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Ben Sturt

I’m a News Reporter at the Bournemouth Daily Echo. I have also written for The Times, The New World, Tes Magazine and The Diplomat, as well as regional publications including Southern Daily Echo, The Portsmouth News, The Londoners and SunStar Davao (Philippines). My reporting has also featured in Metro and Mail Online.

I have achieved the gold standard NCTJ Multimedia Journalism qualification at News Associates, including an A grade in Media Law. I have achieved 60wpm shorthand, and am working towards securing 100wpm.

Featured Articles

Bournemouth Echo •

Council admit 'agreed method' not followed on Sandbanks beach works, MP says

Neil Duncan-Jordan, Labour MP for Poole, pressed BCP Council after being contacted by several constituents who raised concerns about the removal of sand dunes last week.

Contractors were seen on Monday, April 20 using heavy machinery to “push back” the sand dunes which had built up in front of the beach-facing properties— work that had been approved by BCP Council.

Mr Duncan-Jordan said: “I've written to BCP Council following being contacted by constituents who are concerned about the re...
Bournemouth Echo •

Family faces prospect of selling home to fund their mum's cancer treatment

Sandra Harrison, 77, from Broadstone, has been battling bladder cancer (metastatic urothelial cancer) for nine years, and has recently learned the disease has spread.

In April 2025, the family were offered a lifeline through a new treatment, Enfortumab Vedotin, but this was short lived after the NHS said it wouldn’t cover the costs— despite evidence the drug works.

Sandra’s daughter Kay Cox said: “We saw the news about the treatment and thought, oh my God! This is what we’ve been waiting...
Bournemouth Echo •

Bournemouth MP 'frustrated' by Mandelson appointment scandal

Speaking in his constituency on Friday, Tom Hayes, MP for Bournemouth East, indicated that the Mandelson affair is taking attention away from people’s priorities.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is under increased pressure over his decision to appoint Mandelson as US ambassador after the Epstein files revealed the extent of Mandelson’s relationship with the sex offender as well as alleged misconduct in public office.

Hayes said: “When people turn on their TVs and they hear they news talk...
Bournemouth Echo •

Digger activity on Sandbanks sparks concern among beachgoers

Contractors were seen on Monday, April 20 using heavy machinery to “push back” the sand dunes which had built up in front of the beach-facing properties.

The work - which had been approved by BCP Council - caused concern online, with many worried about the impact on conservation efforts in the area.

One dog walker, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “The contractors were taking away the end bit of the sand dunes so people living there can have an uninterrupted view of the sea.

“Th...
The New World •

Trump’s Iran war is going global

I’ve often thought the jeepney served as a metaphor for the Philippines itself. Now, it’s at the epicentre of a national fuel crisis brought on by the Iran war. The elongated, brightly decorated military jeeps that look like small buses were originally left behind by American troops after the second world war. They are the most popular means of public transport across the nation’s cities.

While teaching in Davao City, I was initially hesitant to ride a jeepney bus.A lanky, six-foot-plusser like...
The Diplomat •

Thousands of Overseas Filipinos Celebrate Former President Duterte’s Birthday

If you had passed Marble Arch on March 28, you would probably have assumed that the music, cake, and colorful balloons were for a birthday party. And you’d have been right.

What you probably wouldn’t have guessed is that those celebrations were for a man accused of crimes against humanity: Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines. Hundreds of Filipinos from the diaspora community in the U.K. gathered in central London to show their support, while thousands more gathered at meeti...
The New World •

If you thought Rodrigo Duterte was bad, wait til you meet his daughter

Sara, the current vice-president of the Philippines, recently took a step closer to succeeding him by declaring that she will run for president in 2028. When a furious city mayor in the Philippines punched a sheriff for disobeying her demands back in 2011 – in full view of the television cameras – there was little outrage. Instead, with one fell swoop, Sara Duterte announced herself as the true heir to her strongman father, the “Trump of Asia”, Rodrigo Duterte. Her father, president from 2016-20...
Ben's Substack •

Is the "Trump lens" leaving Iranians and Venezuelans out of focus?

