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BY THE INCORRIGIBLE JANA HOCKING PAGES 18-19

Ministers forced to tell asylum seekers: Don't rape women

After dozens of migrants are convicted of sex attacks, Home Office issues booklet warning that it's against the law in Britain

By David Barrett Home Affairs Editor

ASYLUM seekers have been warned in an official government guidebook not to rape women.

The disturbing Home Office document setting out the 'rules and expectations' of living in Britain comes in the wake of a series of horrific rapes and sex attacks.

That such matters have to be spelt out was branded 'insane' last night.

The seven-page booklet, published yesterday and to be handed out as part of an education campaign, warns: 'If you have sex with someone without their consent, this is called rape. Rape is a serious crime in the UK.'

And ministers have been forced to set out in clear terms that it is unacceptable to beat women.

Those looking to stay in Britain are told never to 'make sexual comments to someone, even if you think it is a compliment' or 'whistle or make kissing noises at someone'.

They should never 'follow someone or block

Turn to Page 4

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Page 2

Daily Mail, Thursday, August 20, 2026

Weather

Go to: dailymail.co.uk/weather for UK customers today forecast

Summary: Showers, breezy

UK TODAY: The day begins cool with sunny intervals and light southwest winds. By midday, rain showers and moderate west winds bring milder conditions. Max 2fc.

Today's weather

	9am	12noon	3pm	6pm	9pm
London	17c	21c	24c	20c	15c
Plymouth	17c	20c	21c	20c	16c
Cardiff	16c	18c	19c	19c	16c
B'ham	16c	18c	19c	19c	15c
M'chester	14c	15c	16c	16c	14c
Newcastle	13c	14c	15c	15c	12c
Glasgow	13c	15c	16c	16c	13c
Aberdeen	13c	14c	15c	14c	12c
Belfast	13c	15c	16c	15c	12c

5 day forecast

	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon	Tue
London	21c	22c	24c	24c	24c
Plymouth	20c	21c	22c	22c	21c
Cardiff	20c	21c	22c	24c	22c
B'ham	19c	20c	21c	23c	22c
M'chester	18c	18c	20c	22c	20c
Newcastle	16c	17c	19c	21c	20c
Glasgow	17c	17c	18c	19c	20c
Aberdeen	15c	18c	18c	19c	19c
Belfast	16c	18c	18c	19c	19c

Europe forecast

	India	1	December 2	1	Germany	1
Amsterdam	20mm	20	19mm	20	18mm	20
Brussels	20mm	21	19mm	20	18mm	21
Frankfurt	20	20	19mm	20	18mm	21

Around the world yesterday

	weather	1	weather	2	weather	3	weather
Aigars	Sunny	34.10	Florence	Sunny	23.10	New Delhi	Sunny 23.10
Amsterdam	Cloudy	28.10	Galena	Sunny	21.10	New York	Cloudy 21.10
Alberta	Sunny	25.10	Gibraltar	Fair	21.10	New	Sunny 20.06
Auckland	Sunny	17.10	Germany	Cloudy	19.10	Oslo	Cloudy 19.06
Baltimore	Sunny	14.10	Helsinki	Fair	10.10	Palma	Sunny 12.00
Barcelona	Sunny	12.10	Hongkong	Sunny	10.10	Paris	Cloudy 10.79
Basra	Fair	14.10	Innsbruck	Sunny	23.10	Perth	Sunny 23.10
Beijing	Fair	10.10	Istanbul	Sunny	10.10	Prague	Cloudy 10.70
Bolivia	Fair	29.10	Jersey	Shower	10.10	Modesto	Sunny 29.02
Bolivia	Shower	14.10	Jamaica	Sunny	32.10	Riga	Cloudy 19.06
Belgrade	Fair	31.10	La Habana	Sunny	29.10	Rome	Sunny 31.00
Berlin	Fair	29.10	Lisbon	Fair	27.10	Singapore	Thunder 30.06
Borussia	Cloudy	24.70	London	Shower	22.10	Stockholm	Fair 23.00
Bridgway	Sunny	27.70	Los Angeles	Sunny	26.70	Strasbourg	Fair 31.00
Brussels	Fair	29.10	Luxor	Sunny	29.00	Salinas	Sunny 30.04
Buckland	Fair	25.70	Madrid	Sunny	24.10	Sangar	Fair 27.10
Budapest	Cloudy	20.70	Malaya	Fair	32.10	Sulaw	Sunny 27.00
Calm	Sunny	32.10	Malta	Sunny	31.10	Tenerife	Sunny 31.02
Cape Town	Sunny	17.10	Melbourne	Shower	13.10	Tokyo	Sunny 12.00
Casablanca	Fair	25.70	Norwich City	Sunny	23.10	Toronto	Sunny 20.70
Copenhagen	Thunder	10.10	Miami	Sunny	25.10	Tokyo	Sunny 25.00
Corfu	Sunny	32.10	Milan	Sunny	30.10	Vancouver	Sunny 23.00
Dubai	Sunny	42.10	Montreal	Fair	26.70	Venice	Sunny 29.04
Dubai	Cloudy	19.10	Moscow	Shower	17.10	Vienna	Fair 25.77
Dubravnik	Sunny	29.10	Munich	Shower	11.10	Warsaw	Cloudy 22.72
Faro	Fair	25.70	Nairobi	Thunder	10.10	Wellington	Shower 10.50

