The moment armed men tried to force their way into an upmarket London nightclub has been caught on camera.

Four men have been arrested after people ‘armed with machetes’ tried to gain access to Tabu nightclub in Mayfair in the early hours of Sunday morning, leaving two people injured.

Footage of the chaotic incident showed a small group of men shouting and brandishing what appears to be weapons above their heads in front of security staff.

Amid the confusion a car alarm was triggered, while one of the men picked up a metal post and threw it over his head towards bouncers and onlookers.

Police were called at 3.11am and one man was arrested at the scene on Dover Street.

Three more men were arrested in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told Metro: ‘Police were called to a venue on Dover Street, W1 following reports of a disturbance and three people in possession of weapons. 

‘Officers attended and one man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon.

‘Following initial enquiries, three men were arrested in Hertfordshire in the early hours of this morning in connection with this investigation. All four men remain in custody.

‘At this time, it’s believed that this was an isolated incident.

‘Two people sustained injuries which are not life changing.’

UK News and Pictures, whose photographer took photos of officers at the scene, reported a nearby venue manager witnessed the moment the men tried to force their way in.

The unnamed worker said: ‘It was pure chaos. The men tried to charge the door with large blades. How anyone wasn’t hurt was just pure luck.’

Praising the swift response from police, he said: ‘The officers dealt with it very quickly, and we saw a number of people being arrested.

‘It’s not good for business to have this kind of trouble, but thankfully the situation was brought under control.’

Tabu nightclub describes itself as ‘the home of Tokyo Nightlife, located in the heart of Mayfair’.

It adds that ‘for the best experience and the easiest way to gain access into our Tokyo inspired universe, a table reservation is highly encouraged’.

The Met has asked anyone with footage or other information about the incident to get in touch.

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A girl who slipped and fell into the River Thames has been named by police as Kaliyah Coa.

Emergency services launched a major search operation after an 11-year-old girl entered the water close to Barge House Causeway, near London City Airport, at about 1.15pm on Monday.

That search was scaled back last night, with London Ambulance Service (LAS), London Fire Brigade (LFB) and the RNLI saying crews had been stood down, but the search has resumed today with police boats patrolling the water.

Kaliyah had been playing with another girl and a young boy close to the water, residents said.

Speaking on Tuesday evening, Chief Superintendent Dan Card said: ‘Our specialist officers are supporting Kaliyah’s family through this deeply upsetting time and our thoughts go out to all those impacted by what has happened.

‘We are committed to finding Kaliyah and are working with partners to conduct a thorough search over a wide area – utilising drone technology and boats.

‘I’d like to thank the members of public, our first responding officers, and colleagues from other emergency services, as they responded rapidly to carry out a large-scale search during a highly pressurised and distressing time.

‘Equally, we appreciate this has affected the wider community who have been extremely supportive. You will see extra officers in the area during the coming days – if you have any concerns then please speak to them.’

One local told The Sun: ‘She was with two other kids. Obviously we were thinking, why aren’t they in school? But I think a lot of schools are off for Eid.

‘The little boy was holding her hand to help her step in the water but obviously she slipped, because it’s really slippy.’

The neighbour added: ‘So what we understand is the girl was playing down by the water.

‘As soon as she fell she was gone. She just disappeared into the tide. The boy came running to one of my neighbours for help but it was too late.

‘While the other kid — a little girl — went running to get a donut. All of us rushed out but it’s freezing in there.’

Shaleen Rajaendram, 59, who lives on Barge House Road which leads onto the causeway, said: ‘I heard upstairs a guy was screaming “wait there, wait, the police is coming”.’

The man was standing on a balcony in a flat block overlooking the river and later told Ms Rajaendram he had been alerted by the children ‘shouting, screaming’, she said.

Ms Rajaendram continued: ‘Then I saw suddenly two kids were coming out to the top of the bridge, I said “what happened?”

‘Then they said “one of my friends was playing in the water, one of my friends has gone into water and she’s gone underneath and we can’t find her”.’

The girl returned home while the boy told Ms Rajaendram where it happened.

Ms Rajaendram then called her neighbour, Kerry Benadjaoud, 62, who took a life ring down to the water but could not see the girl.

A man said he had called the police, Ms Benadjaoud said, adding: ‘But he said at the time he could see her (the girl’s) hands going down. So, by the time I got down there with the ring I couldn’t find her.’

She said she found shoes, a sock, a coat and a phone near the river, and handed the items to the police.

‘Apparently she was paddling, so her socks and shoes were off, her coat, then she must have slipped and gone down,’ she added.

Ms Benadjaoud said the boy who had been with the girl was around eight or nine years old.

She said: ‘The little boy turned around and said “I tried to hold her hand but it slipped”.

‘I said to the little boy’s parents, obviously he needs to see someone because it’s going to affect him later.’

Barge House Causeway is a concrete slope that goes directly into the River Thames and is used to transport boats, and residents pointed out that it appeared to be covered in moss and is slippery.

Kaliyah’s family have been made aware and are being supported by officers.

LAS was called at a similar time to police after receiving a report of a person in the water at Lowestoft Mews, close to the airport.

‘We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an advanced paramedic, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team,’ a spokesperson said.

‘Our crews assisted our emergency services partners at the scene but were later stood down.’

LFB deputy assistant commissioner Joseph Kenny said: ‘Firefighters responded to reports of a person in the River Thames near Lowestoft Mews, Newham.

‘Crews from East Ham, Barking, Ilford and Bexley fire stations were sent to the scene alongside crews from the HM Coastguard, RNLI, London Ambulance Service and the Metropolitan Police Service.

‘The brigade also deployed its drone team and fire boat as part of its response, with crews carrying out a systematic search of the area.

‘The brigade was first called about the incident at 1.23pm. Search operations for firefighters were concluded at 3.49pm when responsibility for the incident was left with the police.’

A spokesperson for the RNLI said: ‘Tower RNLI was requested to launch this afternoon (March 31) to an incident near Woolwich.

‘The lifeboat was later stood down.’

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The Royal Navy will install four new cutting-edge weapons systems on its warships to help defend against air attacks from Russia and the Houthis.

Yesterday Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in the Spring Statement that defence spending will increase to 2.5% of GDP – and some of that extra cash will go towards four DragonFire direct energy weapons.

The weapons shoot a laser of pure heat at its targets, either destroying them or seriously damaging missile guidance systems.

And they’re so accurate they could hit a target the size of a £1 coin from 0.6miles (1km) away.

It’s hoped the weapons will improve the defence capabilities of the UK Navy – boosting our capabilities both against potential threats from Russia and ongoing attacks from Houthis in the Red Sea.

Dr Sidharth Kahsual, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told Metro: ‘What DragonFire provides is a low cost per shot capability that fills an intermediate space between surface to air missiles, which cover many tens of kilometres, and close range weapons on a ship, which are often a last resort.

‘It’s quite power consuming, which is something the Navy will have to work around, but vessels have huge power plants anyway and their power generators have enormous output.’

The DragonFire ‘death laser’ comes to life after the ship’s radar detects an incoming threat such as a missile or drone. DragonFire will then target and track its path, before shooting it down with a 55kilowatt laser which burns a hole through it.

It hasn’t yet been confirmed which Navy ships will be fitted with the new weapon, but it’s thought four of our six Type 45 destroyers will receive them, with the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales potentially receiving them at a later date, MailOnline reports.

The direct energy weapons are ‘certainly’ an area of interest for navies around the world, Dr Kashual said, adding that the US Navy has recently trialed similar weapons.

He explained that these types of weapon have a ‘high performance for its output’ and are ‘pretty cleverly engineered’.

One major bonus of the DragonFire system is that it is powered using existing power systems already located on board.

This means it doesn’t need expensive ammo, costing only about £10 to fire, and reduces how often a ship needs to dock to receive more ammo for conventional weapons.

Dr David Blagden is associate professor in international security and strategy at the University of Exeter. He told Metro that DragonFire does have its limits.

‘Lasers rely on direct line-of-sight, can be impeded by things like smoke or vapour, might be countered by incoming weapons’ own heat shielding, and will need to be aimed quickly and accurately enough by a sufficiently advanced targeting radar,’ he explained.

‘But DragonFire can be a valuable complement to such air defence missiles and guns, unencumbered by the same scarcity constraints, particularly for defending against things like drone swarms, where each incoming munition is not especially fast or capable by itself, but where adversaries may try to swamp traditional air defence missiles and guns with the sheer number of attack drones.’

Before the Spring Statement, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had only committed to installing one prototype DragonFire on a single ship.

It’s hoped the new weapons will be able to cheaply and efficiently destroy cheap drones or missiles, such as those used by the Houthis, at a much lower cost – saving resources in case of escalation of the war in Ukraine.

‘Russia relies quite heavily on missile attacks to hold stronger navies at arm’s length, so this improvement of air missile defence represents something of a challenge for them,’ Dr Kahsual explained.

‘Some of the weapons used by Russia tend to be designed to overwhelm defence by brute force, their speed leaves little time to react, so DragonFire doesn’t fundamentally change that.

‘Where it becomes more useful is second tier situations like the Houthis in the Red Sea where everybody is relatively constrained.

‘The most important impact of DragonFire will be in places like the Red Sea that doesn’t draw down resources in the EU.’

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A mum who rushed her severely ill son to hospital and watched him die hours later is urging other hospitals and doctors to learn from his death.

William Hewes, aged 22, died within 24 hours of being admitted to Homerton University Hospital in January 2023 after his bacterial meningitis infection developed into sepsis.

Medical staff failed to give him antibiotics within an hour of his arrival at hospital, going against national guidelines, due to a communication error.

William’s mum Deborah Burns had worked at that same hospital, in Hackney, east London, for more than 20 years as a consultant paediatrician. She says she raised the alarm eight times, and believes antibiotics were only given because of her intervention.

Dr Burns said on Thursday: ‘Getting to this point has been at huge personal cost. I have had no choice but to continue as it involves my integrity as a doctor. 

‘Throughout, I have had in mind my other children, their cousins, William’s many friends and all young people.

