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.

Rochdale man jailed for multiple sexual offences against women

A 45-year-old man has been sentenced to 24 years in prison plus a four-year extended licence period for violent and sexual offences against five women spanning over 25 years.

31 March 2023 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North West News

Man jailed for exposing himself at East Lancashire care homes

A 53-year-old man has been jailed for three years for exposing himself to staff at five care homes in Burnley and Nelson between August 2021 and May 2022.

22 March 2023 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North West News

Bolton man sentenced for punching and racially abusing the wrong man

A man from Bolton has been given a suspended prison sentence after punching and racially abusing a stranger in the street.

Shortly after 10am on 30 July 2020, Andrew Ashton, 33, approached the man on Chorley Old Road in Bolton before punching him in the face and racially abusing him.

22 March 2023 | Press Release , Hate crime , North West News

Update: Barrow woman jailed for making false rape allegations

A woman has been jailed for perverting the course of justice after maliciously making multiple false allegations of sexual abuse, violence and rape against men over a period of many years.

14 March 2023 | Press Release , Sexual offences , CPS, North West News

Seven men sentenced for £1M construction machine conspiracy

Max Wynn, 34, Richard Wynn, 47, Karl Langley, 44, Alex Grice, 33, Craig Douglas, 41, Gavin Mellor, 53, and Ian Mellor, 72, have been sentenced for their involvement in the handling and sale of 46 stolen construction machines, valued in excess of £1m between 2015 and 2018.

07 March 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , North West News

Man jailed for life for raping and murdering woman in Ashton-Under-Lyne

A 51-year-man has been jailed for life for raping and murdering a 26-year-old woman in Ashton Under Lyne in August 2022.

22 February 2023 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North West News

Three jailed following 'sophisticated' murder in Mossley

Two men and a woman have been jailed for their involvement in the robbery and murder of a 39-year-old man.

22 February 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime , North West News

Three men convicted of Tyldesley murder

Three men have been convicted of murdering a 30-year-old man in a case of mistaken identity.

Ben Dawber, 19, Kane Adamson, 19, and Joshua Prescott, 20, murdered Thomas Williamson and attempted to rob a different man in September 2021.

16 February 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime , North West News

Man jailed following fatal car crash in Gorton

A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to 11 years and four months in prison for causing the death of a 25-year-old man and causing serious injury to a 30-year-old woman in Gorton in December last year.

09 February 2023 | Press Release , Driving offences , North West News

Eight men jailed for life after brutal murder of 37-year-old man

Eight men have been jailed for life following the kidnap and brutal murder of a man they wrongly suspected of attacking a woman.

09 February 2023 | Press Release , Violent crime , North West 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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