Moon and Sun

MOB: 1m x 3.5cm, sets: 10.45cm

Sat: 10m; London: 3.45cm, sets: 5.55cm

Manchester: 11m x 5.57cm, sets: 8.26cm

HIGH: 1500, London Bridge: 3.45cm

Liverpool: 3.04cm

Extremes (24 hrs to 9pm Tue)

Warmest: 6am, 2bc

Colloid: Euthanol No 2, 8c

Wattest: Kirkcali, 23.40cm.

Sunrise: Lauders, 6.8hrs.

Sunrise: Lauders, 6.8hrs.

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Badenoch fury at Labour leaving council with '£137m budget gap'

By Martin Beckford Policy Editor

KEMI Badenoch has accused Labour of leaving a town hall with a huge budget black hole - then starving it of future funding after it was reclaimed by the Tories.

The Conservative leader said Labour had saddled Wandsworth Council - which it lost to the Tories in May after running it for just one term - with 'a historic £137million budget gap'.

She added: 'And to make things even worse, the Labour Government are cutting Wandsworth's council funding by a massive 40 per cent.

'It's no wonder Wandsworth's residents are fed up. Labour just doesn't seem to care about them.'

Mrs Badenoch said central Government was reducing its grant funding under Angela Rayner's controversial reforms that give more money to Labour-voting areas in the north.

The Tory leader joined a huge canvassing operation by her party to win one more seat on the south London authority, which would then give the Tories' the outright majority we need to clean up Labour's mess.'

A review by the incoming Tory administration on the town hall said it inherited from Labour 'the largest

Battling: Kemi Badenoch yesterday

government cuts, the largest projected overspending and the largest predicted budget gap in Wandsworth's history.

The report claimed that the Labour administration had used reserves to balance the budget, had increased staff by 14 per cent since taking over in 2022 and had spent and borrowed millions more without increasing revenue.

It stated the borough had previously won 'synonymous with low council tax' but that Labour ministers saw that 'as a problem, not a positive'.

The report warned that Wandsworth's council tax 'would have to increase by

more than 230 per cent' to balance the books if urgent action was not taken.

But it pledged: 'We will not do no nothing. We will do everything possible to limit the impact on residents' bills.'

Currently the annual bill for a Band D property in the borough is the lowest in England at just £1,020, of which half goes to the council and the rest to the Greater London Authority.

The average across the country is more than twice as much at £2,392. It is thought that Wandsworth is considering hiking its share of bills next year by 160 per cent, the largest rise ever.

'We need a majority to clean up this mess'

Residents of the borough, home to fewer than 350,000 people, already pay a total of £4.7billion a year in income tax to central Government. far more than major cities such as Birmingham, with a population of 1.2million, contribute.

Wandsworth Labour leader Simon Hoge insisted: 'When Labour ran Wandsworth Council, we had the lowest council tax in the country.' The Conservative administration has brought chaos.'

1,000 UK charities hit by huge cyber attack as millions could beat risk

ONE of the biggest ever cyber-attacks on the charity sector may have been triggered by a 'huge human error'.

Up to 1,000 charities have been caught up in the hack, including Breast Cancer UK, English National Ballet and the Molly Rose Foundation.

Criminals targeted Beacon CRIX, which provides customer management software to the charity sector.

It is thought the firm mistakenly published an access key online that allowed hackers to copy its databases.

The blunder means millions of charity supporters may have seen their names and contact details stolen.

Jake Moore, of cyber-security firm ESET, said it

By Miles Dilworth and Mark Nicol

was 'a huge human error' - but Beacon has disagreed.

