Headline
27 Years After, Fleeing Man Arrested, Faces Child Sex Abuse Charges
Published
1 year agoon
By
Editor
An 80-year-old ex-scoutmaster arrested after more than 27 years on the run is set to face further child sex abuse charges.
Richard Burrows, who is accused of the historic sexual abuse of children, was arrested at Heathrow Airport in March, after returning to the UK from Thailand.
He had been wanted since December 1997 when he failed to attend Chester Crown Court to face trial for two counts of buggery and 11 counts of indecent assault.
The charges relate to allegations of abuse reported to have taken place at a children’s home in Congleton, Cheshire, between 1969 and 1971 and in the West Midlands between 1971 and 1981.
READ ALSO: UK Richest Family Jailed For Exploiting Domestic Staff In Switzerland
Cheshire Police revealed today that the Crown Prosecution Service had now authorised additional charges against him.
They were 20 counts of indecent assault, one count of buggery, three counts of making indecent images of children, and four counts of possession of a false identity document with intent.
The additional charges relate to 11 victims and the offences occurred between 1966 and 1996 across Cheshire, the West Midlands and West Mercia areas.
Burrows is next scheduled to appear at Chester Crown Court on August 2.
He had been due to be prosecuted at Chester Crown Court on child sex charges when he skipped bail in December 1997.
A warrant was issued for his arrest but, despite various appeals, including on the BBC’s Crimewatch, police did not locate him until March this year.
READ ALSO: Nigerian Boxer Shot Dead In US
Detectives from Cheshire police working with the National Crime Agency, dubbed Britain’s FBI, finally arrested Burrows as he ‘stepped off a flight’ from Thailand at London’s Heathrow Airport.
He appeared at Chester Crown Court on April 2.
Asked by the clerk of the court whether it was correct that he had ‘failed to surrender to custody and failed to surrender pursuant to a warrant for his arrest,’ Burrows, who was dressed in a grey tracksuit, replied: ‘Yes.’
Judge Steven Everett told the court that Burrows was facing historical allegations of serious sexual assault and indecent assault relating to 11 young complainants at a Cheshire children’s home, and while he was acting as a scoutmaster, when he jumped bail in December 1997.
The judge remanded Burrows in custody and ordered that he appear before the court again on June 21 to enter a plea.
He also set the date for his trial for January 13.
You may like
Sex Worker Dies After Dispute Over N15,000 Refund In Ondo
BREAKING: Equatorial Guinea Restricts WhatsApp Amid Sex Scandal
Two Suspected Gays Escape Jungle Justice In Oyo
Thugs Allegedly Drug, Sexually Assault 37-year-old Australian MP In Her Constituency
Two Arrested Over Man’s Death After Hotel Sex Romp
Woman, 26, Stabs Man Dead Over Demand For More Sex
Headline
US To Revoke Student Visas For Those Who Skip Classes, Programmes
Published
9 hours agoon
August 4, 2025By
Editor
The United States has issued a warning to international students regarding the consequences of violating student visa regulations.
In a message shared via its official X handle on Monday, the US Mission in Nigeria stressed that students who drop out, skip classes, or leave their academic programmes without notifying their schools risk having their US student visas revoked.
Such actions could also lead to disqualification from obtaining future US visas, it stated.
READ ALSO:9 Most-requested Documents For Work Visas
The mission advised all student visa holders to strictly adhere to the terms of their visas and maintain their academic status to avoid any immigration issues.
“If you drop out, skip classes, or leave your programmes of study without informing your school, your student visa may be revoked, and you may lose eligibility for future US visas.
“Always adhere to the terms of your visa and maintain your student status to avoid any issues,” the mission noted.
Headline
Fake Labubu Dolls Worth Millions Seized In London Raid Amid Growing Safety Fears
Published
2 days agoon
August 3, 2025By
Editor
Thousands of fake Labubu dolls believed to be worth millions of pounds have been seized at an industrial estate on the outskirts of London following a major crackdown led by Trading Standards and law enforcement agencies.
The operation, which followed weeks of investigation, traced the fake merchandise from a corner shop in Swansea, south Wales, to a warehouse complex in London.