‘If it leads to learning and improvements in young people’s care, some good will have come from my family’s tragedy.’ 

The inquest into William’s death concluded at Bow coroner’s court this afternoon, where coroner Mary Hassell recorded his cause of death was ‘natural’.

Recording a narrative conclusion of the inquest, she said: ‘When he was admitted to hospital, William’s life threatening condition was recognised, but he didn’t receive immediate antibiotics, repeated fluid, or reassessment of his blood pressure and heart rate with the urgency that he should have.

‘He was already very unwell when he arrived, so it is unclear whether if he had been administered all treatment promptly, he would have survived.’

The night of William’s death

William arrived at the hospital just after midnight on January 21, 2023, and was quickly admitted to the hospital’s resuscitation area before arriving at the intensive care unit around 4am.

Studying history and politics and university, the 6ft 6in sporty student was described as fit and healthy before developing meningitis caused by a meningococcal infection.

Antibiotics were not administered to William as soon as possible and within an hour of his arrival, as per national guidelines, despite Dr Burns repeatedly raising the alarm.

He received antibiotics at about 1.25am – but Dr Rebecca McMillan, the emergency medicine registrar that night, had expected them to be given within 10 minutes of her instructing nurses to do so at 12.42am.

Nurse Marianela Balatico said she had not been told which antibiotics to give and concentrated on relieving William’s symptoms, adding: ‘The antibiotics slipped my mind.’

Throughout her son’s stay in resus and ICU, Dr Burns repeatedly asked hospital staff whether William had been given the antibiotics, telling them he needed them urgently.

The coroner concluded that this was an error of communication, and in a case where one member of medical staff told Dr Burns her son had been given antibiotics when he hadn’t, Ms Hassell concluded ‘she hadn’t listened properly to the question, I don’t think she intended to mislead’.

William ‘became a non-responder’ about two hours after being admitted, and Professor Nee suggested he could have been moved to ICU about an hour earlier than he was.

The amount of fluids given while he was in the resus room was ‘adequate or possibly excessive’, Professor Nee said, after being asked if he should have been given more earlier.

He died at 2.22pm on the same day.

Dr Ron Daniels, founder and chief executive of the UK Sepsis Trust, previously said he believed William could have survived if he’d received prompt care – something Professor Patrick Nee, former NHS consultant in intensive care, said was ‘a leap’.

However Ms Hassell concluded that she wasn’t convinced by either Dr Daniels or Professor Nee’s conclusions, saying: ‘I’m not convinced, even on the balance of probabilities, that the state of medical knowledge is such that we know the answer as to whether William would have survived had he received earlier treatment.’

Improvements could be made ‘up and down the country’

Earlier during the inquest, coroner Ms Hassell said other lives could be saved as a result of work done and changes made following William’s death, thanks to investigation work by his family.

She said: ‘It seems to me that improvements can be made up and down the country as a result of William’s death.

‘This isn’t the first time that I have heard an inquest where a great deal of the investigation has been driven by the family and I am sure it won’t be the last.

‘Nothing will bring William back but it seems to me that others may be saved as a result of the work done following his death.’

Speaking after the inquest Deborah Nadel, solicitor from Fieldfisher which represented the family, said: ‘We acknowledge and appreciate the coroner’s conclusion. The family are devastated to have lost William in these circumstances.

‘Unless errors like those identified during the inquest are discussed and acknowledged, lessons are not learnt and nothing changes.

‘What has been clear throughout this hearing is that recognising and treating sepsis efficiently must be a priority so that more people don’t die.  

‘We will continue to investigate whether the errors clearly identified during the inquest did cause or make a material contribution to William’s death. Advice from Dr Daniels, Head of UK Sepsis Trust, is that they did.’

Homerton Hospital previously said the trust has taken ‘appropriate steps’ since William’s death to continue to reinforce awareness of suspected sepsis in patients attending A&E.

Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said in a statement on Thursday: ‘The loss of William Hewes was devastating to his family and deeply touched everyone involved in his care.

‘We extend our deepest condolences to William’s mother, Dr Deborah Burns, a much admired and respected consultant paediatrician in our team at Homerton, and all of William’s family.

‘As the inquest has heard, William’s case was thoroughly reviewed by our team and by independent experts.

‘They found there were aspects of his care that could have been done differently, from which we have learned and made changes and improvements.

‘A full action plan was drawn up following the investigation into William’s death and several improvements have been made relating to how clinical staff manage suspected sepsis cases in our emergency department.

Full action plan brought in at Homerton Hospital after William Hewes's death

• The emergency department team has embedded a full review of preadmission alerts to ensure staff are fully prepared to treat suspected sepsis patients on arrival at the hospital.
• Protocols have been updated to ensure an intensive care doctor attends the bedside in the emergency department for any patient with suspected sepsis.
• Sepsis trollies are available in the emergency department ready to respond to pre-alerts or walk in arrivals of suspected sepsis patients.
• The role of the emergency department specialist sepsis nurse has been expanded to ensure one is on call 24 hours a day.
• In addition to our existing training, further training has been delivered for clinical staff in the emergency department and all our wards in the treatment of sepsis and recognising deteriorating patients.

‘We will take on board what the coroner has said in relation to the actions we have taken and will be sharing these nationally with our NHS colleagues.  

‘We know that the impact of William’s death on his mother was compounded by it happening in the hospital where she works.

‘We have reflected on this rare situation, where a member of our staff is deeply impacted by the care provided to a family member.

‘Deborah has told us that our policies and processes for this situation are inadequate and detached and we are determined to learn from her experience.

‘This work will ensure a more personal response for staff members or members of their family who are patients here.

‘Our thoughts remain with Deborah and her family during this incredibly difficult time.’

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A shoplifter has been ordered out of Cambridgeshire after he was caught trying to nick £220 in Creme Eggs from a petrol station.

Deon De Groot, 26, had so many shoved in his duffel bag and jacket that when asked what he had stolen, he said that there were so many ‘they’re all going to fall out.’

A police officer responded: ‘Christ you’ve really loaded this up’.

De Groot was spotted carrying out the theft by a member of staff at the Tesco petrol station in Dogsthorpe, Peterborough, on Saturday morning.

They flagged down a passing police car who followed De Groot before taking him into custody.

Not only had he dropped his duffel bag nearby, containing several boxes of Creme Eggs, but he had also shoved several of the chocolate eggs into his jacket.

It’s thought the chocolate eggs were worth £220.50 in total.

De Groot, of no fixed address, admitted one charge of theft from a shop.

He appeared at Peterborough magistrates’ court where he was handed a 12-week suspended prison sentence.

He was also banned from entering Cambridgeshire for three months.

PC Guy Cunningham, who made the arrest, said: ‘Thanks to the quick reaction by staff who flagged us down, we were able to catch De Groot red-handed and return the stolen items to the store.’

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An Australian politician has brought an unusual prop to parliament to make her distaste clear.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young pulled a large, dead salmon from under her desk and held it aloft as she protested a proposed law to protect salmon farms in a Tasmanian islet which is world heritage listed.

The bill would guarantee salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour, located on Tasmania’s west coast, and make it more difficult for the public to review and challenge environmental decisions.

The Green senator criticised the bill, accusing the government of ‘gutting’ environmental protections to protect a ‘toxic, polluting salmon industry’.

As she lifted and dead fish and spoke, politicians behind her grimaced and laughed, and even waved their hands in front of their faces over the presumably smelly salmon.

She asked Labor senator Jenny McAllister, who was representing the Environment Minister: ‘On the eve of the election, have you sold out your environmental credentials for a rotten, stinking extinction salmon?

‘Now that the rotting, toxic salmon industry has a carve out from our environment laws, what toxic industry will be next?’

The stunt caused some commotion as the senate’s president asked her to remove ‘the prop’, and Ms McAllister replied: ‘My view is Australians deserve better from their public representative than stunts.

‘The only way that environmental change has ever occurred in this country is through Labor governments.’

Labor says the bill is needed to protect jobs in Tasmania’s salmon farming industry, with prime minister Anthony Albanese saying he ‘makes no apologies for supporting jobs’.

Environmental groups and the Greens are concerned about pollution and the impact on marine wildlife, including a rare fish called the Maugean skate which is only found in two harbours in the area.

The legislation passed in the Australian parliament’s lower house yesterday, with Labor and the Coalition voting together while blocking the Greens from having the bill considered by parliamentary committee.

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Intensive fish farming in the area has caused oxygen levels in the water to plummet in that area, a major threat to the Maugean skate.

But the government says it’s committed AUD$28million (£13.7million) to improving oxygenation in the harbour, as well as funding a captive breeding programme for the endangered skate species.

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An elephant who once had an infamous owner has died of old age.

Raina was rescued from the circus and lived out the last 15 years of her life on Pablo Escobar’s estate before she died on Monday morning, aged 70.

While the drug lord’s pet hippos may have received more publicity over the years for their rapid procreation and attacking the public, Raina was able to live out the end of her life in peace.

Escobar, dubbed the ‘King of Cocaine’, forged a zoo of kangaroos, zebras, and other exotic animals at his lavish estate, which became a tourist attraction after he died in 1993.

Staff at the Hacienda Napoles said Raina had been experiencing health problems as she grew older, and described her death as ‘a huge loss’.

They said in a statement: ‘Rania had been experiencing some health problems associated with age and was gradually becoming debilitated near the mud lake she had enjoyed for several years.

‘Since the early morning, around 3 am, when the situation was noticed, park staff tried to revive Rania, but these efforts were unsuccessful, and the elephant died around noon today.

‘This is a huge loss for our park, which protected this animal for more than 15 years after it was rescued from a circus, where it arrived with health problems that we have kept under control to this day.

‘We have the peace of mind of having provided her with a good life and care over these years, the same care we will continue to provide for Zimbabwe, our other elephant, who must feel a deeper sadness than ours.’

Hacienda Napoles described Raina as a ‘large elephant with an even bigger heart’.

They said she had spent 20 years in the circus world, dazzling audiences with her tricks, but behind the scenes she was chained up, limiting her mobility and wellbeing.

