CPS News Centre

Criminal cases prosecuted by the CPS are in the news every day, along with a range of issues relating to our work – from violence against women and girls and hate crime, to support for victims and witnesses, statistics and speeches.

To ensure greater openness in the reporting of criminal proceedings, the CPS, the police and media representatives developed a joint protocol for working together.

Here you can find our latest news stories and search for others. You can also find additional details about a number of high-profile cases and the work of the CPS.

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Media enquiries

National, international and specialist media should contact the main 24-hour press office.

Local media should contact their Area Communications Manager during normal working hours.

Shropshire man jailed for £1.9 m cheque fraud after plea agreement

A former Shropshire hotel manager has been jailed for five years after defrauding almost £2 million from businesses using invalid cheques.

04 December 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

Oxbridge fraudster gets another eight-years in jail for failing to pay back £2.7m court order

One of the five Oxbridge-educated fraudsters who lured wealthy individuals to invest in fake “green” projects is sentenced to an additional term of imprisonment for non-payment of his £2.7m Confiscation Order.

29 November 2023 | Press Release , Proceeds of crime, Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

£9.8 million to be seized from man who produced steroids on commercial scale

Mohammed Afzal who was convicted as part of a conspiracy to produce commercial quantities of illegal medical drugs has been ordered to pay back millions of pounds or face 10 extra years in prison.

17 November 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime, Proceeds of crime, Drug offences , CPS News

Five men sentenced for bribery and corruption that resulted in a loss of over £400,000

Five men have been sentenced today (9 November 2023) over waste disposal contracts that resulted in losses of around £417,000 to Cardiff City Council.

09 November 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

£2million home and large pensions sold to repay fraudsters’ court order

Asset Recovery prosecution specialists have recovered a further £2.7million from two defendants following one of the largest multi-million-pound VAT fraud operations brought to justice by CPS and HMRC.

26 October 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

Bernie Ecclestone convicted of fraud

Billionaire businessman Bernie Ecclestone has admitted fraud following a lengthy, complex and worldwide investigation into his tax affairs by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

12 October 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

Former solicitor jailed for defrauding clients of almost £2m

A former solicitor who defrauded clients at his firm of almost £2 million has been jailed.

Hugh Lansdell, 74, was today (22 September 2023) sentenced to four years imprisonment at Norwich Crown Court for committing fraud by abuse of position over almost a two-year period.

22 September 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

Lorry driver found guilty of £2.4m excise duty fraud on counterfeit cigarettes

A man who was caught smuggling millions of counterfeit cigarettes into the UK has been convicted of evading more than £2.4 million in excise duty.

12 September 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

Former company director found guilty of multi-million-pound fraudulent property selling scheme

Mohammed Shafiq, 53 of Nottingham was convicted of fraud by false representation and sentenced to five-and-a-half years imprisonment.

11 September 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

Pair sentenced for profiteering from Covid pandemic

Two men have today been sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court for fraudulently selling unauthorised COVID-19 test kits in 2020 whilst the country was in the grip of the pandemic.

28 July 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

Search CPS News

In-depth - a deeper look at high-profile cases and the work of the CPS

'You can trust me, I'm a police officer' couldn't be further from the truth
How 13 women's testimonies secured the fate of serial rapist David Carrick
How a criminal case works
From reporting to appeals - how a criminal case works, end-to-end.
How we make our decisions
How does the CPS make the decision to prosecute - or not?
Our criminal justice partners
We don't just work with the police - here's a look at our many partners within the criminal justice system.
Transforming our service to victims at the CPS
Being a victim of crime can be deeply traumatic, and for those who find themselves in the criminal justice system the process can feel overwhelming, unfamiliar, and incredibly challenging.

Articles and speeches

Read articles and speeches from the CPS on matters of relevance to the Criminal Justice System

Articles and Speeches

CPS Says

The CPS position on major issues in the news, our response to inaccuracies in media reports and our letters to the media.

CPS Says...

Contacts: National media

Please note that our Press Office is NOT able to deal with issues or queries from members of the public - these contact details are for accredited journalists ONLY. Do not call this number unless you a member of the press. For all general enquiries, please visit contact.cps.gov.uk.

If you are a national or international journalist with a media enquiry, you can contact the CPS Press Office on 020 3357 0906 or email [email protected] (9am-5pm weekdays only).

For out-of-hours media enquiries please call 020 3357 0906 to reach the duty press officer.

Contacts: Local media

Cymru/Wales
Richard Paull
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 02920 803950

East Midlands
Graham Buchanan
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0115 852 3343

East of England
Gillian Andrews
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01245 455027

London (North and South)
Wendy Wyeth or Molly Barker
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 02380 673873

Mersey-Cheshire
Jackie Rand
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0151 239 6334

North East
Chris Black
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0191 260 4216

North West
Kerry Bell
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0161 827 4705

South East
Cheryl Pendry
Email: [email protected]
Telephones: 01227 655862 / 07876 390054

South West
Gary Cockram
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0117 930 2968

Thames and Chiltern
Angie Patton
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01189 513625

Wessex
Wessex Communications
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 02380 673873

West Midlands
Kofo Baptist
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0203 357 0625

Yorkshire and Humberside
Elizabeth Ogborn
Email: [email protected]
Telephones: 0113 290 2839 / 07500 835186

Our social media policy

If you follow us on social media, you can expect posts covering some or all of the following:

Operational updates on decisions to prosecute or take no further action;
Reactions and statements on trial outcomes;
Policy updates from the Director of Public Prosecutions and other prosecutors;
Updates on media appearances by CPS staff
Content that explains the role of the CPS and how we work
Highlighting of relevant work by our criminal justice partners and other stakeholders

We will aim to be fair and accurate in all the information we publish. We will aim to correct any inaccuracies as soon as possible.

We are unable to monitor social media round the clock. We are not able to engage with all those who seek a response from us due to resources but also due to privacy and the sensitive nature of some of our work. The best way to contact the CPS is through our website.

Please do not try to report crime using social media. To report crime, please call 101 or visit your local police station. In an emergency, always call 999.

If you follow us on social media we will not automatically follow you back. Being followed by us does not imply endorsement of any kind.

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