Black teaching assistant claims he was ‘racially profiled’ after being sacked from school for 'smelling of cannabis'

A Black teaching assistant from North London claims he was ‘racially profiled’ after being sacked from a school for ‘smelling of cannabis’ - despite not smoking. Eli Belmar, 28, from Islington, is considering legal action as he feels he was 'unfairly dismissed' by bosses at Bridge Academy in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

He insists he does not smoke or vape due to having double pneumonia as a youngster and says the smell had in fact come from one of his students. He said he'd been employed through an agency at the school for just over a week when the accusations arose.

And he claims he was not given the chance to fully defend himself or properly question the rumours before he was ordered not to return. Eli, who was previously a youth worker and has also taught in prisons, said he’d been rocked by the sacking which had left him psychologically scarred.

READ MORE: London mum and 3 kids living in Travelodge after mould, flies and maggots forced them from home

Eli Belmar says he does not smoke or vape due to having double pneumonia as a youngster (Image: Eli Belmar / SWNS)

The trust which runs the school denied Eli’s ethnicity had anything to do with him being told not to return. Eli said: “I would say it's racial profiling, I would say it’s unconscious bias and I would say it’s unfair dismissal as well.

“It had a heavy effect on me. I had to leave Milton Keynes for a whole week. I had to go and live with my parents just to have some time away. It was an irrational statement and very degrading because they don’t know me from anywhere, I’d only been in the school for a week and a half.

“The teachers haven’t even had a conversation with me and they’re having that kind of judgement on me. Psychologically, this will definitely affect me. It’s very worrying.”

'Felt as though other teachers were suspicious of him'

Eli said he had moved to Milton Keynes for work in August this year. And he then got a role at Bridge Academy, in Coffee Hall, Milton Keynes, a secondary alternative provision school in November. Eli said he'd got on really well with the students and made close ties with several of the pupils in just his first week at the school.

But he also felt the teachers were suspicious of him and didn’t approve of the way he was interacting with the children. Eli said: “I really liked it when it came to the students.

"The conversations I was having were very good because they had a lot of questions for me – being from London, a big city. Within lunch times and break times, some of the students would come up to me and have conversations. But with the teachers, I did sense a bit of animosity and a bit of jealousy because I was getting so close to the students within a short period of time.”

Eli said allegations about him 'smelling of cannabis' emerged after a student had come into the school under the influence of the drug. They had been excluded from a set of mock exams but were later allowed to rejoin the class where he was working as an assistant.

And when a teacher arrived to begin the lesson, they made comments suggesting he was responsible for the pungent smell.

Eli Belmar moved to Milton Keynes from Islington (Image: Eli Belmar / SWNS)

He said: “One teacher who came in, she said, ‘Can you smell that’ to one of her colleagues, and then they both looked at me with a side-eye. I didn’t say anything at the time, but then on my lunch break, I received a call from my agency, and they said there’s been a complaint saying I had a smell of cannabis.

“I said, ‘Has there been a preconception of me because I don’t smoke?’" Eli said he later confronted the teacher, who told him his job was safe. But the following day, he was told he shouldn’t return to the school.

He added: “They said the teacher said even though it’s ‘fine to use it personally,’ you don’t have to come back anymore because it’s now a ‘safeguarding matter’." Eli was left confused and disappointed by the sacking and said there was no way he had used the drug due to his previous health complications. He said: “When I was younger I had double pneumonia, so I’m conscious of my health, and I go to the gym.” 

'Concerns raised by a member of staff'

The Stephenson MK Trust, which runs Bridge Academy, denied that Eli’s 'ethnicity' had anything to do with him being told not to return to the school. Their spokesperson said: “An agency member of staff was engaged at Bridge who was employed by the agency and not by the Stephenson (MK) Trust. The agreement with the agency was ended due to concerns raised about the member of staff that were not in line with Trust expectations and policies.

“No part of the decision made was related to the agency member's ethnicity. The Trust is committed to diversity and inclusion in all its employment practices. We expect very high standards from all our employees and want to give the very best support to our young people.

“We have professional expectations of all members of staff, and we are diverse and reflective of the community we teach. Should a member of staff fall below these expectations the Trust would follow our policies, statutory obligations and best practices to ensure that the appropriate actions and next steps are taken.”