After the Colombian government banned the use of animals in circus shows in 2013, the circus donated Raina to Hacienda Napoles so she could relax in her retirement.

Despite no longer being on show in the circus, Raina still remembered some of the tricks she was taught in the circus, and could be seen repeating movements or movements from her previous routines.

The zoo at Hacienda Napoles is one of six parks forming the theme park complex, off the highway about 155miles northwest of the Colombian capital of Bogota.

It also features a water park, a food court, several themed hotels, and museums which teach visitors about African history and culture.

Escobar built a Spanish colonial house, sculpture park, and zoo on the 7.7square mile estate, later adding a private airport, a brothel, and even a Formula 1-racing track.

He kept a large collection of vintage and luxury cars and motorbikes on the estate, and the hacienda’s entrance gate features a replica of a Piper PA-18 Super Cub airplane.

After Escobar was killed by police in 1993, his family entered a lengthy legal battle with the Colombian government over the future of the property.

The government won, with the now-neglected estate taken over by the Municipality of Puerto Triunfo back in 2006. Most of the animals in the estate’s zoo were donated to various other zoos across South America as the maintenance bill was too high.

Parque Temático Hacienda Nápoles first opened in 2014 as a Jurassic Park-style theme park.

The four hippos kept by Escobar were deemed too difficult to seize and move following his death, instead being left to multiply and run riot in the local area.

An invasive species, it’s been estimated that their population could reach 1,000 by 2035. There are plans for some of the descendants of Escobar’s hippos to be sterilised, euthanised, or transferred abroad.

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Vladimir Putin is flexing his muscles in the Sea of Japan just hours after setting conditions for a Black Sea ceasefire with Ukraine.

The drill came only a few hours after Russia set a number of conditions before going ahead with a ceasefire in the Black Sea, amid ongoing tumultuous talks involving the US to try and bring about a longer-term ceasefire.

But in case the world forgot about Russia’s military might, its Ministry of Defence said missiles fired from the Ufa diesel-electric submarine hit its target in the Khabarovsk region, as well as a surface target in the Sea of Japan.

Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, praised the submarine’s crew for the success of the missile launch.

Yesterday’s peace talks in Saudi Arabia, brokered by the White House, concluded when Russia agreed to ‘ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.’

Ukraine’s defence minister Rustem Umerov said Ukraine has also agreed to the ceasefire.

However, among other demands Putin ordered for sanctions to be lifted on Rosselkhozbank and other banks involved in food trade, trade finance operations, and food and fertiliser exporters.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the White House for its help in brokering the deal, but said Russia must now ‘prove’ it is ready to end the war.

He added: ‘How Russia behaves in the coming days will show a lot, if not everything.

‘If there are air alerts again, if there is military activity in the Black Sea again, if there are Russian manipulations and threats again, then new measures will have to be taken – specifically against Moscow.

‘Diplomacy must work. We, on the Ukrainian side, are doing everything we can to achieve this.

‘I want to thank everyone who is helping us. Thank you to America for the fact that our teams are working constructively and effectively.

‘We need results from Russia. We don’t believe them.

‘The world really doesn’t believe Russia. And they must prove that they are ready to end the war and are ready not to lie to the world, not to lie to Trump, not to lie to America.’

Meanwhile US president Donald Trump, who had previously claimed he could end the Russia-Ukraine war in one day, admitted that Putin could be trying to delay a ceasefire.

He told Newsmax: ‘I think that Russia wants to see an end to it, but it could be they’re dragging their feet. I’ve done it over the years.

‘I think Russia would like to see it end and I think Zelensky would like to see it end, at this point.’

The agreement is a sharp turn from earlier this week when Vladimir Putin tried to sink a container ship reportedly carrying a cargo of weapons destined for Ukraine.

Two Iskander-M ballistic missiles were unleashed on a Black Sea port in the southern city of Odesa where the vessel had arrived after making a stop in Turkey. 

Facilities at the three Black Sea ports around the city have been frequent Russian targets in the three-year-long war.

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The family of a teenager killed in a car crash during which two other teenagers died have paid tribute to their ‘loving and caring’ son.

Jacob Holman, 17, died in hospital the day after the car crash near Shifnal in Shropshire, on March 14 also killed Jenson Bridges, who was the same age, and Simon Evans, 18. Another teenager, 17, suffered life-changing injuries.

Jacob’s family have now paid tribute, saying: ‘Jacob truly was an amazing son, grandson, brother and friend and he will be missed by everyone who ever had the pleasure of knowing him.

‘We are very comforted knowing he is with his dad now, who will be looking after him.’

Jacob was the youngest of four siblings, with three older sisters, and has been described as an ‘incredible friend’ and ‘the prankster of the household’.

The tribute continued: ‘Jacob was amazing. Everyone who knew Jacob would say he was quite a shy person when you first met him, but once you knew him it was easy to see how loving and caring he was, and how funny. We are very proud of the man he was becoming. 

‘Jacob had a wonderful group of friends who have given us tremendous support during this difficult time.

‘We are meeting friends of his we didn’t know he had, who are all telling us stories about how much of an incredible friend he was. 

‘Just after Christmas Jacob found himself a job at a local restaurant here in Tettenhall as a pot washer, before he was quickly given the opportunity to help with preparing some of the food.

‘He was learning to make the starters and desserts, and he was so proud of his creations, taking photos and showing his friends. We believe he had found his calling in life.

‘He would often cook for his friends when they came round to our home – I think it’s fair to say he was very domesticated and mature for his age.

‘Jacob was the youngest of four growing up with three sisters, who were fearlessly protective of him, even though he was the prankster of the household and would spend his days winding them up at any opportunity.

‘We live in a small community, and everyone knew Jacob. The local shop would always have a can of Monster and packet of strawberry laces waiting for him.

‘Jacob enjoyed most food but his favourite was chicken wings, ensuring he had a regular visit to the local pub to enjoy a kilo of them to himself. This also allowed him to spend time with mum.’

Inspector Steph Arrowsmith of West Mercia Police said: ‘Sadly, three teenagers have died and one remains in hospital with life-changing injuries in this tragic incident and our thoughts are with all of those who have been affected.

‘We continue to carry out enquiries into the collision and I would like to thank everybody who has contacted us so far with information to assist with our investigation.

‘We are still appealing to anyone else who may have been on Offoxey Road on Friday night to get in contact.

‘We are also keen to hear from anyone who may have been travelling through Bishops Wood and Brewood around 11pm, as we believe the Audi travelled along Port Lane and Kiddemore Green Road ahead of the incident.

‘We believe the Audi was travelling together with a red Vauxhall Corsa and a black VW Golf.

‘The vehicles were not involved in the collision in any way, but we’re hoping motorists in the area may remember seeing the three vehicles together.’

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A couple dropped a bag at the spot where a dead baby boy was found around two hours before street cleaners found the tragic tot, a witness has said.

Police are today hunting to find the baby’s mother, after the young boy, who officers believe was a newborn, was found in a Marks and Spencer’s bag yesterday.

The infant was declared dead at the scene on Talbot Road in Notting Hill shortly before 1pm.

A scaffolder who was working on a platform overlooking the spot where the baby was found lifeless on Tuesday told Metro he noticed two people there earlier in the day.

The worker, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘It was around 10am. A couple in their 50s left a bag on the street.

‘The man was rustling the bag as if tying it. He walked ahead and the woman followed him.

‘They were quite calm. The strange thing is that I had seen them the week before.

‘They were looking around the bin which is used by the council for garden waste.

‘People are not supposed to dump rubbish bags there but they do.’

He added: ‘I have reported this to police. The timing was right.

‘Obviously, I didn’t think much of it at the time but given what has happened I thought it may be important.’

Police remain at the scene at All Saints Church, Notting Hill.

Officers gave an update today and said they urged the mum of the baby to come forward, and were looking for any witnesses who saw the Marks and Spencer’s carrier bag with an avocado design on it.

A housing association worker who helps run a block next to the scene told Metro: ‘People are always dumping their rubbish there it’s terrible.

‘The poor guys who found the baby I feel so sorry for them it’s horrific. You can’t unsee that.’

Detectives are investigating with experts trawling through CCTV footage with a camera opposite the scene likely to be key to the inquiry.

Deputy church warden Marcia Haynes told Metro how police searched the church after the baby was found and how her prayers were with the woman and her family. 

She said: ‘My prayers are with the family and poor baby. There was a church service and then the police came in they searched everywhere.

‘I think they thought the mother may have been in here. It’s such a shock.

‘They were in the toilets and everywhere.’

A blue police tent is up at the scene and two forensic officers were seen walking towards it.

Superintendent Owen Renowden said: ‘Local officers have worked through the night and continue enquiries this morning, to locate the mother of the baby.

‘We were called at 12:46pm to All Saints Church near Talbot Road, following the discovery of a newborn baby in a shopping bag.

‘This was a black Marks and Spencer’s bag with pictures of avocados on the side. The bag was discovered by a council refuse worker who immediately contacted police.

‘Officers attended alongside colleagues from the London Ambulance Service but, very sadly, the baby was pronounced dead at the scene.

‘We can now confirm that the baby was a boy and we believe that he was a newborn when he died.

‘I want to praise the professionalism in particular of the local refuse worker and also the responding emergency services who I know will have been deeply affected by this incident yesterday.

‘As shocking and tragic as this is, my priority remains the mother’s welfare and health.

‘We are really worried about her wellbeing as she will have recently given birth. I know she will likely be feeling very frightened and going through an extremely difficult time.

‘If you are the baby’s mother and see this today – I want to appeal directly to you to come forward to receive help and support.

‘My priority is to help, and make sure you can receive medical assistance. You can do this at any time by attending any hospital, police station or by calling the emergency services.

‘I also want to appeal this morning to anyone who may have information that can assist us to make contact.

‘In particular if you saw anyone in the area with the Marks and Spencer’s bag or saw anything that you felt was unusual.

‘I know the community here are concerned by what has happened and we will be continuing our close work with our partners to support local people. The neighbourhood policing teams will be remaining in this area over the coming days and we will also be available every Wednesday at our regular community drop-in at Thorpe Close.

