Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 2hThis could revolutionise military aid to civil authorities @jsargentr.bsky.social 121 2
Reposted by Ian WiggettReal Gaz on a proper bike: gazza_d@toot.bike @gazza-d.bsky.social · 10hDuct tape fixes everything it seems... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukUniversity of Hull flood tests find tape better than sandbagsResearchers say readily available tape could help households prevent flood damage. 2286 28
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 4hFrench police have used 4x4 vehicles paid for by British taxpayers to charge at student protesters during the school protests that have swept the country.theguardian.comRevealed: French police used UK-funded 4x4 vehicles to charge student protestersFrench government launches investigation into why cars funded by UK to prevent asylum seekers crossing Channel were used in school protests 000 0
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 4hIt’s the inevitable result of setting numerical targets. Low-hanging fruit. 000 0
Reposted by Ian WiggettHelene von Bismarck @helenebismarck.bsky.social · 12hWell said by @lordrickettsp.bsky.social There should have been an extremely serious debate about this even earlier, from the moment the National Security Report came out in 2025 that called for a "whole-of-society“-approach to defense. But no national conversation followed. 721176 211
Reposted by Ian WiggettBrian Groom @groomb.bsky.social · 5hAn Italian town has renamed a square after David Rizzio, musician and private secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots. He was brutally murdered when conspirators burst into her apartment at Holyrood Palace in 1566. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukItalian square named after murdered musician loved by Mary, Queen of ScotsThe mayor of Moretta officially opened Piazzetta David Rizzio to commemorate Rizzio's journey to the Scottish royal court. 2348 34
Reposted by Ian WiggettDan Kaszeta FRHistS @dankaszeta.bsky.social · 5hNo. British people in their 70s and 80s did not fight in the Second World War. If you’re 89 you were born in 1937. You might just barely remember the blitz. 4844558 445
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 7hAnother aspect is the cultural and social differences. The enemy’s idea of how a target population might react is likely to be based on their own experiences 110 1
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 11hOne of the men convicted of killing PC Sharon Beshenivsky started selling guns to criminals after being released from prison. When Razzaq was given parole in 2017, he began running a luxury car hire business, but spent much of his time obtaining guns and selling them to criminal customers.policeoracle.comPC Sharon Beshenivsky killer sold guns to criminals after prison release 000 0
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 12h...the most likely scenario is still a destabilisation attack – one designed to... convey the impression that the government is falling apart, and ultimately to instil fear. Currently there are two international actors known for doing this sort of thing: Iran and Russia.”theguardian.comNot cool: who hacked France’s supermarket fridges?Whether it was youngsters proving their skills or state sabotage, Europe’s most hacked country was left with a mountain of waste after food began cooking in freezers 110 1
Reposted by Ian WiggettMassShootingTracker @massshootingtrk.bsky.social · 16/10/2026America's gun psychopathy continues: *437* mass shootings so far in 2026: 💔😡💔 #GunsDontMakeUsSafer The lates, with 2 people killed and 3 others critically wounded, in Little Rock, Ark.: www.arkansasonline.com/news/2026/oc...arkansasonline.comShooting at Little Rock convenience store kills two people, critically injures three others | Arkansas Democrat GazetteTwo people were killed and three others critically injured in a shooting at a Little Rock convenience store on Thursday evening, police said. 119272 92
Reposted by Ian WiggettMassShootingTracker @massshootingtrk.bsky.social · 16/10/2026UPDATE: America's gun psychopathy continues: *436* mass shootings so far in 2026: 💔😡💔 #GunsDontMakeUsSafer 3 children and 1 teacher killed in shooting at Oregon elementary school, and another child and teacher critically wounded. Shooter also killed. www.ms.now/news/shootin...ms.now3 children, 1 teacher killed in Oregon school shooting, authorities sayThe suspected shooter was killed by a bystander who saw him enter the school and confronted him, authorities said. Multiple others have been injured, including children. 1311584 115
Reposted by Ian WiggettJosiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 16/10/2026"An investigation uncovered more than 130 official suppliers in the UK willing to sell cloned number plates" This is such a clear example of where the UK is good at creating laws, and often terrible at enforcing them. Laws are pointless if they're not implemented and *seen* to be implemented.theguardian.comNumber of cloned number plates on UK roads at record high, data showsMore than 11,400 drivers last year were fined for offences they did not recognise as RAC says system needs reform 11316105 316
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 16/10/2026Cladding manufacturers have paid almost nothing to fix unsafe flats, our analysis of company accounts showthetimes.comRayner targets cladding makers in new bill to recoup billionsCladding manufacturers have paid almost nothing to fix unsafe flats, our analysis shows, as up to three quarters of buildings still need remediation work 000 0
