep criminals sober over the festive season and drive down drink-fuelled reoffending.The deputy prime minister and secretary of state for justice, David Lammy, said: “Alcohol-driven crime causes real harm to victims and communities, and piles extra pressure on our emergency services. Tackling it head-on is vital to make our streets safer.“These tags act as a physical and constant reminder to offenders that there’s no room for slip-ups – one drink and they could find themselves back in court or even behind bars

Two new subtypes of MS found in ‘exciting’ breakthrough

Scientists have discovered two new subtypes of multiple sclerosis with the aid of artificial intelligence, paving the way for personalised treatments and better outcomes for patients.Millions of people have the disease globally – but treatments are mostly selected on the basis of symptoms, and may not be effective because they don’t target the underlying biology of the patient.Now, scientists have detected two new biological strands of MS using AI, a simple blood test and MRI scans. Experts said the “exciting” breakthrough could revolutionise treatment of the disease worldwide.In research involving 600 patients, led by University College London (UCL) and Queen Square Analytics, researchers looked at blood levels of a special protein called serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL)