HM Coastguard were called just after 12.45pm to help the unwell passenger on the cruise ship who urgently needed to be taken to hospital.

The HM coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Humberside, with 4 team members aboard, responded to call and made their way to the cruise ship which was positioned 43nm off the Northumberland coast. After arriving on scene they lowered their paramedic winchman onboard to treat the casualty.

They secured the woman and winched her into the aircraft where she was taken to James Cook Hospital. The cruise ship resumed its planned course.

Co-Pilot and senior first officer of the HM coastguard Humberside helicopter, James Bullock said: “This proved to be a challenging rescue due to the adverse weather conditions. The transit was hampered by poor visibility but once on scene the sea state of around 6 meters and 35 kt winds created significant movement on the vessel which made for a tricky winch recovery. Thankfully with the assistance of the ship’s crew tending the hi-line and patience as we waited for the largest of the waves to subside, the casualty was recovered safely and quickly transported to James Cook Hospital.”

Inverness coastguard called out

The HM coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at St Athan was alerted to the incident just after 3pm today after a 999 call was made to HM coastguard reporting two young men clinging to rocks off Hartland Point. With 6ft waves crashing over the men they were at immediate risk of being washed out to sea. Racing to the scene, the HM coastguard helicopter was kept fully briefed by the Hartland Point coastguard rescue team who were unable to reach the pair due to the rough seas but were watching closely from the shore in case the worst should happen.

The rough seas also made it impossible for a lifeboat to reach the scene so their only hope was the coastguard helicopter. Once on scene it took the precision and skill of the helicopter crew which saw the two men rescued in under two minutes.

HM Coastguard helicopter chief pilot Olly Padbury said: “This was a challenging rescue where we only had seconds to spare. As we manoeuvred our winchman towards the two casualties on the rock, he was hit a by a large unsighted wave. Recovering quickly he was able to place the strop over the first casualty and he was winched onboard. Once he was safely inside we dropped the winch down again and we were able to pull the winchman and the second casualty up in seconds. This dramatic footage clearly shows what can happen when people are cut off by the tide but also the sterling job our winchman did in a few minutes. This rescue is about teamwork and we would like to say a big thank you to Hartland Point coastguard rescue team for their spot on briefing – which saw these two young men rescued successfully.”

Both men were airlifted to safety and despite their ordeal required no medical attention.

Speaking after the incident Duncan Ley, duty controller for HM coastguard said: “This incident could so easily have turned into a really tragic one. If you see someone in difficulty at sea or along the coast please immediately call 999 and ask for the coastguard. If you are going out for a walk along the shore make sure that you check the tide times – you will often see this information at the entry to beaches or check it online – and ensure that you are back in plenty of time. Thankfully, this was a rescue that ended really well thanks to the coastguard helicopter crew and Hartland Point Coastguard rescue team.”

coastguard battkles 6ft waves

People living and working in Mytholmroyd are invited to meet the construction team who are building the flood defence scheme to protect 400 homes and businesses in the village.

A construction open day is being held at Mytholmroyd Community Centre on Thursday 22 March, 11am – 8pm, for members of the community to drop in to find out more about the Mytholmroyd Flood Alleviation Scheme which will cost in the region of £30m.

The flood alleviation scheme has been developed by the Environment Agency in partnership with Calderdale Council and is expected to be completed by Winter 2019. Design and construction of the scheme has been carried out by main contractor VBA, a joint venture comprising VolkerStevin, Boskalis Westminster and SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins business.

Staff will be on hand throughout the day to explain what work is being carried out in each planning area of the village and answer questions on many issues including access routes and the size and type of equipment being used during construction.

Visitors will be told about the schedule of works and be asked during the event how they would like to be provided with up-to-date information about the progress of the scheme.

Vital works to be completed as part of the scheme include construction of new, raised and improved flood walls, relocation of Caldene Bridge, widening of the river channel at key locations and flood proofing of the buildings next to the river.

During the next stage of the scheme, which begins in April, drainage improvements will be made along Burnley Road to reduce the risk of surface water flooding.

Helen Batt, Calder catchment director for the Environment Agency said:

We’re keen for local residents and businesses to take this opportunity to find out about our plans for the Mytholmroyd Flood Scheme which will provide them much better protection against flood risk in the future.

Our team is committed to involving the community where possible in the delivery of the scheme and keep them informed at every stage of its progress.

Chris Blenkarn, project manager for VBA, said:

We are pleased that flood defence works are moving into the next phase on site, which will make a difference to the community and protect local homes and businesses. We look forward to hosting the event and answering any questions about the construction work.

