Tag: Home Office

The press release issued by the Home Office on 19 February 2025.

Retailers will need to report suspicious and bulk purchases of knives on their platforms to police, with tougher sentences for selling knives to under 18s.

Stricter rules for online retailers selling knives will be introduced by the government, along with tougher penalties for failing to enforce them, as we pursue every avenue to protect young people from knife crime.

Following tragedies where the unlicensed sale of these weapons online has led to young people being killed, retailers will be required to report any bulk or suspicious-looking purchases of knives on their platforms to police to prevent illegal resales happening across social media accounts.

Underlining our commitment to stop these weapons from reaching young people, we will increase the sentence for selling weapons to under 18s from 6 months to up to 2 years prison time, which could apply to an individual who has processed the sale or a CEO of the company.

This increased penalty will also apply to the sale or supply of prohibited offensive weapons such as recently banned zombie-style knives, following police evidence outlined by Commander Stephen Clayman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime, where he identified a discrepancy in current legislation which means there is more leniency for illegally selling weapons than possessing one.

And in recognition of the broad array of knives – legal or banned – that are involved in knife attacks, a new offence of possessing an offensive weapon with intent for violence will be introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill which will come with a prison sentence of up to 4 years in prison. This means that no matter if the weapon in possession is legal or not, if there is intent to cause violence, it is a crime.

The government will also explore through a consultation later this year whether a registration scheme should be put in place for all online retailers selling knives so that only responsible sellers are able to sell knives. This follows the government’s recent announcement that we will significantly strengthen ID checks on the sale and delivery of knives to keep our streets safe as part of the Plan for Change.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper said:

It is horrifying how easy it is for young people to get hold of knives online even though children’s lives are being lost, and families and communities are left devastated as a result.

Not enough has been done to tackle the online market over recent years which is why we made it an urgent priority in our manifesto and the measures today will be underpinned by investment for a new dedicated police unit to go after those who are breaking the law and putting children and teenagers lives at risk.

We are honouring our commitment to introduce Ronan’s Law in memory of Ronan Kanda who was tragically killed in 2022. I am so grateful to the Kanda family for their endless perseverance in ensuring governments take the right actions to protect young people from further tragedy.

This government has set an ambitious mission for the country to halve knife crime over the next decade and we will pursue every possible avenue to save young lives.

Last autumn, the Home Secretary commissioned Commander Clayman to conduct an end-to-end review into the sale of knives online. The review, being published today, exposed lethal loopholes in the sale of knives online which are allowing dangerous weapons to end up in the wrong hands.

The review highlighted the lack of minimum standards for age verification and delivery checks. That is why the government has announced that a stringent two-step system will be mandated for all retailers selling knives online.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Knife Crime, Commander Stephen Clayman said:

A key focus in our fight to tackle knife crime and improve the safety of our communities is limiting the accessibility of knives wherever possible, restricting their availability and the routes to purchase. All too often in policing, we are dealing with the horrific consequences of knife crime and seeing how it devastates individuals and families.

The evidence in the end-to-end review clearly demonstrates just how easy it is for anyone to purchase a knife online, often avoiding any age verification at all, or where it is in place, exploiting vulnerabilities, especially with delivery.

We welcome the government’s commitment in working with policing and partners to tackle knife crime and these new measures will significantly enhance our response to this.

Today’s new measures will collectively be known as ‘Ronan’s Law’ in honour of Ronan Kanda who was tragically killed in 2022 in a case of mistaken identity near his home in Wolverhampton aged 16.

Ronan’s killers, who were also teenagers, illegally bought lethal weapons online and collected them from the Post Office on the day of the attack, with no age or identity verification taking place. It was later revealed that one of Ronan’s teenage killers had bought more than 20 knives online, including by using his mother’s ID. Today’s measures to close lethal loopholes in the online sale of knives deliver on a manifesto commitment to introduce Ronan’s Law and are the result of tireless campaigning by Ronan’s mother Pooja and sister Nikita to restrict young people’s access to weapons online and to protect other families from the same heartbreak.

Mother of Ronan and campaigner, Pooja Kanda said:

In 2022, I lost my son, Ronan, to knife crime and mistaken identity. In 2023, we sat in the courtroom where we were shown a Ninja sword and 25+ bladed articles. Looking at them, I knew my son didn’t stand a chance. Without proper ID checks, the online sale of these bladed articles played a crucial role in this tragedy. How was this allowed? A 16-year-old managed to get these weapons online and sold these weapons to other people.  I knew we could not go on like this, and our fight for what was right had begun. Proper ID checks by sellers, as well as postal and delivery services, played a crucial role.

