Sarah Everard murder latest news – Police cordon off builders' yard in Kent and divers search stream in hunt for clues

POLICE investigating Sarah Everard's murder have cordoned off a builder's yard in Kent.

Officers have taped up the abandoned site in Sandwich, about 30 miles from where 33-year-old Sarah's body was found.

Cops were pictured outside the gates to the builder's yard, which contains a concrete mixing machine, a large skip and a lorry box. 

And police divers are searching a section of Delf Stream in Sandwich, Kent for a third day, hunting for Sarah Everard's phone, Metro reported.

Forensic experts appeared to be concentrating on a specific area in the tourist spot, looking through bins and lifting stones.

Today they were reportedly focusing on a 50-metre portion of the stream near the town's Ropewalk area.

The spot was more than 30 miles away from where Sarah's body was found, in Ashforth.

It comes as a new poll showed the majority of Brits support the police over the action they took at a vigil for murdered Sarah Everard.

Footage from the vigil on Clapham Common showed Met Police cops make arrests and shove women as they laid flowers in tribute to tragic Sarah.

Boris Johnson described the scenes as "deeply concerning" and a full review has been launched into what took place and whether the cops' seemingly heavy-handed actions were justified.

But research conducted by crime and justice consultancy Crest Advisory suggests the majority of Brits support the action take police, with 56% of men and 50% of women saying they believed the force used was acceptable.

44% of Londoners said they supported the police's action, while 38% disagreed with it – but when broken down by age group nearly half of 18-24-year-olds said they disagreed with the police's heavy-handed tactics.

Follow our live blog below for the latest developments in the story…

  • Niamh Cavanagh

    THE HUNT FOR CLUES IN SARAH'S DISAPPEARANCE

  • Niamh Cavanagh

    CONTINUED

    Specialist teams were seen trawling through undergrowth next to the 300-metre waterway.

    Sarah went missing in South London on March 3, with her body discovered last Wednesday night in woodland in Ashford, Kent.

    The tragic marketing manager was identified by her dental records after being discovered in a builder's bag, it is said.

    Wayne Couzens, a serving Metropolitan Police officer has been charged with Sarah's murder and kidnap.

    Sarah's family saw the cop accused of her kidnap and murder for the first time yesterday. 

  • Niamh Cavanagh

    HUNT GOES ON

    Police investigating Sarah Everard's murder have cordoned off a builder's yard in Kent.

    Officers have taped up the abandoned site in Sandwich, about 30 miles from where 33-year-old Sarah's body was found.

    Cops were pictured outside the gates to the builder's yard, which contains a concrete mixing machine, a large skip and a lorry box. 

    Police divers today continued searching the Delf Stream as the hunt for clues continues.

  • Alice Peacock

    SAFETY APP SEES SURGE AFTER SARAH’S DEATH

    A personal safety app created in the wake of a 20 year old hairdresser’s murder by her jealous ex-boyfriend seven years has seen a surge in downloads since the death of Sarah Everard.

    Hollie Guard, named after tragic Hollie Hazzard, who was killed in February 2014, has now been downloaded by more than 200,000 people, said a spokesperson for a charity set up in her memory.

    A ‘significant number’ of the downloads have come since marketing executive Sarah Everard was kidnapped and murdered.

    “The personal safety app was born from a chance meeting between PanicGuard founder, Mikkel Dissing, and the Gazzard family, who tragically lost their daughter, Hollie, at the hands of her ex-partner at a hair salon in Gloucester,” the spoksperson said.

    “Hollie’s father, Nick, set-up the Hollie Gazzard Trust to raise awareness of domestic violence and partnered with PanicGuard to produce Hollie Guard – a free mobile app that raises an alert with a simple shake.”

  • Alice Peacock

    POLICE DIVERS CONTINUE SEARCH FOR SARAH EVERARD'S PHONE

    Police divers are continuing their search in a stream in Kent, hunting for Sarah Everard's phone.

    Divers are searching the section of Sandwich's Delf Stream for a third day, Metro reported.

    Forensic experts appeared to be concentrating on a specific area in the tourist spot, looking through bins and lifting stones.

    Today they were reportedly focusing on a 50-metre portion of the stream near the town's Ropewalk area.

    The spot was more than 30 miles away from where Sarah's body was found, in Ashforth.

  • Niamh Cavanagh

    PICTURED

    Scenes from the protest outside New Scotland Yard last night.

    Credit: PA
    Credit: Reuters
    Credit: Reuters
  • Niamh Cavanagh

    POLICE WATCHDOG LAUNCH NEW PROBE INTO MET’S HANDLING OF SARAH EVERARD CASE

    The police watchdog has announced two new separate investigations relating to the Sarah Everard case.

    One probe will examine how suspect Wayne Couzens sustained head injuries in custody.

    The other will look into an “inappropriate” graphic allegedly shared by a cop who took part in search operations.