Victims have been advised to change their passwords and be vigilant for scam emails or texts.

Payment information has not been compromised, however - but security experts warned hackers would use stolen details to launch phishing attacks, armed with details of which charities victims have donated to.

There are fears the elderly could be vulnerable as they are often generous donors.

Beacon has 1,000 clients in the charity sector, including Girlguiding, Kidney Care UK, the British Deal Association, various NHS and animal rescue charities and

Biesma, an organisation that supports amputee veterans.

It is not yet known how many have been affected, but millions could be at risk.

Beacon has advised all its customers to assume that they may have been hacked.

Historic Buildings and Places told members the

'Elderly could be vulnerable'

stolen data may include 'your name, contact details, communication preferences, membership or donation history, Gift Aid records, event bookings, correspondence or notes relating to your relationship with us, and, for some individuals, gender and date of birth information'.

English National Ballet and the Molly Rose Foundation, an online safety charity, issued similar statements.

Beacon said it suspects it was hacked after an Amazon Web Services (AWS) access key was 'potentially exposed' AWS provides data and cloud services to millions of customers.

Alan Woodward, professor of cyber-security at Surrey University, said Beacon seemed to have published the key inadvertently as part of the code for its website.

'It should not have happened,' he said. 'It's a cock-up, to use a technical term. Normally, there are automated tools that do security sweeps to make sure that sort of thing doesn't happen.'

He added: 'It could be bigger than anything that has gone before [in the sector].'

The Met's Cyber Crime Unit and the Information Commissioner's Office are investigating the breach, which occurred between July 27 and 31.

A Beacon spokesman said it was 'swiftly contained', adding that the firm is 'committed to supporting' its customers as much as possible.

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Page 3

The children came too! Madonna with Stella, Rocco, Estere, Lourdes, Mercy... and a local cat

Corfu, what a scorcher ... it's Madonna at 68

Star marks birthday with party in the tiny village made famous by Durrells

Isla bonita: The singer with boyfriend Akeem Morris, and, above, her birthday cake

MOST 68-year-olds celebrate their birthday with a quiet dinner and an early night.

But Madonna isn't like most 68-year-olds. The 180 residents of Kouramades on Corfu must have been delighted when the Queen of Pop took over their tavern for a party and danced in the street until 2am.

She was joined by five of her six children, boyfriend Akeem Morris, 30 - and an Italian children's choir, which she had flown to the Greek island to sing for her.

Kouramades was filmed for the ITV series The Durrells, based on the book My Family

By Bethan Edwards

And Other Animals, in which naturalist Gerald Durrell describes his childhood on Corfu. Madonna blew out the candles on a heart-shaped cake and danced to the theme from 1964 film Zorba The Greek with daughters Lourdes Leon, 29, Mercy James, 20, twins Stella and Estere, 13, and her son Rocco, 26. Her son David Banda, 20, was not in images she posted online with the caption: 'It's My Birthday! Eat, Pray, Love, Drink, Dance, Break plates, Feed Cats!! Thank you G*D!'

Material twirl: Madonna and her biggest fan

Kicking up a storm: Timmy the lamb and uncle Shaun

Storm Timmy or Shaun? Cue gales of laughter

TIMMY doesn't sound like a terribly formidable name to give a storm - and Shaun might not be that much better.

But the Met Office has invited the public to choose between the two cast members from the animated TV series Shaun The Sheep.

One of them will join the national weather service's list of names for the 2026/27 season and fans have until tomorrow to choose which.

The collaboration with animation house Aardman - creator of Wallace and Gromit - is being decided in a public vote on the Met Office's social media pages.

The winner - Shaun or his cousin, Timmy the

Daily Mail Reporter

lamb - will be announced on September 1. However, it is not guaranteed storm Shaun or Timmy will ever happen. The storms are named alphabetically each season as they arrive over Britain and the furthest the Met Office has ever made it through the alphabet is L - with Storm Lilian in August 2024.

'Naming storms helps our weather warnings reach more people,' said the Met Office's Holly Clements. 'This collaboration with Aardman gives us a fantastic opportunity to engage new audiences.' More than 50,000 suggestions were

submitted for the 2025/2026 season. Stormy McStormFace was among the names which did not make the cut.

The Met Office began naming storms in 2015 and works with Ireland's meteorological service Met Eireann and KNMI, the Dutch equivalent, to develop the annual lists.