We welcome the government’s plans to tackle the online sale of these weapons. Retailers, social media, and sellers need to take on more responsibilities. We welcome the proposal of a registration scheme, where the government will continue to implement stricter measures on the online sale of bladed articles. We have so much work to tackle knife crime; this is a much-needed beginning.

This part of Ronan’s law will provide much-needed barriers against knife crime. I wish this was done years ago, and my son would be with me today.

Patrick Green, CEO of Ben Kinsella Trust said:

I am pleased to see that the government is listening to frontline organisations and is tightening the legislation needed to eliminate the supply of dangerous and intimidating weapons.

These new laws, particularly the focus on reporting suspicious purchases and stronger age verification, will compel retailers to take responsibility for their actions. It has been our stated position that a licencing system for retailers is only way to ensure that specialised knives are only sold to those with legitimate and lawful need.

A licensing system will ensure that only reputable retailers who comply with the law and prioritise public safety will be able to sell knives.

In the spring, the Home Office intends to launch a consultation into a registration scheme for retailers in order to sell knives online.

The government has an ambitious mission to halve knife crime over the next decade and tackling the online space is a core part of that plan. We have already announced that we will introduce significant fines in the region of £10,000 for tech executives who fail to remove illegal knife crime content from their platforms and a mandatory two-step verification system for all retailers selling knives online. This will require customers to submit photo ID at the point of sale and again at the point of delivery. In addition, delivery companies will only be able to deliver a bladed article to the same person who purchased it.

Since coming into government, ministers have acted with urgency to ban zombie-style knives and machetes, accelerate a ban on ninja swords and address the online market in order to keep weapons off the streets and out of the wrong hands. The government is also steadfast in its commitment to making prevention a central part of its knife crime action plan through the new Young Futures Programme, which will identify young people at risk of being drawn into violent crime and provide the interventions necessary to steer them in the right direction.

Graham Wynn, Assistant Director of Regulatory Affairs at the British Retail Consortium, said:

Retailers take their responsibilities seriously and are fully committed to playing their part in making sure knives don’t make their way into the wrong hands. We look forward to considering the full details of the new proposal and welcome the commitment from the Home Office to meet retailers on this vital issue to ensure the safe sale of knives.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 14 February 2025.

The government has launched open competitions for two roles.

Today, two open competitions have been launched for the role of permanent Independent Prevent Commissioner and the role of Commissioner for Countering Extremism.

In December 2024, the Home Secretary announced the introduction of a new Independent Prevent Commissioner role. In January 2025, Lord David Anderson KC was confirmed as the Interim Prevent Commissioner until the appointment of a permanent holder. The commissioner will have the specific remit of reviewing the programme’s effectiveness, identifying gaps and problems before they emerge. The appointment will be announced in due course.

The Commission for Countering Extremism (CCE) provides the government with independent expert advice on extremism, with the current commissioner, Robin Simcox’s fixed term due to end in July. He has held the appointment since March 2021, first in an interim capacity, then on a substantive basis since July 2022. The appointment of a new commissioner will also be announced in due course.

The role of Independent Adviser on Political Violence and Disruption, previously held by Lord Walney, will come to an end. The CCE will take forward work as part of its new strengthened remit.

Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, said:

To continue our fight against extremism and terrorism in whatever form they take, we need expert advice and oversight. The role holders will be crucial in those efforts, and I look forward to working with the successful candidates.

I would also like to thank Lord Walney and Robin Simcox for their work in their respective roles as Independent Advisor on Political Violence and Disruption and as Commissioner for Countering Extremism.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 13 February 2025.

An advertisement inviting applications to become the Windrush Commissioner has been launched today.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 11 February 2025.

More than 120 members of the armed forces, policing and government have taken part in an exercise to practise responding to a national security emergency.

The nation’s preparations for a large-scale security incident were put to the test last week as the Home Office, Ministry of Defence and Counter Terrorism Policing planned and conducted a national exercise to simulate their response to an extreme national security emergency.

Taking place between 5 and 7 February, more than 120 members of the armed forces, policing and government simulated their joint response to a national emergency, such as a major terrorist incident.

The exercise – known as Octacine 2 – was part of the government’s regular counter-terrorism efforts. The focus was to test the ability of police and military to work together in extreme circumstances, as well as familiarising personnel with different sites and participating in joint briefings.

Octacine 2 built on a previous, similar exercise and was designed to simulate the deployment of military personnel to support the Strategic Armed Policing Reserve.

Armed police officers were temporarily redeployed from their routine roles in order to respond to a major national security incident, protecting and reassuring the public in a time of heightened tension.

It simulated the response that would be deployed under Operation Temperer, a contingency plan drawn up in 2015 to provide military support to the police in extreme national emergency circumstances, such as surge support in response to a major domestic terrorist attack or threat. It covers all of Great Britain, and is directed by the National Police Chiefs’ Council Counter Terrorism Coordination Committee.