‘I want to end this morning by repeating my plea to the baby’s mother to come forward and to reassure her that our main thoughts are with her wellbeing and getting her any help that she may need.’

Anyone who may have any information about this incident should contact police on 101, quoting reference CAD 3431/25March.

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A former footballer has been found guilty of assaulting his wife at their family home.

Joey Barton, who previously played for Manchester City, has been found guilty of kicking his wife in the head at their home in south west London in June 2021.

He has been found guilty at Westminster magistrates court this afternoon.

Barton assaulted his wife Georgia, 38, at their home after drinking with two other couples while their children slept upstairs.

The court previously heard the argument started after Barton threatened to fight his wife’s brother.

He pushed his wife to the floor and kicked her in the head, leaving her with a lump on her forehead and a bleeding nose.

Mrs Barton was filmed on police body worn cameras telling officers she had been ‘pushed down and kicked about.’

She dialled 999 shortly after 11pm to report she’d been hit by her husband at their home and said she had a bloody nose during the call.

When asked: ‘Did he hit you anywhere else?’ Mrs Barton replied: ‘Just in the face’.

Police arrived at the address 25 minutes later, where an officer’s body-worn footage showed Mrs Barton saying she had been ‘pushed down and kicked about and stuff.’

This Is Not Right

On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.

With the help of our partners at Women's Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency.

You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.

Read more:

• Introducing This Is Not Right: Metro's year-long violence against women campaign
• Remembering the women killed by men in 2024

Barton admitted getting into an argument with his wife but said nothing ‘physical’ had happened.

Mrs Barton later denied that her husband had hit or kicked her, having previously sent a letter to prosecutors retracting her allegations, but the High Court decided he should still face trial.

She claimed she sustained her injuries when friends tried to separate her and her husband during the verbal argument.

Mrs Barton said in the letter, written in 2022: ‘My clear recollection now is Joseph did not assault me, I was just very angry with him at the time.

‘I do not support this prosecution at all and have said from the outset that I do not.

‘My relationship with my husband is a very good one, it has always been a good one.

‘Please accept my word: I am not a victim, I have never been a victim of violence by Joseph.’

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring has now convicted Barton of assault by beating.

He rejected Barton’s account as ‘vague’ and found him guilty after a two-day trial, sentencing him to a 12-week suspended sentence.

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Two cuddly toys sold at Home Bargains are being urgently recalled over safety fears.

The rabbit and chick toys, being sold in time for Easter, could pose a serious health risk to children, it’s been warned.

The products were found to have weaknesses which could allow children to pull them apart.

The affected products, which are 25cm tall, have three Easter-themed designs: a white rabbit, a pink rabbit, and a yellow chick.

The toys, which were made in China, all feature the barcode number 10811016 and the risk level associated with their use was described as ‘serious’.

A notice issued by the government’s Office for Product Safety and Standards said: ‘The products present a serious risk of asphyxiation as it has been identified that the limbs of the toy can become easily detached due to the weakness of the seams.

‘As a result, the internal fibrous stuffing material is easily accessible. A child may access the stuffing material and place it in their mouth.

‘Consumers who have purchased any of the Easter plush toys should stop using it immediately and keep out of the reach of children.

‘To obtain a full refund, please return the toy to your nearest Home Bargains store.’

The notice added the products do not meet the requirements of the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011.

Elsewhere, there have been a number of products recalled by the Food Standards Agency in recent weeks over fears of contamination.

Iceland had to recall its Vegetable Lasagne as it could contain plastic, Kelly Loves sushi ginger had to be recalled over fears it could contain glass, and a Rude Health cereal was recalled as it could be contaminated with insects.

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Two RAF engineers have been fined £2,725 after destroying a Paddington Bear statue while drunk on a night out.

The beloved statue was stolen from a bench in Newbury, Berkshire in the early hours of March 2 after it broke in half.

CCTV caught Daniel Heath and William Lawrence, both engineers in the RAF, trying to lift the statue off the bench at around 2am that morning when its seam broke off. They then walked off with the broken half.

Heath and Lawrence, both aged 22, have now pleaded guilty to criminal damage – and the unimpressed judge described them as ‘the antithesis of everything Paddington stood for’.

The statue cost £15,000 and was put in place last October in Newbury, where Paddington author Michael Bond was born, to promote the release of Paddington in Peru.

Video footage captured Lawrence squatting in front of the bear statue and trying to lift it up – until he lost his grip and was sent falling backwards onto the pavement.

Heath then joined him and together the two engineers ripped the front half of the fibreglass statue off, leaving poor Paddington’s insides exposed to the elements.

They then carried the statue to a taxi rank, and police were called later that morning. The taxi rank confirmed the defendants had been dropped off at RAF Odiham.

Jamie Renuka, prosecuting, said: ‘Mr Heath and Mr Lawrence attended the guard room and confessed to being the ones responsible for the offence.

‘Mr Lawrence took [the officer] to a vehicle where the Paddington Bear statue was hidden in his boot. Officers seized the statue.’

She added that the offence had a ‘significant community impact’ because Paddington Bear is considered a ‘national treasure’.

Trish Willetts – the CEO of Newbury Business Improvement District (BID), which owns the statue – said the damage to the statue caused ‘a great deal of upset within the community and local businesses’.

They’re hoping the original artist will repair the statue, at a cost of £5,451.

Tom Bryner, defending, said the defendants had worked for the RAF for four years, volunteered for the Poppy appeal, helped to clean the graves of service personnel in Basingstoke and were due to head to Cyprus for a three-month deployment, where the air force was fighting forest fires.

‘They do not get many days off, they went to the races, they drank, that had an impact on their decision making and actions on this occasion’, Mr Bryner said.

‘They have been stupid, I showed them the footage and they were extremely ashamed about their decisions.’

He added the offence was not planned, stating the defendants had never been to Newbury and had no idea the statue was there.

District Judge Samuel Goozee, sentencing, said: ‘Paddington Bear is a beloved cultural icon, with children and adults alike. He represents kindness, tolerance and promotes integration in our society.

‘His famous label attached to his duffle coat “please look after this bear”. On the night of March 2, your actions were the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for.

‘Your actions lacked respect and integrity, two values you should uphold as members of the armed forces.’

Heath and Lawrence were ordered to pay £2,725 each towards repairing the statue, as well as £85 in costs.

They have also been sentenced to a 12-month community order and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work ‘as payback to the community for your actions’, the judge said.

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An archaeologist has shared the excitement he felt after the biggest discovery of his career – only to have to keep it a secret for four years.

Unsuspecting metal detectorist Peter Heads stumbled upon a huge hoard of Iron Age items buried in two ditches in 2021.

Professor Tom Moore, head of archaeology at Durham University, was one of the first people called to the site and described it as a ‘once-in-a-lifetime discovery’.

But he’s had to keep it under his hat until it could finally be announced today by the university and Historic England, who helped pay for the excavation with a £120,000 grant.

Despite having to wait to tell people about the incredible discovery, archaeologists have been busy working to stabilise and examine the more than 800 items.

Professor Moore told Metro: ‘Keeping the discovery a secret has been difficult, particularly when I’ve wanted to reach out to colleagues in the specialism to discuss it, it’s been hard.

‘This is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery, it’s the kind of thing you find once in your career.

‘But it’s great we’ve all been able to work together and wait – now the exciting part starts.

‘The Iron Age is my area of interest, and the way power is demonstrated in that period, so this is incredibly exciting.

‘There’s so much more research to do so we can try to understand this stuff. This will keep us busy for many years, it will raise new questions and we will have new answers.

‘As techniques evolve there’s more we can do to understand it, so the research into the hoard will go on for years if not decades.

‘That’s the excitement of being an archaeologist.’

Previously, it was thought the wealth and power in pre-Roman England was concentrated in the south of the country – but this huge hoard of valuables which were apparently deliberately thrown into a ditch shows that may not be true.

The hoard was found in Melsonby, a village about a mile away from Stanwick which was the main base of the Brigantes, a tribe which ruled most of what is now Yorkshire in pre-Roman times.

Excavated in 2022 by Durham University’s archaeology team, the objects have been stabilised and recorded during the legal treasure process, which has now ended.

The Yorkshire Museum says it fears the items could be sold off to private collectors and has launched a fundraising campaign to keep, conserve and exhibit the hoard for years to come.

Professor Moore added: ‘The Melsonby Hoard is of a scale and size that is exceptional for Britain and probably even Europe.

‘Unusually it includes lots of pieces of vehicles and items such as the wine mixing bowl which is decorated in both Mediterranean and Iron Age styles.

‘Whoever originally owned the material in this hoard was probably a part of a network of elites across Britain, into Europe and even the Roman world.

‘The destruction of so many high-status objects, evident in this hoard, is also of a scale rarely seen in Iron Age Britain and demonstrates that the elites of northern Britain were just as powerful as their southern counterparts.

‘Whoever is doing this is incredibly wealthy and it challenges the idea that northern Britain was a backwater, when it clearly was not.

‘It has connections to continental Europe and the Roman Empire.

‘It shows they are of the same status, if not more powerful than the elites in southern Britain.’

Peter Heads had simply been scanning a field in Melsonby, with the landowner’s permission, when he stumbled across the hoard.

The Melsonby Hoard has been valued at around £254,000 – but its value is much more than financial as Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, called it ‘one of the most important and exciting Iron Age period discoveries made in the UK’.

The two deposits, one much larger than the other, were excavated in different ways – and it took two months to fully excavate them.

The larger deposit was examined on site, slowly and painstakingly excavated as several of the hundreds of items had stuck together over the years.

Some items from the first ditch are already on display at The Yorkshire Museum.

The smaller part of the horde had become a solid mass of metal objects and soil, so it was extracted as a whole and X-rayed using a large scanner at Southampton University to try and identify the individual objects.

The second part will be kept as a block to preserve the items which were hidden inside for hundreds of years.

Mr Wilson added: ‘The Melsonby Hoard sheds new light on Iron Age life in the north and Britain, but it also demonstrates connections with Europe.

‘Its proximity to the great Iron Age enclosure at Stanwick is an important factor in understanding its significance.