Amy Pearson at Aardman, said: 'It's brilliant to be teaming up with the Met Office.' She added that it was a 'fun and meaningful way to connect Shaun and Timmy's world with an important public message'.

The film Shaun The Sheep: The Beast Of Mossy Bottom will be released on September 18.

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v1

Continued from Page One

their path' or 'make rude or offensive gestures'. The document also sets out that it is illegal to have sex with someone under the age of 16, adding: 'There are no exceptions to this rule. Even if they say yes, it is still illegal.'

A separate publication, also aimed at asylum seekers, tells them it is unacceptable to leave a baby alone or to 'use violence to discipline a child'.

The material has also been reproduced as a series of posters featuring comic-style illustrations, presumably to be displayed in asylum hotels and other types of migrant accommodation.

Last year there were 41,472 arrivals by small boat – most of whom went on to claim asylum – and of those 34,201 were male. The largest nationalities among Channel migrant arrivals last year were Eritreans (around 7,600), Afghans (4,800), Iranians (4,400), Sudanese (4,400) and Somalis (3,800).

There were a record 230 arrivals aboard a single dinghy last week. Other asylum seekers arrive clandestinely, such as in the backs of lorries, or claim refugee status after coming here on a visa.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip

'Completely incompatible'

said: 'Illegal and legal immigrants are coming from places and societies where attitudes towards women are completely incompatible with Western society. Too many are failing to integrate, leaving frankly backwards standards to prevail.'

'It seems like every day there is another report of an illegal immigrant raping or assaulting women and young girls here. Instead of trying to train these mainly young, male illegal immigrants to behave in a civilised way towards women, the Home Office should instead deport them.'

Reform UK's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf added: 'This is one of the most insane things I have ever seen. I cannot believe what I have just read.'

'There's endless propaganda from the Government that these men [who] have turned up on our beaches illegally over the last eight years... don't pose any meaningful threat to British women and girls. We know that is not true.'

'When Nigel Farage and other Reform figures have pointed

Disturbing: The guidance on rape and attitudes to women also appears on posters

Daily Mail COMMENT

THE Home Office's new advice booklet to asylum seekers is a stark indication of the grave threat that uncontrolled immigration poses to Britain's values and to its people.

Don't rape anyone, it says, and don't beat up your wife or other relatives. The very fact that this pamphlet has been deemed necessary is enough to chill the blood.

out the threat they pose to British women and girls, they are howled and shouted at by the political establishment.

'Well, this disgrace shows you exactly what the Government

knows.' The pamphlet, entitled Understanding Behaviours And Expectations In The UK: A Guide For Asylum Seekers, is expected to be made available in a range of languages. It also outlines how

physical violence, threats and controlling behaviour are forms of domestic abuse and amount to a serious crime.

It reads: 'This booklet will help you understand what is expected of you when living in the UK.'

The booklet goes on to explain that men and women in the UK have equal rights and that women are allowed to 'work and earn their own money', study, travel freely, and 'make their own decisions about their lives', including whether to marry.

It adds that a husband, father or brother should never stop a woman from working or studying; control what she wears or where she goes; stop her seeing family or friends; or make decisions for her without her agreement. The

document also warns that it is a crime to take sexual images of someone without their consent.

A separate document Keeping Children Safe In The UK, sets out that 'babies and toddlers must never be left alone'. Children should not be 'hit, smacked, shaken or hurt' and that 'not giving a child enough food, clean clothes, healthcare, or a safe place to live' amounts to neglect.

Last night a Home Office spokesman did not address the issue of why the publication was needed, instead saying: 'We expect everyone who comes to the UK to abide by our laws. If they do not, they will face consequences, including... removal from the UK.'

Comment – Page 14

Six arrivals who went on to rape

By Cameron Charters

ABDULLA AHMADI, IBRAHIM ALSHAFE AND KARIN AL-DANASURT

ABDULLA Ahmadi and Ibrahim Alshafe, both 26, along with Karin Al-Danasurt 21, were called 'entirely predatory, callous and contemptuous' by a judge for their attack on a woman on Brighton beach on October 4 last year.

At Hove Crown Court in January, Judge Christine Henson KC jailed Ahmadi, from Iran, and Alshafe, from Egypt, for 21 years for rape. Convicted murderer Al-Danasurt, 21, also from Egypt, entered Britain in 2024. He was convicted of rape for filming the attack and was locked up for 18 years.

All three were living in a Home Office hotel in Horsham, West Sussex, having crossed the Channel on small boats.

