Harry Torrance

Freelance Assistant Producer at ITV News, 5 News, Times Radio. Casual News Reporter at The Sun. 

The Sun •

Riot erupts in UK city as '60 masked youths' set fire to car & 'assault cop'

RIOTS have erupted in Salford as cars have been burned and windscreens smashed.Cops have warned of "serious disorder" as 50 to 60 teenagers were reported terrorising Lower Broughton Road at around 1:30pm.Instances of anti-social behaviour were reported, as well as vehicles being damaged and burnt out, stolen cars and bricks thrown at officers.Four arrests have been made following the disorder, including a 16-year-old girl who has been charged with assaulting a police officer.She has been release...
The Sun •

Missing schoolgirl, 13, last seen in pyjamas is found safe and well

A MISSING teenage girl who vanished while still wearing her school uniform has been found safe and well.Nereah, 13, had last been seen at 7pm on Monday night in Gloucestershire, wearing grey pyjamas.She reportedly left a property on Legion Way in Brockworth, near Gloucester, on the evening of June 9.She had not been spotted since.Police officers in the area were "growing concerned for her welfare."Nereah was described as being black and 5ft 6in in height.She had also been described as being of m...
The Sun •

Our lives will be ruined by billionaire’s £30k-a-night '24/7' party site

A “LORD of the Manor” billionaire has infuriated villagers by launching a mega party centre which they claim threatens to destroy their peace and quiet.Many of the 150 locals say that hugely-wealthy Jon Hunt - who sold his estate agency Foxtons for millions - has turned his country estate in the heart of the Suffolk countryside into a giant retreat called Valley Farm where guests can drink and dance round the clock.In the latest confrontation with villagers in Huntingfield near Halesworth, criti...
The Sun •

I was THROTTLED in my class - but was hauled to school bosses who disciplined ME

A TEACHER was disciplined by jobsworth school bosses after refusing to teach a pupil who throttled her in front of her class, she claims.Mum Laura Linklater was so traumatised by the incident in Bradford, West Yorkshire, she quit her job and now homeschools her own two kids.The 40-year-old said her teacher training did not “prepare me to handle” such a physical assault, which had left her “shaking”.To make matters worse, she said the following week the pupil arrived in her class for morning regi...
The Sun •

Car dealership to shut & be demolished as brand axes nearly half its sites

A MUCH-loved car dealership will close in just two days' time as a major brand continues to scrap sites.What's more, the family-run dealer is set to be demolished shortly after it shuts.TC Harrison Ford in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, will close its doors for the last time on Friday.The closure was confirmed after planners granted permission for a new retirement village to be built on the dealership's site last year.TC Harrison confirmed last month that the dealership would close on May 16, 2025.Ha...
The Sun •

Greatest car transformations of all time including Aston Martin's DB4 revamp

HUMANS aren't the only ones to go under the knife for a makeover. Plenty of motors have also undergone dramatic transformations. Cars can often change body, engine, and even badge to become unrecognisable from their previous selves. Below are five of some of the most breath-taking motor metamorphoses, featuring everything from Aston Martin supercars to the basic VW Beetle."No Mr Bond, I expect you to change you car's bodywork" doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it? This iconic four-whe...
The Sun •

Full list of Easter road closures in place THIS WEEKEND - check your journey

DRIVERS are preparing for a cluster of road closures this weekend as Easter traffic is set to reach its highest level in three years.Road-goers are being urged by National Highways to plan any travel in advance to avoid being caught out by diversions.Most of the works will occur overnight, between 8pm and 6am, when roads are at their quietest.The agency uses these timings to help to minimise disruption to all drivers - especially commuters.The closure which will likely have the widest impact, on...
The Mirror •

UN slams Tories for 'demonising' disabled people

The Government is 'demonising' disabled people through its "traumatising" benefits system, the United Nations has warned.

At a meeting in Geneva on Monday, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) said that the UK Government's policies have contributed to the deaths of disabled people. It comes after a special inquiry report filed by the Committee in 2016 found "grave and systemic" violations of disabled people's rights under the Government's austerity an
Hackney Post •

“Unaffordable” and “bad quality” housing slammed by mayor candidate

The council’s shared ownership housing has been criticised as “not affordable and not good quality housing” by Zoë Garbett, the Green Party candidate for London Mayor.

Garbett, the councillor for Dalston, proposed scrapping the current model, whereby tenants buy a share of a property while still paying rent for the unowned share, and instead making sure that “100% of housing on council land is council owned”.

Average property prices in Hackney have more than tripled in the last 20 years, risin
Hackney Post •

Tom Hunter's exhibition protesting the Hackney housing crisis

The award-winning visual artist discusses squatting, gentrification, and his exhibition on housing at Hackney Museum

The centrepiece of the At Home in Hackney photography exhibition at the Hackney Museum, extended for a second time in March, is a six-foot-tall model of a tower block on the now demolished Holly Street housing estate.