Cllr Barry Collins, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Strategy, said
> The Mytholmroyd Flood Alleviation Scheme is part of our ongoing partnership work to help protect local communities and improve resilience following the devastating 2015 floods.

With the second phase of the scheme on its way, we encourage local people to come along to the open day and talk to the experts to help them visualise the scheme and understand the impacts.

If anyone has any questions about the scheme they can email the project team:
mytholmroydFAS@environment-agency.gov.uk

There is also a regular news bulletin produced with information about the scheme which is distributed throughout the village and you can request online by emailing the team.

Drop in surgeries are held at the Mytholmroyd Community Centre each week on: Tuesdays 12pm-3pm and Fridays 9am-12pm.

For latest updates visit:
or follow #MytholmroydFAS @EnvAgencyYNE on Twitter.

The Environment Agency is investing £475m in Yorkshire to better protect 66,000 homes across the county as part of our current six year programme to 2021.

Residents are urged to check their flood risk online at (https://www.gov.uk/check-flood-risk) and sign up for free flood warnings to give them vital time to save themselves and their possessions from the devastating effects of flooding. Find out how to prepare for a flood at the Floods Destroy website

An FCO Spokesperson said:

Our Ambassador in Moscow has just been informed by the Russian government that they will expel 23 diplomats, close the British Consulate-General in St Petersburg and close the British Council in Moscow.

This follows the action we have taken, alongside other measures, to dismantle the Russian espionage network operating in the UK as a consequence of the attempted assassination of two people here in Britain using a nerve agent.

In light of Russia’s previous behaviour, we anticipated a response of this kind and the National Security Council will meet early next week to consider next steps. Our priority today is looking after our staff in Russia and assisting those that will return to the UK.

Russia’s response doesn’t change the facts of the matter – the attempted assassination of two people on British soil, for which there is no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian State was culpable. It is Russia that is in flagrant breach of international law and the Chemical Weapons Convention.

We have no disagreement with the people of Russia and we continue to believe it is not in our national interest to break off all dialogue between our countries but the onus remains on the Russian state to account for their actions and to comply with their international obligations.

Thank you very much for inviting me along to this launch event today. Firstly can thank the team at Centre for Social Justice for this insightful report. It not only raises a number of pertinent points about the challenges which female offenders, and the services responding to them face, but also outlines practical and creative proposals we can take to tackle them.

Secondly, I would like to emphasise an important theme that runs throughout this report: the need for a multi-agency, gender-responsive approach to female offenders that brings together local and national partners in a coordinated and accountable manner.

Female offenders are some of our most vulnerable members of society and often have complex needs. As articulated in the report, a significant number of these women have histories of mental health issues, substance misuse, trauma and abuse, homelessness, poor education and unemployment.

For many, these issues have developed prior to their involvement with the criminal justice system. Many of these women are also likely to be already known to, or already engaged with, different public services before they even commit a crime.

Despite this, we know that outcomes for a significant number of women remain persistently and unacceptably poor.

We must address these issues at the outset if we want to reduce crime, reduce reoffending, protect victims and the public.

Achieving this requires a joined-up approach from the relevant Government departments, national and local statutory services, and the voluntary sector, to develop a coordinated, multi-agency response. I’m pleased to say we are making some real progress in achieving this. And, this is a principle that also underlines my female offender strategy.

Whole System Approach and women’s centres

As set out in the report, we are investing £1 million pounds seed funding to support local areas to develop new ways of working with female offenders by adopting a multi-agency – often termed Whole System – approach.

The whole system model brings together local agencies, criminal justice, statutory and voluntary. Together they provide the holistic, targeted support a female offender needs, with shared investment and outcomes. The National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Companies are key partners, ensuring that female offenders receive targeted, wrap-around support both through the gate and in the community.

Women’s centres are often at the heart of many of these Whole-System Approach models. And I have been impressed by the women’s centres that I have visited. Over the past year I met staff and service users at Nelson
Trust and Anawim, which are both providing valuable support to vulnerable women.

I recognise the hugely important role that these women’s centres can play in supporting female offenders and those at risk of offending. Our best response to female offending must be one that is locally-led.

Liaison and diversion

Another recent success commended in the report is that of Liaison and Diversion (L&D) services. L&D services place clinical staff at police stations and courts to provide assessments and referrals at an earlier stage. In doing so, we can intervene early to support people with mental health, drug and alcohol issues as soon as they come to the attention of the criminal justice system.

L&D services will be operating across 82% of England by the end of March 2018, and across 90% of the country by the end of March 2019. Full rollout is expected by 2020/21.