The exercise included a live-play exercise, when the Operation Temperer national mobilisation coordination centre was stood up and military and police personnel were deployed to 11 sites across Great Britain.

Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, said:

Exercises like Octacine 2 are vital to ensure that our armed forces and policing partners are able to work well together to protect the British public from ever present threats.

I am grateful for their tireless and dedicated work in serving our country, and their ongoing preparation to perform those critical roles that keep us safe.

Minister for Armed Forces, Luke Pollard, said:

Our national security is the foundation for this government’s Plan for Change and exercises like this are critically important to ensure we can respond to threats quickly and effectively.

I’d like to thank all members of our armed forces who are held at readiness throughout the year, ready to keep the public and country safe at a moment’s notice.

The training, while routine, is crucial for the armed forces to support policing partners and respond effectively in case of a major incident. This routine exercise allows us to test coordination and teamwork with various partners while also providing a visible presence to reassure and protect the public in instances of high-risk and national security incidents.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 10 February 2025.

Nearly 19,000 failed asylum seekers, foreign criminals and other immigration offenders have been returned since the election to countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America following a major escalation in immigration enforcement by the Home Office.

By redeploying 1,000 staff to work on immigration enforcement and sending a clear signal that those coming here illegally will be returned swiftly – between 5 July 2024 and 31 January 2025, enforced returns are up 24%, removals of foreign national offenders up 21% and illegal working raids up by 38% compared to the same period 12 months prior.

These figures represent the highest rate of returns seen in the UK since 2018 and include the 4 biggest returns charter flights in the UK’s history, with a total of more than 850 people on board.

As part of this release, the Home Office has for the first time shared images of the inner working of the removals process to provide further understanding of this important work.

The government’s success in ramping up removals is a key part of our Plan for Change to deliver on working people’s priorities and finally restoring order to the asylum system. This new approach focusses on breaking the business model of smuggling gangs through tougher law enforcement powers than ever before, rapidly removing those who are here illegally and ending the false promise of jobs used by gangs to sell spaces on boats.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

To rebuild public confidence in the immigration system, we need to show the rules are respected and enforced. That’s why, as part of the government’s Plan for Change, we have put significant additional resource into immigration enforcement and returns, so those who have no right to be here, particularly those who have committed crimes in our country, are removed as swiftly as possible.

I want to pay tribute to all the Immigration Enforcement staff and other officials in the Home Office who strive tirelessly every day to make our returns system work firmly, fairly and swiftly.

Deportations and returns of foreign national offenders and failed asylum seekers continue to take place regularly, with final numbers to be confirmed later in the year, as part of the Home Office’s usual published statistics.

Ramping up returns is an important part of the government’s system-wide action to strengthen UK border security and restore order to the asylum and immigration system. Tackling illegal working is also vital to this approach and last month saw 828 premises raided by Immigration Enforcement, the highest total of raids recorded in the month of January for over half a decade.

During these enforcement operations Immigration Enforcement officers also play a crucial role in tackling human trafficking and modern slavery through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). This system allows the government to carry out its obligations to identify and support adult victims of modern slavery and human trafficking. Immigration Enforcement officers are trained to spot the signs of modern slavery and human trafficking when they carry out enforcement visits and refer victims to the NRM for support.

In the months ahead, the government will introduce new counter terror-style powers to identify, disrupt and smash people smuggling gangs, as part of new, robust legislation to protect UK border security, which has second reading in the House of Commons today.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 10 February 2025.

Most successful January in over half a decade for Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams tackling illegal working.

A record-breaking January for illegal working enforcement activity has been revealed by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper as the government’s landmark Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill returns to Parliament for its second reading, today (Monday 10 February).

Tackling illegal working plays a vital part in the Home Office’s system-wide approach to ending the promise of false jobs used by smuggling gangs to sell spaces on boats and taking down their business models as we restore order to the immigration system.

Following a drive from this government to have more deployable enforcement staff, a renewed crackdown on those attempting to undermine the UK’s borders last month saw the highest January in over half a decade for enforcement activity.

Throughout January alone, Immigration Enforcement teams descended on 828 premises, including nail bars, convenience stores, restaurants and car washes, marking a 48% rise compared to the previous January. Arrests also surged to 609, demonstrating a 73% increase from just 352 the previous year.

More broadly, between 5 July last year and 31 January, both illegal working visits and arrests have soared by around 38% compared to the same 12 months prior. During the same period, the Home Office issued a total of 1,090 civil penalty notices. Employers could face a fine of up to £60,000 per worker if found liable.

In many cases, those who come to the UK and end up working illegally are sold false promises about their ability to live and work in the UK, creating a dangerous draw for people to risk their lives by crossing the Channel on a small boat.