    Read more here.

  • Niamh Cavanagh

    PICTURED

    Protesters wrote 'ACAB' ("all coppers are b******s") on a memorial to honour the airmen who died in World War 2.

  • Niamh Cavanagh

    CONTINUED

    Sickened colleagues reported the probationer to bosses the next day and he was immediately moved off the inquiry and placed on restricted duties with no direct involvement with the public.

    Sarah's family were informed about the vile joke made by the rookie cop last Thursday.

  • Niamh Cavanagh

    VILE MESSAGE

    A cop guarding the site where Sarah Everard’s remains were found allegedly sent a sick meme about her kidnap and murder to seven colleagues. 

    The Met PC shared a parody of the Highway Code showing a guide of the six stages from abduction to murder, it is claimed. 

    The meme shows an officer directing traffic and holding a hand up which reads: “Stop single girl.”

    He then gives signals for different twisted actions, which ends in the murder and disposal of the body.

  • Niamh Cavanagh

    POWERS ON PROTESTS

    A controversial new policing bill sailed through Parliament last night, handing sweeping new powers to cops and judges.

    MPs voted 359 to 263 to approve the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, despite Labour’s efforts under Sir Keir Starmer to sink it and campaigners’ fears it will limit protest rights.

    But Justice Secretary Robert Buckland insisted he did “not see what the fuss is about” over controversial powers to curb protesters.

    One of the powers imposes conditions on non-violent protests judged to be too noisy and thereby causing “intimidation or harassment”.

  • Niamh Cavanagh

    MORE THAN HALF OF PUBLIC SUPPORT MET POLICE HANDLING OF SARAH EVERARD'S VIGIL SAYS SURVEY

    More than half of the public support how the Met Police handled Sarah Everard's vigil on Clapham Common on Saturday, a survey has revealed.

    The YouGov survey showed that 53 percent of Brits supported the actions of Met Police with 56 percent support among men and 50 percent for women.

  • Niamh Cavanagh

    PICTURED

    Police clashed with protesters last night outside New Scotland Yard.

  • Niamh Cavanagh

    CONTINUED

    In the third day of demonstrations in London, people have expressed their anger and called for an end to gender violence.

    Protesters were also calling for a new policing bill to be scrapped.

    The protest – named 'Kill the Bill' – is calling for politicians not to pass the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which was discussed in Parliament.

    The bill was passed by MPs and will now give police and the home secretary greater powers to crack down on protests.

    Under the bill, police forces will be able to impose a start and end time for demonstrations set a noise limit and shut down protests that have a "relevant impact on persons in the vicinity".

  • Niamh Cavanagh

    VIGIL OUTRAGE

    Violence broke out on the third day of an anti-cop rally last night as anger grows over police tactics at a vigil for Sarah Everard.

    Hundreds of people gathered outside Parliament yesterday afternoon and then moved towards New Scotland Yard – the Metropolitan Police's headquarters.

    They were seen scuffling with police, with some people filmed as they threw objects – seemingly water bottles – at officers.

    It comes as anger continues to grow over the Met Police's heavy-handed response to a vigil for Sarah Everard in Clapham, south London at the weekend.

    Protesters last night were also caught on camera while shouting at officers and holding anti-police banners.

  • Katie Davis

    POST-MORTEM AND INQUEST

    Sarah Everard, 33, vanished after walking home from a friend’s house in Clapham, South West London, on March 3.

    Her body had to be identified by dental records after being found in a builder’s bag in Kent, it is said.

    A post-mortem has taken place but a cause of death has not been released – with an inquest due to open and adjourn this week.

  • Katie Davis

    POLICING OF SARAH EVERARD VIGIL DISASTROUS, SAYS FORMER SENIOR MET OFFICER

    A former senior Metropolitan Police officer has criticised the “disastrous” handling of the Sarah Everard vigil in London.

    The “appalling scenes” at Clapham Common on Saturday, which saw clashes and arrests, were the inevitable result of decisions taken in advance by the top ranks, according to Liberal Democrat peer Lord Paddick, who served as a deputy assistant commissioner in the force.

    Sir Thomas Winsor, chief inspector of constabulary, is to carry out a review into the way the event was policed.

    Speaking at Westminster, Lord Paddick pointed out as a senior officer he had undergone advanced public order training and had been in charge of policing numerous high-profile events.

    He said: “I make no criticisms of the officers on the ground, carrying out the orders of their senior officers. I am not an armchair critic of operational police officers making difficult decisions in real-time on the ground.

  • Katie Davis

    SARAH EVERARD COP 'SHARED SICK MEME'

    A cop guarding the site where Sarah Everard’s remains were found allegedly sent a sick meme about her kidnap and murder to seven colleagues. 

    The Met PC shared a parody of the Highway Code showing a guide of the six stages from abduction to murder, it is claimed. 