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Dad shatters arm then sues Croydon Council for 'botched' safety measure that catapulted him off bicycle

A dad who shattered his arm after a 'botched' safety measure catapulted him from his bicycle is suing Croydon Council. Richard Lander was cycling down busy Brighton Road in the evening rush hour when he pulled out of the cycle lane to overtake a bus which had pulled into a stop at around 4:45pm on November 3.

In the late autumn darkness, the dad-of-two says he did not see a black 'base' on road which divides bikes and traffic, and was catapulted over the handlebars, hitting the ground so hard he broke his wrist. Six weeks later, after doctors stuck a metal plate in his arm, the 63-year-old IT project manager says he is still in constant pain and does not know when can get back to riding.

Mr Lander has since complained to the council about the road safety measures and has instructed Osbornes Law to take legal action in a bid to highlight the issue and get the council to make changes.

READ MORE: Jealous husband tracked wife's phone, beat her in face and threatened to kill her if she told police

The offending safety measure which Richard Lander is taking legal action over (Image: Supplied)

“When you have an impact like that, it knocks you silly and I was in incredible pain. I’m just thankful for the passers-by who stopped to help me up out of the road, without whom it could have been a lot worse," Mr Lander said.

"I was covered in bruises and badly injured my coccyx, but it was my wrist that bore the brunt. It’s my dominant left hand so it’s affected my ability to do just about everything, from holding a cup of tea to dressing myself. I can’t work, I can’t drive and I think this is the longest in 60 years that I’ve gone without cycling.

"It’s also the first accident I’ve had, which I believe shouldn’t have happened in the first place, and so now I just want to make sure that the same thing doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

Richard says the bases were originally put in with clearly visible wands before a decision was made to remove most of them. Although the bases and their reflective markings were left behind, he says the latter are little more than stickers which could easily be damaged by cars. He claims there were no such stickers on the night in question or the lights on his bike would have picked them out.

Surgeons put metal plates to fix the bones but Richard is still in constant pain (Image: Supplied)

He added: “I was wearing a helmet, as I always do, a hi-vis coat and had lights on the front of my bike but they didn’t pick anything up. If they’re constantly being driven over by heavy vehicles, it stands to reason that these stickers aren’t going to last very long.

“The council could just keep replacing them, of course, but that is only a temporary solution. My hope is that this focuses the council’s attention on finding a more permanent and reliable way to ensure public safety.”

Sam Collard, head of cycling accident claims at Osbornes Law and part of the team representing Richard, added: “Whilst not life-threatening, Richard’s injuries are such that he may never regain full movement in his hand and, at best, faces a long and painful recovery.

“On a busy road at rush hour, however, it is incredibly fortunate that he was not more seriously hurt, and this should serve as a wake-up call for Croydon council to urgently review its so-called safety measures before the same or worse happens to someone else.”

A spokesperson for Croydon Council said they were unable to comment during active legal proceedings.

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Westminster takes advice from 'benchmark city' Sydney on how to improve London's nightlife

The UK's largest evening and night-time economy may be in for ‘a prosperous and harmonious future’, depending on the success of a new strategy shaping its activities after-dark. The need to involve the 'hard to reach' and the marginalised however has been raised by several Westminster councillors, as the local authority works on plans it hopes will improve the nightlife across the city.

Westminster City Council is in the process of formulating its first night-time strategy, entitled Westminster After Dark. Currently at the engagement phase of proceedings, with current actions including an online consultation sourcing feedback from residents, workers and other local groups, it is intended to help diversify and develop Westminster’s night-time economy.

Wandsworth Council recently became the first borough in London to publish its strategy since the Greater London Authority (GLA) recommended local authorities produce their own plans. Around a third of councils in the capital are currently known to be working on one.

READ MORE: Major plan to boost Wandsworth nightlife with venues encouraged to stay open later and free phone charging points

During a recent Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting, Westminster City Council members heard from speakers including Libby Harris, Night Time Economy Manager at the City of Sydney Council, who advised on some of the learnings from the authority’s experience rolling out its own plans from 2013.

