Category: North Edinburgh News

From apps to AI search: how the UK goes online in 2025

OFCOM’s latest Online Nation report explores how adults and children in the UK experience life online. From the sites and apps we use every day, to how people feel about what they do and what they encounter online.

We’re spending even more time online as a nation

Adults now spend an average of four and a half hours online a day – up by 10 minutes on last year. Women spend 26 minutes a day longer online than men, with a daily average of 4hrs 43 mins.

Most of time online is spent on a smartphone, where adults use an average of 41 apps a month. WhatsApp, Facebook and Google Maps are the three most commonly used apps among adults.

Half of all time online is now spent on Alphabet and Meta-owned services

Two major tech firms now account for more than half of the time people in the UK spend online.

YouTube is the most used Alphabet-owned service, used by 94% of adults. Time on YouTube is increasing, reaching an average of 51 minutes a day, not including the TV set. The combination of Facebook and Messenger (93% adults) is the most widely used Meta service, followed by WhatsApp (90% adults).

AI is shaking up search

Google Search is used by four in five (82%) adults. It is by far the most used search service in the UK, with 3 billion searches a month.

AI is changing the UK’s search experience. About 30% of searches now show AI overviews, and more than half (53%) of adults say they see these summaries often. In most cases, they aren’t seeking these but finding them now included by their search services.

Generative AI services are gaining traction, with more people actively seeking them out. ChatGPT had 1.8 billion UK visits in the first eight months of 2025, up from 368 million in same period of 2024.

Adults are less positive about the impact of the internet

This year, only a third of adults (33%) said they feel the internet is good for society – down from 40% last year. And while nearly two-thirds (65%) of adults believe the personal benefits of being online outweigh the risks, this figure has declined steadily from 71% two years ago.

Fewer adults feel freer to be themselves online than offline this year (25%, down from 30% last year), and only 35% feel they can share opinions more easily online than offline.

What the UK’s children are doing online: social media, schoolwork and spending regrets

Younger Gen Z and the eldest Gen Alphas are mobile-first, video-native internet users. Children aged 8–14 spend almost 3 hours online daily, rising to 4 hours for 13–14-year-olds and about two hours for 8–9-year-olds. This only counts time on smartphones, tablets, laptops and computers – not games consoles.

YouTube and Snapchat lead the way when it comes to screen time. Across 8–14s, children spend about 48 minutes a day on YouTube and 45 minutes on Snapchat – together making up around half of their total online time. Almost all 8-14-year-olds use YouTube (96%) and Google Search (95%). WhatsApp (63%) and TikTok (58%) also rank highly.

Late-night scrolling is common. Across four of the main services used by children – YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp – 15-24% of the time spent for the whole 8-14 age range happens between 9pm and 5am. 4–10% of usage happens after 11pm, depending on the platform.

Most children are happy with their online lives

Overall, nine in ten (91%) children aged 8-17 say they are happy with the things that they do online.

Teenagers use social media and messaging apps to stay connected. Almost three-quarters (72%) of 13-17s who use these platforms say they help them feel closer to friends. Girls aged 13-17 are more likely than boys of the same age to see being online as good for helping to build and maintain friendships (71% vs 60%).

Overall, seven in ten (69%) 13–17-year-olds go online to support their wellbeing, mainly to relax (45%) or lift their mood (32%). Nearly eight in ten (78%) say the internet helps with schoolwork, and more than half (55%) use it to learn new skills.

But they’re mindful of doomscrolling – and ‘brain-rot’

Some of the children we spoke to reflected on the negative impacts of spending too long scrolling on their smartphone. They used the term “brain rot” to describe both the type of content and the feeling it leaves behind. This content is fast-paced, chaotic, and often nonsensical and can leave viewers overstimulated and disoriented.

Reclaiming their online space – Gen Z are more likely to act on harmful content

While we found that seven in ten 11-17 year olds had seen or heard harmful content online in the last four weeks, we also found that nearly two-thirds (64%) of them had taken action after encountering such content.