    The meme, obtained by the Daily Mail, reportedly shows an officer directing traffic and holding a hand up which reads: “Stop single girl”. 

    He then gives signals for different twisted actions, which ends in the murder and disposal of the body, the Mail reports.

    Sickened colleagues reported the probationer to bosses the next day and he was immediately moved off the inquiry and placed on restricted duties with no direct involvement with the public.

  • Katie Davis

    WOMAN FLASHED AT VIGIL

    A woman who was flashed by a man after Sarah Everard’s vigil says she was refused help by police, with a male officer telling her: “I don’t want to deal with rioters”.

    Georgina, 27, was walking home from the event in Clapham Common on Saturday evening when the man exposed himself to her. She says she reported the incident to police at the time because they happened to be nearby.

    But when a female officer said she would investigate, her male colleague interjected, telling Georgina he “didn’t want to deal with it”.

    She told Good Morning Britain: “As I headed home, there was a man who was quite incoherent, he had his genitalia out as I tried to walk past him, I felt really uncomfortable.”

    She added: “This isn’t the first time this has happened to me, I know this has happened to many, many women and a lot of times we haven’t had an opportunity to talk to police right at that moment.”

  • Katie Davis

    WOMEN WARNED NOT TO GO OUT ALONE AFTER STRING OF SEX ASSAULTS IN ESSEX

    Women have been warned they should not risk going out alone after a string of sex attacks in an Essex town.

    Police have issued a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to in connection with the shocking incidents in Basildon.

    Cops have also stepped up patrols after four assaults on women which are all being linked.

    The first attack took place on February 5 at 2pm when a woman was followed by a man. On the same day, a 34-year-old woman was attacked when someone grabbed her.

    On February 15, a woman in her 20s was assaulted by a man at about 2.30pm. Within half an hour another woman was approached from behind by a man and sexually assaulted.

  • Katie Davis

    SARAH'S FAMILY WATCHED AS COP APPEARED IN COURT VIA VIDEO LINK

    Gun cop Couzens, who joined the Met Police in 2018, appeared via videolink from Belmarsh Prison today for his first crown court appearance at the Old Bailey.

    Sarah’s family watched remotely as the married dad-of-two – wearing a red sweatshirt and grey jogging bottoms – spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address.

    He appeared to have a large cut on his head and rocked back and forth during the hearing.

    Couzens was remanded in custody ahead of a plea hearing on July 9 at the same court.

    A provisional trial date was set for October 25 and is expected to last for four weeks.

  • Katie Davis

    COUZENS IN COURT

    Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens has appeared at the Old Bailey charged with the kidnap and murder of 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard.

    The 48-year-old appeared via video link from the Category A Belmarsh Prison in south-east London for the hearing this morning.

  • Katie Davis

    JUST 1.4% OF RAPE ALLEGATIONS ARE PROSECUTED, ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL STATS

    Just 1.4 per cent of rape allegations are prosecuted, shocking official stats show – the lowest figure on record.

    Furious campaigners have warned that many victims are staying silent about their abuse because they have lost faith in the courts – with England’s courts now have a backlog of some 56,000 cases.

    Labour say rape cases hang on the evidence of the victim, and leaving them to go unheard for many months or even years only harms the chances of getting a conviction.

    Ministers have vowed to crack down on sexual abuse and harassment of women in the wake of Sarah’s killing. They are urging women to come forward with their experiences of abuse and ideas for change.

    Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins said “nothing is off the table” when it comes to making Britain’s streets safer.

  • Katie Davis

    VIGILS IMPORTANT BUT ‘COULD BE SUPERSPREADING’

    Dr Hilary today warned vigils in memory of Sarah Everard are “superspreading” events for Covid “however strong people feel”.

    The Good Morning Britain doc said he understood how important the memorials were after the 33-year-old vanished – with a cop since charged over her murder.

    Speaking of the mass protests on Good Morning Britain today, Dr Hilary said he expected the UK would see another wave in two to three weeks after the gatherings.

    He said: “I know how important the protest for Sarah Everard is… but we have to be really careful. However strongly you feel it is putting lives at risk down the line. 

    “I’m all in favour of peaceful protest with a cause as great as this but there must be a creative way of doing it.”

  • Katie Davis

    SARAH EVERARD PROTESTERS SCRAWL WORDS ON MEMORIAL

    Protesters scrawled "all coppers are b******s" over a memorial commemorating the Battle of Britain during an anti-police rally in London.

    Hundreds of people have taken to the street to protest over police tactics at a vigil organised to remember Sarah Everard at the weekend.

    During one of the protests, the acronym ACAB – which stands for 'All Cops Are B******s' – was scrawled over a monument on the Victoria Embankment in London.

    The monument was built to honour the airmen who died in the Second World War and was unveiled on September 18, 2005 – the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

    Read more here

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