Sussex Police are appealing for information after a group of friends were attacked by a gang of men in Brighton.
The five friends – three men and two women – were on their way home at aboput 2.30am on Tuesday, January 21, when they were attacked from behind by a group of about 15 people in Kings Road near the Brighton Thistle Hotel.
Three of the victims, who were all aged 19 or 20, suffered serious injuries including a fractured eye socket, a broken nose, a broken tooth and cuts and bruises.
The fight was stopped by another group of people who came to the victims’ aid.
Detective Constable Leon Ryan said:“This appears to be an unprovoked, random attack on a group of friends just trying to make their way home.
“The offenders were all boys and men aged from their mid-teens to their early twenties.
“We need to speak to anyone who saw or heard the attack taking place or who has any information about what happened. The victims have suffered very nasty injuries and we are keen to track down their attackers.”
Anyone with information should call 101 quoting serial 114 of 21/1
Labour Listens, a survey to find out how the cost of living crisis is affecting people in Brighton Pavilion is being launched by Labour candidate Purna Sen on Saturday.
Purna Sen
The Labour Listens survey aims to uncover the top local concerns and give people an opportunity to get involved in the campaigns to fix them.
Purna, Labour’s General Election candidate in Brighton Pavilion, and her team say most of the surveys will be carried out door-to-door but an online version will be available soon.
Purna said:“What matters most in politics is making sure people are heard and my survey aims to do that.
“National issues often dominate in politics but this is a chance for people to tell us what needs to change in their local area and then we will work with them to make that happen.
“I’d encourage everyone to take the time to answer the questions, and thank them in advance for participating, and if they want to join the resulting campaigns then all the better.”
A new campaign to warn gay and bisexual men about the risk of Shigella dysentery is being launched today by Public Health England (PHE) in partnership with Terrence Higgins Trust (THT).
New figures show a surge in cases likely to have been sexually-acquired over the past 12 months. In the UK, Shigella flexneri usually affects similar numbers of men and women and is linked with overseas travel, but 2013 data show an excess of more than 200 cases of the infection in men with no or unknown travel history, compared to women. London is most affected.
Shigella is a serious gut infection causing severe, prolonged diarrhoea and stomach cramps. Among gay and bisexual men, Shigella is usually passed on through the faecal-oral route during sex, either directly or via unwashed hands – only a tiny amount of bacteria can spread the infection.
Symptoms often develop around 1-3 days after sex, including:
• Frequent and explosive diarrhoea lasting more than 48 hours
• Stomach cramps
• Feeling feverish with flu like symptoms
• Some people report vomiting
• Feeling weak and tired (accompanying the gastrointestinal symptoms)
Men experiencing Shigella symptoms are advised to visit their GP or a clinic, specifically mentioning Shigella and requesting a stool sample test. The infection is treatable with antibiotics. Risk of infection can be reduced by avoiding oral contact with faeces during sex and washing hands thoroughly and showering after sex.
Interviews with gay and bisexual men who caught the infection through sex found links to high numbers of partners, often met anonymously online or at sex parties.
For many, using drugs, such as mephedrone, methamphetamine (crystal meth), ketamine and GBL, before or during sex led to lowered inhibitions and riskier sex. Worryingly, one in three men using these drugs had injected them (known as ‘slamming’). Most of the men interviewed had not heard of Shigella before and thought they had food poisoning.
One of the men interviewed, who got Shigella through anal-oral sex (‘rimming’), said:“Getting Shigella was the lowest point in my life. I suffered uncontrollable bloody diarrhoea with severe stomach cramps. The ferocity of symptoms and dehydration headaches made me think I was going to die. Initially I blamed it on a bad curry and held off visiting my GP for a week, but really wish I had gone straight away. Although it was treatable with antibiotics, the illness cost me a fortune as I had to take six weeks off work on statutory sick pay.”
As part of the awareness campaign, posters and leaflets are being distributed in nightclubs, saunas and other gay venues, plus sexual health clinics, highlighting the symptoms of Shigella, how it is transmitted and how to avoid it.
Dr Gwenda Hughes
Dr Gwenda Hughes, PHE head of STI surveillance, said:“Shigella is on the rise, so it is vital gay and bisexual men know about it and how to avoid getting it. We’re also seeing increasing HIV and gonorrhoea diagnoses among gay and bisexual men in the UK – indeed, most of the men with Shigella had been diagnosed with other STIs including HIV. This is a reminder how important it is to use a condom when having sex with casual and new partners.”