AHMAD MULAKHIL

AFGHANI Ahmad Mulakhil was jailed for 15 years in July for raping a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

Mulakhil, 23, was convicted of rape, abduction, sexual assault and taking an indecent video at Warwick Crown Court. Police said his crimes 'breached the funda-

Locked up: Abdulla Ahmadi, Ibrahim Alshafe, Karin Al-Danasurt, Ahmad Mulakhil, Sheraz Malik and Mehmet Ogur

mental values that hold our communities together'. Mulakhil arrived in Britain on a small boat in March last year and four months later attacked the girl. Jurors heard evidence that Mulakhil was laughing during the assault, which has left his victim with profound psychological harm.

SHERAZ MALIK

PAKISTANI Sheraz Malik, 28, raped an 18-year-old woman in a park in Nottinghamshire in June last year. He was jailed two months ago at Birmingham Crown

Court for ten years after falsely claiming the sex was consensual.

Judge Simon Ash KC said Malik targeted a 'particularly vulnerable' woman.

During the attack Malik called the victim a 'slut' and punched her in her face while she tried to resist him.

His trial heard he arrived in Britain a year before he committed the rape.

MEHMET OGUR

TURK Mehmet Ogur, 27, was jailed for seven years for raping an 18-year-old

woman in a park in Tamworth, Staffordshire, last January. He had arrived in Britain just weeks before.

His trial heard how his victim screamed at him and begged him to stop. In January his victim read a statement out at Stafford Crown Court, in which she asked Ogur: 'Why me, why did you choose me to completely destroy when all I did was show kindness and empathy towards you?'

Sachan Gautam, of the CPS, said: 'His behaviour escalated from unwanted advances to a violent and traumatic rape.'

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SLIP

Page 5

By Rebecca Camber and Gethin Hicks

HARRY and Meghan will return to the UK within days, six years after ditching the Royal Family for America, it was reported last night.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex intend to move back by the end of August to a private, non-royal home outside London.

Their children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, have been enrolled to start at British schools in September.

It is not believed that the pair plan to resume life as working royals, but the move will spark speculation that could be on the cards.

King Charles was only informed by his son on Sunday that he plans to move back to the UK later this month. The Prince and Princess of Wales have also been informed of the move.

The whole Sussex family visited the King at Highgrove in July, but the relocation to the UK was not brought up, it is understood.

It is believed that while Charles 'welcomes' the chance to see Harry and his family in a private and personal capacity, he is clear that there will be 'no alteration' to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's role and status as private individuals and non-working members of the Royal Family.

This is in keeping with their 'clearly expressed wishes and agreement over past years'.

Sources stressed last night there is no 'half in, half out' option. But this does not address questions of whether they could return to the royal fold on a full-time basis, should they be willing to give up their commercial endeavours.

News that they plan to move back to Britain and enrol their children in English schools suggests the couple accept their grand plans to conquer America have failed.

After meeting on a blind date organised by a mutual friend, Harry and Meghan went public with their relationship in November 2016. A year later, the actress had moved to London and they were engaged. Right from the off-

'Fled across the Atlantic'

the Prince took issue with what he considered Meghan's unfair treatment by the British public and the Press.

Harry's fury led to the launch in 2019 of his doomed lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail, Associated Newspapers, which was last month blown to pieces.

Claiming they could take it no longer, the couple announced in 2020 their plans to 'step back' as senior royals – and they fled across the Atlantic to Meghan's native California.

A rift with the Royal Family grew when Harry railed against the removal of his taxpayer-funded security detail, even launching legal action against the Government – which ended in failure at the High Court.

Archie was born in the UK, and they had Lilibet in 2021 after moving.

In need of an income, the couple turned their hands to new ventures – with varying degrees of success.

Harry published his bombshell memoir Spare in 2023, which levelled accusations at his family back in England, and the couple kicked off their partnership with Netflix with a series about the Invictus Games.

A partnership with Spotify came and went, before Meghan partnered with Netflix last year for her With Love, Meghan series.

The partnership dramatically fell to pieces earlier this year.

Meghan has been in hot water

Archie and Lilibet 'are enrolled to start school in Britain next month'

Happy returns? The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their children Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five

this week after American TV personality Martha Stewart claimed the Duchess had been sharing details at a dinner party about her meeting with King Charles at Highgrove in July.

It was the first time in four years that the King had seen Meghan and his two grandchildren, but the couple were understood to have agreed not to discuss it.

But Meghan and her camp flatly denied Ms Stewart's version of events – insisting she 'must have been confused' because the pair were not seated near one another.