‘Historic England understood the importance of this find from the moment it was reported to us, and we’re thrilled we were able to provide grant support to allow its excavation and initial conservation.

‘Any member of the public viewing these new discoveries will feel a real sense of excitement and wonder.’

Throughout the years there have been dozens of Iron Age hoards discovered by metal detectorists and others, but none match up to the Melsonby Hoard when it comes to size and scale.

Many previous hoards were primarily made up of coins, called staters, or fragments of metal jewellery.

Major past hoards include:

• Polden Hill Hoard, found in Somerset in 1800, which contained about 90 metal artefacts including horse gear and trappings, segments of three shields, six brooches, three bracelets, and parts of two torcs (twisted gold jewellery for the neck or wrist)
• Stanwick Hoard, found in North Yorkshire in 1843, which contained about 180 metal artefacts including four sets of horse harnesses for chariots and a bronze horse head
• Llyn Cerrig Bach Hoard, found near Anglesey in 1942, which contained over 150 items of bronze and iron, including seven swords, six spearheads, fragments of a shield, part of a bronze trumpet, two gang chains, fragments of iron wagon tyres and horse gear, blacksmith’s tools, fragments of two cauldrons, and iron bars
• Salisbury Hoard, found in Wiltshire in 1988, which contained more than 600 objects, mostly miniature bronze versions of shields, tools, daggers and spearheads
• South Wight Hoard, found on the Isle of Wight in 2004, which contained 18 gold staters, 138 silver staters, 1 thin silver coin, 7 copper alloy coins of the Roman period, 2 bowl shaped silver ingots, 1 bowl shaped copper alloy ingot, 5 sherds of Iron Age pottery

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The vice-captain of a Welsh football team has been jailed for dealing cocaine – but his club only found out after he’d already been sentenced.

Evan Press has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for dealing cocaine, but despite facing a prison sentence he kept on playing for Barry Town FC every week.

24-year-old Press admitted dealing the class A drug for two years between 2021 and 2023 – but he still played every game this season, captaining the team in 19 out of 33 matches for the Cymru Premier team.

Last week he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison at Newport crown court – but Barry Town FC only found out after a family member got in touch with them.

A club spokesman said: ‘Being brutally honest we only heard about this on the day he was sentenced.

‘He had never told us. We were unaware until half an hour after the sentencing on March 19 when we were contacted by a family member.

‘Since the sentencing we’ve heard bits about the case but we don’t have all the information.

‘We have been processing the news. It is a real shock. Evan is a wonderful young man. He’s been part of our club for seven years.

‘He has made a mistake and my understanding is it happened some time ago.

‘We are a family club who want our players to be role models. This was news to us.’

On top of Press’s prison sentence, he was also handed a £190 victim surcharge, and the iPhone he used for drug dealing will be destroyed.

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The family of a man hit and killed by a police car has paid tribute to a ‘beloved partner, dad, brother and son’.

Roger Bagnall was killed on Wednesday evening (March 19) as he crossed Yardley Road in the Acocks Green area of Birmingham.

He was hit by a police car responding to reports a man had been seen carrying knives nearby.

40-year-old Roger, a dad of two, died at the scene.

His family said in a statement: ‘On March 19 we lost a beloved partner, dad, brother and son. We are all devastated by Roger’s death.

‘Roger had the biggest heart and loved to make everyone smile with his humour and wit, we loved him very much and will miss him dearly, but we take comfort in the fact his spirit will live on through his children.

‘We have been overwhelmed by all the kind messages of support we have received and feel proud that Roger touched the lives of so many.’

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the collision and actions of West Midlands Police.

So far their investigation has confirmed Roger lived locally, and was confirmed dead by paramedics despite police officers providing first aid before their arrival.

Witnesses provided CCTV footage to the investigation, which confirmed the police car had its sirens and blue lights activated at the time of the crash.

Derrick Campbell, the IOPC’s director, said contrary to some reports on social media, Roger was not on a pedestrian crossing or wearing earphones when he was hit.

He explained: ‘We would urge people not to speculate, which can be unhelpful and cause unnecessary distress. 

‘Our role is to independently investigate the involvement of police in this collision to establish all the circumstances surrounding it.

‘That will include looking at any actions taken by the officers and whether those followed policy and procedure.

‘Our thoughts are with Mr Bagnall’s family and friends, and to all those affected by his death in such tragic circumstances.

‘We have met with his family to explain our role, offer support, and to outline the next steps of our independent investigation.

‘Those inquiries are progressing and I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who came forward with CCTV footage as a result of our media appeal. This has proved valuable to our investigation.’

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A well-loved theme park visited by millions since it opened 130 years ago is being forced to close rides and cut its opening hours.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach opened in 1896 and has been delighting crowds ever since, with features including the world famous Big Dipper, one of Britain’s oldest rollercoasters.

But the theme park has been forced to close rides, reduce its opening hours and cut staff after it made a pre-tax loss of £2.8million last year.

Rides closed for the 2025 season have been confirmed as Eddie Stobart Convoy, Alpine Rallye, Thompson Carousel, Gallopers, and Red Arrows Skyforce. Bosses say no other rides at the park will shut this season.

Bosses said the park had been struggling because visitor numbers hadn’t recovered after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jonathan Gray, the amusement park’s director, said on behalf of the board: ‘The hospitality and leisure market remains highly competitive and is still recovering from the effects of the pandemic.

‘The continuing cost of living crisis is depressing non-essential spending for a significant proportion of our core customer base and adds an additional layer of uncertainty regarding spending habits and patterns.

‘The company has instigated a head count and a review of the assets on park, as a result a number of rides will be closed for the forthcoming season.

‘We are also looking at how we profile the opening and closing times of both individual rides and the park itself with a view to maximising efficiency (and therefore cost) whilst balancing it with achieving great customer satisfaction.’

Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s most recent accounts for the latest financial year – the 12 months to March 24 of last year – showed the park had a turnover of £32.1million, up from £31.8million the year before.

However the documents also showed the park made a loss of £2.8million, significantly more than the £789,000 loss the year before.

Bosses also blamed the cost of living crisis for ‘depressing non-essential spend’, and are bracing themselves for staff costs to go up when National Insurance contributions and the national minimum wage increase in April thanks to the latest Budget.

In addition to the confirmed ride closures, other rides will be opening later and closing earlier to reduce operating costs.

But it’s not all doom and gloom as the park has also unveiled plans for a new ride, costing £8.72million, set to open in 2026.

The new ride, currently called Project MMXXVI, is a giant spinning pendulum which reaches 138ft at its highest point – far higher than any existing pendulum rides in the UK.

The announcements have received mixed reviews from fans of the park, with some praising the park’s transparency over its planned changes.

But some are complaining about the park’s entry fees, rather than charging for individual rides, which they claim can make a day out prohibitively expensive for non-riders.

Harry Buckley said: ‘Gonna be an incredible season! Especially for your 130th birthday.’

Rehan Tariq commented he ‘couldn’t be more thrilled to hear this’, and Sarah Morris said she was ‘liking the updates and transparency’.

But Darien Hezelgrave suggested: ‘Make it better for parents, grandparents, and disabled people who like to watch and look after people who like to ride.

‘You need to change so they can enter the park without paying full ticket price. So many do not enter the park because of the price just to walk around.’

Blackpool Pleasure Beach has also introduced afternoon tickets to try and encourage more people through the doors. From 1.30pm, the cost of an eTicket will drop in price every hour until 3.30pm, where it reaches £34 compared to an adult full-day ticket of £50.

Previously tickets would cost the same regardless of what time of day guests arrive – so with the park open until 10pm on certain dates, visitors could still spend several hours enjoying rides for a discounted price.

A spokesperson from Pleasure Beach Resort said: ‘It has been a challenging few years of trading across the entire industry, and we have undertaken the necessary actions to continue to offer the same amazing experiences to our guests.

‘We have already undertaken a strategic review and implemented changes; this has now concluded.

‘The changes referenced in the accounts have all been actioned and completed, furthermore there are currently no plans to close any further rides.

‘We are confident there is lots to look forward to at Pleasure Beach Resort for the immediate and long-term future, beginning with the opening of Launch Pad this spring, and our announcement of an £8.72million Gyro Swing, opening in 2026.’

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A man has been rescued from a Scottish loch in the early hours of this morning.

The Loch Lomond rescue boat was called out to Inchcailloch island, one of the small islands in the loch, just after midnight on Sunday.

When they arrived they found a ‘barely conscious’ man in the water and rescued him, as well as three other men on the island.

Rescuers could hear their cries for help as they approached the small island.

A spokesperson for the rescue boat service said: ‘Loch Lomond Rescue Boat (LLRB) was paged by Police Scotland at 12.01am for a multi-agency response after a report of a person in the water in the area near to Balmaha.

‘A crew responded and launched swiftly, and, once at the reported location, immediately began a search of the area.

‘Shortly afterwards, calls for help were heard coming from Inchcailloch island and from the water.

‘Utilising all our search equipment we located and recovered one barely conscious male from the water into the boat and immediately began casualty care whilst returning to Balmaha pier, and after a short time the casualty was handed to the Scottish Ambulance Service for further care.

‘LLRB then attended Inchcailloch island to collect three other persons and return them to the mainland, all of whom were safe and well.

‘Thanks to our colleagues also in attendance, HM Coastguard Rescue Helicopter R199, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service and Scottish Ambulance Service.’

The Loch Lomond Rescue Boat is an independent volunteer-run lifeboat service founded in 1977.

It attends around 100 call-outs each year, and this most recent sailing is only its second rescue of 2025.

Loch Lomond is 22.6miles long and between 0.5-5miles wide. It is the second largest lake in Great Britain by water volume, with Loch Ness in first place.

The loch contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles.

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The company which owns social media platform Facebook says it could launch paid-for subscriptions to the site in the UK.

Meta says both Facebook and Instagram are ‘free for British consumers because of personalised advertising’.

This is when adverts shown in your news feed are tailored to your interests and other adverts and posts you’ve interacted with before, in the hope you are more likely to make a purchase.