Actions included using platform tools like the ‘dislike’ button (15%), reporting content (11%), blocking the person who posted the content (10%), or telling an adult (10%).

Importantly, we spoke to children about this before our Protection of Children Codes of Practice came into force in July 2025. Under our new rules, sites and apps must take steps to prevent children from encountering the most harmful content relating to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and pornography. These steps include age checks and ensuring this content doesn’t appear in children’s ‘for you’ feeds, and they must also have improved reporting tools for children to use. They must also act to protect children from misogynistic, violent, hateful or abusive material, online bullying and dangerous challenges.

Online retail remorse – younger users regretting their online purchases

Almost six in ten (58%) children aged 8-17 said they had spent money online in the past month, whether on social media sites, video-sharing platforms, or while they were gaming.

Children tell us that they were encouraged to spend money in various ways online, including character customisation (30%), adverts (27%), recommendations from friends or family (23%) and influencer content (22%).

But a third of children (32%) regretted the purchases they’d made in-game, and 43% regretted purchases made on social media. While 42% were unclear on what they even were buying in games.

Flu cases on the rise: Pop-Up Vaccination Clinics across the city

With flu cases continuing to rise, NHS Lothian has organised a number of pop-up vaccinations in community facilities across the city:

TODAY (THURSDAY 12 DECEMBER)

HAYS COMMUNITY HUB, (PLACES FOR PEOPLE) HAY AVENUE

Tron Kirk Moredun-1-Vaccination 1 (1)Download

TOMORROW – FRIDAY 12 DECEMBER

TRON KIRK MOREDUN CHURCH, CRAIGOUR GARDENS

Royston Wardieburn-1-Vaccination 1 (1)Download

MONDAY 15 DECEMBER

ROYSTON WARDIEBURN COMMUNITY CENTRE, PILTON DRIVE NORTH

Craigentinny (1)-1-Vaccination 1 (2)Download

THURSDAY 18 DECEMBER

CRAIGENTINNY COMMUNITY CENTRE, LOANING ROAD

Gorgie Church-1-Vaccination 1 (1)Download

FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER

GORGIE CHURCH, GORGIE ROAD

Richmond Craigmillar Church (1)Download

TUESDAY 23 DECEMBER

RICHMOND CRAIGMILLAR CHURCH, NIDDRIE MAINS ROAD

Scotland’s first helpline for women experiencing economic abuse

Purple Phone helpline launched

Scotland’s first confidential helpline for victims and survivors of economic abuse has been launched by Financially Included, an organisation that supports women to recover from a controlling and often hidden form of gender-based violence.

As the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence campaign draws to a close, Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan visited East Renfrewshire to find out more about Financially Included’s Purple Phone Helpline, part of a new economic abuse pilot project supported by Scottish Government funding.

The helpline provides advice, emotional support and financial guidance to women experiencing economic abuse. She heard about the help they gave to one woman, Caroline*. After leaving an abusive relationship, the mother of four was supported by Financially Included to claim a range of benefits and payments she was entitled to, helping Caroline to work towards financial independence and a stable future for her family.

Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “Financially Included’s pioneering Purple Phone Helpline will be an invaluable source of advice to women across Scotland who need help to escape or recover from economic abuse.

“Tackling violence against women and girls in all its forms is one of our key priorities, with investment of £21.6 million this year through the Delivering Equally Safe fund, to support specialist services like Financially Included, making a real difference to women’s lives.”

Councillor Katie Pragnell, Chair of East Renfrewshire Integration Joint Board said: “We’re proud to lead the way in collaboration with other local organisations as part of the East Renfrewshire Violence against Women and Girls Partnership and we are committed to making sure no one faces abuse alone.

“This helpline is more than a phone number – it’s a lifeline. It means women and children trapped by financial control now have somewhere to turn.”  

