2 April – Miles Evans, a 24-year-old former soldier, is sentenced tolife imprisonment for the murder of his nine-year-old stepdaughter Zoe inWarminster last year. Shortly after her disappearance, he had appeared on television making an appeal for her safe return.[1]
27 April –Kevin Lloyd, who has played Alfred "Tosh" Lines inThe Bill since 1988, is dismissed from the role byITV due to hisalcoholism.
June – Building work begins onCambourne, a new village nine miles west ofCambridge. The first residents are expected to move into their homes next year.[6]
22 June – England lose 2–1 toRomania in their second group game inToulouse. Their consolation goal came from eighteen-year-oldMichael Owen – who earlier this year became the youngest full England international of the 20th century.
26 June – England qualify for the next stage of the World Cup by beatingColombia 2-0 inLens, withDavid Beckham scoring the first with a trademark 30 yard free kick, withDarren Anderton the 2nd.
30 June – England are out of the World Cup in the second round after losing on penalties toArgentina after a 2–2 draw in open play inSaint-Étienne. They were 2–1 up after 16 minutes thanks to goals from Alan Shearer and Michael Owen, but the Argentines later equalised andDavid Beckham was sent off in the second half for kicking the opponent who had fouled him.
2 July – Sion Jenkins, a 40-year-old deputy headmaster, is found guilty of the murder of Billie-Jo Jenkins, his 13-year-old foster daughter (the shared surname is a coincidence) and sentenced tolife imprisonment. Billie-Jo was found dead at his home inHastings,East Sussex, on 15 February last year.[3]
31 July –Crime and Disorder Act receives Royal Assent. It introducesAnti-Social Behaviour Orders, Sex Offender Orders, Parenting Orders, and "racially aggravated" offences. It makes it possible for a young person between ten and fourteen to be presumed capable of committing an offence and formally abolishescapital punishment fortreason andpiracy, the last civilian offences for which the death penalty remained theoretically available.
9 September – An East London coroner records a verdict of suicide on former footballerJustin Fashanu, who was found hanged in a lock-up garage four months ago.
November –Peugeot launches the206 supermini, which is being built at theRyton plant nearCoventry.
26 December – GreatBoxing Day Storm: Severegale force winds hit Ireland, southern Scotland and northern England. Roads, railways and electricity are disrupted.