In reality, illegal working is inextricably linked to squalid living conditions, little to no pay and inhumane working hours. By paying so little, rogue employers often attempt to avoid paying their fair share in taxes to contribute to the economy and undercut honest competitors who follow the law.

Under its Plan for Change, the government is delivering steadfast action to restore order to the UK immigration system and the surge in enforcement activity to crack down on illegal working is a vital cog in the government’s wider machine to identify, disrupt and tackle irregular migration across the country.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

The immigration rules must be respected and enforced. For far too long, employers have been able to take on and exploit illegal migrants and too many people have been able to arrive and work illegally with no enforcement action ever taken.

Not only does this create a dangerous draw for people to risk their lives by crossing the Channel in a small boat, but it results in the abuse of vulnerable people, the immigration system and our economy.

That’s why, as part of our Plan for Change, we are boosting enforcement to record levels alongside tough new legislation to smash the criminal gangs that undermine our border security and who have been getting away with it for far too long.

While enforcement teams respond to illegal working intelligence in all sectors, a significant proportion of last month’s activity took place at restaurants, takeaways and cafes as well as in the food, drink and tobacco industry.

An operation in Cheshire to vape shops led to 10 immigration arrests and 2 criminal arrests for counterfeit documents, with civil penalty referral notices being made to employers, and a visit to an Indian restaurant in Humberside led to 7 arrests and 4 detentions. Elsewhere, in South London, a visit to a grocery warehouse resulted in 6 arrests and 4 people being detained.

As part of this activity, Immigrant Enforcement play a critical safeguarding role, working closely with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and other organisations to allow employees to report labour exploitation.

Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime, said:

These figures demonstrate the commitment of my teams to crack down on those who think they can flout our immigration system.

I hope it sends a strong signal that there is no hiding place from the law, and we will continue to ramp up our activity to ensure those involved face the full consequences.

We also know that many people who end up working illegally are often subjected to extremely poor conditions, so we will continue to do all we can to safeguard and protect the most vulnerable.

Border Security is central to the government’s Plan for Change and, alongside enforcement activity, the Home Office is ramping up returns of individuals with no right to be in the UK. Just last month, the department smashed its target to drive the removal of foreign criminals and immigration offenders to the highest level since 2018, with 16,400 people removed since the election. This figure is expected to go up later today when the Home Office publishes updated figures running to the end of January.

Since July, bespoke charter flights have also removed immigration offenders to countries around the world, including 4 of the biggest returns flights in the UK’s history carrying more than 800 people. Individuals removed since the election include criminals convicted of drug offences, theft, rape and murder.

We’re also working upstream to deter people from entering the UK illegally by launching a new international campaign to debunk people smugglers’ lies.

Social media adverts went live in Vietnam in December and Albania in January, highlighting real stories from migrants who entered the UK illegally, only to face debt, exploitation, and a life far from what they were promised. The campaign also warns prospective migrants about the realities of illegal working, as the government continues to crack down on employers who break the law and exploit people for profit.

In the months ahead, we will go further than ever by introducing new counter terror-style powers to identify, disrupt and smash people smuggling gangs as part of new, robust legislation to protect UK borders, set to be discussed in Parliament today.

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will grant law enforcement additional powers to take earlier and more effective action against organised crime gangs, including seizing mobile phones from people who come to the UK illegally before the point of arrest.

Next month, the government will go further by hosting a landmark Border Security Summit at the historic Lancaster House in London.

A watershed moment in the UK’s fight against Organised Immigration Crime, the summit will bring together delegates from over 40 countries, as well as guest participants from a range of international institutions, including the European Union.

The summit will be held on Monday 31 March and Tuesday 1 April, and will facilitate a range of discussions on the best ways to tackle criminal networks facilitating organised immigration crime and migrant smuggling.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 6 February 2025.

The Home Secretary brought together law enforcement and leading tech companies to drive new action to tackle mobile phone thefts.

Today the Home Secretary brought together policing leaders, the National Crime Agency, the Mayor of London and leading tech companies to drive new action to tackle mobile phone thefts and secure a collective effort to grip this criminality.

The summit comes as street crime has soared by 43% nationwide, driven by a significant rise in snatch theft, including of mobile phones.

For too long crimes like these have been neglected, which is why as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, the Home Secretary says she will legislate where necessary to ensure police have the powers they need to treat this with the seriousness it warrants, and police are expected to agree to step up enforcement activity nationwide.

This will include better use of intelligence to drive more hotspot policing and targeted operations, particularly around high-risk periods such as Christmas and when a new phone is released.

The Home Secretary urged companies including Apple, Google and Samsung, and law enforcement to join forces to build on existing anti-theft security measures and help design out and disincentivise phone theft, by making phones effectively worthless to criminals.

