Newspaper headlines: Sturgeon's 'crocodile tears' and 'ITV want Winkleman'

Images of Nicola Sturgeon wiping away tears feature on several front pages after the former First Minister of Scotland denied claims put to her at the Covid Inquiry that her "burning desire" for independence drove her response to the pandemic.

The Guardian says Ms Sturgeon admitted to failing to properly record key discussions about the outbreak after being pressed over claims some decisions were too centralised and secretive.

Former Justice Minister Mike Freer has told the Daily Mail that he will quit the Commons at the general election because of a campaign of death threats and intimidation over his pro-Israel views.

According to The Times, Home Secretary James Cleverly has ordered senior officers to present him with "hard evidence" they are treating neighbourhood policing as a priority, as the Conservatives prepare to put a "back to basics" policy at the heart of their election campaign.

Mr Cleverly also features in the Daily Express as the paper says his Home Office officials have identified more than 5,600 migrants who could be put on deportation flights to Rwanda.

The Daily Telegraph says the former sub-postmaster who inspired the TV drama about the Post Office IT scandal is to reject what he called a "cruel" and "derisory" offer of compensation. Alan Bates says the figure agreed by the government is only around a sixth of what he requested, despite ministers promising "full and fair compensation" to all those affected. The government says it's happy to discuss the evidence with the legal advisors of any applicant if they feel they are owed more than they are offered.

In other news, the Financial Times, Sinn Féin hails an historic shift as Stormont looks set to reconvene. The paper says the UK government has published a plan to revive the Northern Ireland executive after DUP agreed to restore power-sharing following two-year impasse earlier this week.

The Metro reveals a man shot dead by the Met Police - after breaking into a home in south London armed with a crossbow - was a convicted stalker who had been banned from entering the road where he was killed. The paper says Bryce Hodgson, 30, was given a 16-week suspended sentence last July. He was shot on Tuesday morning after forcing his way into a home in Surrey Quays.

Thursday's Daily Mirror launches a campaign aimed at what it describes as a "bid to stop domestic violence killers being jailed for a decade less than other murderers".

Finally, the Daily Star claims "pulling a crafty sickie" at work is good for people because they help reset and avoid burnout, according to careers expert claims Robbie Bryant who is quoted in the tabloid. The paper says the comments come as research suggests UK workers are pulling more sick days than at any point in the last 10 years,.