US Politics | If the shooting of a nine-year-old in Knotty Ash doesn’t instigate a police shake-up, what will?
WHEN all is right with the world, a nine-year-old child should be enjoying a carefree summer with little more to think about than getting new shoes in time for school. But in the increasingly lawless UK, the body of innocent Olivia Pratt-Korbel lies on a mortuary slab after she was shot in the chest by an intruder while in the supposedly safe surroundings of her own home. 
Olivia Pratt-Korbel, 9, was shot in her home in Knotty Ash, Liverpool 
Olivia with her mum Cheryl Korbel What has become of this country? In recent years, we have almost become oblivious to alarmingly routine headlines about gang warfare, stabbings and muggings, but the gun death of a child in her own home is a desperate new low. Surely it will prompt the powers that be to finally emerge from their sheltered existence and take a stern hold of the serious crime wave blighting the UK's major cities? If not, the current lack of deterrent will only escalate our downward spiral towards matching America, where firearms routinely ruin lives and kids are gunned down in class. MORE ON KNOTTY ASH SHOOTING 
INNOCENT'S PLEA Girl leaves devastating note outside home where schoolgirl, 9, shot dead In 2018, a poll revealed that 57 per cent of Brits felt that the police had lost their grip on criminals. You can bet that figure has now risen sharply. This murder of Olivia is thankfully still rare. But when it comes to other crimes, even the briefest of glimpses at the Nextdoor app will tell you that people have lost faith in law enforcement and feel abandoned by the police force they pay for. Most read in The US Sun BENEATH THE SHEETS The number of times you should be having sex each week to keep healthy RAINING HELL Terrifying moment flesh-melting 'thermite bombs' rain down on Ukrainian town SUPPORT SYSTEM I have big boobs - I found 6 bralettes I love, including a lacy number CAMOUFLAGED CANINE You have the eyes of a hawk if you can spot the dog in the kitchen PELOSI'S SHAME Nancy's husband pleads GUILTY to one DUI charge after drunk car crash card's marked I made lottery algorithm to find scratch cards most likely to win - it works Nextdoor is a neighbourhood-based app that puts you in touch with others living in your local area. The original idea was for it to be a tool to help encourage community cohesion by recommending good plumbers, or helping to find a lost cat etc. While such interactions still go on, much of it is now devoted to solving local crime waves. I have lost count of the number of posts about stolen cars and calls to "disinterested" police who simply issue an incident number you can pass on to your insurance company. The new meaning of "law enforcement" appears to be footage from private doorcams and people taking their own initiative to solve the crime that's been committed against them, be it the theft of a car, bike or parcel from their doorstep. You might say these are petty compared to the murder of a nine-year-old child in her own home, and you'd be right. But that's not the point. In May this year, Jo Coombs, of South London, had her Land Rover stolen from outside her house and managed to locate it via a GPS tracker on her phone. LAWLESS STREETS It's common practice for thieves to take a car and park it in a nearby road until they can move it to a buyer in another part of the country or abroad, and Jo saw that hers was 1.9 miles away. She called the police who, astonishingly, "told me to get my keys and go and reclaim my car. I had thought they would go, but no, apparently it was quicker if I did." What if the thieves had seen her taking it and confronted her? This attitude translates into the public thinking, "why bother calling the police, they won't do anything" and, if we're thinking that, it doesn't take Einstein to work out that petty criminals think that too and, in many cases, graduate to more serious crimes in the expectation that, with policing in its current state, they're more likely to get away with it. It is NOT the fault of frontline officers, who continue to do a job that few of us would take on. The blame lies squarely at the door of those who purport to be in charge. We need more police officers, we need them visible on our seemingly lawless streets and we need them tackling the petty theft that, unchallenged, leads to more serious crimes. And if the shooting of a nine-year-old doesn't instigate these changes, then I don't know what will. Jokes hit bum note MARTIN CLUNES reckons laddish comedy TV show Men Behaving Badly wouldn't get made these days. "We talked about things like Kylie Minogue's buttocks and compared them to a racehorse's," says the actor, now 60. 