Sydney’s ‘Open City’ approach is seen as a benchmark in how to run and implement a night-time strategy, with results so-far including increasing turnover from $15 billion to $23.3bn, and jobs from 80,000 to 116,405. Key learnings, Ms Harris told committee members, include the need to communicate ‘at every stage’, and to look at it as a way of working out what residents, visitors, workers and businesses want from the city at night, rather than through the lens of trying to solve a problem, such as reducing alcohol-related violence.

Amy Lamé, London’s Night Czar appointed by the Mayor of London, praised the steps Westminster has taken so far, as she emphasised the need for more planning that considers how Londoners engage with the city after dark. “Let’s face it; London is not, and probably never has been, a nine-to-five city,” she said. “All parts of London’s economy are active around the clock, and a huge number of Londoners are also active around the clock. 1.3 million Londoners regularly work at night. Two-thirds of Londoners are regularly out and about at night.”

Westminster is home to some of London's most famous night-time hubs, such as Soho (Image: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

‘A significant opportunity’

In a report produced by officers ahead of the meeting, it was noted the City of Westminster is the UK’s largest evening and night-time economy, employing roughly 80,000 people. Officers wrote: “In formulating our plan, our objective is to pioneer an approach that manages this burgeoning growth while nurturing a vibrant, well-regulated, and secure evening and night-time environment. Balancing economic vitality with regulatory oversight and safety measures remains at the forefront of our future evening and night-time plan.”

While Westminster After Dark is still in its early days, the scope of the engagement and development of the strategy goes beyond typical activities associated with nightlife, such as drinking premises, but also options such as retail and sports facilities, as well as what transportation considerations may be required.

During the meeting, Michael Kill, from the Night Time Industry Association (NTIA), said: “The Westminster After Dark strategy represents a significant opportunity to navigate the challenges faced by businesses while preserving an essence of vibrant evening and night-time economy. By approaching this strategy with a keen understanding of economic, infrastructure and confidence challenges, and by prioritising collaboration, approach and innovation, we can ensure a prosperous and harmonious future for Westminster’s famous night-time economy.”

Mr Kill also told councillors it is important that the first point of contact between different stakeholders is not one of conflict. “I think the important point to recognise here is open, consistent communication amongst all stakeholders is vital, and we need to build some sort of trust and confidence framework between policing, local authorities and the industry to break down those barriers as quick and effective as possible, so we can actually start working together truly as a true partnership rather than the rhetoric around partnership with some barriers which represent a real challenge for the industry to open up truly with some of the enforcement officers and people who work on that side.”

The need for the council to engage with a diversity of groups, including residents, businesses and visitors, is seen as especially vital for the success of the strategy. Ms Lamé said it is ‘incumbent’ on the local authority to work a range of opinions and perspectives into the scheme. “You are the custodians of the reputation and the economic thriving of our nation, and that has to be taken into consideration as well.”

Chair of the committee, Cllr Angela Piddock, specifically referenced the regular use of the term ‘the hard to reach’ in discussions relating to engagement, adding: “Well, we have to make sure they aren’t the hard to each, because they are going to be as affected by what we do here as everybody else.”

A number of recommendations, including involving marginalised voices and hearing from a wide pool of stakeholders, were noted during the session. According to the Westminster After Dark webpage, the research phase is due to end this month, with the final plan to be published in May next year.

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Barking and Dagenham council bracing for £23m budget gap as it looks to cut costs

An East London council is desperately trying to balance the books as it braces for a £23 million budget gap for the next financial year (2024/25). Barking and Dagenham Council says the £23.3 million budget deficit is down to high inflation, increased interest rates and more demand or a change in needs for existing service users.

Council officers said 2023/24 budgets have already been under 'considerable pressure' and said if the council didn't draw on its reserves for this year, it could have found itself in £26.7 million debt. However using its reserves for 2023/24 could have consequences for the next year, council officers have warned. The council has already projected an overspend of £11.6 million for 2023/24 and if this continues it will also need to be funded from reserves.

In a cabinet report that will be discussed at a meeting next week (December 19), council officers said: "Using reserves in this way is only a temporary measure as reserves are a one-off source of funding. Without identifying plans to address this shortfall in 2023/24, this has added additional pressures onto 2024/25. Reserve draw-downs have also supported the council’s finances last financial year with the result that the council’s earmarked reserves have reduced significantly."

