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.

Travel agent jailed for defrauding customers to fund lavish lifestyle

A travel agent who stole money from friends, family and hundreds of members of the public who bought holidays from her, has today been jailed.

Lyne Barlow, aged 39, formerly of Stanley, County Durham, was sentenced to nine years imprisonment at Durham Crown Court on 3 February 2023.

03 February 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

Man who created false document to steal £2 million from air ambulance charity jailed

A man who created a false document in an attempt to steal more than £2 million intended for an air ambulance charity has today been jailed.

02 February 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

Mason Greenwood: CPS discontinuance of charges

NB: People who allege they are victims of sexual offences receive lifelong anonymity. It is a criminal offence to publish a complainant's identity or any information that might lead to the complainant being identified.

02 February 2023 | Press Release , CPS News

CPS authorises charges following hospital arrest

Nick Price, Head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said:

“The CPS has authorised Counter Terrorism Police North East to charge a man with a terrorism offence after he was arrested outside St James's Hospital in Leeds last Friday (January 20).

26 January 2023 |

CPS publishes latest quarterly statistics which show a continued increase in people charged with rape

Today the CPS has published the Q2 performance data which covers the three-month period from 1 July to 30 September 2022.

Notable changes in the data from Q1 2022-23 to Q2 2022-23 include:

19 January 2023 | Press Release , Sexual offences, Domestic abuse, Hate crime , CPS News

Jailed accountant who defrauded NHS ordered to pay back nearly £240k

An accountant who was jailed for defrauding the NHS, companies and individuals, has been ordered to pay back nearly £240,000 and faces an additional 20 months in prison if he fails to pay.

17 January 2023 | Press Release , Proceeds of crime, Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

UPDATED David Carrick: Police constable jailed for a relentless campaign of sexually and mentally abusing women

A Metropolitan Police officer who degraded, raped and sexually assaulted women has today admitted his crimes.

16 January 2023 | Press Release , Sexual offences , CPS, Thames and Chiltern News

Sentence Update: Fraudsters sentenced for £21m loss in cryptocurrency

Four offenders were sentenced today (13 January 2023) for fraudulently obtaining and laundering Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency worth tens of millions of pounds from an Australia-based cryptocurrency exchange.

13 January 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

Former police worker ordered to pay back £60k for his fraudulent action

A former West Yorkshire Police employee has been ordered to pay back £59,816.24 in compensation after stealing money from Huddersfield police station’s evidence locker.

13 January 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

Man charged with murder of Elle Edwards in Liverpool on Christmas Eve

The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised Merseyside Police to charge Connor William Chapman, 22, with nine offences relating to a shooting at the Lighthouse Public House on 24 December 2022.

13 January 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime , CPS, Mersey-Cheshire 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 call the General Enquiries line: 020 3357 0899 or 020 3357 0000 (09:00-17:00, Monday-Friday) or 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 cps.pressoffice@cps.gov.uk (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: richard.paull@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02920 803950

East Midlands
Graham Buchanan
Email: Graham.Buchanan@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0115 852 3343

East of England
Gillian Andrews
Email: gillian.andrews@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 01245 455027

London (North and South)
Wendy Wyeth or Molly Barker
Email: london.communications@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02380 673873

Mersey-Cheshire
Jackie Rand
Email: jackie.rand@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0151 239 6334

North East
Chris Black
Email: chris.black@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0191 260 4216

North West
Kerry Bell
Email: kerry.bell@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0161 827 4705

South East
Cheryl Pendry
Email: cheryl.pendry@cps.gov.uk
Telephones: 01227 655862 / 07876 390054

South West
Gary Cockram
Email: gary.cockram@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0117 930 2968

Thames and Chiltern
Angie Patton
Email: Angie.Patton@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 01189 513625

Wessex
Wessex Communications
Email: wessex.communications@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02380 673873

West Midlands
Kofo Baptist
Email: kofo.baptist@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0203 357 0625

Yorkshire and Humberside
Elizabeth Ogborn
Email: elizabeth.ogborn@cps.gov.uk
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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