Upon closer examination, each window of the tower features a picture of the inhabitants’ home life. The viewer feels more like a welcome guest than an intruder in
The Telegraph •

Nigerian and Indian students shun British universities amid immigration clampdown

Nigerian and Indian students are shunning British universities amid government attempts to clamp down on immigration.

Ucas (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) figures show the number of Nigerian students applying to start undergraduate degrees this year has fallen by 46 per cent compared to last year, to 1,590.

Meanwhile, applications from India have fallen by four per cent to 8,770.

However, overall demand from international students from countries outside of the European Union ha
The Telegraph •

Parents could get alerts if children access harmful websites in wake of Brianna Ghey murder

Michelle Donelan, the Technology Secretary, was hoping to meet Brianna’s mother on Wednesday, but the talks were postponed until later in the week after Ms Ghey was caught in a major political row during a visit to Parliament.

The spat broke out when Rishi Sunak mocked Sir Keir Starmer’s stance on “defining a woman” during Prime Minister’s Questions, having been told that Ms Ghey – whose daughter was transgender – was watching from the public gallery.

Ms Ghey actually missed the jibe, arriving
The Telegraph •

Clapham attack suspect Abdul Ezedi ‘converted to Christianity’ with Baptist church

The suspect in the Clapham chemical attack converted to Christianity with a Baptist church that “welcomes strangers”, The Telegraph understands.

Abdul Ezedi has been on the run for six days after allegedly dousing a 31-year-old woman and her two daughters, aged three and eight, with an alkaline substance and trying to run them over with a car before fleeing the scene in Clapham, south London.

Ezedi was convicted of sex offences in Newcastle in 2018, but was allowed to remain in the country bec
The Independent •

Disposable vapes are a headrush. Of course they should be banned!

The first time I tried a cigarette, I was disgusted. The first time I tried an e-cigarette, I was underwhelmed – like sucking on a chemical-tasting USB stick. But the first time I tried a disposable vape, I was blown away.

It was as though I’d just inhaled an entire Tango Ice Blast. The headrush was instantaneous, my body felt beautifully buzzed – and I was just 16 years old.

Unlike many of my classmates, I never bought my own vapes, mainly due to fears of parental disownment if I ever got cau
Hackney Gazette •

'Night safety campaign has driven down sexual offences by 36'

The total number of sexual offences in Hackney has fallen from 104 in June 2022 to 61 in September 2023, after huge growth in activity supporting nightlife venues as part of the Hackney Nights campaign.

The campaign trains staff in welfare vulnerability, violence against women and awareness of drink spiking.

It also provides drink-safety signs, a step-by-step guide of what to do if there are incidents, as well as having two dedicated medical professionals, weekly briefings and radio between ve
Hackney Post •

'It’s a protest: award-winning photographer addresses dire Hackney housing crisis in new exhibition

Tom Hunter has dubbed his latest work a “protest against the modern housing crisis”.

The 58-year-old internationally celebrated artist speaks to Hackney Post about his current exhibition.

The exhibition focuses on Hackney’s changing housing structures through a series of photographs. The photographs show people in their East End homes from the ‘70s until today, focusing on both how the physical spaces have changed, and the responding cultures of its inhabitants. Through the series, Hunter aims
The Boar •

Emiliano Martinez: winner’s mentality or unnecessary bad sportsmanship?

In a World Cup final featuring two of the game’s all-time greats in Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, few would have foreseen Emiliano Martinez as the key difference-maker ahead of kick-off. Hardly a household name (outside of Villa Park) a few months ago, the Argentina goalkeeper’s sudden rise to fame has come about through more than an exceptional series of performances at the tournament – worthy of winning the Golden Glove award. Instead, Martinez has become a byword for, well, let’s be polite
The Boar •

Brexit Adds Almost £6 billion to Brits’ Food Bills

The average British household food bill increased by £210 between December 2019 and December 2021, according to a new report by the London School of Economics’ (LSE) Centre for Economic Performance (CEP). In this period, overall food prices have increased by £5.84bn, or 6%, as a direct result of Brexit.

This increase has hit Britain’s poorest families the hardest, with an overall 1.1% increase in cost-of-living due to these price hikes. This was 52% more than the richest 10% of households, whic
Amplify •

£80 Pints, Questionable Human Rights and Thousands of Workers Deaths – The Moral Dilemma facing Fans ahead of the Coming World Cup

The other week I was sitting in a car with some friends, one of whom was bragging about attending England’s group stage matches of the coming World Cup in Qatar, to which another responded: “Frankly, I’d rather watch it here with a £3 pint and my tolerant friends.” Call me a fake England fan – but I’m inclined to agree. The tournament’s run-up has been marred with controversy at just about every level. Its award to Qatar by FIFA in 2010 was perplexing and lambasted with allegations of corruption
The Boar •

Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor – A Final Chaotic Send-off to the Show’s Worst era

Despite featuring 8 Doctors, 9 companions, and 3 iconic villains, Jodie Whittaker’s last outing in the TARDIS ultimately attempted to spin too many plates. The episode’s flaws were endemic of scriptwriter Chris Chibnall’s time at the helm of the show – weak plots, wasted monsters with rushed crowd-pleasers which failed to appease viewers.

