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.

Gang who plotted to kill a man but murdered his innocent girlfriend jailed

On Wednesday 22 November at Liverpool Crown Court, four men were sentenced to a total of 173 years in prison for the murder of Ashley Dale at her home in Old Swan in August 2022, conspiracy to murder Ashley’s boyfriend Lee Harrison and conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, namely a Skorpion

20 November 2023 | Press Release , International and organised crime, Violent crime , CPS, Mersey-Cheshire News

Organised crime group who conspired to import £11m of cocaine hidden in shipment of bananas jailed

Four men have been jailed a combined total of 62 years for conspiring to import 139kg of cocaine into the country hidden in a shipment of bananas.

01 November 2023 | Press Release , International and organised crime, Drug offences , CPS News

Former children’s holiday camp manager jailed for online child sex abuse offences

A former children’s holiday camp manager who posed as a teenage girl in order to groom children online has been jailed.

Cameron Osman, 45, was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment plus a five-year extended licence at St Albans Crown Court today (1 November 2023).

01 November 2023 | Press Release , International and organised crime, Sexual offences , CPS News

Man pleads guilty to raping 13-year-old girl in Rotherham

A man has pleaded guilty to raping a 13-year-old girl in Rotherham in the early 2000s.

17 October 2023 | Press Release , Sexual offences, International and organised crime , CPS News

Leader of criminal gang jailed for 33 years for large-scale drug and gun running

A man at the head of a Birmingham-based crime group involved in supplying class A drugs and sourcing firearms has today been jailed for 33 years.

13 October 2023 | Press Release , International and organised crime , CPS News

Man who blackmailed children into sending him indecent images jailed

A man who pretended to be a teenage girl on social media to blackmail young boys into sending him nude images has been sentenced to 21 years in prison.

22 September 2023 | Press Release , International and organised crime, Sexual offences , CPS News

Man pleads guilty to blackmailing children into sending him indecent images over social media

A man who blackmailed children into sending him indecent images of themselves over social media has been convicted.

15 September 2023 | Press Release , Sexual offences, International and organised crime , CPS News

Serious sexual offender who used false identities to blackmail women and children online has been convicted

A man who blackmailed women and children into engaging in degrading sexual acts for him has been convicted.

30 August 2023 | Press Release , International and organised crime, Sexual offences , CPS News

UPDATED WITH SENTENCE: Gang members who used furniture removal vans to import Class A drugs into the UK have been jailed

Four members of an organised criminal group have been sentenced for conspiring together to bring millions of pounds worth of illegal drugs hidden among bananas and furniture into the UK.

28 July 2023 | Press Release , International and organised crime , CPS News

Man jailed for manslaughter after 39 people died in back of lorry

A man has been jailed for his role in a people smuggling operation which resulted in the tragic deaths of 39 Vietnamese men, women and children.

11 July 2023 | Press Release , International and organised 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 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 [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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