In local news…
- Runnymede Borough Council has launched a crackdown on illegal tattoo parlors in the area. This was after an illegal tattoo business was found running from a home in Chertsey. The council received information that a sixteen year old had been tattooed there, even though the legal age for tattoos is 18. Equipment was found throughout the house, and has now been destroyed. Illegal tattoo artists might use unsterilized equipment, which can lead to blood-borne infections like Hepatitis B and C, and in some cases, AIDs. A second investigation has begun at a house in New Haw.
- The newly inaugurated Bishop of Guildford has expressed his hope for more younger churchgoers at Church of England places of worship across Surrey. Currently, church attendance is skewed towards older people and the elderly, which he believes reflects age segregation in society. He feels confident that the diocese will be successful in attracting more teenagers and young adults, and as a father of older children he thinks it is “very good to be in touch with that generation at home”.
In national news…
- The IS extremist nicknamed “Jihadi John” allegedly had suicidal thoughts after being harassed by MI5. The West London man apparently stated this in email exchanges with a journalist in 2010 and 2011. After a security service agent posed as a man buying his laptop, but accidentally blew his cover, Emwazi felt “like a dead man walking”.
In Royal Holloway news…
- Royal Holloway has launched an online campaign to tackle voter apathy in the run-up to the election in May. The campaign, named #VoteBecause, aims to encourage students to use their right to vote. Participants include students, lecturers and alumni, who all hold up whiteboards with various reasons to vote written on them. Many feel it is important as this year is the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta’s signing, stressing the need for individuals to hold rulers to account.
And finally, the weather outlook for today…
- A beautiful sunny day today, with temperatures varying between 5°C and 7°C.
By Alice Barnes-Brown