But Meta has recently agreed to stop targeting adverts at a human rights campaigner who took the business to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Tanya O’Carroll filed a lawsuit against Facebook for using her personal data for direct marketing purposes – which the ICO agreed she should be able to object to under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Calling personalised adverts ‘surveillance ads’, Tanya celebrated her ‘victory’ and said she believes this will pave the way ‘for the right to object to be used to stand up to surveillance-advertising across the web’.

But a Meta spokesperson said the company ‘fundamentally disagrees’ with Tanya’s claims, saying ‘no business can be mandated to give away its services for free.

The company already offers an advert-free subscription to EU users, and it may now extend this to the UK.

A spokesperson for Meta said it is ‘pleased to draw a line under this long-running case’, adding: ‘We take our UK GDPR obligations seriously and provide robust settings and tools for users to control their data and advertising preferences.

‘Facebook and Instagram cost a significant amount of money to build and maintain, and these services are free for British consumers because of personalised advertising.

‘Like many internet services, we are exploring the option of offering people based in the UK a subscription and will share further information in due course.’

Following the ruling, Tanya said: ‘In settling my case, Meta has agreed to stop processing my personal data for direct marketing purposes. In non-legalese, that means I will no longer be shown surveillance-ads on Facebook.

‘I believe this is a victory not just for me but for every UK and EU citizen as it paves the way for the right to object to be used to stand up to surveillance-advertising across the web.

‘I applaud the ICO for their rational and principled application of the law in their intervention in my case and for publicly confirming they will back up other UK citizens who wish to exercise their right to object in the context of online targeted ads.’

An ICO spokesperson said: ‘People have the right to object to their personal information being used for direct marketing, and we have been clear that online targeted advertising should be considered as direct marketing.

‘Organisations must respect people’s choices about how their data is used. This means giving users a clear way to opt out of their data being used in this way.

‘If people believe that an organisation is not complying with their request to stop processing their data, they can file a complaint to us. We will continue to engage with Meta on this issue.’

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Whether it’s a quick pint with work colleagues after work on a Friday or spending a summer afternoon in a pub beer garden, the UK’s love of a good pint can’t be denied.

But while we will probably pick up hundreds if not thousands of pint glasses throughout our lives to take a sip of beer or cider, there’s a curious design feature on many glasses which you may not have paid attention to before.

The distinctive ‘bump’ found about three-quarters up a pint glass – known as a nonic glass – will have been picked up and grabbed by drinkers without a second glance.

Plus more modern pint glass designs seem to be dodging the bulge more often than not, opting for engraved or printed designs on the glass instead.

But there’s actually a lot of history behind this traditional design, with a number of reasons contributing to the nonic glass being developed.

The nonic pint glass was invented by Hugo Pick back in 1913 to ‘provide an improved drinking glass,’ Taste of Home reports.

During the 1920s, when glassware was a significant expense for pub and restaurant owners, this unassuming bump was revolutionary as it serves three key functions.

One, it provides a better grip on what can often be a cool glass covered in condensation, making it less likely that punters will drop their glass, wasting both the glass itself and the booze inside.

Two, the bulge makes the glasses quicker and easier to stack and unstack, unlike standard pint glasses which can stick together.

And three, if the glass gets knocked onto its side the bump will hit the bar first, preventing nicks to the rim of the glass.

Nonic pint glasses come in two sizes, either the 16oz American pint or the 20oz Imperial pint – meaning drinkers get much more booze for their money when drinking pints in the UK.

The glass shape itself is extremely versatile and works well when serving all sorts of beers, from lagers to pilsners and ales.

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Three tower blocks in Scotland have been demolished using explosives this morning, sending huge plumes of dust and smoke into the sky.

Three of the four 26-storey towers in Wyndford, in the Maryhill area of Glasgow, are being demolished today to make way for 386 affordable homes and a ‘community hub’.

The fourth block will be taken down using a piece by piece method rather than explosives.

Glasgow’s skyline has changed forever as the three tower blocks collapsed following the controlled explosions.

The flats, first built in the 1960s, were home to about 6,000 people at their peak.

Hundreds of people who live nearby were forced to evacuate their homes after an exclusion zone was put in place for safety reasons.

A nearby secondary school has been used as an evacuation centre, and it was offering breakfast and lunch to affected residents.

Safedem, the company carrying out the demolition, wrote to affected locals offering them £100 Tesco vouchers as compensation for ‘out of pocket expenses’ while being temporarily evacuated.

Other measures to reduce the impact include covering St Gregory’s Catholic Church with protective sheeting to prevent the stained glass windows being damaged by dust.

Once the buildings come down, crews will use jet washers and misting systems to minimise dust in the air.

The demolition comes after a battle to try and stop the tower blocks from being torn down, instead calling for the buildings to be retrofitted.

Campaigners tried to take their fight to the UK Supreme Court, after Glasgow city council rejected calls for a full environmental study into the impact of the demolition, but last month the Court of Session in Edinburgh refused to let the appeal go ahead.

Wheatley Homes, the developers behind the project, claimed it wasn’t possible to retrofit the building because the flats were not fit for purpose and couldn’t be altered to meet modern standards for floor space, the Scottish Sun reports.

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A ‘highly skilled’ pilot has died after crashing during a performance at an air show in South Africa.

James O’Connell was performing at the West Coast Air Show in Saldanha, 70 miles north of Cape Town, on Saturday afternoon.

Footage filmed at the air show captured the plane spinning in mid-air before flying towards the ground, causing a huge fireball and plume of smoke to fly into the air as onlookers screamed.

Organisers of the show shared the pilot’s identity and said it did not appear that he made any attempt to eject before the plane hit the ground.

The organisers said in a statement: ‘It is with profound sadness that the organisers of the West Coast Airshow confirm a fatal accident involving James O’Connell, a highly skilled and respected test pilot from South Africa.

‘Mr O’Connell was performing a routine display intended to demonstrate the capabilities of the Impala Mark 1 – a beloved warbird with deep historical significance for many South Africans.

‘It was especially a huge moment because the Impala has not been seen performing at air shows for many years.

‘The manoeuvres were being executed as part of the official air show programme, witnessed by thousands of spectators.

‘Eyewitness accounts report that the aircraft appeared to be under control during most of the display.

‘However, during one of the final manoeuvres, the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude and entered a steep dive before making contact with the ground.

‘Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with James’s family, loved ones, and everyone affected by this very tragic event.’

The West Coast Air Show described Mr O’Connell as a decorated retired officer of the South African Air Force. They said he had more than 4,000 hours of flying rotary-wing aircraft and 1,600 hours on fixed-wing crafts logged.

Medical rescue staff arrived at the scene within two minutes but found the wreckage of the plane ‘engulfed in flames’. No other injuries were reported.

The South African Civil Aviation Authority, as well as the Air Force’s accident unit, are investigating the incident, Sky News reports.

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It may sound like a tale worthy of fiction but a historical discovery at a theatre in Scotland is all too real.

A message in a bottle, which was hidden by craftsmen building Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre, has been found by chance after 119 years.

Theatre photographer and historian Mike Hume was taking a behind-the-scenes private tour of the building when he spotted the bottle right above the stage.

It had been hidden in plain sight inside the plaster crown at the centre of the proscenium arch at the front of the stage.

The paper inside was dated October 1906, the same year the theatre opened to the public, and it listed details of the architects, draftsman plasterers and journeymen who worked on the building’s construction.

Mike, who is also one of the theatre’s donors, explained: ‘This is the sort of discovery everyone hopes for on a project of this scale.

‘When the builders of the King’s Theatre placed this special trinket at the very centre of it, they intended to honour the local people who built the theatre.

‘It’s astonishing to think that this time capsule of history has been hidden in plain sight for nearly 120 years, silently bearing witness to the countless famous faces – and Edinburgh community performers – that have graced the stage of the King’s.’

Since the bottle was found last December, it’s been a time-consuming process to remove the message hidden inside.

The bottle’s plaster seal and top were removed once the bottle was found, but it’s been a more painstaking process to get the delicate paper out without damaging it.

Laura Clair, a glass technician from the Edinburgh College of Art, carefully removed the base of the bottle last month, allowing the removal of the paper for the first time.

The bottle and paper will be put on display as part of The People’s Archive, which will open once the theatre reopens after renovations are completed next year.

Fiona Gibson, chief executive of Capital Theatres, said: ‘The redevelopment of the King’s has been a thrilling journey from the very start.

‘Finding a note from 1906, the very year the theatre first opened its doors, is apt as we prepare for the next chapter in the theatre’s rich history.

‘This remarkable find offers a poignant connection to the generations who have passed through the “Grand Old Lady of Leven Street”, the histories of which we will explore when The People’s Archive launches.’

Abby Pendlebury, heritage engagement manager at Capital Theatres, added: ‘We knew we had something really special when the bottle was uncovered.

‘For 119 years, the bottle was waiting behind the crown – something that every audience member has seen since the theatre first opened in 1906.

‘The significance of the message is that the list of names ranges from managers and directors to draughtsman, architects, and plasterers – people working on the site who were so proud of what they had built. There is pride and ownership in this note.’

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Hundreds of people were forced to evacuate Walt Disney World after a fire broke out.

Thick black smoke could be seen rising into the sky over the Epcot theme park in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday afternoon.

The fire, located in the park’s French Pavilion area, reportedly started in a walk-in cooler in the backstage area.

Visitors taking part in Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, a ‘4D ride experience’, were forced to evacuate.

It’s currently spring break in the US, one of the busiest weeks of the year for the theme park, and after Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure was evacuated hundreds more visitors in the surrounding area also had to leave.

The fire did not spread to guest areas but its cause is still under investigation, authorities said.

Disney say the fire was extinguished by around 7:20pm by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District fire department.

Part of the area was cordoned off while firefighters brought the blaze under control, but normal operations resumed that evening, MailOnline reports.

Epcot’s France Pavilion has grown more popular in recent years thanks to the addition of the Ratatouille themed ride and new restaurants.

It even features a much smaller replica of the iconic Eiffel Tower.

