A Texas House Democrat was confined in the Capitol overnight after she refused a police escort that Republican leaders imposed on lawmakers who participated in a two-week walkout over a GOP mid-decade redistricting plan.

Several Texas state House Democrats plan to rip up the written agreements that allowed them to leave the chamber with a police escort on Monday and return to the House floor Tuesday night, the caucus announced.

Republicans in the Texas House forced returning Democrats to around-the-clock surveillance by state Department of Public Safety officers to leave the floor.

Rep. Nicole Collier has been in the House for more than 10 hours Monday after she has refused to have a Texas state law enforcement officer shadow her if

Democratic Texas state Rep. Nicole Collier has now spent over 24 hours on the Texas House floor in protest after refusing a Republican demand to be placed under the watch of the state Department of Public Safety.

House Speaker Dustin Burrows said Monday that Democrats who previously left the state could not leave the chamber unless they agreed to having a DPS escort. Collier refused one and must remain in the chamber.

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority worker struck and killed on I-44 yesterday will receive a hero's escort home tomorrow.

Police were on hand to ensure a family of swans crossing a major road completed their journey safely. Essex Police received reports about a pair of adults with four cygnets swanning around on the A131 Regiment Way, Chelmsford.