The Duchess of Sussex dramatically broke away from her deal with Netflix in March.

After the streaming giant commissioned a new season of her

show With Love, Meghan, they cut a deal whereby Netflix owned a stake in her As Ever brand – her creative outlet for jams, wines and sprinkles.

But this abruptly crumbled when the show was axed, and two months later the partnership was torn up.

An insider said this week that Meghan and Harry disagreed

over how to proceed with the Royal Family. They told Closer magazine: 'The root problem is that their goals are at odds. In order to please the royals, the best approach is to take a very low-key, very guarded approach to anything public-facing.

'But, to promote her brand, Meghan is required to do the total opposite.'

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Page 6

So much for a cost

Pressure on PM to water down Net Zero pledges as inflation jumps and energy bills forecast to hit 3-year high

By John-Paul Ford Rojas Deputy Business Editor

ENERGY bills are set to climb to a three-year high this autumn.

It is a 'warning shot' for Andy Burnham, given his pledge to bring down the cost of living as inflation jumped yesterday, fuelled by a rise in energy.

Official figures revealed soaring bills are already piling the pain on to consumers – with inflation climbing from 2.6 per cent in June to 2.9 per cent in July.

Following last month's 13 per cent rise in the energy price cap, experts predicted it will jump by a further 4 per cent from October.

It will put further pressure on the Prime Minister to water down Labour's Net Zero dogma at a time when critics say hard-pressed consumers and businesses can ill afford to pay for it.

The figures illustrate the challenge facing Mr Burnham, who has said he wants to tackle the cost of living and give households more 'breathing space'.

A new forecast from consultants Cornwall Insight predicted energy bills will rise in October as ongoing uncertainty over the Iran war pushes up global prices.

The increase would send typical bills to £1,941 a year, or £1,729 under new assumptions by regulator Olgem about the amount of energy households are using.

It would represent the highest level of tariffs per unit of energy since July 2023. That is despite Mr Burnham's decision to remove VAT from fuel bills from October to ease pressure on households.

It comes as Labour continues to pursue a costly transition to renewable energy and a ban on new North Sea drilling.

Tory business spokesman Andrew Griffith said: 'Rising inflation, with predictions of higher energy prices yet to come, underlines the need for a more prag-

Customers go cool on heat pump installations

TAKE-UP of heat pumps has dropped by nearly a fifth, figures show.

Installations of small-scale renewables on homes and small businesses had a record start to this year, driven by surging interest in solar panels and batteries.

But while overall installations of certified renewables were up 17 per cent in the first half of this year compared to

Daily Mail Reporter

the same period last year, the number of new heat pumps being installed was down 17 per cent, figures from certification body MCS show. Some 210,000 small-scale certified renewables were installed from January to June this year. But installations of air source heat pumps dropped to less than 25,000.

matic approach to Net Zero to spare households even more of a squeeze on costs.'

Craig Lowrey, principal consultant at Cornwall Insight, said: 'With winter approaching, this latest hike will hit struggling households especially hard. While temporary relief like VAT cuts help soften the blow, they don't touch the underlying fact that Britain is heavily dependent on imports of natural gas. As long as we're exposed to

take a more flexible approach to Net Zero than predecessor Ed Miliband to keep bills affordable.

Mr Lowrey said: 'While greater energy independence should help protect consumers from these kinds of price rises in the future, the costs of delivering the transition are often felt hardest by those who can least afford it.

'The minister's true challenge will be achieving long-term energy security without overburdening vulnerable households today.'

David Whitehouse, chief executive of Offshore Energies UK, the trade body representing North Sea oil and gas producers, underlined the importance of the industry, which is expected to contribute £5billion in taxes this year.

That could potentially be used to take £200 each off the bills of 24 million homes on dual fuel tariffs, he said – as long as the beleaguered industry, which is being crushed by high taxes, is allowed to continue operating.

Chancellor John Healey said: 'Iran war inflation continues to impact prices here at home, but Britain's economy is resilient.'

Comment – Page 14

'A warning shot for Burnham'

global markets, the risk of these price shocks will remain.'

Scott Gardner, investment strategist at JP Morgan Personal Investing, said that while the latest rise in inflation has been expected, it marked a clear reversal from previous months when the headline rate was falling.

He added: 'This rebound in UK inflation is a warning shot for what could come next.'

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahn-bulleh has hinted that she could

A price to pay: Prime Minister Andy Burnham with the Housing

Rail fares could rocket by 4.2%

RAIL passengers face a potentially punishing fares increase of more than 4 per cent from March next year.

