After a period of hibernation, Police Hour is returning.

At our height, Police Hour attracted up to one million website visitors a day. Readers came to us for fast, independent coverage of crime, policing and the issues affecting communities across the United Kingdom.

Now, the need for that coverage is greater than ever.

Policing depends on public trust. Every day, dedicated officers and staff serve their communities with courage, professionalism and integrity—often in difficult and dangerous circumstances. Their work deserves to be recognised and celebrated.

But supporting the police must never mean ignoring wrongdoing within policing.

A growing number of serious misconduct cases have damaged public confidence and let down the overwhelming majority of officers who joined the service for the right reasons. Those “bad apples” do not represent British policing, but their actions have consequences for every honest officer and every community the police serve.

That is why Police Hour is coming back.

We will report independently, accurately and without fear or favour. We will celebrate exceptional police work, courageous officers and successful investigations. We will also ask difficult questions, investigate failures and shine a light on misconduct, poor leadership and injustice wherever we find them.

Police Hour will not be anti-police or blindly pro-police. We will be pro-truth, pro-accountability and pro-public interest.

Our renewed coverage will include:

• Breaking crime and policing news

• Major investigations, arrests and court cases

• Police misconduct and accountability

• Exceptional acts of courage and public service

• The pressures facing frontline officers

• Crime prevention and public-safety information

• Independent analysis of policing policy and leadership

This relaunch is more than the return of a news website. It is the return of an independent voice committed to better policing, safer communities and honest reporting.

To the loyal readers who supported Police Hour before: thank you. To those discovering us for the first time: welcome.

Police Hour is back—and once again, we will report the good, expose the bad and tell the stories that matter.

Independent. Accountable. Unafraid.

Finley Messenger (18) had been out drinking in Newcastle before being arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly and taken into custody.

While in a cell, magistrates heard he was “kicking, screaming and acting like a toddler” before deliberately spitting into an officer’s eyes and mouth.

CCTV shown in court captured the officer striking him to the head seconds later, described as “swift summary justice”.

Messenger was later taken to hospital with suspected concussion, though no serious injury was found.

The case was heard at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court, where he admitted assaulting an emergency worker.

He was fined £233 and ordered to pay costs and compensation.

Magistrates were told the incident began as “low-level” but escalated quickly due to his behaviour in custody.

An inquest has confirmed that court bailiff Jeff Blair, 55, died as a result of stab wounds following an incident while carrying out his duties in Shildon, County Durham.

The brief hearing at Crook Coroners Court formally established the cause of death. The full inquest has now been suspended pending the outcome of ongoing criminal proceedings.

Mr Blair, a former Durham Constabulary officer with 22 years of service, was working as a court bailiff at the time. He attended an address on Dent Street alongside a locksmith, where a confrontation took place and he sustained serious injuries. He was taken to James Cook University Hospital but sadly later died.

Robert Davies, 49, has been charged with murder, possession of an offensive weapon, and affray. He remains in custody ahead of further court proceedings.

Police have maintained a presence in the area as investigations continue. Detective Chief Inspector Sharon Alderson described the incident as deeply upsetting and said it has had a significant impact on the local community.

Mr Blair’s family have spoken of their devastation, describing him as a much-loved son, father, partner and friend whose humour and warmth will be greatly missed.

Colleagues within the courts service, along with former policing associates, have paid tribute to him, remembering him as a gentleman and a genuinely kind individual.

The inquest will resume once criminal proceedings have concluded, at which stage the coroner will consider whether any wider factors contributed to his death and whether recommendations are required to help prevent similar incidents in the future.

Emergency services, including armed officers, were called to Hardale Grove in Dormanstown, Redcar, shortly after 1.30pm on Thursday amid concerns for a child. Despite their efforts, the child was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police believe the death was caused by a dog bite. One dog was destroyed at the scene, while a second dog from the property has been taken into police care.

The North East Ambulance Service attended with three crews, and one person was taken to hospital for further treatment.

District Commander Emily Harrison described the incident as deeply distressing, stating that thoughts are with the child’s family at this incredibly difficult time.

A scene remains in place as investigations continue. Anyone with information or concerns is urged to speak with officers.

British police forces are preparing to trial a cutting-edge satellite communications system using Elon Musk’s Starlink network to ensure officers remain connected even in areas where traditional mobile networks fail, according to government and industry sources.

Under the plans, satellite connectivity would supplement existing emergency communications infrastructure to provide private, secure links capable of carrying voice, data, and other mission-critical information, particularly in rural or network-congested areas where mobile coverage is currently unreliable or nonexistent.

The move comes as the long-planned Emergency Services Network (ESN) continues its phased rollout. The ESN is intended to replace the ageing Airwave network with a modern 4G/5G-based system for police, fire, and ambulance services, offering greater capacity and interoperability. However, coverage gaps persist in some locations, highlighting the need for additional solutions to deliver seamless connectivity nationwide.

Starlink’s constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites offers a potential way to eliminate so-called “dead zones,” with signals independent of terrestrial mobile masts and fibre infrastructure. In field trials overseas, satellite systems have already demonstrated their ability to maintain communications when ground-based networks are unavailable.

Home Office and police technology teams are exploring how the Starlink-enabled solution could integrate with existing systems to support frontline officers and control rooms, niche deployments such as mobile command units, and real-time situational awareness tools. Officials say the initiative could bolster resilience and public safety by ensuring uninterrupted communications during major incidents or in remote areas.

A final decision on full deployment and funding is expected after pilot programmes have been evaluated later this year.

A member of the public who entered the water to try to rescue them has been named as 67-year-old Mark Ratcliffe. He was pulled from the sea unconscious and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Later on Friday, the body of Ms Keeling was recovered from the water.

Emergency services continue to search for her daughter Grace, who remains missing.

It is deeply worrying that dangerous offenders, including killers, are being held in an open, low-security prison like HMP Leyhill. These are people who should be in secure conditions, yet the system has allowed them the freedom to walk away.

Police are urgently trying to find two men who absconded from HMP Leyhill between 5pm and 8pm on Thursday, 1 January. They are Matthew Armstrong, who has links to Warwickshire, and Daniel Washbourne, who has connections to Herefordshire. A third man suspected of leaving at the same time has already been arrested in Bristol.

This situation raises serious

questions about public safety and how offenders like this are being managed. The police are leading on the search and have released CCTV images showing what the men were wearing. National alerts have gone out and intensive work is under way to track them, but so far checks outside the area have not found them.

Please do not approach them. If you see either of these men, call 999 immediately quoting reference 5226000700.

People deserve to feel safe. Communities should not be put at risk like this.