A former Manchester Councillor and Mayor will now be allowed to reclaim any confiscated medals he won during his service.
It comes after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on Tuesday that those who were wrongly sacked – prior to a change in policy in 2000 that allowed previously-banned gay people to serve – will now be able to reclaim medals that were confiscated from them.
The MoD said it wanted to address a “historical wrong”.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson added that: “Those who serve in our Armed Forces deserve every recognition for their service [and] it was a very great injustice that this was denied to some members simply because of their sexuality.
“I hugely welcome the fact we can now address this historic wrong.”
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Carl Austin-Behan OBE – who served on Manchester City Council from 2011-2018, and was the city’s first openly gay Lord Mayor in 2016-2017 – joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1991 when he was 19 years old, and had a busy career that included saving a fellow pilot from a burning aircraft, which subsequently saw him commended for his actions in the Queen’s Honours list of 1991.
But in 1997, he was called in to see senior RAF personnel and the RAF police.
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Carl Austin-Behan
Speaking to Sky News about the moment dismissed from service, Mr Austin-Behan said: “When they asked if I was a homosexual I knew my life was about to change.
“I know I could’ve said ‘no’ but there comes a point in time when you have to be true to yourself [and] as they began to ask me again, I broke down crying before they could finish. Within a day, I lost the job that I had signed up to for 20 years, lost my home and lost all my friends.
“I felt like I’d let everyone down [and] my life just tumbled around me.
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“Due to my exemplary service record, the awards I received, and the charity work I’d undertaken, they decided to suspend me from duty rather than send me to military prison, which was still an option [and] I was marched off camp within an hour, just enough time to be able to throw everything I had into boxes, which the RAF would deliver to an address of my choice.”
Mr Austin-Behan – who is currently the deputy lord lieutenant of Greater Manchester, and trustee of the LGBT+ veterans’ charity Fighting With Pride – took to Twitter to say the move was “welcomed” and that he hoped it would be the start of “a long-overdue support package for our LGBT veterans who were discharged due to their sexuality”.
Following yesterday’s groundbreaking move, veterans minister Johnny Mercer apologised for the historic policy, saying: “Where we have had discriminatory policies like this, I apologise [and] I hope today’s announcement will go some way – clearly it will never go all the way – to redressing the pain caused over the years by the policy of discriminating against the LGBT community.”
A statement on the gov.uk website reads: “Prior to 2000, a number of armed forces personnel were discharged from service on the basis of their sexuality.
“Some received convictions under specified legislation for homosexual behaviour that has now been de-criminalised, while others were discharged solely on the basis of their sexuality, without any conviction.
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“In the course of their discharge, some personnel either forfeited medals directly, or were prevented from continuing to serve and thus denied the ability to regain medals that might previously have been forfeited for unrelated reasons.
“The MoD is committed to addressing this historical wrong and is introducing a policy which enables individuals to apply to have their medals restored.”
Under the scheme, affected former personnel can apply to have their case reviewed by the defence council, with successful applicants receiving a new medal from the MoD’s Medal Office, and relatives of affected ex-military members who have since died are also able to apply for a review.
You can find more information via the Ministry of Defence website here.
News
Amber heat-health warning issued as temperatures drop across the North West
Danny Jones
An amber health warning has been issued for the North West and other regions as temperatures continue to drop across the country.
Having already provided an update on the “possibility of snow” and the imminent cold snap earlier this week, the Met Office and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have now added a heat-health warning to their forecast for the new few days as things get increasingly colder across Great Britain.
With temperatures expected to reach as low as -5C by Friday, 29 November, the Met Office and UKHSA pushed out an amber heat-health alert on Wednesday, with the elderly, clinically vulnerable and the health sector in general said to be those most at risk.
Although the freezing weather obviously has the potential to affect everyone — with the likes of the North East and Northern Ireland having already been given a yellow weather warning as well — amber heat-health warnings are deemed to require an ‘enhanced response‘ as they are likely to significantly impact “across the whole health service” and possibly other sectors too.
The current heat-health alerts that have been issued for the UK. (Credit: gov.uk)
Under the relatively new CHA (cold-health alert) system, anything beyond a yellow level alert means that it is expected that there will be increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable populations and an increase in risk to health to individuals over the age of 65, those with pre-existing health conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and other vulnerable groups like rough sleepers.
As well as the Met Office offering their verdict, the UKHSA’s Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection, Dr Agostinho Sousa, said: “With a risk of widespread overnight frosts and some snow across the country this week, it’s important to check in on the wellbeing of those most vulnerable to the cold.
“Cold weather can have a serious impact on health, particularly older people, and those with pre-existing health conditions, as it increases the risks of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections.
“If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat the rooms where you spend most of your time in[doors], such as your living room or bedroom.”
For those considered to be at risk during this cold snap and amber-heat health warning, the official government-sanctioned advice is that if you can’t heat all the rooms in your home, it is important to heat the rooms you spend the (i.e. living room in the day and bedroom before going to sleep) to at least 18 degrees if possible.
They also recommend wearing a few thin layers instead of one thick layer, as the former is better at trapping heat than just one big jumper etc.
Other advice on how to stay safe during these colder periods includes stocking up on food and medicine, keeping windows closed and reducing draughts at home, as well as getting vaccinated against flu and COVID-19.
If you or someone you know is in need of help, you can get in touch with the NHS on 111 and if it is an emergency please call 999 immediately.
Man jailed for raping and assaulting two women as they slept
Daisy Jackson
A man has been jailed after being convicted of raping and sexually assaulting two women while they were sleeping.
Alan Pickering, 40, from Wirral, has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars as well as four years on an extended license.
During the trial at Liverpool Crown Court, the court heard that his victims had woken up to find that Pickering was raping them, with neither giving their consent.
Both victims then repeatedly asked him to stop, but he continued to assault them.
His crimes took place between January 2004 and July 2020 on ‘multiple occasions’ in the Chester and Wirral areas.
Pickering, of Procter Road in Rock Ferry, had previously been found guilty of five counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault by penetration following an earlier trial.
The latest allegations against the man came to light in 2020 after a report was made to social services at Cheshire West and Chester, which was passed on to Cheshire Police.
In addition to his prison sentence, Pickering has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life, and handed indefinite restraining orders against the victims.
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Peel, who led the investigation, said: “Firstly I would like to commend the victims for the courage and bravery that they have shown throughout this case.
“I know that Pickering’s offending has had a hugely traumatic impact on the victims and having to give evidence during the trial was not easy for them.
“But thanks to the statements they gave, and the evidence we gathered, the jury we’re able to see through his lies and he is now finally being held accountable for his actions.”
Detective Constable Peel added: “Nobody should have to experience what these women have been though and if anything can be achieved from this case, I hope that it encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us.
“We treat all reports extremely seriously, and any allegation will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority.
“Victims should never feel ashamed to talk about what they have been subjected to. They will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers, as well as from other support agencies we work alongside, and all victims of sexual offences have the right to anonymity.”
Emily Sergeant -
17th February 2021 
