Ex-BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood has been charged with four counts of rape, the Metropolitan Police has said.

The 68-year-old has also been charged with nine counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault.

The charges related to seven women, with the allegations spanning from 1983 to 2016.

Westwood is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 11 November.

Lionel Idan, Chief Crown Prosecutor, said: "Our prosecutors have established that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.

"The Crown Prosecution Service reminds everyone that criminal proceedings are active, and the defendant has the right to a fair trial.

"It is extremely important that there be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."

Madeleine McCann's sister has told a court that a woman claiming to be her missing sibling "played with my emotions" and sent "creepy" messages.

Amelie McCann said Julia Wandelt had told her she had memories of playing Ring a Ring o' Roses with her and feeding her brother Sean.

The 24-year-old wanted to prove she was the missing youngster with a DNA test, but Ms McCann told Leicester Crown Court: "I always knew that she wasn't Madeleine, so I didn't need to do one."

Ms Wandelt and Karen Spragg, who the court heard met Ms Wandelt online before helping to orchestrate her approaches, deny stalking Kate and Gerry McCann - the parents of missing Madeleine, who disappeared on 3 May 2007 in Portugal.

Ms McCann said Ms Wandelt first tried to contact her in January 2024 over Facebook.

She told the court she was aware of Ms Wandelt as "she had been in the media", but as she used the name Julia Julia, Ms McCann "hadn't clocked" it was the same person.

She said: "I was used to getting messages from people about the case and was used to ignoring messages."

At first, she said she "didn't really tell anyone about it".

"I just thought I could deal with it myself and ignore it," she added.

Over the course of the first day of messages, Ms McCann said Ms Wandelt told her she had used "hypnosis sessions", and had "flashbacks" of childhood memories of being Madeleine, feeding Sean and playing with Amelie.

The defendant also talked about the night of Madeleine's disappearance, police corruption and DNA in a series of messages, prosecuting lawyer Nadia Silver said.

The witness was then asked about a line in another message, which the court heard said that Ms Wandelt recalled playing the playground game Ring a Ring o' Roses.

"Again, it makes me feel quite uncomfortable because it is quite creepy and playing with my emotions and my memories that she claims that happened," she said.

"It put a lot of stress on me."

Ms Wandelt, Ms McCann said, continued to message over Instagram and Facebook.

The court was told Ms Wandelt had asked Ms McCann to do a DNA test with her, but the witness said: "I always knew she wasn't Madeleine, so I didn't need to do one."

Ms Wandelt, the jury heard, urged Ms McCann to get her parents to respond to her messages about a DNA test, and said: "Make them believe there is still a hope. I will do whatever it takes."

Another message, sent on 29 April 2024, contained images of the pair and said: "Give me a chance to prove it."

Ms McCann said: "She'd clearly altered pictures to make me more like her, which was quite disturbing."

She said she never responded to any of Ms Wandelt's messages.

Ms Wandelt, the court heard, also sent a letter to the McCanns' family home, in Rothley, Leicestershire, addressed to Amelie McCann, which contained photos of both her and Ms Wandelt.

It said Ms McCann was "her last hope" and that she "really needed" her.

Describing the toll the alleged stalking had on the family, Ms McCann added: "My mum found it the hardest and was harassed by Julia more than the rest of us."

She also spoke of her mother being "stressed and on edge" after the defendants turned up at the family home on 7 December 2024, demanding a DNA test.

Ms McCann concluded her evidence by saying that increased security measures at the home - such as a panic alarm to alert Leicestershire Police, new CCTV and a Ring doorbell camera - were "not normal".

Meanwhile, Amelie's twin brother Sean had a statement read out in court.

He said he had been contacted over Instagram in November 2024 by two of Ms Wandelt's accounts.

He said he did not respond and blocked the accounts, but said he found it "strange and upsetting".

He changed his social media profiles following the contact to remove his surname to make him harder to find, the court heard.

The statement added: "I'm aware Julia may be suffering from some sort of mental health.

"If, however, she's fully aware she is not Madeleine, yet makes these claims she is, that will be very upsetting for me.

"I do not believe she is my sister. The fact Julia is doing this has caused me a great deal of stress and I find it deeply disturbing."

Neighbour's statement

The court also heard evidence from family friends Linda McQueen and her daughter Ellie, who both said they received messages from Ms Wandelt.

Linda said: "It's really upsetting, we've all got memories of Madeleine. It's appalling."