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 16/10/2026The Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk, Tim Passmore, says he is exploring a possible merger with Norfolk as a ‘defensive tactic’ to stave off the creation of a regional merger of six forcespoliceoracle.comSuffolk PCC ‘exploring’ merger with Norfolk over fears of Eastern Region ‘mega’ force 010 1
Reposted by Ian WiggettOrganized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 16/10/2026Scammers in Timor-Leste Go Straight Back to Work After Being Busted, Police Saybuff.lyScammers in Timor-Leste Go Straight Back to Work After Being Busted, Police SayWithout cyberfraud laws, police in tiny Southeast Asian country are struggling to combat a surge in scam center operations. 0106 10
Reposted by Ian WiggettHetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 16/10/2026This is like something from a crime novel. Criminals bought lots of the very secure USB-like Ledger devices which are used for password storage, added their own password reading components and then put them back into circulation. They then hacked them all in one go www.ft.com/content/70f6...ft.comCriminals stole $90mn of crypto by hiding password readers in USB-like devicesLedger said theft from its secure wallets was ‘one of the most sophisticated attacks’ the industry has seen 14830 48
Reposted by Ian WiggettMorten Morland @mortenmorland.bsky.social · 15/10/2026From the archive 8635191 635
Reposted by Ian WiggettMyriah Williams @myriahwilliams.bsky.social · 15/10/2026Gwilim bastart 1066 Brut y Tywysogion (Chronicle of the Princes) National Library of Wales, Peniarth MS 19 04618 46
Reposted by Ian WiggettWill Hayward - Wales Journo @willhaycardiff.bsky.social · 15/10/2026People gather down Cardiff Bay to welcome King Charles. 48924 89
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 15/10/2026The Big Four consultancy firms have won £1.5bn of public sector contracts so far this year, significantly more than in the whole of 2025, despite a pledge by Labour to “slash” spending on external consultants.thetimes.comDeloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC win £1.5bn in government work this yearThe Big Four are enjoying their second best calendar year for contracts with the public sector despite a Labour pledge to ‘slash’ spending on consultants 010 1
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 15/10/2026“[The online advertising] ecosystem is being weaponised at a massive scale to profile millions of users, then silently infect targets with zero-click mercenary spyware,”theguardian.comOnline ads weaponised to deliver ‘zero-click’ spyware, researchers sayDiscover-Tech’s Controlium software lets clients mass-profile internet users then covertly hack targets, say researchers at University of Toronto 000 0
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 15/10/2026A few years ago I was in Waitrose in Richmond, Surrey. A guy in his 30s was doing his shopping while talking animatedly to his phone. “No mate, I don’t do brown, just the usual. White” I don’t think he was talking about sugar. 020 2
Reposted by Ian WiggettThe Journal @thejournal.ie · 15/10/2026An Garda Síochána's main accounts on the social media platform X appear to have been hacked and are promoting cryptocurrencies in a significant security breach. The @gardainfo and @gardatraffic accounts on X (formerly Twitter) have both been affected. jrnl.ie/7193781jrnl.ieAn Garda Siochána social media accounts promoting cryptocurrencies after an apparent hackThe accounts, which have hundreds of thousands of followers, have been posting about cryptocurrency since late on Wednesday night. 68630 86
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 14/10/2026When asked if cost of living concerns would have any impact on their holiday plans for the next 12 months almost half of over-65s said “no impact”, compared with just 10 per cent of 18 to 24-year-oldsthetimes.comOver-65s spending children’s inheritance to take more holidaysTravel experts say older generations have become more willing to spend money once reserved for their children on having experiences abroad 000 0
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 14/10/2026Shaun Davis lives in Dubai, drives a Lamborghini Urus SUV and says that he made £2.5m last year alone. His line of business is housing Britain’s homeless, addicts and domestic abuse victims. For those in the know, it’s quite the earner.thetimes.comThe landlords getting rich from the £1.9bn social housing spendUndercover investigation lifts lid on masterclasses teaching entrepreneurs to build property empires paid for by councils ‘desperate’ to house the vulnerable 000 0
Reposted by Ian WiggettAnonymous @youranoncentral.bsky.social · 14/10/2026Elon Musk blames the US government for restricting Starshield's speed and usage in Ukraine; he points out that the decision to do so would come from the US military (Pete Hegseth) and ultimately POTUS (Donald Trump). 50542224 542
Reposted by Ian WiggettFinancial Times @financialtimes.com · 14/10/2026Ministers to launch statutory probe of English authority led by Ben Houchen ft.trib.al/lPnxWCyft.trib.alMinisters to launch statutory probe of English authority led by Ben HouchenMove reflects concern in Whitehall about governance and value for money at Tees Valley Combined Authority 1511744 117
Reposted by Ian WiggettLysander @lysander1945.bsky.social · 14/10/2026I wonder when the 'experts'out there will figure out that the UK Ministry of Defence's (& therefore also NATO's) new Skynet 6A secure comms satellite (due to be launched by Musk/SpaceX in 2027) is likely to suffer the same problems of being compromised👇 www.polarisintelligence.co/forecasts/la...polarisintelligence.coSkynet 6A Launch Forecast (2027) | Polaris IntelligenceSkynet 6A is forecast to launch in 2027 on SpaceX's Falcon 9 FT5 to GEO. Launch window, payloads, operators, and source evidence. 1417290 172