Amber Cully, Project Manager at Financially Included, said: “We are delighted to be entering into this partnership in East Renfrewshire to build on the vital work in tackling economic abuse and to strengthen specialist support for women affected across the area.

“Through this partnership, we will deliver training on recognising and responding to economic abuse, provide a second-tier advice service for frontline workers supporting victim-survivors.

“Using additional funding from the Scottish Government this year, we are expanding our work nationally, with East Renfrewshire the first area to commit to working with us in this way.

“Our vision is to grow this into a Scotland-wide network, ensuring a consistent, sustainable and trauma-informed response for victim-survivors across the country.” 

The confidential and free Purple Phone Helpline number is 0343 841 0132. It is currently open Monday 16:30–19:30, Wednesday 10:00–13:00 and Thursday 13:30–16:30. Translators are available on request.

Financially Included is a pilot project led by Greater Easterhouse Money Advice Project in partnership with Glasgow Violence Against Women Partnership.

The project focuses on improving the provision of money advice across gender-based violence sectors through training and toolkit resources.

Caroline’s story

Caroline* was referred to Financially Included by Glasgow Women’s Aid two years ago. A survivor of sustained physical, emotional and economic abuse, Caroline is a single mother of four children, two of whom have since been diagnosed with autism. When she first came to the service, Caroline was a full-time student, working part-time and managing multiple health conditions linked to years of trauma and injury.

Despite the abuse, Caroline remained financially tied to the perpetrator through a jointly owned home, shared benefits and mounting debt. She faced benefit complications, mortgage insecurity, damaged credit, and serious housing disrepair including damp and mould. Her situation was made even more complex by ongoing stalking, threats from her former partner, and significant barriers to accessing affordable legal support.

Financially Included provided intensive, trauma-informed support across benefits, housing, debt and energy advice and supported Caroline to secure disability benefits for herself and her son, challenged incorrect benefit decisions and assisted with a Criminal Injuries Compensation application.

They also provided emotional support to Caroline while she completed these processes, acknowledging the trauma involved in revisiting her experiences. She was also supported with council tax exemption, rising mortgage pressures, household debt directly linked to economic abuse, and energy advice to address unsafe living conditions.

While Caroline continues to face serious challenges around housing security and legal protections, she now feels more confident managing as a single parent and navigating complex systems. She continues to receive multi-agency support, including from Women’s Aid, schools, health services and her employer.

*Name changed to protect identity.

TODAY: Something for everyone in a packed activities programme at North Edinburgh Arts

CREATIVITY, CONNECTION & FESTIVE FUN

✨ WHAT’S ON TODAY – Thursday 11 December at North Edinburgh Arts ✨

A full day of creativity, connection & festive fun, and most activities are free to join.

🎄 Winter Pop-Up Market | 11am–3pm

Handmade Christmas decorations, art and gifts by local artists & makers from Granton Art Collective, supported by NEA X NESSIE

🎬 Dementia-Friendly Film Club: Scrooge | 1.30–3.30pm

A relaxed, welcoming screening of the classic 1970s film

🌸 Garden Sessions for Adults | 1.30–4pm

Get active, learn new skills & meet new people in our Community Garden

🎨 Youth Arts Collective | 4–6pm

Creative challenges, fun games, snacks & chats for local young people

🥊 Women’s Wellbeing Workout | 6–7pm

BLAST Boxing for mental health, confidence & fitness (Pay What You Can)

🛸 Talk: Scottish UFOs | 6–7.15pm

A fascinating history of UFO culture with Dr Gavin Miller

🎲 Adult Social Club (16+) | 6–8pm

Board games, music, hot drinks & relaxed social time

🥊 Men’s Boxing Workout | 7–8pm

Fitness & wellbeing through boxing (Pay What You Can)

There’s something for everyone to enjoy so come and join the fun and make the most of it before the festive break!

