UK News

“I wanted to tell an adventure story. I started writing a little bit of the prototype and eventually sort of got a flavour for how to write these characters. “The main character, Eve, was just an arrow [on a screen] for a very long time. I hadn’t decided whether I …

After her first child was born, she tried to get back into the sport for the first time and started competing again locally. But then she snapped her calf muscle. She believed it was because she “dived in” without conditioning herself properly. A consultant at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary told …

Many tourist destinations have had to grapple with the effects of rising visitor numbers in recent years. Exmoor’s scheme has been modelled on a similar scheme in Copenhagen, which rewards visitors for environmentally friendly actions. “Visitors can get free entrance to attractions, or a discount, a free cup of coffee, …

On a warm summer night last year a drug-addict doused the front door of a house in St Helens, Merseyside, with petrol and then lit a match. Inside was Sheila Jackson, 83, and her long-term partner Eric Greener, 77, who would go on to “die a horrible death” due to …

The latest video footage from the Suffolk coastal heathland has captured the extent of the damage to the natural landscape. The fire engulfed 150 hectare at its height – equivalent to the size of 210 football pitches – affecting Dunwich Heath and RSPB Minsmere. The blaze, which started at about …

After five months in Broadgreen Hospital, she moved to a specialist brain injury unit, where she has lived since November. “Everything is difficult because I have tremors in my hands,” she said. “Even putting on make up or having a cup of coffee. Just every day things you take for …

The sale of props, costumes and furniture that had featured on stage over several decades was “a musical theatre fan’s dream”, a shopper said. On Friday and Saturday, hordes of keen customers queued to purchase their own slice of history at Royal & Derngate in Northampton. It was held to …

In Woodhall Spa, business owner Tracy Walters has another view. She co-owns Sweet Emporium where she is busy serving customers sweets and ice creams in the hot weather. She says she is not considering hiring any young people to help her behind the counter “because of the cost”, but also …

The Jackson family went to meet the yacht on its return to Portsmouth on Tuesday, 28 July, and share in the celebrations. Writing about the Clipper’s “inspirational” return on Facebook, Laura said: “I don’t think we can beat circumnavigating the globe from beyond the grave.” But she hopes her daughter’s …

The man responsible for delivering Glasgow 2026 said the city had “saved and reinvented” the Commonwealth Games, three years after its future was plunged into doubt. Ahead of Sunday’s closing ceremony – which featured a dazzling fireworks display over the River Clyde – Phil Batty recalled how Glasgow stepped up …

Another Suffolk mum, Xylina, faces a similar situation. Her seven-year-old daughter, Lyla, has autism and complex sensory needs and has been receiving specialist education in Felixstowe. But now she is moving into Year 3 they are having to re-apply for a school place and are struggling to find somewhere suitable. …

Maisie, 29, and Theo’s father, Josh French, 36, both teachers, say they are incredibly relieved by the success of the pioneering surgery. “He’s a little miracle, isn’t he?” Maisie told BBC News. But they both know things could have been very different. The serious birth defect affects one in 3,000 …

Monday is expected to bring the hottest weather of the week, with a surge of hot air moving north from France ahead of an approaching Atlantic low-pressure system. Southern and eastern parts of England will widely reach low to mid-30sC, with a few locations across London and the Home Counties …

At least five women who were abused by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed have been formally recognised by the Home Office as victims of modern slavery. The BBC revealed in April that Rachel Louw, who has waived her right to anonymity, had become the first woman known to receive …

UK drivers have stolen almost £200,000 of fuel from petrol stations on average every day since the Iran war broke out and sent prices soaring, according to industry analysis. Incidents of fuel being taken from forecourts without payment have risen by a fifth in the five months since 28 February, …

A range of stories feature on Monday’s front pages. “Police warn early release will force patrol cuts,” reads the headline of the Daily Telegraph. It reports a senior officer is suggesting there will be fewer neighbourhood officers as the government’s early release of some inmates in England and Wales creates …

Reckless mortgage lending was blamed for the financial crisis of 2008, which brought some banks to their knees and saw people lose their homes. In 2014, the business secretary of the time, Vince Cable, said he was appalled that some mortgage providers were lending five times a mortgage applicant’s income, …

The effects bovine TB (bTB) has on farmers ranges from emotional to financial. Breeder Rachel Leader said the loss of cattle “has a devastating effect on all of the family”. “The loss of that one animal, or animals, that you’ve grown up with, and suddenly there’s nothing after these years …

Public Health Wales (PHW) says although uncommon in Wales, it remains “a significant public health concern because of the potentially serious health consequences for affected individuals”. Dr Chris Williams, a consultant epidemiologist with PHW, said: “It can be very serious for humans. It’s caused by a tapeworm, and what happens …

Two people have been arrested after a man was shot dead at a traveller site, police have said. The victim, who is in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene in Calcutt, near Cricklade, at about 08:15 BST, Wiltshire Police said. The force said a man in his 70s …