2020 in England

{{Short description|none}} Events from '''2020 in England'''

==Incumbent== {{further|Politics of England}}

== Events == === January === *6 January – Reynhard Sinaga, described as "the most prolific rapist in British legal history", is sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 30 years, after being found guilty of raping or sexually assaulting 48 men in Manchester. Police believe he may have been responsible for assaulting a total of nearly 200 victims.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50987823|title=Reynhard Sinaga: 'Evil sexual predator' jailed for life for 136 rapes|work=BBC News |date=January 6, 2020}}</ref> *9 January – Five members of prison staff are injured when they are attacked by two inmates at Whitemoor Prison in Cambridgeshire; the Metropolitan Police subsequently announces that the incident is being treated as a terrorist incident.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-51062381 |title=Prison officer stabbings treated as terror attack |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=10 January 2020 |accessdate=10 January 2020}}</ref> *10 January – Gemma Watts, a 21-year-old woman from Enfield, north London who disguised herself as a 16-year-old boy to sexually assault teenage girls she had groomed online, is sentenced to eight years imprisonment after pleading guilty at Winchester Crown Court to charges involving four girls. Police believe she may be responsible for assaulting as many as 50 victims.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-50985868 |title=Gemma Watts: Sex attacks woman posed as teenage boy |publisher=BBC |work=BBC News |date=10 January 2020 |accessdate=10 January 2020}}</ref> *23 January – An earthquake of 3.0 magnitude is recorded by the British Geological Survey in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, just before 6 am.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jan/23/teesside-shaken-by-earthquake-stockton-durham |title=Teesside shaken by 3.0-magnitude earthquake |work=The Guardian|date=23 January 2020 |accessdate=23 January 2020}}</ref> * 31 January – COVID-19 first confirmed to have spread to England with two cases in York.<ref name="Ball31Jan2020">{{Cite news|last1=Ball|first1=Tom|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/article/hunt-for-contacts-of-coronavirus-stricken-pair-in-york-dh363qf8k|title=Hunt for contacts of coronavirus-stricken pair in York|date=31 January 2020|work=The Times|access-date=6 March 2020|url-status=live|last2=Wace|first2=Charlotte |issn=0140-0460|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204105559/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hunt-for-contacts-of-coronavirus-stricken-pair-in-york-dh363qf8k|archive-date=4 February 2020}}</ref>

=== February === *2 February – A man is shot dead by police in South London after a stabbing incident on Streatham High Road; police treat the incident as terrorist-related.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-51349664 |title=Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings in London |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=2 February 2020 |accessdate=2 February 2020}}</ref> *10 February – In a "historic" decision, councillors reject a proposed expansion of Bristol Airport, by 18 votes to seven, on the grounds that it would exacerbate climate change, damage the health of local people, and harm flora and fauna.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/feb/11/plan-to-expand-bristol-airport-rejected-after-climate-protests|title=Plan to expand Bristol airport rejected after climate protests|website=The Guardian|language=en|date=2020-02-11|access-date=2020-02-11}}</ref> *24 February – The Football Association bans children under the age of twelve from heading footballs during training sessions.<ref>{{cite news |title=Children under age of 12 banned from heading footballs in training |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/feb/24/children-under-age-of-12-banned-from-heading-footballs-in-training |work=The Guardian |date=24 February 2020 |accessdate=24 February 2020|last1=MacInnes |first1=Paul }}</ref> *25 February – A landmark study shows that life expectancy in England has stalled for the first time in more than 100 years and that health inequalities are growing wider than a decade ago. The study said that this can largely be attributed to the UK government's austerity policies.<ref>{{cite news |last= Boseley |first= Sarah |date= 25 February 2020 |title= Austerity blamed for life expectancy stalling for first time in century |url= https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/feb/24/austerity-blamed-for-life-expectancy-stalling-for-first-time-in-century |work= The Guardian |access-date= 1 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= Tolhurst |first= Alain |date= 25 February 2020 |title= Austerity blamed for 'flatlining' life expectancy and worsening health inequalities over past decade |url= https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/health-and-care/news/110126/austerity-blamed-%E2%80%98flatlining%E2%80%99-life-expectancy-and-worsening |work= PoliticsHome |access-date= 1 March 2020}}</ref> *27 February – Count Binface announces he will run for Mayor of London.<ref>{{cite web |title=Count Binface to run for mayor of London |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/count-binface-mayor-of-london |website=Fox News |date=27 February 2020 |publisher=Fox News |accessdate=27 February 2020}}</ref>