More details can be found at: https://northedinburgharts.co.uk/whats-on

Urgent safety check for 85,000 tumble dryers

Households with specific tumble dryers manufactured by Haier must check if their machine needs an urgent safety repair

Households with specific models of integrated heat pump tumble dryers manufactured by Haier must check if their machine needs an urgent safety repair because of the risk of fire.

Affected brands include Baumatic, Candy, Caple, Haier, Hoover, Lamona, Iberna and Montpellier. Owners should check their model number and serial number online to see if their appliance is affected and contact the manufacturer to arrange a repair.

The appliance must not be used until the repair has been completed. If the plug is accessible, owners should switch off and unplug the appliance.

The manufacturer started a corrective action programme earlier this year for 103,000 affected machines. However the Office for Product Safety and Standards told Haier to halt its initial repair programme because of concerns the modification was still unsafe.

Following an updated modification, Haier has resumed its programme and begun contacting consumers again. Haier initially focused on arranging a second repair for machines that had previously been modified and are now arranging repairs for the remaining 85,000 owners whose appliances still present a fire risk.

Owners must stop using affected appliances immediately. An internal short circuit can occur during normal use, causing the tumble dryer to ignite.

Check if your tumble dryer is affected – and contact the manufacturer if it is.

This update is based on the regular reporting that Haier has been providing to OPSS.

Edinburgh’s Cockburn Association ready for another 150 years of campaigning

The Cockburn Association, Edinburgh’s oldest conservation body, yesterday celebrated its 150th anniversary in Edinburgh’s City Chambers. 

In celebratory mood, a diverse mix of the charity’s members and supporters from civic society, academia and business gathered to champion its achievements over a long history of campaigning. 

Edinburgh could well have been criss-crossed by inner city motorways, had it not been for the efforts of the Cockburn Association, according to the opening address by the The Rt. Honourable Lord Provost, and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, Councillor Robert Aldridge.  

Lord Provost Robert Aldridge, said: “Over the last 15 decades, the Cockburn Association has played an important role in shaping public policy and in protecting and enhancing our ancient built and natural heritage.

“On behalf of the city I would like to congratulate and thank the Cockburn Association for 150 years of achievements, a milestone that stands is testament to the continuing commitment, enthusiasm, and talent of all of those involved at all levels of the organisation. As we celebrate this anniversary,  we can also look forward with confidence, knowing the Association will continue its work.”

The Association’s Chair, Dr Lesley Martin, compering the event, revealed how the Association’s namesake, Lord Henry Cockburn, had written a famous – or infamous – letter to the then Lord Provost in 1849.

It expressed concern about the planned “monstrosities” that would irreparably damage the city’s “beauty and amenity”. Dr Martin went on to emphasise that the role of the modern Association was to fulfil the charity’s civic function, bringing together diverse interests in productive conversations. 

Chair, Lesley Martin, elected in May this year said: “In fulfilling our role as Edinburgh’s civic trust, the Cockburn Association must aim to include as wide a range of voices as possible and to try to ensure that the quieter, less powerful voices are heard, and listened to”.

The Association’s long history has seen successive waves of modernisation, most recently its wooing of younger trustees and volunteers and the appointment of the current all-female leadership team for the first time in its history.

The Association’s Director Rowan Brown, lauded the role of volunteers and their role in the Association’s success. She said: “Edinburgh has been shaped by ordinary citizens willing to stand up for its built and natural heritage, access to green spaces, dramatic beauty and unique identity.

“As we celebrate our 150th year, our book Campaigning for Edinburgh honours that legacy, illustrates the Edinburgh that might have been and challenges us to think boldly about the city we want to create for future generations.”

“The Cockburn has been built on civic action for civic good, and there are few better examples than the monumental collective seventy year contribution of the Association’s Archival Volunteer Team – Ann Stark, Ruby Dickson, Alan, Margaret Jessop, Lexi Christian and Doreen Parker – who have protected, catalogued, researched and shared the contents of the Cockburn Association’s vast archive.”

