The main stories relating to the Home Office this morning include the Metropolitan Police's announcement on providing new kit to officers in order to deal with acid attacks and a report in the Express on a lorry driver who was reportedly attacked approaching Calais.
Police to be given new kit to tackle acid-attacks
There is widespread coverage that the Metropolitan Police is providing police officers in London with acid attack response kits to tackle the rising number of crimes involving corrosive liquids. The papers report that over 1,000 kits are to be distributed and they will be placed in every rapid response car, as opposed to just cars which patrol East London. It is said the kits will include five-litre bottles of water and protective gear to allow officers to provide immediate treatment to victims.
If you have any queries regarding this announcement, please get in touch with the Metropolitan Police press office as they lead on operational matters for the police. If you want more information on the Home Secretary’s recent announcement on tackling acid attacks, please see here.
Lorry driver "attacked by migrants" in Calais
The Express reports that the driver of a lorry intending to travel to the UK was attacked by migrants who “hit him round the head with a brick and left him for dead before stealing his vehicle.”
A leader in the paper says the measures introduced by the French and British governments to try and address security around the port fall a “long way short of what is required” to keep lorry drivers and tourists safe.
Our response to this story is below.
A Home Office spokesperson said:
“Law and order in Calais is the responsibility of the French authorities.
“However, we continue to work closely with them on a number of measures to bolster security of the ports, to tackle the organised crime networks behind trafficking and people smuggling and to ensure hauliers and other travellers can travel through the ports safely.
“The UK has made significant investment in additional security measures at ports in northern France, including the installation of new high-security fencing, lighting, CCTV and a secure waiting area for lorries at Calais and Coquelles.”