Officers discovered rooms stacked floor-to-ceiling with fake goods, but it was the imitation Labubu dolls at the centre of a viral TikTok craze that drew the most concern.
The dolls, produced by popular toy company Pop Mart, have surged in global demand, with some genuine pieces retailing for up to £80. The popularity of the brand helped the company double its revenue to £1.33 billion last year, according to Forbes. However, authorities say the boom has also attracted criminal enterprises looking to profit from the trend through counterfeit production.
READ ALSO:‘This Is Why I Hate London’, Ivan Toney Fumes After His Car Is Broken Into
“The head comes off. The feet pull off. The eyes aren’t glued in,” said Rhys Harries, a Trading Standards officer, while examining one of the seized dolls. “These are clear choking hazards.”
Using a plastic tool modelled after a child’s throat, Harries demonstrated how easily parts of the fake dolls could become life-threatening. “These parts would get stuck and potentially cause choking,” he warned.
The scale of the operation was alarming. Border Force officials say they have intercepted hundreds of thousands of fake Labubu dolls at UK ports in recent months, with many traced back to manufacturers in China, Hong Kong, and Turkey.
In one case, a mother from Caerphilly, Jade, recounted how fake Labubu dolls she bought for her six-year-old son Harri’s birthday began falling apart within hours. “The hook came off and ended up in his mouth,” she said. “Luckily he was old enough to spit it out and tell me.”
READ ALSO:Bank CEO Beaten To Death In London
Despite knowing the dolls were fakes, Jade said she bought them due to the high cost of the original ones and peer pressure from other children. She got the knock-offs for just over £10 each.
Authorities say the rush to cash in on the craze has led to the use of substandard and potentially dangerous materials, including toxic plastics. Kate Caffery, deputy director of intelligence and law enforcement at the UK’s Intellectual Property Office, said counterfeiting is the second most lucrative source of criminal income worldwide, after drug trafficking.
“There’s a complete disregard for safety,” Caffery said. “They’re made from anything from the inferior to the outright dangerous.”
TikTok collector and plush toy enthusiast Meg Goldberger, 27, said she struggled to find genuine dolls due to scalpers bulk-buying authentic stock and reselling them at inflated prices. “They sell out in seconds,” she said. “Some resellers are using bots to buy hundreds at once.”
Investigators found invoice books showing the dolls were destined for locations across the UK. Some of the seized dolls will be used as evidence, while the rest will be stored in a secure location before being recycled or destroyed.
Pop Mart has been contacted for comment on the counterfeit issue, which authorities say is now a national concern.
Headline
Young Catholics Converge On Rome For Pope Leo’s Vigil
Published
2 days agoon
August 2, 2025By
Editor
Thousands of young Catholics began assembling Saturday for an evening prayer vigil led by Pope Leo XIV, the culmination of a week-long pilgrimage and a key event in the Jubilee holy year that is expected to draw up to a million people.
The “Jubilee of Youth” — when the Vatican invites Catholics aged 18 to 35 to the seat of the global Church’s power — has seen young pilgrims from around the world flood Rome, waving flags, singing or praying in groups.
It comes nearly three months after Leo, 69, the first American pontiff, began his papacy, and 25 years after the last such massive youth gathering in Rome under Poland’s Pope John Paul II.
On Saturday morning, thousands of young pilgrims had already gathered at the vast open space in Rome’s eastern Tor Vergata neighbourhood where the pope will lead the vigil, the ground already dotted with blankets and mattresses.
READ ALSO:Full List: 57 Lawyers Nominated For SAN Status
Elsewhere in the Eternal City, numerous groups of young people were seen preparing to set off for the venue.
On the plaza outside the Basilica of St John Lateran, they filled water bottles, applied suncream and checked bags of food and snacks — ready to spend the next 24 hours surrounded by a swarm of people and then sleep under the stars.
Victoria Perez, who carried a Spanish flag, could not contain her excitement at seeing “the Pope up close.
“It’s the first time I’m going to see him, and I can’t wait,” the 21-year-old told AFP, excited to experience the “night of prayers under the stars”.
