2015 in England explained

Events from 2015 in England

Events

January

• 4 January – The Höegh Osaka, a Singaporean cargo ship transporting luxury cars, runs aground near the Isle of Wight after it started listing shortly after leaving the Port of Southampton.^[1] An investigation is launched.^[2]
• 6 January – Figures from the last three months show that England's A&E waiting time performance has dropped to its worst levels for a decade.^[3]
• 9 January – Circle Holdings, the first private company to operate an NHS hospital, announces plans to withdraw from its contract to run Hinchingbrooke Hospital because it believes the franchise is "no longer viable under current terms".^[4]
• 12 January – 19-year-old Lewis Daynes who murdered 14-year-old Breck Bednar after meeting him online in February 2014, is sentenced to life in prison.^[5]
• 15 January – A set of council offices, a funeral parlour, and a thatched cottage are extensively damaged after they are set ablaze due to a spate of arson attacks in South Oxfordshire.^[6] A suspect is arrested.^[7]
• 17 January – Andrew Main, 47, of Rokemarsh, Roke, Wallingford, faces arson charges, one of which is intent to endanger life after spate of fires in Oxfordshire. A fire on lorry forces channel tunnel to be closed in both directions.
• 28 January – An earthquake of magnitude 3.8 is felt across the East Midlands.^[8]
• 31 January – The head of the Police Federation of England and Wales expresses his controversial support for all front-line police officers in England and Wales to be offered Tasers in light of the increased terrorism threat to the UK.^[9]

February

• 2 February – London's population hits a record high of 8.6m and is forecast to reach 11m by 2050.^[10]
• 4 February – The entire cabinet of Rotherham Borough Council announces its intention to resign from office after a report into the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal concludes the council's handling of the scandal was "not fit for purpose".^[11]

July

• 27 July – Members of the Norwich sexual abuse ring are found guilty of the sexual abuse of children, with the crimes spanning a decade. Ringleader Marie Black is convicted of 23 counts of sex abuse, including rape.^[12]

September

• 28 September – Members of a Norwich sexual abuse ring are jailed for "utterly depraved" sex abuse of children over a period of ten years. Ringleader Marie Black received the longest sentence of life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 24 years.^[13]

Deaths

• 26 June – Denis Thwaites, 70, footballer (Birmingham City), victim of the 2015 Sousse attacks.^[14]
• 19 December – Greville Janner, Labour MP and lawyer (b. 1928)^[15]

See also

• 2015 in Northern Ireland
• 2015 in Scotland
• 2015 in Wales

Notes and References

1. News: Crew rescued from listing Solent car transporter . BBC . BBC News . 4 January 2015 . 5 January 2015.
2. News: Cargo ship Solent: Salvage team boards stranded vessel . BBC . BBC News . 5 January 2015 . 5 January 2015.
3. News: A&E waiting in England worst for a decade . BBC . BBC News . 6 January 2015 . 7 January 2015.
4. News: Hinchingbrooke Hospital: Circle to withdraw from contract . BBC . BBC News . 9 January 2015 . 9 January 2015.
5. News: Breck Bednar murder: Lewis Daynes sentenced to life in prison . BBC . BBC News . 12 January 2015 . 12 January 2015.
6. News: Arson attack guts Oxfordshire District Council building . BBC . BBC News . 15 January 2015 . 15 January 2015.
7. News: Weaver . Matthew . Suspected arsonist held over Oxfordshire fires . Guardian Media Group . The Guardian . 15 January 2015 . 15 January 2015.
8. News: East Midlands tremor recorded at 3.8 in magnitude . BBC . BBC News . 29 January 2015 . 29 January 2015.
9. News: 'Tasers for all front-line officers' – Police Federation . BBC . BBC News . 31 January 2015 . 31 January 2015.
10. News: London's population hits 8.6m record high . . . 2 February 2015 . 2 February 2015.
11. News: Helen . Pidd . Rotherham council cabinet to resign after damning child exploitation report . . . 4 February 2015 . 4 February 2015.
12. Web site: Norfolk child sex abuse case: Marie Black guilty. July 27, 2015. www.bbc.co.uk.
13. Web site: Marie Black gets life term for child abuse. September 28, 2015. www.bbc.co.uk.
14. Web site: Family of ex-Birmingham City star killed by terrorists speak. Graeme. Brown. January 26, 2017. BirminghamLive.
15. Web site: Lord Janner of Braunstone - obituary. The Telegraph.