She called for a much deeper dive on all available sources of data and intelligence to build a much more comprehensive diagnosis of the problems and scale of the criminal market, to drive joint solutions.

All in attendance agreed to greater collaboration between police and tech by significantly boosting intelligence sharing, on both sides, and to reconvene in 3 months’ time.

It follows the government kickstarting the recruitment of 13,000 neighbourhood police officers, police community support officers and specials with £200 million investment so that every community will have a named, contactable officer who knows their patch.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Over the last few years, mobile phone thefts have shot up – often driven by organised crime – leaving our streets feeling less safe. That has to change.

I brought together tech companies and law enforcement today to pursue stronger action against organised criminality and to prevent phone theft on our streets. It was a significant step forward in addressing the need to come together as partners to disrupt, design-out and disincentivise these damaging crimes.

At the same time, this government is doubling new investment into neighbourhood policing to tackle theft on high streets and in our communities, to keep our streets safe.

The commitment follows the Met Police’s significant recent intensification operation, which led to 1,000 phones seized and 230 arrests.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

I’m really pleased to have joined today’s roundtable discussion with mobile phone firms, the Home Secretary, Met Police and National Crime Agency to discuss our ongoing partnership-led approach to tackle mobile phone crime.

The Met’s hard-working officers have stepped up their work in London to prevent and tackle mobile phone theft – with patrols and plain-clothed operations in hotspot areas and are increasingly using phone-tracking data and intelligence. This work is being backed up with record funding from City Hall which is boosting neighbourhood policing in our communities.

But we know that we can’t arrest our way out of mobile phone crime – which has become a national and international issue and needs innovative solutions. I welcome recent security updates by leading mobile phone companies that we supported and we spoke today about how we can build on those and work together to ‘design out’ the scourge of mobile phone crime to build a safer London for all.

Aleyne Johnson, Director of Government and External Relations, Samsung UK, said:

Samsung is deeply committed to working closely with the Home Office, Mayor’s Office, the Met Police and authorities in London on the issue of mobile phone theft and related crimes and are encouraged by collaborative discussions held at the Mobile Phone Theft Summit today, to look at existing and potential new solutions to help combat this complex issue and improve the safety of mobile phone users.

We encourage all of our customers to protect their devices by setting up existing Android security and privacy features, like Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock and Remote Lock and our recent One UI 7 update has built further on those protections with new anti-theft features such as identity check, biometric authentication and security delay, all featured in our latest Galaxy S25 series.

Alex Rawle, Safety and Security Lead, Google UK said:

Android devices offer added protection for millions around the UK. We encourage users to make use of existing security and privacy features, like Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock and Remote Lock, to improve the safety of their devices and data.

We welcome today’s summit and are committed to continue working with our partners to support efforts against mobile phone theft.

Gary Davis, Senior Director, Regulatory Legal, Apple, said:

Apple works closely with law enforcement bodies in the UK and globally to fight phone theft, and we welcome the opportunity to further collaborate at today’s event.

Apple has industry leading features that help users keep their devices and data safe. These include Activation Lock, a feature that is enabled automatically when Find My is activated and works in the background to make it more difficult for someone to use or sell your iPhone or iPad if it’s ever lost or stolen.

Stolen Device Protection adds additional security if a device is away from familiar locations. These are complemented by tools such as Recovery Key, a method to regain control if you lose access to your account and Find My, a tool that you can use to locate the device and protect your personal information.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 4 February 2025.

Government announces new intelligence-led national policing centre to put the experiences of victims at the heart of police investigations.

A new intelligence-led national policing centre will put the experiences of victims of child sexual abuse, rape and sexual offences, domestic abuse and stalking at the heart of police investigations – backed by more than £13 million of government funding.

The National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection, run by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing, will be based in Ryton and bring together around 100 officers and staff to prioritise tackling violence against women and children across England and Wales.

For too long, crimes disproportionately impacting women and girls, such as domestic abuse and grooming gangs, have not been met with the specialist response they require.

Police efforts to tackle these crimes will now benefit from a national coordinating function – a specialist capability usually reserved for counterterrorism and serious and organised crime – making sure victims get a consistent level of support regardless of where they are in the country.

The government has been clear it will prioritise protecting women and children from these harms as part of our commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade through our Plan for Change. This new policing centre will ensure that standards in tackling them are driven up across the country.

This funding builds on measures set out before Christmas to introduce Raneem’s Law and embed domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms, action to tackle spiking and stalking, as well as new measures to tackle the scourge of child sexual abuse, including mandatory reporting and increased funding for the Child Sexual Exploitation Police Taskforce.