Ring doorbell footage from a neighbour was also played to the jury showing two women approaching and leaving the McCanns' home on 7 December 2024, the same night Mr and Mrs McCann were "accosted".

Neighbour Dr Alex Milton added, via a statement, he saw a blonde woman sitting in a car with the internal light on when he went to walk his dog, and later when he went to pick up a curry.

When he returned with his takeaway, the car was there but the woman was not.

The trial of Ms Wandelt, of Jana Kochanowskiego in Lubin, Poland, and Mrs Spragg, 61, of Caerau Court Road, Cardiff, continues.

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Ten Met Police officers based at Charing Cross station are facing accelerated misconduct hearings, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IPOC) said.

The watchdog's investigation into the officers' conduct was sparked after a BBC report laid out behaviour that included calling for immigrants to be shot, revelling in the use of force and being dismissive of rape claims.

Investigators say they have sufficient evidence to show the officers breached police standards of professional behaviour.

The IOPC director general said she was "appalled" at the actions revealed in the report, adding that "immediate action" to enable the officers' dismissal would be taken at the "earliest opportunity".

The 10 officers facing disciplinary proceedings are: Eight serving Met officers, a former Met Police constable, and a police constable who moved from London to serve with Gloucestershire Police, the IOPC said.

One of the officers, a police constable, remains under criminal investigation for the potential offence of perverting the course of justice, they added.

An investigation into the conduct of an 11th individual - a designated detention officer - is ongoing, the IOPC said.

There is also a separate ongoing investigation into the conduct of a serving Met Police sergeant, also based at Charing Cross, which follows a referral after the officer was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

The sergeant was arrested by the Met's directorate of professional standards, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine, who said in a statement that the force would be "unrelenting" in "tackling issues at Charing and anywhere else across the Met".

"Internal reporting mechanisms" brought the "fresh matter" to light, he added.

After Panorama concluded its investigation, the BBC sent a detailed list of allegations to the Met before the report was broadcast. The force then suspended eight officers and one staff member, and took two more officers off front-line duties.

Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley previously said the behaviour outlined by the programme was "disgraceful, totally unacceptable and contrary to the values and standards" of the force.

The debate around stamp duty is intensifying. When Kemi Badenoch said a future Conservative government would abolish it on the purchase of main homes, it went down well at the Tory Party conference.

There has also been speculation that the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is considering replacing it.

Scrapping stamp duty would be popular among some home buyers, including first-time buyers.

But, analysts say there would be some significant consequences of scrapping stamp duty for primary residences, affecting buyers, sellers and the wider UK economy.

1. House prices might rise

Whenever there has been a temporary easing of stamp duty, such as in the immediate aftermath of the Covid lockdowns, house prices have then risen.

It is more difficult to judge whether a permanent abolition would have the same long-term impact on prices as the short-term sweetener of a stamp duty holiday.

However, greater demand is likely to feed through to asking prices.

"If, and this is a big if, it is a simple tax giveaway, the likelihood is that the current stamp duty bill simply passes through into prices," says Lucian Cook, head of residential research at Savills.

In turn, that could mean first-time buyers paying less in stamp duty, but having to find a bigger deposit.

"Given the way stamp duty works, this would be unevenly distributed across the country," Mr Cook added.

The most obvious point here is that the government in Westminster can only control stamp duty in England and Northern Ireland. Scotland and Wales have their own land and transaction taxes overseen by the devolved administrations.

2. Tax cut for the wealthy

A swathe of first-time buyers do not pay stamp duty. That's because, in England and Northern Ireland, they are exempt when buying properties of up to £300,000.

"For them, the enormous challenge is raising a deposit," says Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown.

Data from property portal Rightmove suggests that 40% of homes for sale in England are stamp duty free for first-time buyers.

While the vast majority of movers pay stamp duty, the rate increases at certain price thresholds.

So, the bigger the home, the bigger the benefit, if stamp duty was scrapped.

This will also mean a big regional difference in the impact of such a policy.

At the moment, 76% of properties on sale in the North East of England are free of stamp duty for first-time buyers, according to Rightmove's figures. In London, it is only 11%.

Richard Donnell, from Zoopla, points out that 60% of all stamp duty is paid in southern England - so the majority of the benefit of abolition would be felt in the south.

3. Easier to find somewhere to move to

One of the great selling points of stamp duty abolition is the extra mobility it should provide for workers, buyers, sellers and downsizers, according to experts.