It means that an annual season ticket from Brighton to London – before travel on the London Underground is included – would rise by £219 to £5,423.

A first ticket for travel two days a week over a year from Leeds to Manchester would increase by £19.35 to £3,754.95, too.

Sir Keir Starmer's government froze regulated fares this year, but Andy Burnham has yet to confirm if he will also impose a freeze.

If he does not, any rise in 2027 would be based on the Retail Price Index (RPI) measure

Daily Mail Reporter

of inflation up to last month. The Office for National Statistics announced yesterday that RPI rose 3.2 per cent in the 12 months to July 2026. Last year's 4.6 per cent cap was one percentage point above RPI in July 2024. If that formula is used to set next year's rise, the cost of train travel will jump by 4.2 per cent.

About 45 per cent of fares on Britain's railways are regulated by Westminster, and the Scottish and Welsh governments.

Regulated fares include season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak

return tickets on long-distance routes and flexible tickets for travel around major cities. Unregulated fares are set by the train operators, but the increases in these are expected to be similar.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: 'We are working to make transport affordable for everyone.

'The rail fares freeze is giving millions of people breathing space on their travel costs and is expected to save passengers on some of the busiest routes more than £300 a year.

'No decision has been made on fares after the freeze ends and we are looking at all options carefully.'

'A single to Waterloo? Do you want to pay in 12 or 24 monthly installments?'

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Page 7

of living crusade

Tories would scrap Labour plan to ban new diesel lorries

Secretary Angela Rayner in Newcastle upon Tyne yesterday

By Claire Ellicott Whitehall Editor

LABOUR'S Net Zero ban on new HGVs would be scrapped under the Tories to stop the cost of goods and inflation spiralling.

Kemi Badenoch's party vowed to reverse the Government's 'ideological' plans to phase out diesel trucks and lorries in favour of electric vehicles if they return to power.

The party claims the plans would have a 'devastating' impact on the cost of transporting food and other essential goods.

It came as the Tories branded Andy Burnham 'too chicken' to approve drilling in two oil and gas fields in the North Sea.

Their policy would scrap a 2040 ban on new heavy goods vehicles that produce emissions and an interim 2035 ban on smaller lorries. The Tories also vowed to abolish grants that discount electric vans and trucks, freeing up £877million of funding allocated for such purchases up to 2030.

Tory transport spokesman Richard Holden said banning diesel lorries would increase the cost of transporting food and produce around the UK.

'Britain's hauliers keep our shelves stocked and our economy moving. Just as drivers should be able to choose the car that works for them, businesses should be able to choose the truck that works for them,' he said.

'Labour are spending £877million of taxpayers' money chasing targets they plainly cannot meet.'

'Their blinkered eco zealotry risks imposing huge costs on

Critical: Claire Coutinho

hauliers operating on wafer-thin margins, which will ultimately be paid by families at the checkout.'

And Tory energy spokesman Claire Coutinho yesterday criticised the Prime Minister for not having made a decision to approve drilling in Scottish oil and gas fields Jackdaw and Rosebank.

Mr Burnham is due to decide whether to give the sites the green light after a consultation on new drilling closed on Monday. Reports suggest he is likely to approve Jackdaw but may not grant per-

mission for Rosebank after opposition from Labour MPs.

Rosebank is the largest untapped oil field in the North Sea. The Government is expected to make a decision next month.

But Ms Coutinho accused the Prime Minister of 'shirking decisions' as she made the case for her party ditching plans for Net Zero.

She said: 'I actually think this is worse than the Ed Miliband position because Andy Burnham knows that it's right to sign off those two fields - he's just too chicken to do it.'

'And the truth is, the gas that you get from the North Sea has far fewer emissions than the gas that you import from overseas. So it's actually better for climate, for us, to use our own.' She has backed

'Actually better for the climate'

plans to end Labour's focus on Net Zero in favour of affordable energy, which she said would save families £540 a year by 2050. She cited analysis by think-tank Onward which suggests that slowing the shift to renewable energy in favour of gas and nuclear will lower energy bills.

The commitments under Mrs Badenoch mark a departure from previous Tory policies.

Theresa May introduced the policy of meeting Net Zero - which requires the amount of greenhouse gases being produced to be balanced against that being removed - in 2019.