And we are going further. NHS England are currently enhancing ‘women’s pathways’ across all L&D services, to address the specific needs of women in the criminal justice system.

A specific women’s lead will be appointed in each service to focus on this. Services will:

• offer to see all females who come into custody
• provide females with the choice of the gender of their practitioner
• offer gender-sensitive tools for screening
• and provide effective onward referrals to gender specific and sensitive services.
  T
  he needs of particular groups such as women sex workers and foreign national women, will also be considered. These pathways will be co-designed with women with lived experience.

This will mean that more female offenders will be diverted away from the criminal justice system in the first place, away from charge, or to a community sentence. I firmly believe that early intervention is an important part of our response to female offending. Not only does it improve outcomes for these women but also their children, their families and the public as a whole.

Devolution

As the report outlines, Police & Crime Commissioners (PPC’S) have a real appetite to be more involved in a new approach for female offenders.

This is extremely welcome. PCCs play a valuable role as visible and accountable leaders of the local police and crime systems. And Combined Authorities bring together several services which are crucial to reduce reoffending.

I recognise the potential benefits that a more locally-led system offers. I am keen to work closely with PCCs and Combined Authorities to explore this further.

It is crucial that we work more closely with these local partners to tackle the issues leading women into the criminal justice system.

To deliver this, we have signed devolution agreements with several areas, including Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Midlands and Greater London.

The Ministry of Justice is committed to exploring options to provide greater devolution of criminal justice responsibility and budgets to local commissioners.

Women at court

Another issue raised in the report was that of awareness of pre-sentence report writers of the disposals available in their areas. We have recently undertaken an audit of pre-sentence reports and assessment tools for female offenders at court. This looked at how we could take a more gender responsive and trauma informed approach towards the women we are working with.

Cross-departmental work is now progressing to increase the quality of assessments for female offenders and a work plan has been developed to take this work forward.

This work is also looking to increase the take up of effective community sentences in line with sentencing guidelines. This work is being carried out in partnership with the National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRC’s).

Workforce development

However, for these changes to have the necessary impact, it is essential that we have a gender informed workforce.

We continue to roll out Trauma Informed training to criminal justice professionals. Training is now being extended across the National Probation Service and CRCs, as well as to prison staff.

We have also supported the wider Criminal Justice System roll out of the ‘Safeguarding Children When Sentencing Mothers’ training material completed by Dr Shona Minson.

This training raises awareness of the diverse implications of maternal imprisonment for children.
I would like to reiterate my thanks to Dr Minson for her invaluable work.

Benefits and employment

Today’s report also rightly highlights the challenges which prisoners face when leaving prison, particularly around access to welfare support.

Prisoners are able to speak to a Department of Work and Pensions Work Coach before release. They can make an appointment at the relevant Job Centre as early as the day of release. Once the former prisoner attends the Job Centre to complete their claim, eligible prisoners can receive funds within hours.

However, we recognise that more can be done. That is why we are working with the Department of Work and Pensions to improve the process with the aim of enabling a claim in advance of release.

And I want to do more to help women into employment on release too. Getting and keeping a job can change people’s lives and work is the best route out of crime. The prison and probation service have an important role to help offenders build the skills and experience they need whilst they’re in prison so they can have the right attitude for work and get a job when they’re released. As the Secretary of State outlined on 6 March, we will shortly be launching our Education and Employment Strategy. This will set out our approach to helping offenders get the skills they need to find a job and avoid the activities that landed them in prison in the first place.

Accommodation

Another factor that plays an important part in rehabilitation is accommodation. There is considerable evidence which tells us there is a link between lack of stable accommodation and reoffending. Suitable accommodation plays an important part in enabling offenders to get a job, into training, or registered with a GP.

HMPPS has undertaken some initiatives to improve access to accommodation, such as expanding the BASS contract to offer accommodation to offenders on licence.

We continue to work with all probation providers to help make sure offenders get the support they need to find accommodation on release.

But accommodation is a serious problem which requires a cross departmental response, as recognised in the report’s recommendations.

We are working with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to improve access to housing for those being released from prison.

As part of this, we are investigating how Housing First and proposals regarding the private rented sector could help to ensure that offenders with complex needs, including female offenders, can secure suitable accommodation

This work will form part of the wider Government commitment to eliminate homelessness.

Conclusion

As you know, my female offender strategy is due shortly. I hope to outline in this what further progress we have made in the areas I have highlighted today, and others, to address the challenges which female offenders face. This is a complex issue and one that I want to get right.

Thank you for having me here today to support the launch of this report.