A paedophile in north London, aged above 60, has been sent to jail for having sex with a teenage girl. Anandarajah Bremakumar from Colindale, Barnet, abused the girl in 2010 when she was 16 but the police came to learn about the incident only in 2019 when a report was revealed by a therapist, MyLondon reported.
The law-keepers initiated action as soon as they got the report and spoke to the victim who cooperated in the probe. Further evidence was gathered from those who knew Bremakumar at the time of the crime. He was arrested in April 2021 but denied the allegations. He was charged later in December the same year.
Bremakumar was found guilty of four counts of engaging in sexual activity with a minor after a trial at Wood Green Court last December, the report said, adding that he was sentenced to 30 months in prison on Thursday (2).
“This young woman has shown immense courage in speaking to the police and supporting this investigation. I hope the fact that Bremakumar has been found guilty gives her a sense that justice has been done," said a spokesperson of Met Police.
The victim was 16 at the time of the crime.
The official said that her example gives the police hope that those who have faced similar experience would come forward and speak to the police, even if it has been a while since the crimes occurred.
“The Met has specially trained officers who will listen and support you through the investigative process, and skilled detectives who will work tirelessly to see that those responsible are placed before the courts," the spokesperson added.
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.