The Iran war has exposed an uncomfortable discourse, with those living through the conflict being lectured on what is in their best interests. Social media has predictably provided the perfect breeding ground for opinionators and faceless accounts to spew out their hot takes – muzzling the lived experiences of Iranians in the process. lilsmichelle captured this frustration in About Iran, from an Iranian Woman: “For a moment, it felt like the man who presided over decades of death, imprisonment,...
Metro •

Offensive signs saying 'boom boom Tel Aviv' held up at Al Quds Day protest

Reporting by Ben Sturt

Horrific signs including ‘boom boom Tel Aviv’ are being displayed at the annual Al Quds Day demonstration in central London. 
At least 1,000 officers have been drafted in to manage crowds expected of around 12,000 people as conflict continues in Iran.
On the south side of the city, thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters have gathered where the atmosphere is tense. 
Hundreds of police have thrown a ring of steel around the gathered demonstrators. 
Police are investigating ‘death, death to the ID...
Mail Online •

Arrests as thousands gather for London Al-Quds 'hate rally'

By MATT STRUDWICK, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and CHRIS POLLARD, NEWS REPORTER and BEN STURT

Thousands of pro-Iran demonstrators gathered for an Al-Quds 'hate rally' in London, with 1,000 riot police being placed on alert. Demonstrators congregated on the South Bank of the Thames for prayers and brandished placards declaring 'boom boom Tel Aviv'.Chants of 'from the river to the sea' and 'Israel is a terror state' could be heard as...
Southern Daily Echo •

Southampton councillor abused by anti-immigration protesters

John Savage, who is the cabinet member for Environment and Net Zero, has stated that he has received threats and has been targeted online.

Cllr Savage was first confronted by anti-immigration protesters in Hoglands Park on the October 26 last year.

“I was surrounded by a group of people who were asking what I was doing there.

“As a councillor, I was reminding them that they were not allowed to leave their vehicles in a public park - they responded with abuse.

“In the park there’s...
South East Londoner •

Injuries from e-bike and e-scooter fires in London rise for seventh year in a row | South East Londoner

The number of injuries from e-bike and e-scooter fires in London has increased for the seventh year in a row, new data reveals.A total of 109 injuries were recorded by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) in 2025, with three deaths resulting from lithium and electric vehicle fires.According to LFB, a record number of these fires involved e-bikes and e-scooters – with faulty batteries, which often do not meet UK safety standards, being blamed for starting the blaze.Spencer Sutcliff, Deputy Commissioner,...
South West Londoner •

Thailand's food diplomacy serves up success - with a pinch of salt

The United Kingdom’s love of Thai food is undeniable. A recent YouGov survey polled Thai as one of Britain’s favourite cuisines, only behind Chinese, Indian and Italian food - which have long been established here.
Thai food has muscled its way into the UK’s extremely competitive hospitality sector, with more than 2,500 restaurants across the country. The Asian food market is estimated to be worth about £8.5 billion, which includes Thai establishments. 
W...
Tes Magazine •

‘Something completely different’: teaching on a Southern Hemisphere timetable

Moving abroad as an international teacher comes with plenty of new things to get your head around - language, culture, currencies, which side of the road you drive on and more.

But for teachers who really want to turn their world upside down, how about an entirely new academic calendar?

“People looking at doing something completely different should look for a place in the Southern Hemisphere,” says Ronan Moore, deputy principal at Port Moresby International School in Papua New Guinea.

This is...
North West Londoner •

Islington schools have highest London suspension rates

Islington schools have the highest suspension rate in London, new data released by the Department for Education has revealed.


The research – which was collected from the 2024/25 autumn term – shows that 932 pupils were suspended in Islington, which is equivalent to a rate of four suspensions per 100 pupils.


