UK News

Gladys was pollinated on 30 June and at her peak was growing 40lb (18kg) a day. Months of preparation, studying irrigation, and carefully controlled water and nutrition went into growing the giant vegetable. White works as an underfloor heating designer, but grows vegetables inside a 60ft (18m) polytunnel at a …

After leaving school he worked in factories, “but I needed more, so I worked my way into a health and safety role”. “When I joined that job, I thought it would be the last job I’d ever do,” says Murdoch. “It was for a prestigious British brand that made yachts. …

Residents in west Belfast were “fearful” that their homes would be burned down by a group of young people throwing fireworks on Saturday night, a local councillor has said. People in the area said a group of about 30 youths were involved in the trouble. Belfast City Councillor Paul Doherty …

Police say they are continuing inquiries after the unexplained death of a three-month-old girl in a woodland in Staffordshire. Emergency services were called to land off Strawberry Lane, near Cheslyn Hay, at 08:45 BST on Saturday, to a report of a child in cardiac arrest. An air ambulance was sent …

Three years ago, Sue Puddefoot, 62, from Saxmundham, Suffolk, went into Ipswich Hospital for a hip replacement. Surgery went well and she recalled still feeling pain around her hip, but the doctors said she could go home. Her husband Mark noticed she looked “absolutely awful” and doctors decided to test …

A grieving family’s creative project to keep the memory of their beloved dog alive is going global. The Simpkins family, from Devizes in Wiltshire, lost their 13-year-old Australian Kelpie, Harvey, in August. To cope with their grief, they started painting rocks and hiding them in the town and surrounding areas …

“We’ve returned from summer leave rested and ready for the next phase of our training,” HMS Queen Elizabeth’s commanding officer Capt Claire Thompson said ahead of the departure. “Sailing with an embarked battle staff, integration and training is essential whilst relearning the skills required to conduct safe and effective aviation …

A number of CrossCountry rail services have been cancelled on Sunday due to a shortage of train drivers. Services heading out of Birmingham to Reading, Newcastle, Nottingham will no longer run, as well as services into the city from Nottingham, Newcastle, Paignton, Bournemouth, Nottingham, Manchester Piccadilly and Bristol Temple Meads. …

Opponents have criticised Swinney’s remarks and urged him to be clearer on how the plans would work. Scottish Labour’s acting leader Jackie Baillie said “It’s hard to tell whether John Swinney is being evasive or simply has no idea what he is going to do, but either way it’s not …

Palmowski said throughout her career she was often one of only two or three female drivers on a grid of more than 30 drivers but the F1 Academy was helping to raise the profile of female drivers. “We race in front of millions of people,” she said. “Thousands of people …

The kittens were shown off at West End Woofs, a charity event bringing together stars of theatre to raise awareness of both dogs and cats in need of rehoming. This year’s event took place in London on 15 August and a number of rescue charities took animals along, including staff …

With a range of picturesque beaches, north Norfolk remains a popular destination for visitors. But like most parts of England, fly-tipping is an issue and earlier this year there were high-profile cases of littering on beaches in Cromer and Wells. With temperatures soaring to 30C (86F), the council’s clean-up in …

The 20-year-old, who relocated to the Cotswolds from Hamilton, New Zealand, earlier this year, began her Instagram account in 2021 to share reviews, find new books and connect with fellow romance fans. Holly said she “never really got into reading” as a child and always thought books were not for …

Reynolds, speaking to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, condemned the protest. “Peaceful protest is an essential part of British life but that is not what we saw there with that kind of intimidatory behaviour,” the business secretary said. “I feel sorry for the people around Dover and the people …

The five-man crew raised a distress call at about 18:00 BST on 29 August. A nearby fishing vessel, the Stradale, rescued three crew members before the Maranello sank. The search for the missing fishermen involved UK and French rescue teams in waters south-west of the Eddystone Lighthouse, off Plymouth. Poor …

The five-man crew raised a distress call at about 18:00 BST on 29 August. A nearby fishing vessel, the Stradale, rescued three crew members before the Maranello sank. The search for the missing fishermen involved UK and French rescue teams in waters south-west of the Eddystone Lighthouse, off Plymouth. Poor …

A luxury Lamborghini has been taken off the road by police after reports it was being driven at about 80mph (129km/h) in a 30mph (48km/h) zone. Essex Police seized the Huracan in Southend-on-Sea after multiple people said it was being driven dangerously on Saturday afternoon. The Lamborghini Huracan has an …

Behind an unassuming door within a road tunnel, Peter Burgess switches on some dim lights in a hidden cave and waits for them to warm up. It’s the darkness and silence of a cave that gives it an eerie stillness, but the one that he is showing us is somewhat …

Many of the women the BBC interviewed said they believed the disparity began with maternity leave. Wallace says that because women typically take much longer for maternity leave than dads do for paternity leave, they become the “default parent” very early on. “If you become the person who knows everything, …

A 16-year-old beatboxer has reached the final of the UK’s national under-18 beatboxing championships after impressing judges with a video audition. Sonny, from Devon, who is known by his stage name SonnyT, will compete against six other finalists at the championship in Bristol in October. Beatboxing, which involves using the …