Launching in April, the centre will build on existing areas of work to:

• roll out new quality training for police officers across the country in tackling violence against women and girls and child sexual abuse, implementing a manifesto commitment
• professionalise public protection work within policing so that future police leaders will all be expected to have built up experience and training in public protection roles
• deploy intelligence-led tactics used to target other serious offenders to pursue domestic abusers, rapists and stalkers
• work with the National Crime Agency to ensure that all forces are supported to respond to online child sexual abuse
• drive up investigative and operational standards across all 43 police forces in England and Wales in tackling these crimes
• train more police officers in the skills necessary to tackle violence against women and girls and child sexual abuse
• ensure the latest academic research informs investigative practices

This announcement aims to build confidence in victims to come forward to report crimes to the police, knowing they will receive the service they deserve.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Women and girls experience violence and abuse each year, yet for far too long it just hasn’t been taken seriously enough by policing, the criminal justice system or the government.

Warm words are not enough. We need to drive up standards and start treating the epidemic of violence against women and children with the seriousness it deserves.

We have national specialist standards and leadership on serious and organised crime, terrorism and public order, but not on public protection – even though it needs proper specialist skills and training to go after dangerous perpetrators and keep victims and survivors safe. That is why we are setting up the first policing national centre for public protection to drive up standards and tackle these terrible crimes.

To ensure there is a cohesive and effective response across all 43 forces in England and Wales, the centre will work closely with the Home Office to deliver the government’s manifesto commitment to set out consistent and standard practices for responding to these crimes, including through improved training for officers. This will mean officers have the right skills and training to respond appropriately to victims of VAWG and child sexual abuse.

This will include developing and rolling out high-quality training for frontline, specialist and leadership roles and for critical functions such as rape and sexual offences teams where educated, and specialist support is vital to build victim confidence.

T/CC Maggie Blyth, National Police Chief’s Council lead for Violence Against Women and Girls said:

We welcome the official announcement and the financial support from government to implement a national centre to further protect victims and enhance our specialist capability to target perpetrators.

The centre will build on existing police work and progress made in tackling violence against women and girls, allowing us to mandate nationwide improvements to support forces and frontline officers to carry out their jobs effectively.

Our officers work tirelessly every day to bring offenders to justice and keep people safe, but we need to do more and that starts with equipping our officers with the right training and support to be able to investigate effectively, in the same way as we would provide specialist training to firearms or public order officers. We also need to better support victims through the criminal justice process and alongside partners, we will drive improvements for swifter justice and a quicker more robust response when people seek our help.

The centre will unify three existing victim-orientated policing programs – Operation Soteria, the national VAWG Taskforce and the Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme, which focus on protecting vulnerable people including victims of child sexual abuse. Building on programs like Operation Soteria, the centre will work with academics to ensure an evidence-based approach, transforming the way policing looks at and responds to these crimes.

Assistant Chief Constable Tom Harding, the College of Policing’s Director of Operational Standards, said:

Policing is dedicated to protecting women and girls by targeting those who seek to harm them; and ensuring victims have the confidence to come forward, that they are listened to, treated compassionately and receive the best possible service.

We’ll place victims at the heart of the new centre and work across law enforcement, government and both the public and voluntary sectors to boost the training we give to officers. The College of Policing will support forces to achieve the highest possible standards and improve the response to violence against women and girls.

This investment is a core part of the government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade and treat it as a national emergency as part of the wider Safer Streets Mission.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 4 February 2025.

Thousands of unlicensed and illegal wildlife products have been seized by Border Force as part of Operation Thunder.

Operation Thunder is an intensive international operation to target the criminal networks behind wildlife crime,

From 11 November to 6 December 2024, Border Force officers taking part in Operation Thunder 24 made 217 seizures of wildlife products which are controlled by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES).

Seizures included live plants, a range of beauty products containing caviar and cactus extracts, a quantity of bear bile, and clothes and accessories containing animal skins.

Border Force officers also detected over 400 live birds as part of the operation, including rosella parakeets, king parrots, African grey parrots and blue-fronted Amazon parrots. Where possible, Border Force will rehome any live animals found.

Operation Thunder is a global effort to target the illegal wildlife trade and is co-led by Interpol and the World Customs Organisation (WCO).

Wildlife crime is estimated to be worth up to £17 billion globally per year and is the fourth largest international crime according to Interpol, behind only arms, drugs and human trafficking. Strengthening border security and breaking the criminal networks that seek to abuse our borders is a key part of the government’s plan for change.

Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra said:

Detecting and seizing illegal wildlife products is not just a matter of enforcement, but a vital act of preservation for this planet’s biodiversity.

The work of Border Force in interrupting this serious organised crime is critical to the UK’s efforts to regulate the international trade in endangered species.

Border Force Director for National Operations, Danny Hewitt said:

Wildlife crime is a serious organised crime which fuels corruption, threatens species with extinction, deprives some of the world’s poorest communities of sustainable livelihoods, and degrades ecosystems.

