The use of the technology in Britain has long been criticised by civil liberties groups such as Amnesty International, and faces a blanket ban in the European Union.

Elizabeth, who died aged 96 in September last year, was at the castle on the day of the incident, along with her son Charles, now the king, and other close family members.

HS2 is already being built between London and Birmingham but media reports have said the second leg of the route from Birmingham to Manchester will be axed after huge cost overruns.

Britain has provided five-week military training courses to around 20,000 Ukrainians over the past year, and intends to train a similar number going forward.

They put the scale of retail theft at £953 million, despite over £700 million in crime prevention spending.

He is looking at anti-smoking measures similar to laws New Zealand announced last year, which include a ban on selling tobacco to anyone born on or after Jan 1, 2009, The Guardian says.

British police have previously charged three Russians, who they say are GRU military intelligence officers, with the 2018 attempt to murder former double agent Sergei Skripal with the military-grade nerve agent Novichok.

While some Western governments have criticised the laws as curbing social and political freedoms in the city, both Chinese and Hong Kong officials have said they were vital to restore stability.

The reports of the allegations about Brand, once one of the country's most high-profile comedians and broadcasters, has dominated British media since they appeared.

Daniel Abed Khalife, who was discharged from the British army in May, was being held in prison ahead of trial on offences relating to terrorism and the Official Secrets Act.

Elizabeth died aged 96 on Sept 8 at Balmoral Castle leading to 10 days of national mourning and condolences and tributes from across the world for her record-breaking 70-year reign.

Chris Pincher quit three days after losing an appeal against an eight-week ban from the House of Commons.