Cary James
Cary James, Head of Health Improvement at Terrence Higgins Trust, said:“Although on paper the number of documented cases of Shigella are quite small, the concern is that not all cases are being reported. Men with symptoms who haven’t heard of Shigella before might assume it’s a particularly bad case of food poisoning. However, the infection can be dangerous, even more so if you’re already living with HIV or Hep C. We would urge anyone who is experiencing symptoms, or who’s concerned they may have been at risk, to call our free helpline THT Direct or visit www.tht.org.uk/shigella.”
Dr Hughes continued:“The Shigella awareness campaign is part of a broader commitment to helping improve the health of gay and bisexual men, including exploring the links between health and drug use. The level of injecting drug use is a particular concern as we know that this puts men at greatly increased risk of blood-borne viruses such as HIV and Hepatitis C”
Individuals worried about Shigella or their drug use can find out more on the Terrence Higgins Trust website – including finding a local service to visit for further advice. CLICK HERE:
Gay and bisexual men can reduce the risk of getting HIV or an STI by:
• Always using a condom when having sex with casual and new partners
• Avoiding overlapping and reducing the number of sexual partners
• If having unprotected sex with casual or new partners, getting an HIV/STI screen at least annually, and every three months if changing partners regularly.
A parliamentary committee has revealed that Terrorism Prevention Investigation Measures (TPIMs) have largely failed.
The Joint Committee on Human Rights has described TPIMs as “withering on the vine” after consulting several groups with expertise in the area including CAGEprisoners Ltd. (CAGE) a human rights organisation that exists to raise awareness of the plight of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and other detainees held as part of the War on Terror.
Their website was launched in October 2003 during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan by concerned individual Muslim volunteers.
CAGE’s submission, which was based on interviews with TPIMs subjects argues that like its forbear, control orders, TPIMs “are functionally punitive measures enforced on individuals and families who have never been convicted of any crime”.
It concludes by urging the government to ‘scrap TPIMs and all systems of administrative detention.
A TPIMs survivor who wishes to remain anonymous said:“TPIMs are a destructive set of measures that demolish an individual’s human rights. The mental torture inflicted on me and my family was so grave that my daughter stopped speaking for a long period of time and my marriage ended in divorce. These measures are an affront to due process.”
Cerie Bullivant, TPIMs programme co-ordinator at CAGE and former control order detainee said: “It’s hardly surprising that the Joint Committee on Human Rights should reach this conclusion as TPIMS are thoroughly against the norms of British justice. Unless they are scrapped immediately they will continue to tarnish our legal system and alienate Muslims further.”
Early bird tickets for the Manchester Pride Big Weekend go on sale tomorrow, Friday, January 31, priced at £16 for the four day weekend. Ticket prices will rise to £20 from February 28.
Sir Ian McKellen
Manchester’s annual LGBT Festival is now in its 24th year and consists of four elements: Pride Fringe; The Big Weekend; The Manchester Pride Parade; and The George House Trust Candlelit Vigil.
The Pride Fringe runs throughout August and will present a colourful programme of arts, music, heritage, culture and debate, with around 40 events taking place, the majority of which are free to attend.
The Big Weekend from August 22-25 is a four-day celebration in the heart of Manchester’s Gay Village featuring a programme of live entertainment across three arenas, along with community exhibition areas and village markets.
Tickets will be on sale from 9am on Friday, January 31 from the Manchester Pride website.
The Manchester Pride Parade will weave its way through the city centre on Saturday, August 23 from 1pm.
The weekend celebrations close with the George House Trust HIV Candlelit Vigil in Sackville Gardens on Monday, August 25 at 9.15pm.
Director of Manchester Pride, Mark Fletcher said:“We’re really pleased to be able to offer Big Weekend tickets for sale as early as January this year and to offer them at last years lowest price. We’re looking forward to another successful programme of activities for Manchester Pride 2014 and urge visitors not to miss out on this special price, undoubtedly a great rate for our iconic four day celebration of LGBT life.”
To find out more about Manchester Pride and this year’s festival you can follow the charity on Twitter @manchesterpride or visit the website at manchesterpride.com
Following the disappointing amount of money (£34,000) raised in 2013 for LGBT organisations in Manchester a protest group have been calling for public scrutiny of the Pride accounts.
Cerie Bullivant, TPIMs programme co-ordinator at CAGE and former control order detainee said: “It’s hardly surprising that the Joint Committee on Human Rights should reach this conclusion as TPIMS are thoroughly against the norms of British justice. Unless they are scrapped immediately they will continue to tarnish our legal system and alienate Muslims further.”
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