The theme park, one of four major parks at the Walt Disney World Resort, can see more than 100,000 visitors during weekends and especially during spring break.

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A busy motorway will be closed throughout the morning after a woman in her 70s was killed in a crash.

The M5 was blocked in both directions between junction 23 for Dunball and 24 for Bridgwater in Somerset after the crash involving a pedestrian and a lorry.

It happened shortly before 3am this morning, and Avon and Somerset Police have now confirmed a woman in her 70s has died.

The southbound carriageway has since reopened, but the northbound is likely to remain closed throughout the morning while police investigate.

A spokesperson for the force said: ‘A woman has died after a collision on the M5 near Bridgwater this morning.

‘The incident, involving a pedestrian and a lorry, was reported at 2.48am on the northbound carriageway between junctions 24 and 23.

‘Officers, along with the ambulance and fire services attended, but despite the efforts of emergency services, sadly the woman, aged in her 70s, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

‘Her next of kin has been informed and will be kept updated by officers. Our thoughts are with them.

‘The motorway was closed in both directions while investigative enquiries were completed. The southbound carriageway reopened earlier this morning, however it remains closed northbound.’

National Highways said: ‘The road will be closed this morning to allow for Police collision investigation works to take place.’

A diversion route has been put in place, with northbound traffic asked to follow the solid triangle diversion symbols.

Police are asking anyone who saw the collision or may have dashcam footage to get in touch.

Metro has contacted emergency services for more details

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What started as an attempted traffic stop for allegedly running a red light ended as a dramatic four-car pile-up leaving 13 people injured.

French police tried to stop a vehicle in the 14th arrondissement in southern Paris at about 5.45am yesterday, but the force said the vehicle refused to stop.

Three police cars chased the vehicle which dramatically smashed into a traffic light, leading to a horrific chain reaction where each of the police cars crashed into the back of the wreckage, causing a huge pile-up.

Incredible pictures and video show one of the police vehicles on top of the suspect vehicle, its back wheels hanging in the air over the severely damaged remains of the black car.

A second police car behind had its entire front end destroyed, with the third police car rear-ending the second.

There were 10 police officers and three others injured in the smash, MailOnline reports.

All 10 officers were briefly hospitalised for minor injuries, Paris chief of police Laurent Nunez said, but they were discharged by early afternoon.

He praised their ‘courage and composure’, also told reporters that visibility during the pursuit was ‘quite poor’.

Three people aged between 19 and 30 have been detained following the crash, Mr Nunez said, and two of them have police records. He did not provide any other details.

Prosecutors said they suspected the driver was intoxicated at the time of the chase.

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A Tesla fan who’s had his car for three years is getting more than he bargained for since the company’s owner stepped further into the spotlight.

Elon Musk has drawn criticism in recent months after campaigning for Donald Trump to be re-elected to the White House last year.

Since then, Trump appointed him as leader of the controversial Department of Government Efficiency – and Musk hasn’t kept his views quiet since taking up the role.

Even his own labour of love, the Grok AI chatbot, has named him as one of the largest spreaders of misinformation on X, the social media platform he bought in 2022.

And amid the controversy, one Tesla driver has been laughed at and even sent death threats for his choice of car.

He’s not the only person who’s faced abuse for their choice of car, as there’s been a spate of Cyber Trucks and other models being vandalised across the globe in response to Musk’s actions.

Mitchell Feldman bought his Model Y worth £44,000 back in 2022, saying he loved the car’s technology and safety features.

The 53-year-old dad of two said he would occasionally get comments about driving a Tesla, but nothing out of the ordinary – until Elon entered the White House.

Mitchell, who owns a marketing business, says he’s received emails through his company website threatening him and his family over the car he drives.

Two weeks ago, Mitchell was in a car park when a man walked up to him, laughed in his face, and asked if he ‘supported Elon’ by driving a Tesla’.

Mitchell, from north west London, said: ‘I have had everything from quite severe hate mail, people saying that when they find me they will kill me and my family in front of me.

‘I’ve had a number of people saying that I’m brave, that I am saying what everyone else is thinking.

‘But I have been completely shocked by the reaction I have received.

‘There’s a massive polarization in views, there are those that admire Elon Musk, and there are those that don’t.

‘There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground, it is very binary.’

Describing the car park incident, Mitchell said he’d just pulled up to park at a Teddy Swims concert in Wembley when he spotted a young man pointing and laughing.

‘I parked outside the parking meter, as I pulled up, there was a youngish guy with his partner, and daughter laughing and pointing at me,’ he explained.

‘When I got out of the car, he came up to be quite abrasive and said “I presume you support Elon Musk driving one of those”.

‘I felt quite violated, I didn’t know what to say. He then laughed at me and walked away with his family.

‘I had never experienced anything like that.’

Shocked by the outburst, Mitchell wrote about the run-in on LinkedIn where he says he received even more backlash and death threats in response.

But despite everything, Mitchell said his support for Tesla remains ‘steadfast’ and is planning on putting in an order for a new Model Y.

He joked: ‘I am waiting for a phone call from Elon Musk to say thank you for the post and here is a free Cyber Truck.

‘If anything, it has made me more steadfast in my support.’

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The UK’s high streets are set to become even more desolate this year, as hundreds of banks set to close their doors for good.

The number of bank branches across the UK has dwindled gradually in recent years as customers increasingly turn to online and mobile banking.

In fact, figures from last December showed 6,214 bank branches have shut since January 2015 – a shocking 53 every single month.

Most recently, Spanish-owned Santander announced it will close 95 of its branches in 2025, putting 750 jobs at risk.

But they’re not the only ones, with Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, and NatWest all planning to shut up shop this year.

Many people, such as older or disabled customers or small business owners, rely on local bank branches.

The issue is compounded for those in rural areas, which may have poor broadband or mobile phone signal making it difficult to access internet banking.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) says banks and building societies shutting down branches must ensure people in the local community can still access their money.

Santander claims 93% of the UK population will still be within 10 miles of a branch even after the closures of more than a fifth of its branches.

Banks need to open ATMs or open banking hubs at Post Offices if gaps are found. Basic banking services can be carried out at a Post Office otherwise.

Sam Richardson, Which?’s deputy editor, highlighted the ‘seismic’ shift towards online banking evident in today’s society.

He said: ‘The milestone of more than 6,000 bank closures in just nine years underscores the seismic shift that has taken place in terms of our banking habits and the character of the British high street.’

Not every bank is closing branches, however: HSBC pledged last year that it would not announce any closures until at least 2026.

Nationwide has gone a step further and promised it won’t close any branches until at least 2028.

And a spokesperson for Metro Bank told Metro that it wasn’t planning to close any branches this year, and is in fact opening three new branches in Gateshead, Chester, and Salford.

This is the full list of all UK bank closures planned for 2025 so far – with some of the branches already shut for good.

Lloyds closures

• Alcester – June 25, 2025 
• Alnwick – January 15, 2025 
• Ashbourne – June 24, 2025 
• Beccles – May 6, 2025 
• Bletchley – March 3, 2025 
• Blyth – March 4, 2025 
• Brecon – February 11, 2025 
• Brynmawr – February 18, 2025 
• Cranbrook – February 11, 2025
• Chesham – February 24, 2025 
• Derby – January 23, 2025 
• Dewsbury – March 10, 2025 
• Fakenham – May 6, 2025 
• Gorleston-on-Sea – January 20, 2025 
• Hitchin – April 7, 2025 
• Hull – January 14, 2025 
• Kendal – February 10, 2025 
• Kenilworth – February 25, 2025 
• Kitts Green – January 27, 2025 
• Leeds – January 8, 2025 
• Leeds – September 8, 2025 
• Liskeard – February 25, 2025 
• London – January 6, 2025 
• Macclesfield – January 28, 2025 
• Matlock – May 7, 2025 
• Monmouth – May 8, 2025 
• New Milton – May 13, 2025 
• Presteigne – March 3, 2025 
• Sheffield – June 26, 2025 
• Sherborne – January 16, 2025 
• Southampton – January 28, 2025 
• Southampton – June 9, 2025 
• South Elmsall – January 16, 2025 
• Spennymoor – June 26, 2025 
• Stanley – June 26, 2025 
• St Ives – February 24, 2025 
• Stow-on-the-Wold – February 17, 2025
• Surbiton – March 4, 2025 
• Swindon – February 3, 2025 
• Thetford – May 13, 2025 
• Wadebridge – February 17, 2025
• Warwick – June 24, 2025 
• Wetherby – January 13, 2025 
• Wisbech – January 22, 2025 
• Woodbridge – June 25, 2025

Halifax closures

• Acomb – January 13, 2025 
• Alnwick – January 15, 2025 
• Belfast – February 10, 2025 
• Belfast – February 4, 2025 
• Bulwell – January 21, 2025
• Burgess Hill – February 11, 2025 
• Camberley – March 11, 2025 
• Chippenham – April 15, 2025 
• Didcot – March 10, 2025 
• Eccles – January 7, 2025 
• Gillingham – February 10, 2025
• Gosport – March 12, 2025 
• Kendal – February 10, 2025 
• Keynsham – January 14, 2025 
• Littlehampton – June 23, 2025 
• Liverpool – January 8, 2025 
• London – January 6, 2025 
• Malton – April 8, 2025 
• Monmouth – January 23, 2025 
• Morecambe – January 7, 2025
• Newbury – April 16, 2025 
• Northallerton – April 28, 2025 
• North Shields – January 28, 2025 
• Oswestry – April 28, 2025 
• Palmers Green – January 9, 2025 
• Port Talbot – January 29, 2025 
• Runcorn – April 29, 2025 
• Shirley – January 9, 2025 
• Southampton – June 9, 2025 
• Stratford-upon-Avon – January 22, 2025 
• Stoke-on-Trent – January 8, 2025 
• Sutton-in-Ashfield – January 16, 2025 
• Tamworth – April 29, 2025 
• Telford – January 7, 2025 
• Thetford – February 4, 2025 
• Tonbridge – January 9, 2025 
• Walton-on-Thames – January 27, 2025 
• Whitby – January 14, 2025 
• Winchester – January 20, 2025
• Wisbech – January 22, 2025
• Witney – April 30, 2025 