===March=== *13 March – COVID-19 in the England: Elections including the English local elections, London mayoral election and police and crime commissioner elections, scheduled for May 2020, are postponed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-51876269 |title=Coronavirus: English local elections postponed for a year |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=13 March 2020 |accessdate=13 March 2020}}</ref>

=== May === *17 May - Murder of Aya Hachem *20 May - An opt-out organ donation law comes into force in England which hopefully would lead to an additional 700 transplants by 2023.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.itv.com/news/2020-05-20/new-organ-donor-law-gives-hope-to-patients-awaiting-life-saving-transplants/|title=New opt-out organ donation law comes into force in England|work=ITV News|date=20 May 2020|accessdate=20 May 2020}}</ref>

=== June === *16 June - Murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes *20 June - 2020 Reading stabbings *21 June - 2020 Moss Side shooting

=== August === *18 August - Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces that Public Health England is to be "scrapped" and replaced by a new body run by Dido Harding, called the National Institute for Health Protection and it will aim to combine PHE and the NHS Test and Trace operation, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-public-health-england-to-be-scrapped-health-secretary-confirms-12051592|title=Coronavirus: Public Health England to be scrapped - with Dido Harding picked to lead its replacement|work=The Guardian|date=18 August 2020|accessdate=18 August 2020}}</ref> *25 August - Ofqual chief, Sally Collier, resigns after thousands of students' marks were downgraded for exams they were unable to sit.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53909487|title=Ofqual chief Sally Collier steps down after exams chaos|accessdate=25 August 2020 |work=BBC News |date=25 August 2020}}</ref> * 29 August – Men's and women's FA Community Shield.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.thefa.com/news/2020/aug/29/chelsea-manchester-city-womens-fa-community-shield-match-report-290820 |title= Millie Bright's stunner helps Chelsea beat Man City in women's Community Shield |date= 29 August 2020 |website= thefa.com |publisher= The Football Association |access-date= 16 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= Sanders |first= Emma |date= 29 August 2020 |title= Chelsea 2-0 Man City in Women's Community Shield: Millie Bright stunner helps Blues win |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53894486 |work= BBC Sport |access-date= 16 September 2024}}</ref>

=== September === * 9 September – COVID-19 in the England: The government announces a ban on social gatherings of more than six people in England and will be enforced from the 14 September - with some exceptions such as schools, workplaces or COVID-secure weddings, funerals and organised team sports.<ref>{{cite news|date=9 September 2020|title=Coronavirus: Social gatherings above six banned in England from 14 September|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54081131|accessdate=9 September 2020}}</ref> *24 September – The derelict Orchid Gardens Hotel in Bournemouth is destroyed by fire.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-09-24 |title=Two Bournemouth hotels evacuated due to fire nearby |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-54276230 |access-date=2026-05-01 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> *25 September – Sgt Matiu Ratana, a long serving police officer with the Metropolitan Police, is shot dead during an incident at a custody centre in Croydon, London.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54293111|title=Police officer shot dead at custody centre|work=BBC News |date=25 September 2020|accessdate=25 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-54302266|title=Croydon police officer shot dead named as Sgt Matt Ratana|work=BBC News |date=25 September 2020|accessdate=25 September 2020}}</ref>

=== October === * 1 October – Plastic drinking straws, cotton buds and drink stirrers are banned in England.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.edie.net/news/5/Ban-on-plastic-straws-in-England-pushed-back-to-October-2020/|title=Ban on plastic straws in England pushed back to October 2020|date=2019-05-22|work=Edie|access-date=2020-04-16|language=en-GB}}</ref>

== References == <references /> {{England year nav|state=collapsed}}

Category:2020 in England *England Category:2020s in England Category:Years of the 21st century in England Category:2020 in Europe Category:2020 by country England