We take an intelligence-led approach to detecting illegal trade and work closely with our partners across the global community to share training, expertise and skills.

Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh said:

Tackling wildlife crime is essential to protecting iconic biodiversity at home and abroad. Criminal gangs must face justice for the part they play in nature destruction for self-gain.

These figures reflect the invaluable role of the Border Force in safeguarding wildlife, and are an example of international collaboration to combat global criminal networks.

Border Force works closely with other enforcement agencies, both nationally and internationally, to tackle the illegal wildlife trade and keep borders secure. This includes the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), London Heathrow Animal Reception Centre and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, amongst others.

This year’s Operation Thunder was also supported by the police, who executed 5 warrants in relation to bird egg smuggling. This has so far resulted in the confiscation of over 5,000 bird eggs.

Operation Thunder 24 led to seizures in the UK which included:

• over 400 live birds (51 CITES listed)
• 7kg of ivory
• 450 live plants
• 315kg of beauty products containing caviar
• over 2,500 pills and 21.5kg of powders containing endangered plant and animal species
• live corals
• snow leopard garments

Border Force is responsible for frontline detection and seizure of items covered by the CITES convention, which tackles the illegal trade in endangered animals and plants. The Heathrow-based Border Force CITES team are specialist officers who are recognised as world leaders in their field.

Border Force’s work to prevent the trade of unregulated and illegal products made from endangered species is helping the government in its safer streets mission by smashing organised crime.

Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling and trafficking of any kind can report it online using the report smuggling service.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 4 February 2025.

UK becomes the first country in the world to create new AI sexual abuse offences to protect children from predators generating AI images.

Children will be protected from the growing threat of predators generating AI images and from online sexual abuse as the UK becomes the first country in the world to create new AI sexual abuse offences.

AI tools are being used to generate child sexual abuse images in a number of sickening ways including by ‘nudifying’ real-life images of children or by stitching the faces of other children onto existing child sexual abuse images. The real-life voices of children are also often used in this sickening material, meaning innocent survivors of traumatic abuse are being re-victimised.

Perpetrators are also using those fake images to blackmail children and force victims into further horrific abuse including streaming live images. AI tools are being used to help perpetrators disguise their initial identity and more effectively groom and abuse children online.

To better protect children against this sickening abuse the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has today (2 February) revealed the UK will be the first country in the world to:

• make it illegal to possess, create or distribute AI tools designed to generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM), punishable by up to 5 years in prison
• make it illegal for anyone to possess AI ‘paedophile manuals’ which teach people how to use AI to sexually abuse children, punishable by up to 3 years in prison

At the same time, the Home Office will:

• introduce a specific offence for predators who run websites designed for other paedophiles to share vile child sexual abuse content or advice on how to groom children, punishable by up to 10 years in prison
• give Border Force the necessary powers to keep the UK safe and prevent the distribution of CSAM which is often filmed abroad by allowing officers to compel an individual who they reasonably suspect poses a sexual risk to children to unlock their digital devices for inspection, punishable by up to 3 years in prison, depending on the severity

All 4 measures will be introduced as part of the Crime and Policing Bill when it comes to Parliament. The bill will support the delivery of the government’s safer streets mission to halve knife crime and violence against women and girls in a decade and increase confidence in policing and the wider criminal justice system to its highest levels.

The increased availability of AI child sexual exploitation and abuse imagery not only poses a real risk to the public by normalising sexual violence against children, but it can lead those who view and create it to go on to offend in real life.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said:

We know that sick predators’ activities online often lead to them carrying out the most horrific abuse in person. This government will not hesitate to act to ensure the safety of children online by ensuring our laws keep pace with the latest threats.

These 4 new laws are bold measures designed to keep our children safe online as technologies evolve. It is vital that we tackle child sexual abuse online as well as offline so we can better protect the public from new and emerging crimes as part of our plan for change.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has warned that more and more sexual abuse AI images of children are being produced.

Over a 30 day period in 2024, IWF analysts identified 3,512 AI CSAM images on a single dark web site. Compared with their 2023 analysis, the prevalence of category A images (the most severe category) had risen by 10%.

New data from the charity shows that reports showing AI generated CSAM have risen 380%, with 245 confirmed reports in 2024 compared with 51 in 2023. Each report can contain thousands of images.

The charity also warns that some of this AI-generated content is so realistic that sometimes they are unable to tell the difference between AI-generated content and abuse that is filmed in real life. Of the 245 reports the IWF took action against, 193 included AI-generated images which were so sophisticated and life-like, they were actioned under UK law as though they were actual, photographic images of child sexual abuse.

