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Manhunt continues over Woking girl’s murder

Sara's mother says the child's custody was given to her former husband in 2019

Manhunt continues over Woking girl’s murder

AN international manhunt has continued over the murder of a 10-year-old Woking girl, locally identified as Sara.

The daughter of Pakistan-origin taxi driver Urfan Sharif was found dead in her family house in Horsell in the early hours of Thursday (10) after police officers received a “call for concern”.

The outcome of a post-mortem scheduled for Tuesday (15) is yet to be known.

Surrey Police suspect three people, required for the investigation and known to the victim, have fled the UK. Media reports said detectives are in touch with Pakistani police.

According to Sara’s grieving mother Olga, a local court had given the girl’s sole custody to her former husband Sharif.

She told the Sun that she could meet her children only twice after she lost their custody in 2019 and they last met four years ago.

Woking’s Shah Jahan Mosque said it was “deeply shocked and saddened” by Sara’s death.

“Our thoughts, prayers and condolences are with her and her loved ones during this difficult and testing time,” the mosque said in a statement posted on Facebook on Tuesday (15).

Its imam Hafiz Hashmi told BBC Radio Surrey that the community could not believe “something like this can happen to such an innocent child.”

"We don't know the circumstances around the death so we pray for the girl's soul to be at peace,” the imam said.

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London tourist levy

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London to introduce tourist levy that could raise £240 million a year

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Highlights

  • Government expected to give London powers to bring in a tourist levy on overnight stays.
  • GLA study says a £1 fee could raise £91m, a 5 per cent charge could generate £240m annually.
  • Research suggests London would not see a major fall in visitor numbers if levy introduced.
The mayor of London has welcomed reports that he will soon be allowed to introduce a tourist levy on overnight visitors, with new analysis outlining how a charge could work in the capital.
Early estimates suggest a London levy could raise as much as £240 m every year. The capital recorded 89 m overnight stays in 2024.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to give Sadiq Khan and other English city leaders the power to impose such a levy through the upcoming English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. London currently cannot set its own tourist tax, making England the only G7 nation where national government blocks local authorities from doing so.

A spokesperson for the mayor said City Hall supported the idea in principle, adding “The Mayor has been clear that a modest tourist levy, similar to other international cities, would boost our economy, deliver growth and help cement London’s reputation as a global tourism and business destination.”

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