"Homeownership is the foundation of a fairer and more secure society - but stamp duty has denied that opportunity to too many for too long," says Paula Higgins, chief executive of the Homeowners Alliance.

"Our research shows over 800,000 homeowners have shelved moving plans in the past two years, and stamp duty is a major barrier."

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), an independent economic think tank, says the winners will be those who want to move frequently, to more or less expensive homes.

It should, for example, clear an obstacle for older homeowners, who want to sell a family home but are discouraged by stamp duty. If they are more likely to move, then their homes become available to younger families and the whole market becomes more fluid.

However, others suggest the influence of stamp duty could be overblown.

"Take someone downsizing, from a £750,000 property to a £300,000 one. In England and Northern Ireland, they'd pay £5,000 in stamp duty. It's a fraction of what they're likely to pay in estate agency fees, and sits along a huge range of costs from conveyancing to removals," Ms Coles from Hargreaves Lansdown says.

"It begs the question of whether removing the cost of the tax is a gamechanger."

4. Potential tax rises elsewhere

Stamp duty raises a lot of money for the Treasury, so scrapping it would leave a gap in the public finances.

The IFS said that the direct cost of the Conservative policy might be around £10.5bn to £11bn in 2029-30, although the Tories' own estimate is about £9bn.

The question for any administration tempted to scrap or reduce stamp duty is how else it finds the money.

The Conservatives say they will make savings elsewhere. The other option is to raise other taxes.

As some analysts have said, the main consideration is not what is scrapped, but what replaces it.

5. Bad news for renters

The idea of scrapping stamp duty for primary residences could end up meaning less choice for renters.

The IFS suggests it could discourage the purchase of rental properties by landlords, as they would still have to pay stamp duty.

The think tank says it would increase the more favourable tax treatment of owner-occupation relative to renting.

Sally Wainwright has said she aimed to create a "uplifting" portrayal of midlife, including menopause, through the story of a female rock band in her new TV series Riot Women.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour on Thursday, the Happy Valley writer said the show, which starts on Sunday, draws from her own midlife experiences.

"It's very personal for me this," she said. "It's a lot about what I was going through at what [actress] Tamsin (Greig) very eloquently called 'the middle squeeze'."

She added: "It's just about midlife - menopause is just an aspect of that - and I wanted to find a way of writing about this part of your life in a way that was uplifting and engaging and interesting."

She continued: "It's about women who find something very creative and very engaging to do together and how it changes their lives."

Riot Women tells the tale of five menopausal women who form a punk rock band to take part in a local talent contest.

It features stage and screen star Rosalie Craig as the chaotic Kitty Eckerson, alongside an ensemble cast of bandmates including Friday Night Dinner star Grieg, Gentleman Jack's Amelia Bullmore, Lorraine Ashbourne from Alma's Not Normal and The Thick of It comic actress Joanna Scanlan.

Together the women foster a sense of solidarity and address their experiences candidly.

Wainwright, the Bafta-winning writer from Huddersfield, said she'd always wanted to write something as a sort of tribute to the 1970s musical drama Rock Follies.

She started to think about it properly about 10 years ago when she working on the one-off BBC drama To Walk Invisible, about the lives and literary achievements of the Brontë sisters.

"At around that time, my mum started to develop dementia, and I felt I was being pulled in so many different directions," she explained to presenter Anita Rani.

"I still had two boys at home, one just about to go to university, the other one thinking about what he was going to do, education wise."

She added: "You know that adage about if something needs doing, ask a busy woman?... I was that woman who just was being expected lots of - in a good way. You're often at the height of your career.

"And so you've been pulled in all sorts of directions and balancing a huge amount of things, and in the middle of that the menopause started."

She noted how along with hot flushes, brain fog and a low mood, it had brought with it a kind of "low self esteem that you don't expect".

"It just seemed well worth writing about," she said, noting how it had been like "therapy" to do so.

The writer felt it was neccessary and useful for the cast to learn to play their instruments live for the series, on songs such as Just Like Your Mother and Seeing Red.

Craig - who starred in Stephen Sondheim's Company on the West End - told the same programme it was "phenomenal" to be asked to portray the carefree and at-times shameless frontwoman, Kitty.

"She's constructed somebody who doesn't have a filter, and that's partly because of what she's been through in life, and being the victim of aggression," said Craig.

"She faces the world like that, with two fists," she went on. "She exorcises herself through the use of song, which was really brilliant to do."

Riot Women begins BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday 12 October at 21:00 BST.