Persistent disruptive behaviour, physical abuse towards other pupils, and verbal abuse towards staff were the top three reasons given for the suspensions in Islington.


Islington Coun...
South West Londoner •

WATCH: Richmond cooking charity tackles food poverty and social isolation

A cooking charity based in Richmond is planning to expand across more London boroughs – including Putney and Wandsworth – if more funding can be secured.


Cooking Up – who currently operate out of community hubs in Hampton, Whitton and Ham – offer free cookery classes to people who’re eager to learn simple and healthy recipes.


The charity’s chair, Janet Hilton, got inspiration for the charity after working in a food bank during the Covid-19 pandemic, where she observed how users were reluct...
Tes Magazine •

Inspired enters Canada and NLCS announces Hong Kong school

Inspired Education Group has announced its first venture into Canada after entering into a partnership with a K-12 school in Toronto.

Newton’s Grove School, which has two campuses in Greater Toronto in Southern Ontario, will now come under the Inspired umbrella as the group continues to explore new markets.

Inspired already has a global footprint of 123 schools across six different continents, educating over 95,000 students in the process.

Gabrielle Bush, director at Newton’s Grove School, st...
Tes Magazine •

Menstruation should be in PE curriculum, say experts

Education about the menstrual cycle should be part of the PE curriculum, MPs have been told.

Dr Emma Ross, former head of physiology at the English Institute of Sport, told the House of Commons’ Women and Equalities Select Committee on Wednesday that sport is an “amazing place” to teach girls about their bodies.

With this in mind, MPs were also told that education about menstruation should be compulsory in PE teacher training.

Dr Ross said: “Coaches are so integral to retaining girls and wome...
South West Londoner •

Twickenham school protest: Families demand TfL address safety concerns at 'dangerous' crossing

Children and parents from a Twickenham primary school have demanded safety improvements to the St Margarets Roundabout crossing following a protest.


A swell of families from the St Stephen’s School community were also joined by dozens of residents, Munira Wilson MP and Richmond Council leader Gareth Roberts, at the demonstration which happened on Friday.


The protest – which took place next to the A316 crossing – came after a parent-led petition aimed at London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transp...
Tes Magazine •

Schools across Northern Ireland in ‘state of disrepair’

Schools in Northern Ireland are “unsafe”, in a state of disrepair and could face renovation costs of up to £800 million.

That is according to the Stormont Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, which is calling for an “urgent, system-wide reform of the schools’ estate management and maintenance”.

The committee published a report following its inquiry into managing the schools estate.

The report finds that significant maintenance backlogs could pose a health and safety risk and jeopardise educa...
Tes Magazine •

Welsh schools embrace AI - but worry about data and safeguarding

Artificial intelligence is having a positive impact in Welsh schools for both teachers and pupils despite concerns around safeguarding, data protection and overreliance, a report has found.

Estyn, which inspect standards across education in Wales, visited 21 schools that have been noted for their use of AI.

The inspectorate’s report shows that teachers are benefiting from the technology reducing their workload, particularly in lesson planning, and are also finding it useful for resource creati...
Tes Magazine •

Scottish schools face ADHD and autism diagnosis 'postcode lottery'

Schools are having to contend with a “postcode lottery” on neurodivergence diagnosis , MSPs have heard.

The Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, which met this week as part of its inquiry into ADHD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) pathways and support, was told that the current diagnosis framework is struggling to keep up with increasing demand.

The committee also heard that the lack of consistency across Scotland in diagnosing, treatment and support for ADHD and AS...
North East Londoner •

British Filipino community divided on former President Rodrigo Duterte's ICC detention

The British Filipino community is divided about former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s continued detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC).Duterte, 80, was extradited to ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, back in March and is charged with crimes against humanity. Duterte has contested his extradition.ICC prosecutors allege that Duterte, whilst president between 2016 and 2022, pursued an anti-drugs policy which directed a systematic attack against a civilian population, resulting in...
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