PA:Press AssociationMartin Clunes reckons laddish comedy TV show Men Behaving Badly (pictured) wouldn't get made these days '/ ' Which, of course, is precisely how a lot of men still talk with their mates in the pub. But, for some reason, viewed through the prism of right-on TV "comedy" commissioners, we now have to pretend that they're actually discussing global warming or whether quinoa tastes better than couscous. For an indication of how unfunny comedy can be after it's been endlessly sifted through the sieve of wokeness, perhaps look no further than the "joke" that's been voted the best at this year's Edinburgh Fringe. "I tried to steal spaghetti from the shop, but the female guard saw me and I couldn't get pasta." Yawn. It makes "What did the big chimney say to the little chimney?" sound edgy. Mum's sums A MATHEMATICIAN has come up with a formula to predict when your child will start bawling on a car journey. It's, er, T (time) = 70 + 0.5E (entertainment) + 15F (food) \- 10S (siblings). Back in the 70s, when the only "entertainment" was I-Spy and "snacks" were the homemade cheese and pickle sandwiches that had to last the entire five-hour journey to my nan's in Blackpool, my mum used a similar formula. It went something like this: "Stop whining or I'll clip you round the bloody ear." ...Seller's remorse' CONSERVATIVE voters are apparently suffering from "seller's remorse" over the ousting of Boris Johnson as PM. I don't see why. 
Conservative voters are apparently suffering from ...seller's remorse' over the ousting of Boris Johnson as PMAFP They had nothing to do with it. It was his parliamentary colleagues who knifed him in the front, not the electorate. Brad's fishy fashion NOW he is no longer just the "Br" in Brangelina, Brad Pitt's wardrobe has seemingly been emancipated from the constraints of fashion tradition, too. There's the daring double- denim two-piece, this latest salmon pink suit in Seoul and, of course, the linen skirt he wore in Berlin recently. 
GettyBrad Pitt wore this salmon pink suit in Seoul '/ ' He later claimed he'd chosen it simply because the weather was hot and he needed some air to get to his nether regions. Or words to that effect. But he teamed it with a shirt, jacket and big chunky boots, which would get anyone sweating like Diane Abbott in a maths exam. It's sartorially, and thermodynamically, contradictory. What next Brad, a sleeveless polo neck and socks with sandals? Tragic but not staged IN the latest documentary about Princess Diana, much is being made of a conversation from October 1995 in which she told her lawyer she feared she might die in a staged car crash. Conspiracy theorists have seized on her prediction but some context might help. 
GettyDiana told her lawyer Lord Mishcon she feared she might die in a staged car crash '/ ' The meeting with her personal lawyer, Lord Mishcon, took place a month after she had first met Martin Bashir, the Panorama journalist we now know fed her a tissue of lies about terrible betrayals by those closest to her. So little wonder she felt paranoid that someone was out to get her. But, quite rightly, it played no part in the matter-of-fact conclusion that a combination of driver Henri Paul's inebriation and speed, plus Diana's lack of seat belt, is what killed her that fateful night. Jez for laughs WHEN asked which answer made him laugh the most, retiring University Challenge host Jeremy Paxman came up with this one. "The nicknames Cheesemongers, Cherry Pickers, Bob's Own and The Emperor's Chambermaids have been used for which group of men?" 
GettyOutgoing University Challenge host Jeremy Paxman '/ ' Answer: "Homosexuals?" The correct answer, of course (glances at cue card) is army regiments. You can see where they were coming from though. BARRISTERS are going on strike. Never mind, I can always make my own coffee at home. Read More on The Sun 
OPEN WIDE I'm a dentist, things I know from looking in your mouth, like if you're pregnant 
THAT'S BONKERS! Fans of Mrs Hinch go wild over natural product to keep spiders at bay And breathe, Cress PRINCE Harry's ex Cressida Bonas has been attending breathwork classes hosted by her stepsister Octavia Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe. Cripes. 