READ MORE: First look at plans for 350 homes and a London bus driver staff room next to Woolwich Foot Tunnel

They added that the council isn't planning its financial strategy further than three years ahead due to 'significant level of uncertainty post 2024/25' as the country gears up for General Election which must take place by January 2025. They went on to say: "Looking at the wider context, Barking and Dagenham is likely to be facing further inflationary pressures, expectations of rising demand for services and/or changes in complexity of need, particularly for social and housing provision."

The council has been instructed to follow a list of financial measures that could be instrumental for having a balanced budget in the future. Measures include developing a 'robust reserves strategy' and an action plan and said the council should continue scrutinising its job vacancies and agency costs.

The council has not yet revealed what ways it will be making savings and if cuts will be made to services, but plans are currently being worked on and will be presented to the overview and scrutiny committee on January 24 next year. Barking and Dagenham's cabinet members will discuss the budget strategies for 2024/25 and 2026/27 at a meeting next Tuesday.

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Massive Cadbury Dairy Milk bar that's a perfect stocking filler cheaper than Sainsbury's and B&M

A massive bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk is currently cheapest on Amazon, beating out Sainsbury's, eBay, Tesco and B&M. The Extra-Large chocolate bar - which is 850g - is currently down to £6.66 on the online marketplace.

This beats out Sainsbury's and Tesco, who are selling it for £10 at base rate. It's also cheaper than B&M's £7.99 and eBay's £8.23. This is actually a good deal across the board, as it's more expensive to get the same amount of standard Dairy Milk bars too (you'd need 7.73 of the 110g bar = £10.4355).

Sainsbury's have a Nectar card discount down to £9, while Tesco have a Clubcard one for £6. Amazon have a subscription offer bringing it down to £6.33 and is also eligible for Prime Next Day delivery, so make you weigh up your options.

READ MORE: Amazon shoppers snap up Oreo and Cadbury big biscuit box at 23p per snack cheaper than Poundland

There's not much to say about a Cadbury Dairy Milk: it's an absolute classic, and this time it's in big. This is reflected in the absolutely ridiculously high scores on Amazon, where it has reached a 4.8 from 25,295 ratings.

One person said: "These were Christmas presents, I ordered 3 bars, they arrived well packaged, great value for money, by the size of the chocolate bars may take them until next Christmas to finish them, delivered on time stated, well impressed with the items." Another said: "It's a massive bar of chocolate, what's not to love. It tastes amazing it was all in once peace so no visual issues and and none of it was melted."

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However, some people warned it was delivered broken. The seller is Cadbury themselves and delivery handled by Amazon so for any complaints make sure you bring it up. You have statutory 30 day return rights in the UK. One person said: "Good product but the box was damaged and the bar is snapped. Bought this for a Christmas present and I’ve had to bin the outer box which is disappointing as it made it look more like a gift."

The huge 1kg box of Kinder treats include Kinder Bueno is the cheapest you'll get (Image: Amazon)

If Kinder is more your jam, a huge 1kg box of Kinder Happy Moments is currently on sale on Amazon. B&M sell a £3.99 box for 162grams worth of chocolate. This works out to about £2.50 per 100g. Meanwhile, the Amazon box is £18.86 for 1kg, which is £1.82 per 100g. Also, to get the equivalent amount from B&M, you'd need to get 6.17 boxes from them, which works out to £24.62. However, since you can't get 0.17 of a box, you'd have to round up to 7 and this ends up being £27.93. Either way, it's way cheaper buying from Amazon.

The Extra-Large Cadbury's chocolate bar, 850g, is £6.66 on Amazon, £10 at Sainsbury's and Tesco, £7.99 at B&M and £8.23 at eBay.

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Mum and son in hospital after leaping from second floor of burning Hackney flat

A mother and son are in hospital after being forced to jump from windows to escape an e-bike battery fire in a house. Most of the three-storey home in Hackney, East London was destroyed by the blaze, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.

The mother was seriously injured after jumping from the second floor and her adult son, who leapt from the first floor, suffered an unspecified injury. They were forced to escape out of windows because the e-bike that had caught fire was at the bottom of a staircase leading to the ground floor, blocking their exit route.

Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters responded to the blaze on King Edward’s Road, Hackney shortly after 3am on Thursday. It took nearly two hours to bring the fire under control.

