2015 in England

Events from 2015 in England

Incumbent

Events

=January=

4 January – The Höegh Osaka, a Singaporean cargo ship transporting luxury cars, runs aground near the Isle of Wight after it started listing shortly after leaving the Port of Southampton.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-30670746 |title=Crew rescued from listing Solent car transporter |publisher=BBC |work=BBC News |date=4 January 2015 |access-date=5 January 2015}} An investigation is launched.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-30677320 |title=Cargo ship Solent: Salvage team boards stranded vessel |publisher=BBC |work=BBC News |date=5 January 2015 |access-date=5 January 2015}}
6 January – Figures from the last three months show that England's A&E waiting time performance has dropped to its worst levels for a decade.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30692497 |title=A&E waiting in England worst for a decade |publisher=BBC |work=BBC News |date=6 January 2015 |access-date=7 January 2015}}
9 January – Circle Holdings, the first private company to operate an NHS hospital, announces plans to withdraw from its contract to run Hinchingbrooke Hospital because it believes the franchise is "no longer viable under current terms".{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-30740956 |title=Hinchingbrooke Hospital: Circle to withdraw from contract |publisher=BBC |work=BBC News |date=9 January 2015 |access-date=9 January 2015}}
12 January – 19-year-old Lewis Daynes who murdered 14-year-old Breck Bednar after meeting him online in February 2014, is sentenced to life in prison.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30786021 |title=Breck Bednar murder: Lewis Daynes sentenced to life in prison |publisher=BBC |work=BBC News |date=12 January 2015 |access-date=12 January 2015}}
15 January – A set of council offices, a funeral parlour, and a thatched cottage are extensively damaged after they are set ablaze due to a spate of arson attacks in South Oxfordshire.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-30826330 |title=Arson attack guts Oxfordshire District Council building |publisher=BBC |work=BBC News |date=15 January 2015 |access-date=15 January 2015}} A suspect is arrested.{{cite news|first=Weaver |last=Matthew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/15/oxfordshire-fires-believed-work-arsonists-district-council |title=Suspected arsonist held over Oxfordshire fires |publisher=Guardian Media Group |newspaper=The Guardian |date=15 January 2015 |access-date=15 January 2015}}
17 January – Andrew Main, 47, of Rokemarsh, Roke, Wallingford, faces arson charges, one of which is intent to endanger life after spate of fires in Oxfordshire. A fire on lorry forces channel tunnel to be closed in both directions.
28 January – An earthquake of magnitude 3.8 is felt across the East Midlands.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31032930 |title=East Midlands tremor recorded at 3.8 in magnitude |publisher=BBC |work=BBC News |date=29 January 2015 |access-date=29 January 2015}}
31 January – The head of the Police Federation of England and Wales expresses his controversial support for all front-line police officers in England and Wales to be offered Tasers in light of the increased terrorism threat to the UK.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31071922 |title='Tasers for all front-line officers' – Police Federation |publisher=BBC |work=BBC News |date=31 January 2015 |access-date=31 January 2015}}

=February=

2 February – London's population hits a record high of 8.6m and is forecast to reach 11m by 2050.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-31082941 |title=London's population hits 8.6m record high |publisher=BBC |work=BBC News |date=2 February 2015 |access-date=2 February 2015}}
4 February – The entire cabinet of Rotherham Borough Council announces its intention to resign from office after a report into the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal concludes the council's handling of the scandal was "not fit for purpose".{{cite news|first=Helen |last=Pidd |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/feb/04/rotherham-council-denial-child-sexual-exploitation-failures-report |title=Rotherham council cabinet to resign after damning child exploitation report |publisher=Guardian Media Group |newspaper=The Guardian |date=4 February 2015 |access-date=4 February 2015}}

=March=

4 March – The stepbrother of 16-year-old Becky Watts, a schoolgirl reported missing two weeks previously, is charged with her murder after body parts are found at a house in Barton Hill, Bristol.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-31737528|title=Stepbrother charged with Becky Watts murder in Bristol|publisher=BBC|work=BBC News|date=4 March 2015|access-date=4 March 2015}}

=July=

27 July – Members of the Norwich sexual abuse ring are found guilty of the sexual abuse of children, with the crimes spanning a decade. Ringleader Marie Black is convicted of 23 counts of sex abuse, including rape.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-33674221|title=Norfolk child sex abuse case: Marie Black guilty|date=July 27, 2015|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}

=September=

28 September – Members of a Norwich sexual abuse ring are jailed for "utterly depraved" sex abuse of children over a period of ten years. Ringleader Marie Black received the longest sentence of life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 24 years.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-34377382|title=Marie Black gets life term for child abuse|date=September 28, 2015|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}

=November=

11 November – The stepbrother of murdered teenager Becky Watts, Nathan Matthews is found guilty of her murder and his girlfriend, Shauna Hoare, found guilty of Becky Watts' manslaughter.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-34790804|title=Pair guilty of Becky Watts killing|work=BBC News}}
13 November – Justice Dingemans sentenced Nathan Matthews to life imprisonment with a minimum of 33 years for the murder of his stepsister Becky Watts, and his girlfriend Shauna Hoare was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment for manslaughter.{{Cite news |date=2015-11-13 |title=Nathan Matthews and Shauna Hoare jailed for Becky Watts killing |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-34812317 |access-date=2025-05-02 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}

Deaths

26 June – Denis Thwaites, 70, footballer (Birmingham City), victim of the 2015 Sousse attacks.{{Cite web|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/family-ex-birmingham-city-star-12511813|title=Family of ex-Birmingham City star killed by terrorists speak|first=Graeme|last=Brown|date=January 26, 2017|website=BirminghamLive}}
19 December – Greville Janner, Labour MP and lawyer (b. 1928){{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12060572/Lord-Janner-of-Braunstone-obituary.html|title=Lord Janner of Braunstone - obituary|website=The Telegraph}}