Cressida Bonas has been attending breathwork classesGetty Images - Getty No wonder. You need several gulps of oxygen just to get through that surname.
Olivia Pratt-Korbel, 9, was shot in her home in Knotty Ash, Liverpool Olivia with her mum Cheryl Korbel What has become of this country? In recent years, we have almost become oblivious to alarmingly routine headlines about gang warfare, stabbings and muggings, but the gun death of a child in her own home is a desperate new low. Surely it will prompt the powers that be to finally emerge from their sheltered existence and take a stern hold of the serious crime wave blighting the UK's major cities? If not, the current lack of deterrent will only escalate our downward spiral towards matching America, where firearms routinely ruin lives and kids are gunned down in class. MORE ON KNOTTY ASH SHOOTING INNOCENT'S PLEA Girl leaves devastating note outside home where schoolgirl, 9, shot dead In 2018, a poll revealed that 57 per cent of Brits felt that the police had lost their grip on criminals. You can bet that figure has now risen sharply. This murder of Olivia is thankfully still rare. But when it comes to other crimes, even the briefest of glimpses at the Nextdoor app will tell you that people have lost faith in law enforcement and feel abandoned by the police force they pay for. Most read in The US Sun BENEATH THE SHEETS The number of times you should be having sex each week to keep healthy RAINING HELL Terrifying moment flesh-melting 'thermite bombs' rain down on Ukrainian town SUPPORT SYSTEM I have big boobs - I found 6 bralettes I love, including a lacy number CAMOUFLAGED CANINE You have the eyes of a hawk if you can spot the dog in the kitchen PELOSI'S SHAME Nancy's husband pleads GUILTY to one DUI charge after drunk car crash card's marked I made lottery algorithm to find scratch cards most likely to win - it works Nextdoor is a neighbourhood-based app that puts you in touch with others living in your local area. The original idea was for it to be a tool to help encourage community cohesion by recommending good plumbers, or helping to find a lost cat etc. While such interactions still go on, much of it is now devoted to solving local crime waves. I have lost count of the number of posts about stolen cars and calls to "disinterested" police who simply issue an incident number you can pass on to your insurance company. The new meaning of "law enforcement" appears to be footage from private doorcams and people taking their own initiative to solve the crime that's been committed against them, be it the theft of a car, bike or parcel from their doorstep. You might say these are petty compared to the murder of a nine-year-old child in her own home, and you'd be right. But that's not the point. In May this year, Jo Coombs, of South London, had her Land Rover stolen from outside her house and managed to locate it via a GPS tracker on her phone. LAWLESS STREETS It's common practice for thieves to take a car and park it in a nearby road until they can move it to a buyer in another part of the country or abroad, and Jo saw that hers was 1.9 miles away. She called the police who, astonishingly, "told me to get my keys and go and reclaim my car. I had thought they would go, but no, apparently it was quicker if I did." What if the thieves had seen her taking it and confronted her? This attitude translates into the public thinking, "why bother calling the police, they won't do anything" and, if we're thinking that, it doesn't take Einstein to work out that petty criminals think that too and, in many cases, graduate to more serious crimes in the expectation that, with policing in its current state, they're more likely to get away with it. It is NOT the fault of frontline officers, who continue to do a job that few of us would take on. The blame lies squarely at the door of those who purport to be in charge. We need more police officers, we need them visible on our seemingly lawless streets and we need them tackling the petty theft that, unchallenged, leads to more serious crimes. And if the shooting of a nine-year-old doesn't instigate these changes, then I don't know what will. Jokes hit bum note MARTIN CLUNES reckons laddish comedy TV show Men Behaving Badly wouldn't get made these days. "We talked about things like Kylie Minogue's buttocks and compared them to a racehorse's," says the actor, now 60. PA:Press AssociationMartin