Dr Martin ended by putting the charity’s success down to its unique breadth of interests, its focus on “pragmatic solutions” its people, and its streadfast devotion to campaigning for a better future for Edinburgh.

Human Rights Day: Local communities back protections as debate intensifies

Recent findings show the public wants politicians to safeguard rights, not weaken them 

As the world marks Human Rights Day today (Wednesday 10 December), Amnesty International UK says it is a vital moment to reflect on the fact that, despite political manoeuvres, most people across the country strongly support human rights protections and believe they matter now more than ever. 

Recent polling conducted by Savanta for Amnesty International UK found: 

• More than 8 in 10 people say human rights protections are as important or more important today than when they were created after the Second World War 
• 87% believe rights and laws must apply equally to everyone 
• 78% say rights should be permanent and protected from government interference 
• Support for the UK remaining in the European Convention on Human Rights is almost twice as high as support for leaving (48% vs 26%) 

Across regions and communities, people are clear that human rights should not be up for political grabs. 

National tragedies such as Grenfell, the Hillsborough disaster, the infected blood scandal and the Windrush scandal were each identified by the public as key moments that show why Britain needs strong legal protections that can secure truth, justice and accountability. 

Tom Morrison, Amnesty International UK’s Human Rights Legal Frameworks Campaign Manager, said: “There is a growing global trend where some attempt to whip up anti-rights sentiment and sow division between people. Human rights exist precisely to stop the powerful from dividing us, and harming the vulnerable. 

“Human Rights protections were not designed only for fair weather. They were built for the storms, the moments when authoritarianism, institutional failure or abuses of power put people at risk. 

“Thankfully, the UK public instinctively understands this. Seventy-five years on from the creation of the European Convention on Human Rights, people are telling us they want their rights protected permanently. They do not trust politicians to mark their own homework or decide which rights people should or should not have. 

“This is a day to celebrate our national pride in human rights and the equality they guarantee. These protections are a hard-won legacy of our grandparents’ generation. We must be responsible custodians, so that future generations inherit them too.” 

Local relevance and shared belief 

Human Rights Day offers communities everywhere the chance to stand together for fairness and dignity, values that an overwhelming majority of people in the UK say remain essential to modern life. 

From the right to a fair trial, to the right to privacy and family life, to the right to be treated with dignity and respect, the findings show that human rights are fundamental to everyday life and to the kind of country people want to live in. 

Delivering educational improvements

Attainment, attendance and teacher numbers rise

The number of pupils reaching expected levels of literacy and numeracy in Scotland’s schools is at the highest level on record, latest statistics show.

In primary schools, expected levels in literacy have increased to the highest level ever (74.5%), while for numeracy the figure of 80.3% is the same as last year’s record high. In secondary, the proportions of S3s reaching the expected level in literacy (89.8%) and numeracy (90.9%) are also the highest on record, according to the Achievement  of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Levels 2024-25.

The last year has also seen a narrowing of the poverty-related attainment gap to a record low at all levels.

Meanwhile, attendance rates increased in schools to 91% in 2024-25, up from 90.3% the previous year, while absences, both authorised and unauthorised, are down, according to separate figures published today.

Teacher numbers have also increased nationally in 2025, with the pupil-teacher ratio improving, while average primary class sizes also reduced, according to the latest Pupil and Teacher Characteristics 2025.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “The Scottish Government has been determined to drive forward educational improvements in Scotland’s schools and these statistics show clear progress is being made across several measures.

“Attainment levels are at record highs in literacy and numeracy following Scottish Government investment of £1.75 billion in the Scottish Attainment Challenge over the past decade – aimed at improving outcomes for children and young people impacted by poverty.

“We know that better engagement leads to better outcomes, so it’s hugely encouraging to see the improvement in attendance and a fall in absences, including a noticeable reduction in persistent absence levels, after the work being done to address this since the pandemic.

