Police investigating ‘sexual assault’ at children’s hospital

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View online March 24, 2023 1 / Exclusive: Police investigating 'sexual assault' at scandal-hit children's hospital as watchdog threatens closure Police are investigating fresh allegations of sexual assault against a child patient by a care worker at a scandal-hit private mental health hospital group.   It is the second time reports have been made about a former Huntercombe Group hospital after two care workers were quizzed over the alleged rape of a child at its Taplow Manor Hospital in Maidenhead last year.   The latest allegations are from a patient at the group's Ivetsy Bank Hospital, in Staffordshire, which was rated as inadequate last week. In a statement, Staffordshire Police confirmed it had received a report of sexual assault and said inquiries were ongoing. 2 / Violent protests and strikes across France amid anger over Macron pension reforms Burning piles of rubbish threaten to overshadow King's first official royal visit 3 / Mortgage misery as Bank of England hikes interest rates to a 14-year high Double whammy as average council tax bill to pass £2,000 for the first time 4 / BBC stops filming latest Top Gear series after Freddie Flintoff crash 'We have sincerely apologised to Freddie,' BBC says 5 / Keir Starmer's tax return reveals he paid higher rate than Rishi Sunak last year Rate effectively charged on Labour leader's income 10 percentage points higher than on prime minister's, analysis shows The Big Question The Bank of England has just raised interest rates. What does that mean for your mortgage? The Bank of England's decision to raise the base rate by 0.25 of a percentage point is likely to affect millions of people – both mortgage-holders and savers. A hike in the rate had long been forecast, but when earlier this week figures showed a surprise increase in inflation last month, that seemed to cement the judgment. The 11th consecutive increase in a row by members of the Monetary Policy Committee brings the Bank's base rate to 4.25 per cent, its highest level since October 2008. It's estimated up to four million households will face higher monthly home loan repayments this year. Those borrowers might well be worried about how the rise might affect them, especially in view of the cost-of-living crisis that has sent household bills soaring. For the full story click here > £99 £20 for 1 year ✓ Full access to Premium news analysis ✓ Advert-free reading across web and app ✓ The Independent Daily Edition newspaper ✓ Puzzles, virtual event tickets and more SUBSCRIBE NOW Watch/ Martin Lewis urges Britons to check tax code to avoid 'nightmare' NUMBER OF THE DAY £2,000 – Millions of homeowners face more pain after the Bank of England raised interest rates to a 14-year high on Thursday. The 11th consecutive increase comes as the bank struggles to bring stubbornly-high inflation under control.And in more bad news for households, official figures also show average council tax bills in England will this year top £2,000 for the first time. Read more here  QUOTE OF THE DAY "We cannot in all conscience leave our transgender regulations as they were at 5nmol/mol for at least one year when we were unsure about the impact of doing so across all our disciplines." – World Athletics has banned trans women from international competition, president of World Athletics Lord Sebastian Coe has confirmed  Read more here  We noticed that you might not be registered By registering, you will enjoy limited access to Independent Premium articles, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists REGISTER FOR FREE Other stories you might like Why England's resilient win over Italy was so significant School inspections must go on despite headteacher's death, Ofsted insists UK weather: Met Office warns of more snow and rain Articles available exclusively to subscribers Sean O'Grady - Why the Windsor Framework rebellion matters and what's next for Northern Ireland Other newsletters you might like The Race Report Fortnightly, 6pm (UK time) Written by Nadine White Join now The View from Westminster  Every weekday, 6pm (UK time) Written by John Rentoul Join now If you can spare a minute we'd love your feedback on our newsletters. Join the conversation or follow us Download the free Independent app Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders.   If you do not want to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter, please unsubscribe.   If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe here. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our privacy notice and cookie policy.