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 14/10/2026The total police workforce in E&W is 4% smaller than in 2010. In Scotland, officer numbers are 6% down on 2010, and 17% down in NI. However, there are still more cops per cap in Scot and NI than in E&W 000 0
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 14/10/2026‘Officerisation’ has continued, with cuts in police staff and PCSOs. This has been accompanied by falling public confidence, satisfaction and complaints about poor visibility. 010 1
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 14/10/2026Police funding in E&W is now above 2010 levels in real terms, but it’s been re-distributed. 13 forces have fewer officers now than in 2010, incl Met and Cleveland. 001 1
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 14/10/2026At 35, Leijdekkers is Europe’s pre-eminent cocaine baron… importing volumes vast enough to repeatedly crash Europe’s cocaine market. Last year, he halved the drug’s wholesale price. He has also transformed Sierra Leone into the world’s first true narco statetheguardian.comHow Europe’s most wanted cocaine trafficker turned Sierra Leone into the world’s first true narco stateDrawing on dozens of interviews with intelligence and police officers across two continents, a Guardian investigation reveals the murderous cost of our insatiable appetite for cocaine 000 0
Reposted by Ian WiggettBrian Groom @groomb.bsky.social · 13/10/2026Actor Wilfred Pickles was born in Halifax on this day 1904. He was invited to read the national radio news early in WW2 because Brendan Bracken, minister of information, believed a northern voice would be an inclusive gesture and would be difficult for German propagandists to impersonate. 614225 142
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 13/10/2026Extremists holding anti-immigration opinions are becoming increasingly likely to consider carrying out terrorist attacks against immigration centres and asylum hotels in the UK, the head of MI5 has warnedtheguardian.comRightwing extremists increasingly likely to consider terrorist attacks, MI5 chief saysMove from anti-immigration or anti-Muslim views to violence is ‘most marked trend’ in spy agency’s caseload over last year 010 1
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 13/10/2026Swamped with ‘daily avalanches’ of soiled items and poor-quality fast fashion, secondhand stores are in crisis. What went wrong with people’s good intentions?theguardian.com‘People sell their best stuff on Vinted’ – how charity shops became a dumping ground for unsellable clothesSwamped with ‘daily avalanches’ of soiled items and poor-quality fast fashion, secondhand stores are in crisis. What went wrong with people’s good intentions? And is it possible to donate more effecti... 000 0
Reposted by Ian WiggettBritish Nature Guide @britishnatureguide.bsky.social · 13/10/2026This moth from the garden trap in mid Cheshire last night has me stumped. Could anyone help out with an ID please? #teammoth #mothsmatter 1212 21
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 13/10/2026Officers leaving or intending to leave is a constant theme of conversation with all officers. The most damning comment of the day came from a very highly regarded police constable...“They don’t treat us well.” The officer was not referring to the public.policeoracle.comEyewitness: red flags, scuffles and discontent 020 2
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 13/10/2026HSBC said it was seeking to “support a high-performance culture” that would enable the group to “better align compensation to performance”. What could possibly go wrong???thetimes.comHSBC salary overhaul embraces bonus cultureThe FTSE 100 group is phasing out top-up payments introduced to compensate staff for the European cap and is aiming for a ‘high-performance culture’ 100 1
Reposted by Ian WiggettProf Frank McDonough @fxmc1957.bsky.social · 12/10/202612 October 1965. 1st episode of BBC dubbed French-German series, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, was broadcast. It was much loved by its young audience. Only 13 episodes were produced and the series ended on 4 January 1966. youtube.com/watch?v=N2ZB...youtube.comThe Adventures of Robinson Crusoe - (1964) - Opening creditsYouTube video by Classic TV Zone 4256 25
Reposted by Ian WiggettLukeBMTB @lukebmtb.bsky.social · 12/10/2026Make a war film rubbish. The Battle of Bugle 841 8
Ian Wiggett @wiggett-ie.bsky.social · 12/10/2026Shabana Mahmood said former MPs, party leaders, peers, former members of devolved parliaments and party spokespeople will be offered police support. The UK’s protective security system will be re-examined to combat the growing risks of terrorism, extremism, as well as harassment and intimidation.theguardian.comMahmood orders urgent security review after killing of Ann WiddecombeHome secretary also expands police support ‘with immediate effect’ for high-profile public figures not currently MPs 000 0
Reposted by Ian WiggettJonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 11/10/2026Great stuff from the Telegraph. archive.ph/r2nTA 1092365397 2.4K
Reposted by Ian WiggettCLondoner92 @clondoner92.bsky.social · 12/10/2026An AI camera trial in the West Midlands identified nearly 19,000 potential seatbelt and mobile phone offences in two weeks. Mayor Richard Parker urged drivers to buckle up and put their phones away as authorities review the findings. www.wmca.org.uk/news/belt-up...wmca.org.uk“Belt up and switch off” Mayor issues urgent warning as AI camera spots nearly 19,000 driving violations in just two weeksChild on lap in front seat, and driver with two hands on phone rather than wheel, among motoring violations caught by AI camera technology 132 3