“The rise in teacher numbers reflects our investment in the workforce, which means that Scotland continues to have the lowest pupil-teacher ratio and the best paid teachers in the UK.

“We recognise there is more work needed to return these numbers to their 2023 levels and we will continue to work with councils towards this.

“This evidence further underlines the strong recovery we are seeing in schools following the pandemic, after this year’s national exam results showed the poverty-related attainment gap narrowing at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher levels.

“It is testament to the hard work of pupils, teachers and staff in schools and I am committed to working with them to deliver further improvements.” 

The Educational Institute of Scotland has noted yesterday’s flurry of education statistic releases from the Scottish Government, and highlighted that the figures confirm the Scottish Government’s failure to meet its commitments on the employment of additional teachers as a means to tackle excessive teacher workload.

Commenting, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “Scottish Government education statistics releases are increasingly like buses – you wait a long time for one to turn up, then five arrive all at once.

If this is an attempt to bury any bad news in a quagmire of statistics, it does not appear to be a successful tactic.

The figures released today confirm that the Scottish Government has absolutely failed in the delivery of their 2021 manifesto commitment to recruit 3,500 additional teachers into Scotland’s schools during the term of this parliament – we now have almost a thousand fewer teachers than when the pledge was made, so we are more than 4,000 teachers down on the level that was promised in that 2021 manifesto commitment.”

Ms Bradley continued, “The Scottish Government’s associated pledge to reduce teachers’ class contact time, supported by the recruitment of the additional teachers, was a clear recognition of the need to tackle excessive teacher workload in our schools.

“The failure of government and local authorities to recruit additional teachers, and the failure to deliver any meaningful progress on the commitment to reduce teachers’ class contact time, has led to the current workload dispute.

“The EIS is currently running a statutory industrial action ballot over these failures, and encourages all our members to use their vote in this important ballot and to vote Yes to both strike action and action short of strike.

“We must send a very clear message to the Scottish Government, and also to local authorities, that class contact time must be reduced, as promised, as a means to reducing excessive teacher workload.”

Ms Bradley added, “Compounding this, the high level of employment precarity for newly qualified and recently qualified teachers is a national scandal, with large numbers of new teachers offered only unstable short-term contracts, if they are fortunate enough to be offered teaching work at all.

“Scotland needs more teachers in our schools, to deliver an enhanced learning experience for students, to help reduce excessive teacher workload by delivering the Scottish Government’s commitment to lower teachers’ class contact time, and to ensure that the increasingly diverse learning needs of all students can be met.

“There are now 43% of pupils in our schools with an identified Additional Support Need, and this huge increase has not been matched by an increase in resource to meet those needs. We desperately need more teachers in our schools.”

Ms Bradley concluded, “The newly and recently qualified teachers are available for permanent employment to help to address all of these issues , but they are not being offered secure teaching jobs, with the result that many will either look to other countries for employment or opt, reluctantly, to leave teaching entirely and pursue other career options.

“It shouldn’t be this way, and it doesn’t have to be this way – the Scottish Government and local authorities must ensure that many, many more newly and recently qualified teachers are employed in Scotland’s schools.”

Government urged to name Stakeknife

OPERATION KENOVA FINAL REPORT PUBLISHED

Head of Kenova Sir Iain Livingstone has called for the UK Government to publicly name Stakeknife after publishing its final report which detailed how the agent had committed “grotesque serious crime” including torture and murder.

Sir Iain also urged Government to use the principles of the Kenova model for legacy investigations as he presented the 164-page document to his predecessor, and current Chief Constable of Police Service of Northern Ireland, Jon Boutcher marking an end to the nine-year investigation into Stakeknife’s offending and state handling. The Kenova final report also outlined the other separate enquiries carried out by the Kenova team, namely Operations Mizzenmast, Turma and Denton.