READ MORE: Jealous husband tracked wife's phone, beat her in face and threatened to kill her if she told police

A mum and son were forced to leap from the second floor or perish in the flames (Image: LFB)

LFB assistant commissioner for fire safety Charlie Pugsley said: “This was a devastating fire that has destroyed a home and is a prime example of why the brigade has been running its #ChargeSafe awareness campaign.

“A mother and son who were inside the home when the fire occurred had no choice but to leap from windows because their escape route was blocked. If you own an e-bike or e-scooter, do not store or charge it on an escape route such as a hallway. If you can’t keep it outside, put it in a room where you can shut a door and contain a fire.”

Lithium battery fires can spread rapidly and produce a toxic vapour. The Hackney blaze comes just days after a charging e-bike battery pack caught fire in the living room of a flat in Harringay, north London, which caused a teenager to suffer burns.

In London so far this year there have been 150 e-bike fires and 28 e-scooter fires, LFB said. The combined total is 53% above the figure for the whole of last year and makes them “the capital’s fastest-growing fire trend”, according to the brigade.

Three people have died and around 60 people have been hurt in the fires this year, including 21-year-old nightclub worker Sofia Duarte who was killed at her boyfriend's flat on Old Kent Road. LFB believes there is a lack of safety standards for e-bikes and e-scooters.

Sofia Duarte was just 21 when she died in an e-bike battery fire on New Year's Day 2023 (Image: GoFundMe)

Assistant commissioner Pugsley said: “From our investigations, we know many of the fires we’ve attended have involved second-hand vehicles, the use of incorrect chargers, or the bike has been modified using parts bought online.

"If you’re thinking about buying one of these vehicles as a gift for a loved one for Christmas, please make sure you’re buying it, or parts for them – like batteries, conversion kits or chargers – from a reputable seller.

“If you receive one for Christmas, or you already own an e-bike or e-scooter, make sure you’re using the correct charger, you’re not overcharging, and that you don’t tamper with or modify the battery pack. Keep it well away from an escape route and store or charge the vehicle outside if possible.”

A recent survey for Electrical Safety First indicated that 52% of people planned to do the majority of their Christmas shopping for electronics via online marketplaces in an effort to cut costs. The charity warned this could leave people at risk as “ruthless sellers” look to “cash in on Christmas at the expense of shoppers’ safety”.

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National Lottery's cheeky reply after couple missed out on £182 million jackpot despite 'winning'

A couple missed out on a brain-melting £182 million jackpot despite having the correct numbers because their bank did not have enough money in it. Rachel Kennedy, a business student at Brighton University at the time, got all seven EuroMillions numbers matched back in February 2021.

However, her bank account did not have the £2.50 required to actually buy the ticket with the winning numbers so the payment had not actually gone through, meaning her ticket was invalid, the Daily Star reports.

After sharing their woeful story with the world, lottery company Camelot sent them a message wishing them "good luck" in future draws. A spokesman for the company said: "We're aware of Rachel's story and hope she gets in early to buy a ticket for the next big draw."

READ MORE: 'I visited the Coca-Cola truck to see if it's actually worth going - I spent most of my time queuing'

Rachel and Liam had played their numbers – 6, 12, 22, 29, 33, 6 and 11 – for five weeks before they came up on the February 26 draw. Her life flashed before her eyes when she realised she had the winning numbers and she checked her National Lottery account and saw "winning match" displayed.

Rachel's boyfriend Liam was reportedly more upset about the near miss than Rachel herself (Image: Getty Images)

She told the Sun : "I called my boyfriend Liam and my mum into the room and they couldn't believe it either so I was like, 'oh my god I need to call them'. I called the number thinking that I had won £182million and they said 'yeah you've got the right numbers but you didn't have the funds in your account for the payment of the ticket so it didn't actually go through'.

"I was on top of the world when I thought I had won but when I found out I hadn’t, Liam was actually more upset than I was."

Her boyfriend Liam added: "(Rachel) was quite relaxed about it but I had kind of spent it in my head already. I was absolutely heartbroken when we heard the man on the phone say we hadn’t actually bought the ticket. I was already picturing our dream house and the dream car, I think I was getting a bit carried away to be fair."

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