The predators who run or moderate websites designed for other paedophiles to share vile child sexual abuse content or advice on how to groom children are often the most dangerous to society by encouraging others to view even more extreme content.

Covert law enforcement officials warn that these individuals often act as ‘mentors’ for others with an interest in harming children by offering advice on how to avoid detection and how to manipulate AI tools to generate CSAM.

Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle said:

For too long abusers have hidden behind their screens, manipulating technology to commit vile crimes and the law has failed to keep up. It’s meant too many children, young people, and their families have been suffering the dire and lasting impacts of this abuse.

That is why we are cracking down with some of the most far-reaching laws anywhere in the world. These laws will close loopholes, imprison more abusers, and put a stop to the trafficking of this abhorrent material from abroad. Our message is clear – nothing will get in the way from keeping children safe, and to abusers, the time for cowering behind a keyboard is over.

Through the new laws, The Home Office is leading on the international stage by continuing to invest in law enforcement capabilities to target online child sexual abuse offenders to disrupt the highest harm and most technically sophisticated offenders.

Which is why we are giving Border Force the necessary powers to keep the UK safe and prevent the distribution of CSAM which is often filmed abroad. Border Force officers will have the power to compel an individual, where they reasonably suspect that the individual poses a sexual risk to children, to unlock their digital devices for inspection.

Once the device is accessed, specialist technology will be used to compare the contents of the device against the Child Abuse Image Database (CAID), to identify the presence of known child sexual abuse material.

Interim Chief Executive of the IWF, Derek Ray-Hill, said:

We have long been calling for the law to be tightened up, and are pleased the government has adopted our recommendations. These steps will have a concrete impact on online safety.

The frightening speed with which AI imagery has become indistinguishable from photographic abuse has shown the need for legislation to keep pace with new technologies.

Children who have suffered sexual abuse in the past are now being made victims all over again, with images of their abuse being commodified to train AI models. It is a nightmare scenario, and any child can now be made a victim, with life-like images of them being sexually abused obtainable with only a few prompts, and a few clicks.

The availability of this AI content further fuels sexual violence against children. It emboldens and encourages abusers, and it makes real children less safe. There is certainly more to be done to prevent AI technology from being exploited, but we welcome today’s announcement, and believe these measures are a vital starting point.

While AI can be used as a force for good to transform people’s lives, make public services more efficient and help bolster creative industries, the risk of its use to children continues to grow.

The crime risks normalising sexual violence against children and re-victimising survivors of traumatic abuse. Which is why this government is prepared to build upon the Online Safety Act and will not hesitate to go further if necessary.

Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, said:

As technology evolves so does the risk to the most vulnerable in society, especially children. It is vital that our laws are robust enough to protect children from these changes online. We will not allow gaps and loopholes in legislation to facilitate this abhorrent abuse.

However, everyone has a role to play, and I would implore Big Tech to take seriously its responsibility to protect children and not provide safe spaces for this offending.

Crossbench Peer and Chair of 5Rights Foundation, Baroness Kidron said:

It has been a long fight to get the AI child sexual abuse offences into law, and the Home Secretary’s announcement today that they will be included in the crime bill, is a milestone. AI-enabled crime normalises the abuse of children and amplifies its spread. Our laws must reflect the reality of children’s experience, and ensure that technology is safe by design and default.

I pay tribute to my friends and colleagues in the specialist police unit that brought this to my attention, and commend them for their extraordinary efforts to keep children safe. All children whose identity has been stolen or who have suffered abuse deserve our relentless attention and unwavering support. It is they –  and not politicians – who are the focus of our efforts

In January, the Home Secretary announced a raft of new measures and an investment of £10 million that will allow us to do more to protect vulnerable children, find more criminals, and get justice for more victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.

More victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation will be given power to seek an independent review of their cases following the widening of the Child Sexual Abuse Review Panel. Chief constables of all police forces in England and Wales have been urged to re-examine non-recent and live cases of gang exploitation to increase prosecutions.

At the same time, Baroness Louise Casey has been appointed to lead a rapid audit of existing evidence on grooming gangs to help deliver quicker action to tackle the crime and help victims. By Easter, the government will lay out a clear timetable for taking forward the recommendations from the final IICSA [Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse] report.

Policy Manager for Child Safety Online at the NSPCC, Rani Govender said:

It is encouraging to see the government take action aimed at tackling criminals who create AI-generated child sexual abuse images.

Our Childline service is hearing from children and young people about the devastating impact it can have when AI-generated images are created of them and shared. And, concerningly, often victims won’t even know these images have been created in the first place.

It is vital the development of AI does not race ahead of child safety online. Wherever possible, these abhorrent harms must be prevented from happening in the first place. To achieve this, we must see robust regulation of this technology to ensure children are protected and tech companies undertake thorough risk assessments before new AI products are rolled out.