French pilgrim, Quentin Remaury, 26, said he had been inspired by the late Pope Francis’s rousing message to youth during a 2016 visit to Krakow, Poland.
READ ALSO:Gunmen Invade Catholic Seminary School In Edo, Kill One, Abduct Three
“Pope Francis told us to ‘get off your couches,’ and that really gave me a boost,” he said.
– ‘What is his message?’ –
Since the youth jubilee began on Monday, attendees have participated in various Church-planned events throughout the city.
On Friday, approximately 1,000 priests were on hand to take confession at Circus Maximus, one of Rome’s top tourist spots.
Some 200 white gazebos lined the hippodrome where chariot races were once held, and youths lined up to speak to priests in 10 different languages.
Of the many languages heard on the streets of the Italian capital this week, Spanish seemed to dominate. The Vatican has said that more than 146 countries were represented, and it expects up to a million people to attend the vigil.
READ ALSO:Okuama-Ewu identifies 11 persons Killed By Military, 413 Houses Destroyed
The pilgrimage is taking place as economic uncertainty and anxiety over climate change rise among the under-30s, with many saying they were curious to hear the Church’s position on global warming, wars and economic inequalities.
Samarei Semos, 29, said she had travelled three days from her native Belize to get to Rome.
“We are still trying to understand his leadership,” she said of the new pope, adding she hoped he would have a strong say about “third world countries”.
As Parisian student Alice Berry exclaimed, “What does he have to say to us? What is his message for young people?”
– Raising voices –
The youth pilgrimage also comes amid global alarm over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and more than three years of war in Ukraine.
READ ALSO:Pope Leo XIV Outlines A Path For A Modern Church That Follows Francis’ Steps
The Vatican has praised young Catholics who managed to travel to Rome from war-scarred countries, with Pope Leo saying the voices of the world’s youth “will be heard to the end of the earth”.
In an unprecedented move, Leo hosted a mass on Tuesday for Catholic social media influencers, signalling the Vatican’s openness to supporting the Internet-savvy youth.
More than 4,300 volunteers will be working the event to welcome the young pilgrims, along with over 1,000 police, according to organisers.
Roman authorities have tightened security in the city — which has seen an unprecedented number of people, with both tourists and pilgrims inundating the city.
AFP
- UNICEF Advocates Six Months Maternity Leave From Working Mothers In Bauchi
- 2027: Obi’s One-term Presidency Gambit Sparks Political Firestorm
- Tinubu Gives D’Tigress $100,000 Each, Flats, National Honour
- Step-by-step Guide For Checking 2025 WASSCE Results
- Presidency Tackles Obi Over One-term Promise, says Lincoln, JFK Examples Misleading
- Gov Aiyedatiwa Gifts Ondo-born Super Falcons Player N30m, House
- ‘Yahoo Boy’ Rams Car Into Edo Traders, Injures Three
- Abuja Chief Imam’s Son Shot Dead Over Land Dispute
- Foreigner Escapes Death In Abuja Building Collapse
- WAEC Releases 2025 WASSCE Results
Trending
- News3 days ago
JUST IN: NNPCL Boss, Ojulari Allegedly Forced To Resign
- Metro1 day ago
Hotel Under Construction Collapses In Edo Kills Owner
- News5 days ago
[OPINION] The Gaffe And The Uproar: Okpebholo In The Public Eye
- Entertainment3 days ago
Popular Nollywood Actress Dies
- News1 day ago
Seadogs Champions Social Justice Through Inaugural Art Exhibition In Owerri
- News3 days ago
Group Rejects Bill Seeking To Install Ooni, Sultan As Permanent Co-chairmen, Council Of Traditional Rulers
- News3 days ago
Immigration Issues Travel Advisory To Nigerians On US Visas
- Metro3 days ago
How We Killed Nurse, Child In Abuja School After Collecting Ransom – Suspect
- Metro4 days ago
Woman Arrested For Killing, Selling Pregnant Nurse’s Body Parts
- Metro3 days ago
My Wife Used To Slap Me, Lock Me In The Room, Man Tells Court