Clunes reckons laddish comedy TV show Men Behaving Badly (pictured) wouldn't get made these days '/ ' Which, of course, is precisely how a lot of men still talk with their mates in the pub. But, for some reason, viewed through the prism of right-on TV "comedy" commissioners, we now have to pretend that they're actually discussing global warming or whether quinoa tastes better than couscous. For an indication of how unfunny comedy can be after it's been endlessly sifted through the sieve of wokeness, perhaps look no further than the "joke" that's been voted the best at this year's Edinburgh Fringe. "I tried to steal spaghetti from the shop, but the female guard saw me and I couldn't get pasta." Yawn. It makes "What did the big chimney say to the little chimney?" sound edgy. Mum's sums A MATHEMATICIAN has come up with a formula to predict when your child will start bawling on a car journey. It's, er, T (time) = 70 + 0.5E (entertainment) + 15F (food) \- 10S (siblings). Back in the 70s, when the only "entertainment" was I-Spy and "snacks" were the homemade cheese and pickle sandwiches that had to last the entire five-hour journey to my nan's in Blackpool, my mum used a similar formula. It went something like this: "Stop whining or I'll clip you round the bloody ear." ...Seller's remorse' CONSERVATIVE voters are apparently suffering from "seller's remorse" over the ousting of Boris Johnson as PM. I don't see why. Conservative voters are apparently suffering from ...seller's remorse' over the ousting of Boris Johnson as PMAFP They had nothing to do with it. It was his parliamentary colleagues who knifed him in the front, not the electorate. Brad's fishy fashion NOW he is no longer just the "Br" in Brangelina, Brad Pitt's wardrobe has seemingly been emancipated from the constraints of fashion tradition, too. There's the daring double- denim two-piece, this latest salmon pink suit in Seoul and, of course, the linen skirt he wore in Berlin recently. GettyBrad Pitt wore this salmon pink suit in Seoul '/ ' He later claimed he'd chosen it simply because the weather was hot and he needed some air to get to his nether regions. Or words to that effect. But he teamed it with a shirt, jacket and big chunky boots, which would get anyone sweating like Diane Abbott in a maths exam. It's sartorially, and thermodynamically, contradictory. What next Brad, a sleeveless polo neck and socks with sandals? Tragic but not staged IN the latest documentary about Princess Diana, much is being made of a conversation from October 1995 in which she told her lawyer she feared she might die in a staged car crash. Conspiracy theorists have seized on her prediction but some context might help. GettyDiana told her lawyer Lord Mishcon she feared she might die in a staged car crash '/ ' The meeting with her personal lawyer, Lord Mishcon, took place a month after she had first met Martin Bashir, the Panorama journalist we now know fed her a tissue of lies about terrible betrayals by those closest to her. So little wonder she felt paranoid that someone was out to get her. But, quite rightly, it played no part in the matter-of-fact conclusion that a combination of driver Henri Paul's inebriation and speed, plus Diana's lack of seat belt, is what killed her that fateful night. Jez for laughs WHEN asked which answer made him laugh the most, retiring University Challenge host Jeremy Paxman came up with this one. "The nicknames Cheesemongers, Cherry Pickers, Bob's Own and The Emperor's Chambermaids have been used for which group of men?" GettyOutgoing University Challenge host Jeremy Paxman '/ ' Answer: "Homosexuals?" The correct answer, of course (glances at cue card) is army regiments. You can see where they were coming from though. BARRISTERS are going on strike. Never mind, I can always make my own coffee at home. Read More on The Sun OPEN WIDE I'm a dentist, things I know from looking in your mouth, like if you're pregnant THAT'S BONKERS! Fans of Mrs Hinch go wild over natural product to keep spiders at bay And breathe, Cress PRINCE Harry's ex Cressida Bonas has been attending breathwork classes hosted by her stepsister Octavia Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe. Cripes. Cressida Bonas has been attending breathwork classesGetty Images - Getty No wonder. You need several gulps of oxygen just to get through that surname.
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