Bank of Scotland closures

• Banff – May 8, 2025
• Bathgate – June 30, 2025 
• Cowdenbeath – June 24, 2025 
• Dunfermline – January 21, 2025 
• Golspie – February 4, 2025 
• Kirkcaldy – January 21, 2025 
• Kyle – January 27, 2025 
• Langholm – April 7, 2025
• Leven – May 7, 2025 
• Linlithgow – February 18, 2025
• Montrose – March 10, 2025 
• Newton Stewart – June 23, 2025 
• North Berwick – February 19, 2025
• Rothesay – June 30, 2025
• Wick – June 25, 2025

NatWest closures

• Accrington – June 5, 2025 
• Alfreton – June 2, 2025 
• Beverley – June 25, 2025 
• Bishop Auckland – April 29, 2025 
• Blackburn, Audley, Copy Nook – May 12, 2025 
• Bridlington – June 11, 2025 
• Cannock – May 12, 2025 
• Cleveleys – April 28, 2025 
• Derby, Allenton – May 13, 2025 
• Dewsbury – April 28, 2025 
• Ellesmere Port – June 4, 2025 
• Failsworth, Hollinwood, Oldham Road – May 7, 2025 
• Farnworth – May 15, 2025 
• Garstang – June 26, 2025 
• Goole – May 14, 2025 
• Keighley – June 16, 2025 
• Leeds, Chapel Allerton, Harrogate Road – April, 2025  30
• Leeds, Cross Gates – June 10, 2025 
• Leek – June 16, 2025 
• Leyland, Golden Hill, Chapel Brow – May 15, 2025 
• Liverpool, Walton Vale – May 14, 2025 
• Long Eaton – May 29, 2025 
• Louth – May 28, 2025 
• Manchester – June 11, 2025 
• Mansfield – June 26, 2025 
• Market Drayton – to be confirmed
• Mexborough – June 3, 2025 
• Middleton – April 30, 2025 
• Morley – May 8, 2025 
• Nantwich – June 19, 2025 
• Newark-on-Trent – June 17, 2025 
• Newcastle upon Tyne, West Denton – May 1, 2025 
• Nottingham, Sherwood, Hucknall Road – May 21, 2025
• Nottingham, West Bridgford – June 24, 2025 
• Rawtenstall – May 29, 2025 
• Rochdale – June 10, 2025 
• Salford, Trafford Park, Third Avenue – May 20, 2025 
• Sheffield, Ecclesall Road – May 7, 2025 
• St Annes On Sea – June 24, 2025 
• Stafford – June 25, 2025 
• Stockport, Hazel Grove – June 19, 2025 
• Stockport, Heaton Moor – June 3, 2025 
• Stockton-on-Tees – June 4, 2025 
• Stoke-on-Trent, Longton – June 5, 2025
• Urmston – May 13, 2025 
• Uttoxeter – June 2, 2025 
• Wallasey – May 21, 2025 
• Washington – June 17, 2025 
• Widnes – May 8, 2025 
• Willerby – April 29, 2025 
• Wilmslow – May 20, 2025 
• Windermere – May 1, 2025 
• Worksop – June 18, 2025 

Santander closures

• Aberdare – June 24, 2025
• Arbroarth – June 17, 2025
• Armagh – July 1, 2025
• Blackwood – June 23, 2025
• Blyth – August 5, 2025
• Bognor Regis – July 14, 2025
• Borehamwood – July 1, 2025
• Brecon – June 25, 2025
• Brixton – August 11, 2025
• Caernarfon – July 7, 2025
• Camborne – July 7, 2025
• Canvey Island – August 5, 2025
• Clacton – June 16, 2025
• Cleveleys – June 23, 2025
• Colne – July 14, 2025
• Colwyn Bay – July 24, 2025
• Crowborough – July 23, 2025
• Croydon (128 North End) – June 16, 2025
• Cumbernauld – July 7, 2025
• Didsbury – July 8, 2025
• Downpatrick – August 6, 2025
• Dungannon – June 23, 2025
• Edgware Road – August 12, 2025
• Eltham – June 23, 2025
• Exmouth – July 15, 2025
• Falmouth – July 21, 2025
• Farnham – July 29, 2025
• Felixtowe – July 16, 2025
• Finchley – August 6, 2025
• Fleet – June 30, 2025
• Formby – August 11, 2025
• Gateshead Metro – June 16, 2025
• Glasgow (St Vincents Street) – June 24, 2025
• Glasgow (The Avenue) – June 23, 2025
• Greenford – June 24, 2025
• Hackney – July 15, 2025
• Hawick – July 24, 2025
• Herne Bay – July 8, 2025
• Hertford – July 29, 2025
• Holloway – July 14, 2025
• Holywell – August 13, 2025
• Honiton – July 14, 2025
• Kidderminster – June 18, 2025
• Kilburn – June 17, 2025
• Kirkby – July 22, 2025
• Launceston – June 16, 2025
• Louth – June 17, 2025
• Magherafelt – June 24, 2025
• Malvern – July 2, 2025
• Market Harborough – July 1, 2025
• Musselburgh – June 30, 2025
• New Milton – July 28, 2025
• Peterhead – June 16, 2025
• Plympton – August 14, 2025
• Portadown – June 30, 2025
• Pudsey – July 28, 2025
• Rawtenstall – July 15, 2025
• Ross-on-Wye – July 30, 2025
• Ruislip – July 7, 2025
• Rustington – August 5, 2025
• Saltcoats – July 21, 2025
• Seaford – July 15, 2025
• Shaftesbury – July 23, 2025
• Sidcup – August 11, 2025
• St Austell – July 8, 2025
• St Neots – July 30, 2025
• Stokesley – July 31, 2025
• Strabane – July 23, 2025
• Surrey Quays – November 10, 2025
• Swadlincote – June 30, 2025
• Tenterden – July 7, 2025
• Torquay – June 17, 2025
• Tottenham – July 8, 2025
• Whitley Bay – August 6, 2025
• Willerby – August 13, 2025
• Wimborne – August 4, 2025
• Wishaw – July 22, 2025
• Bexhill – date to be confirmed
• Billericay – date to be confirmed
• Dover – date to be confirmed
• Droitwich – date to be confirmed
• Dunstable – date to be confirmed
• East Grinstead – date to be confirmed
• Holyhead – date to be confirmed
• Ilkley – date to be confirmed
• Larne – date to be confirmed
• Lytham St Annes – date to be confirmed
• Maldon – date to be confirmed
• Morley – date to be confirmed
• North Walsham – date to be confirmed
• Redcar – date to be confirmed
• Saffron Walden – date to be confirmed
• Turriff – date to be confirmed
• Uckfield – date to be confirmed
• Urmston – date to be confirmed

Barclays closures

• Barnard Castle – January 17, 2025
• Borehamwood – May 2, 2025
• Cockermouth – April 4, 2025
• Farnham – February 21, 2025
• Leiston – May 2, 2025
• Pickering – January 17, 2025
• Richmond North Yorkshire – January 17, 2025
• Sheringham – February 21, 2025
• South Woodford –February 21, 2025
• St Neots – January 30, 2025
• Tottenham Court Road – January 10, 2025
• Tredegar– January 17, 2025
• Whitby – May 2, 2025
• Willesden Green – January 31, 2025
• Ystrad Mynach – January 17, 2025

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The government has announced it’s increasing the cost of applying for a passport.

The new fees will come into place on April 10 and will see a variety of services provided by HM Passport Office put their prices up.

The new prices are subject to approval from parliament first, though.

It’s proposed the cost of standard online applications made within the UK will go up by 6.8% for adult passports and 7% for children.

The announcement has sparked concerns that the price rises will trigger a rush in applications as holidaymakers apply for their passports before the increases come into effect.

Here’s everything we know so far.

When are passport application fees increasing?

Subject to approval by parliament, the cost of UK passport application fees is set to increase on April 10.

How much are passport applications fees rising by?

• Standard online application made from within the UK: rising from £88.50 to £94.50 for adults and £57.50 to £61.50 for children
• Postal applications: rising from £100 to £107 for adults and £69 to £74 for children
• Premium Service (1 day) application made from within in the UK: rising from £207.50 to £222 for adults and £176.50 to £189 for children
• Standard online application when applying from overseas for a UK passport: rising from £101 to £108 for adults and £65.50 to £70 for children
• Overseas standard paper applications: increasing from £112.50 to £120.50 for adults and £77 to £82.50 for children

Why are fees increasing?

A Home Office statement said: ‘The new fees will help the Home Office to continue to move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation.

‘The government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications.’

They added the fees help to pay for processing passport applications, consular support overseas including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders.

HM Passport Office recommends holidaymakers renew their passports in good time.

How long does it take to renew a UK passport?

The Home Office says that last year, where no further information was required, 99.7% of standard applications from the UK were processed within three weeks.

It could however take longer if you’re applying from a different country.

There are premium or one-week fast track services available for those who need a passport urgently, and people can call the passport advice line if they need to travel urgently for medical treatment or because a friend or family member is seriously ill or has died.

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A popular supermarket has recalled a microwave meal because it could contain pieces of plastic.

Iceland is recalling its own-brand Vegetable Lasagne as the possible presence of plastic makes the meal unsafe to eat.

The warning applies to 400g packs with best before dates of July 23 and 30, 2026.

Iceland described the warning as ‘precautionary’ and added that only products with those two best before dates are affected.

Anyone who has bought the meal can return it to any Iceland store for a full refund – no receipt is needed.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said: ‘Iceland Foods Ltd is recalling the above product. The company has issued a recall notice to its customers.

‘These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product.’

Yesterday an investigation was launched after three people died from serious food poisoning thought to be linked to hospital desserts.

The FSA issued an alert over Cool Delight chocolate desserts over fears they could be contaminated with listeria.

Jars of Kelly Loves sushi ginger were recalled at the weekend because they could contain pieces of glass, while Baxter’s Food Group recalled some jars of pickled gherkins due to undeclared mustard, which could pose a risk to people with allergies.