The finale began with a mini-episode of sorts which ends with Dan (John Bishop) deciding after a series of near-death experiences, that a crack in his helmet
Amplify •

'Help Me or I'm Gonna be Homeless!' - The Student Experience of Living Through the Cost-of-Living Crisis

If students are normally known for one thing – it’s being skint. However, the current cost-of-living crisis appears to be taking young people to new depths of frugality. Referring to the current generation of 16–25-year-olds as the ‘Class of Covid’, Jonathon Townsend, the UK Chief Executive of the Prince’s Trust charity, has claimed: “Young people in the UK today are facing a unique set of challenges, in the aftermath of a pandemic and with a cost-of-living crisis looming.” Frankly, he’s not wro
The Boar •

‘You’re Not Getting Better with Time / It’s fine Eminem, Put Down the Pen’ – Is it time for the ‘Rap God’ to Retire?

A 2010 interview with Vibe magazine has recently resurfaced in which Eminem – then 37 years old – stated: “I do love [hip-hop] so much. But even if I was rapping at 50, I don’t know if I would put it out.” This, combined with this month’s release of his second ‘greatest hits’ album, Curtain Call 2, has kindled speculation that the rapper’s retirement is imminent. Given the rapper will reach half a century in October, it seems appropriate to assess whether it’s time for Eminem to put down the pen
Amplify •

The Queen's Mourning Period - A Rightful Send-Off to an Icon, or a Frivolous Waste of Public Money in a Cost-of-Living Crisis?

The death of Queen Elizabeth II brought about a mourning period unparalleled in pomp, coverage, cancellations, tributes, and public attendance in Britain since that of Princess Diana. However, many believe the cost to the taxpayer in both time and money, with the many temporary closures across the week and the funeral alone estimated to have cost at least £8 million, will have done more damage than good to the Royal Family’s popularity. A period which for many represented a worthy send-off to a
The Boar •

Andrew Tate: Has the end of ‘the King of Toxic Masculinity’ Finally Come?

Reading this, you’re probably thinking one of two things. Either: Really? Do we still have to keep giving this hateful, misogynist the spotlight over a month after he’s been ‘de-platformed’? Or, who is this Poundland Pitbull I keep seeing pop up across the internet? Which category you fall into will largely depend on whether your social media accounts believe you’re a young man. Portraying himself as a self-help guru for men, Andrew Tate has faced widespread criticism, for promoting abusive and
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Editorial Work

Hackney Post •

Hackney Council budget 2024: What you need to know

Investment into housing and young people will be generated from a council tax increase and using reserve funds in Hackney Council’s new budget

The council has announced its budget for the next financial year, which includes a sharp hike in council tax to 4.99%, against a background of cuts to local government, a rampant cost-of-living crisis and increased demand for services.

Here are the main points:

Like all local councils, Hackney is dealing with a long-term lack of investment, meaning tha
Hackney Post •

Springfield councillor stings 5% council tax hike

The former London-mayoral Conservative candidate criticised the council tax increase as residents battle sky-high rent

A Conservative councillor has blasted the council for “wasting money” as residents are faced with a “shocking” hike in council tax.

The tax is set to go up by 4.99% – the maximum the council is allowed without holding a referendum.

Against a backdrop of inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, Simche Steinberger, councillor for Springfield ward, slammed the council for the mo
Hackney Post •

"Closure looms over us": what's next for Hackney schools?

In December 2023, Hackney Council voted to permanently close four primary schools. Hackney Post asks what these closures mean for the Borough more widely.

De Beauvoir Primary School and Randal Cremer Primary School are set to close for good while Colvestone Primary School will merge with Princess May Primary School, and Baden Powell Primary School with Nightingale Primary School.

While the council argued the decision was made to balance numbers and budgets, for many residents it posed question
Hackney Post •

Hackney exclusions rate two-thirds higher than London average

Pupils eligible for free school meals, and with special educational needs and disabilities, were suspended more often than other students

Children in Hackney face a school exclusion rate that is 65% above the London average, recently released figures have shown.

Pupils in the borough were excluded nearly 90 per cent more often than in outer London, and over 50 per cent more than the inner London average, according to new research by local education partnership Hackney REP.

“Our young people a
Hackney Post •

New Hackney parent support group will combat rising child anxiety

A new anxiety support group at a primary school in Hackney is aiming to reduce the increasing levels of mental health problems in children.

