CPS News Centre

Criminal cases prosecuted by the CPS are in the news every day, along with a range of issues relating to our work – from violence against women and girls and hate crime, to support for victims and witnesses, statistics and speeches.

To ensure greater openness in the reporting of criminal proceedings, the CPS, the police and media representatives developed a joint protocol for working together.

Here you can find our latest news stories and search for others. You can also find additional details about a number of high-profile cases and the work of the CPS.

Media enquiries

National, international and specialist media should contact the main 24-hour press office.

Local media should contact their Area Communications Manager during normal working hours.

CPS action to understand disproportionality in charging decisions

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has launched a programme of research to identify, understand and tackle disproportionality in its charging decisions.

07 February 2023 | Press Release , CPS News

CPS statement following the sentencing of David Carrick

Speaking after the sentencing of David Carrick today, Peter Burt, Head of the Complex Casework Unit, said:

07 February 2023 | Press Release , Sexual offences , CPS News

DPP Speech to the Bar Council

Remuneration for criminal barristers has, of course, been high on the agenda for some time now, with last autumn seeing an increase in fees paid to defence barristers. With those increases secured, attention has, understandably, turned to the CPS.

07 February 2023 | Speech , CPS News

Windsor Castle intruder pleads guilty to threatening to kill Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

A man who trespassed within the grounds of Windsor Castle armed with a loaded crossbow - after making threats to kill Queen Elizabeth II - has pleaded guilty to all three charges against him.

03 February 2023 |

Travel agent jailed for defrauding customers to fund lavish lifestyle

A travel agent who stole money from friends, family and hundreds of members of the public who bought holidays from her, has today been jailed.

Lyne Barlow, aged 39, formerly of Stanley, County Durham, was sentenced to nine years imprisonment at Durham Crown Court on 3 February 2023.

03 February 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

Man who created false document to steal £2 million from air ambulance charity jailed

A man who created a false document in an attempt to steal more than £2 million intended for an air ambulance charity has today been jailed.

02 February 2023 | Press Release , Fraud and economic crime , CPS News

Mason Greenwood: CPS discontinuance of charges

NB: People who allege they are victims of sexual offences receive lifelong anonymity. It is a criminal offence to publish a complainant's identity or any information that might lead to the complainant being identified.

02 February 2023 | Press Release , CPS News

CPS authorises charges following hospital arrest

Nick Price, Head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said:

“The CPS has authorised Counter Terrorism Police North East to charge a man with a terrorism offence after he was arrested outside St James's Hospital in Leeds last Friday (January 20).

26 January 2023 |

CPS publishes latest quarterly statistics which show a continued increase in people charged with rape

Today the CPS has published the Q2 performance data which covers the three-month period from 1 July to 30 September 2022.

Notable changes in the data from Q1 2022-23 to Q2 2022-23 include:

19 January 2023 | Press Release , Sexual offences, Domestic abuse, Hate crime , CPS News

Ex-public servant pleads guilty to misconduct in office offences

An ex-employee of the Crown Prosecution Service has pleaded guilty today (19 January 2023) to the misuse of computer systems while working for the organisation.

19 January 2023 | Press Release , CPS News

Search CPS News

In-depth - a deeper look at high-profile cases and the work of the CPS

'You can trust me, I'm a police officer' couldn't be further from the truth
How 13 women's testimonies secured the fate of serial rapist David Carrick
How a criminal case works
From reporting to appeals - how a criminal case works, end-to-end.
How we make our decisions
How does the CPS make the decision to prosecute - or not?
Our criminal justice partners
We don't just work with the police - here's a look at our many partners within the criminal justice system.
Transforming our service to victims at the CPS
Being a victim of crime can be deeply traumatic, and for those who find themselves in the criminal justice system the process can feel overwhelming, unfamiliar, and incredibly challenging.

Articles and speeches

Read articles and speeches from the CPS on matters of relevance to the Criminal Justice System

Articles and Speeches

CPS Says

The CPS position on major issues in the news, our response to inaccuracies in media reports and our letters to the media.

CPS Says...

Contacts: National media

If you are a national or international journalist with a media enquiry, you can contact the CPS Press Office between 9am and 5pm on weekdays:

Telephone: 020 3357 0906
Email: cps.pressoffice@cps.gov.uk

If you are a journalist with an urgent out-of-hours issue (before 9am or after 5pm on weekdays, on weekends or public holidays) please contact:

Telephone: 020 3357 0913

Please note that our Press Office is only able to deal with issues or queries from journalists. Anyone else should visit contact.cps.gov.uk.

Contacts: Local media

Cymru/Wales
Richard Paull
Email: richard.paull@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02920 803950

East Midlands
Graham Buchanan
Email: Graham.Buchanan@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0115 852 3343

East of England
Gillian Andrews
Email: gillian.andrews@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 01245 455027

London (North and South)
Diana Wong
Email: london.communications@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 3357 0858

Mersey-Cheshire
Jackie Rand
Email: jackie.rand@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0151 239 6334

North East
Chris Black
Email: chris.black@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0191 260 4216

North West
Kerry Bell
Email: kerry.bell@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0161 827 4705

South East
Cheryl Pendry
Email: cheryl.pendry@cps.gov.uk
Telephones: 01227 655862 / 07876 390054

South West
Gary Cockram
Email: gary.cockram@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0117 930 2968

Thames and Chiltern
Angie Patton
Email: Angie.Patton@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 01189 513625

Wessex
Wendy Wyeth
Email: wessex.communications@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02380 673873

West Midlands
Kofo Baptist
Email: kofo.baptist@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0203 357 0625

Yorkshire and Humberside
Elizabeth Ogborn
Email: elizabeth.ogborn@cps.gov.uk
Telephones: 0113 290 2839 / 07500 835186

Our social media policy

If you follow us on social media, you can expect posts covering some or all of the following:

Operational updates on decisions to prosecute or take no further action;
Reactions and statements on trial outcomes;
Policy updates from the Director of Public Prosecutions and other prosecutors;
Updates on media appearances by CPS staff
Content that explains the role of the CPS and how we work
Highlighting of relevant work by our criminal justice partners and other stakeholders

We will aim to be fair and accurate in all the information we publish. We will aim to correct any inaccuracies as soon as possible.

We are unable to monitor social media round the clock. We are not able to engage with all those who seek a response from us due to resources but also due to privacy and the sensitive nature of some of our work. The best way to contact the CPS is through our website.

Please do not try to report crime using social media. To report crime, please call 101 or visit your local police station. In an emergency, always call 999.

If you follow us on social media we will not automatically follow you back. Being followed by us does not imply endorsement of any kind.

Follow us on social media

Keep up to date

Accessibility controls