The report contains updates on the 10 recommendations made in the Interim Report published in 2024 and urged Government to depart from the Neither Confirm Nor Deny policy (NCND) in regard to Stakeknife on grounds of public interest.

Sir Iain said: “Having spent my life in policing and justice, I support NCND and know its value. Although the policy’s definition and use require review, Kenova has no intention to undermine NCND.

“However, NCND must be exercised in a proportionate and necessary manner and should not be an absolute bar to providing truth and justice. It cannot be used to protect agents who commit grotesque serious crime, leaving victims and families ignored and their demands for information and answers dismissed.

“As this Final Report makes clear, we in Kenova believe there is a compelling ethical case for the UK government to derogate from the NCND policy regarding the agent Stakeknife’s identity. It is in the public interest that Stakeknife is named.”

Stakeknife findings

Operation Kenova was initially set up to investigate the activities of the alleged army agent ‘Stakeknife’ within the Provisional Irish Republican Army’s Internal Security Unit.

The Final Report provides an overview of Stakeknife’s time as an informant, from his recruitment in the late 1970s through to the early 1990s. Investigators discovered a military unit known as the ‘Rat Hole’ was set up solely to assist the management of Stakeknife, and he was given a dedicated phone line which he could call at any time.

In total Kenova discovered 3,517 intelligence reports from Stakeknife including 377 in an 18-month period.

However, it found that ‘time and again’ the reports were not acted upon, with the protection of the agent apparently more important than protecting those who could and should have been saved.

The investigation revealed evidence of Stakeknife’s involvement in serious and unjustifiable criminality, including kidnap, interrogation and murder.

Prosecution files submitted to the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland implicated Stakeknife in 14 murders and the abduction of a further 15 individuals.

MI5 further material recovered

The report outlines state failures around the handling of Stakeknife and describes the late discovery of further material by MI5 after publication of the Kenova Interim Report in 2024. The further material revealed MI5 had earlier and greater knowledge of the agent than previously stated.

Sir Iain said: “While the information in the additional files would not have altered prosecutorial decisions, further investigative opportunities were undoubtedly lost.

“The very fact that material owned and held by MI5 was not timeously disclosed understandably undermined the confidence of communities that state authorities had cooperated fully with Kenova. It was a significant failure on the part of MI5.”

Recovered evidence

The report details how Kenova investigators were able to use new techniques to re-examine exhibits seized during initial investigations such as tapings which had been used to bind or blindfold victims.

These tapings, along with bullet casings, confession tapes and letters and a firearm allowed detectives to identify suspects and even a victim of a non-fatal punishment shooting who was subsequently located as a key witness.

Scientific examination of these exhibits recovered DNA profiles and linked offences or suspects.

Future of legacy investigations

The report refers to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, which will repeal the 2023 Legacy Act and establish a reformed Legacy Commission and a joint Independent Commission for Information Retrieval.

In welcoming the new Bill, Sir Iain suggested there was an opportunity to build upon the experience of Kenova to ensure comprehensive, independent investigations and a focus on victims.

Sir Iain said: “Kenova has shown that the truth can be uncovered, but it requires determination, independence, and a commitment to those victims and families. Our work demonstrates the need for rigorous, transparent investigations and for the interests of those most affected to be placed at the centre of legacy processes.

“It is also crucial that sufficient investigative powers and resources are allocated to a reformed Legacy Commission to ensure every piece of available information is accessed and that families are given the whole truth of what happened to their loved ones.

“The lessons from Kenova should inform the new legacy legislation.”

Mizzenmast and Turma

The Kenova Final Report outlines the additional investigations and reviews that PSNI asked Kenova to conduct beyond its initial commission regarding the conduct of the agent Stakeknife.

It summarises Operation Mizzenmast, the investigation into the murder of Jean Smyth-Campbell in 1972, and gives an overview of the background to Operation Turma, the murders of Sergeant Sean Quinn and Constables Paul Hamilton and Allan McCloy in an explosion at Kinnego Embankment in 1982.