This is the first time that such workshops are being offered to parents across schools in Hackney, and will take place at Jubilee Primary School in Upper Clapton. The six-week session will cover topics including understanding your child’s fears, encouraging independence and suggesting a step-by-step approach to overcoming fears.

The latest NHS Digital data
Hackney Post •

Vigil for Palestine urges Hackney Council to take a stand on Israel-Gaza Conflict

A large crowd gathered outside Hackney Town Hall last night urging the council to call for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza.

The Vigil for Palestine, organised by the Hackney Palestine Solidarity Campaign, saw residents of all ages gather to mourn the loss of Palestinians since the conflict began last month, with speakers also acknowledging the loss of Israeli civilians.

A minute’s silence was observed, and participants laid candles on the steps of the town hall. There were also chants of “free
Amplify •

Russia’s ‘Creeping Defeat’ in Ukraine: The aggressor’s faltering war effort and Putin’s evasive explanations

The global status quo was shaken on February 24 2022, when Vladimir Putin ordered his tanks across the Ukrainian border. Almost a year later, little has gone to plan for the near-autocratic Russian leader, since Ukraine has been able to lead a gallant defence against the odds. Successful counter-offensives, launched by Kyiv in the East and South of the country, keep Putin under significant pressure, and the outcome of the war highly uncertain. A radical deterioration of relations with the West,
Amplify •

The Tories’ anti-strike legislation is the last thing that Britain needs

2022 was an unusual year to say the least. Primarily caused by the War in Ukraine and significantly aggravated by Brexit, supply chain disruptions and stagnant productivity, the cost of living crisis entered full swing. The end result has been backsliding living standards and substantial increases in poverty and economic insecurity. The year was also marked by a degree of trade union militancy that the United Kingdom has not witnessed in decades. The UK is estimated to have lost a million work d
Amplify •

Laura Bates Research Found ‘Challenging Gender Stereotypes Helps Boys Too.’ What Damage does the Patriarchy do to Young Men in the Age of Andrew Tate?

Feminism can be defined as the advocacy of women’s rights, on the basis of the equality of the sexes. The second part of this definition is often left behind in discussions surrounding feminism - equality of the sexes. Third Wave feminism strives for equality for both men and women. Undeniably, women often take centre stage in discussions surrounding equality of the sexes, but men, especially young men, must also be included in these incredibly important discussions.

Areas that are in need of a
Amplify •

From Protests to Pandemic: The Double-edged Disaster of China's COVID U-turn

It seemed that the COVID era had ended in 2022. Yet, countries like the United States, Japan and India have recently resumed travel restrictions for incoming Chinese tourists, including mandatory tests and quarantine periods. The new year has come, but history is repeating itself. So, what is happening in China? By December 2022, China’s stringent “Zero COVID” policy had led to numerous tragedies. Patients were dying because of the lack of care and delayed treatment they received in hospitals du
Amplify •

The UCU Strike Explained: University Staff are Overworked and Underpaid

Following in the footsteps of many sectors in the current economic climate, in early November the UCU voted to go on strike at 150 universities seeking fairer pay, better working conditions and more secure pensions. The industrial action taken between the 24th and 30th of November 2022 was the largest university strike in history with 70,000 staff reported to be on the picket lines. Their demands were fair and simple and included 5 major points: protected pensions, fair pay, an end to casualisat
Amplify •

Can the National Health Service (NHS) Survive the ‘Perfect Winter Storm’ Ahead?

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England’s national medical director, claimed that as of November 24th: “the first weekly data this year shows the considerable pressure faced by staff, before we enter what is likely to be the NHS’ most challenging winter ever.” As no stranger to the NHS, and a mother who has a neurological disorder, I start to wonder with each and every winter Britain faces, whether this will be the ‘most challenging winter ever.’

As of 2016, Britons named the NHS the Pride of
The Boar •

Why Romcoms alter Relationship Expectations

A romcom is defined as ‘any movie with which the films’ primary comedic tension derives from a central romantic relationship’ (Schwartz, 2019). Most films even without having the pretence of comedic tension will have the protagonist of the film falling in love with someone. Why is that? Possibly because people are so starved for love that any media we consume must have some elements of love. This may be in the form of films, music, or the novels we read. Due to this, it becomes incredibly diffic
Amplify •

Is Sunak the Saviour?

On 20th October 2022, Liz Truss resigned as Prime Minister, becoming the shortest-serving PM in British history. She spent a meagre 45 days in Parliament, still enough time for her mini-budget to crash the markets. Rishi Sunak was the next Conservative Party choice for leader, a devout Hindu, and became PM on Diwali of all days. It seems, on the surface, as if it's the dawn of a new progressive era for Britain - a country recovering from its racist history. The United Kingdom looted and exploite