Denton

Operation Denton was a thematic review of sectarian attacks by loyalist paramilitaries, referred to as the Glenanne series, between 1972 and 1978. The review examined over 98 incidents resulting in 127 deaths, assessing allegations of collusion between security forces and loyalist terrorists.

It found clear evidence of collusion by some security force members who committed or facilitated horrific acts of sectarian violence including murder. The review also addressed previous investigations and the impact on victims and families, emphasising the importance of transparency and engagement.

The review concluded that no discrete ‘Glenanne gang’ existed but rather there was a broader network involving loyalist paramilitaries and some corrupt security force members. While collusion at the individual level was evident, some of it long established before Denton was initiated, there was no evidence of collusion at a political or strategic level. Denton’s findings included that the Belfast UVF was responsible for the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.

With regard to the entirety of Kenova’s work, Sir Iain said: “The Kenova team has worked intensely to seek answers, provide explanations and pursue justice. At times some of our findings did not align with what victims and families expected. However, our duty was to seek the truth relentlessly and then share as fully as we could with those who deserved to hear it and who had endured the traumatic attacks.

“Victims and families from the Troubles consistently demonstrate dignity and grace in the face of appalling suffering from brutal terrorism, at times compounded by state failures to act legitimately or with empathy and care.

“Kenova has from the outset put the interests of victims and families at the heart of its approach. We learned that an outcome through the criminal justice process may in fact not always be achievable or even what is desired. Kenova detectives prioritised listening and being responsive to questions unanswered for decades.

“This authentic engagement with victims and families is a key factor which distinguishes Kenova and must be adopted if the reformed legacy arrangements are to succeed.”

You can read the full report here.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP, has responded to the Operation Kenova Final Report into the activities of an alleged agent known as ‘STEAK KNIFE’, which has been published by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). 

The Secretary of State said: “I want to begin by commending the Kenova team, led by Sir Iain Livingstone and Jon Boutcher, for the exemplary way they carried out their work, built trust with families, put victims first and provided many answers about what happened to their loved ones.

“Operation Turma, which was part of Kenova, resulted in the prosecution of an individual, now extradited from Ireland and awaiting trial, for the murder of three RUC officers in 1982.

‘Kenova has set a standard for future legacy investigations, and we have drawn on a number of those lessons in drafting the Troubles Bill.

“I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to all the families who lost loved ones in the appalling circumstances described in this sobering report.

“Operation Kenova was asked to establish whether there was evidence of criminal offences by the alleged agent known as STEAK KNIFE, or their alleged handlers. 

“The behaviour described of the alleged agent, and their role in the Provisional IRA, is deeply disturbing. It should not have happened, and in recent decades, there have been significant reforms to agent handling practice, including through legislation. The use of agents is nowadays subject to strict regulation, overseen by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner and the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

“On Operation Kenova’s request to the Government to name STEAK KNIFE, I told Sir Iain Livingstone in August that: “Due to ongoing litigation relevant to the Neither Confirm Nor Deny [NCND] policy, namely the Thompson Supreme Court appeal, a substantive and final response to your request will be provided after judgment has issued in that case.”

“The Government’s first duty is of course to protect national security, and identifying agents risks jeopardising this.

“Today’s Report also makes public the high-level findings of Operation Denton, which looked at killings carried out by the UVF Glennane Gang. The behaviour reported on, including collusion by individual members of the security forces, is shocking.

“The Government will respond to the full Denton Report when it is published, bearing in mind that there are related legal proceedings ongoing in this case and in the case of STEAK KNIFE.”

Stakeknife has been identified by the press as FREDDIE SCAPPATICCI, a leading member of the Provisional IRA’s notorious Internal Security Unit known as The Nutting Squad. He was involved in 14 murders and the abduction of a further 15 people during The Troubles. Scappaticci died in 2023.