Commitments to ban emission-producing HGVs were introduced under Boris Johnson in 2021 to help the UK reach Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Rayner raked in extra £170,000 as backbencher

ANGELA Rayner raked in tens of thousands of pounds from speaking engagements while she was out of government.

The register of MPs' interests shows she made nearly £90,000 from public talks between February and June.

Ms Rayner also received £76,500 as an advance on her forthcoming book and £2,400 for hosting a radio phone-in show - raking in almost £170,000 overall.

Her earnings came while she was out of the Cabinet after being forced to resign as Housing Secretary in September last year. It followed her tearful admission that she failed to pay £40,000 in stamp duty on the purchase of an £800,000 flat in Hove, East

By Greg Heffer

Sussex. She returned to her former role last month following Andy Burnham's crowning as Prime Minister.

Ms Rayner, the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, defended herself from suggestions of hypocrisy yesterday after she previously said MPs shouldn't have second jobs.

In 2023 Ms Rayner responded to scrutiny surrounding MPs' earnings from outside their parliamentary role, posting on social media: 'Being an MP isn't a second job. It is the job. Labour will put an end to this racket.'

Asked about her recent extra-curricular earnings from speaking engagements and

whether she should have focused on her constituents in that time, Ms Rayner told Sky News: 'Well, I was focusing on my constituents during that time.'

'There was, I think, around six engagements in 12 months for a couple of hours, and that's all declared appropriately. I don't consider that to have been a second job.'

I've been very clear on making sure that everything that I do is for the people of Ashton-under-Lyne and the country to support changing the frustration that they feel that government isn't working for them,' she added.

'That's why I'm incredibly honoured to be back in government and to be driving

these changes forward. So that we can build the homes people desperately need and that we can end the homelessness and the rough sleeping that we're seeing that's across the country at the moment. And that's been my focus.'

Ms Rayner lashed out at MPs' 'shameful' outside earnings in 2023 following a 'sting' operation by the campaign group Led By Donkeys. Undercover footage revealed former Tory ministers Matt Hancock and Kwasi Kwarteng agreed to work for a fake South Korean company for £10,000 a day.

MPs are allowed to have second jobs and there is no suggestion of parliamentary rule-breaking.

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Page 8

Nigel urged to pick a side after Reform infighting intensifies

By Christian Calgle Senior Political Correspondent-at-Large

NIGEL Farage has been warned he must choose between opposing factions as Reform's latest civil war showed no sign of abating yesterday.

With Mr Farage on holiday following the Clacton by-election, his party was branded a 'circus' by one insider following the fallout from a row over a senior member's suspension.

Tim Montgomerie, a well-known political commentator in Westminster, was booted out this week after branding Zia Yusuf 'a child' during a podcast.

Mr Montgomerie rebuked prolific tweeter Mr Yusuf, Reform's home affairs spokesman, for 'intemperate' use of social media, and warned: 'A lot of people are on not-speaking terms with Zia, and it's nearly always Zia who initiates it. It needs to end.'

The former editor of the Conservative Home website, who

Internal division: Nigel Farage, Tim Montgomerie and Zia Yusuf

served as an adviser to Boris Johnson in Downing Street, was swiftly suspended by Reform, sparking fresh claims of civil war. Mr Montgomerie suggested that Mr Farage knew nothing of his sudden fall from grace.

While some in Reform yesterday insisted that ousting Mr Montgomerie was merely a sign

of 'growing pains', others backed him and warned that Mr Yusuf was making enemies in the party. One top insider told the Daily Mail: 'All the MPs hate him, no one likes him. Unfortunately the ringmaster is on holiday, so the circus seems to be run by the chief clown, Zia Yusuf.'

Another source said: 'There is a

group in and around Zia who want rid of (Mr Montgomerie), and another group who are strong supporters. Nigel's caught in the middle of a party that is not a happy ship at the moment.'

'A party that knows where it's going — momentum and direction-wise — wouldn't engage in this sort of thing.'

Mr Yusuf has proved to be one of the most controversial Reform politicians since he joined as its largest donor in the run-up to the 2025 general election. Last week,

Not a happy ship at the moment

he caused fury after branding former defence secretary and ex-soldier Ben Wallace a 'traitor to Britain', just weeks after accusing other parties of endangering Reform politicians by using inflammatory language.

Mr Yusuf quit as Reform chairman in June 2025 in a row over a call for burkas to be banned. But he was coaxed back by Mr Farage and put in charge of party policy.

Reform sources suggested last

night that the row between Mr Yusuf and Mr Montgomerie reflected a debate about how it should fight the next election.

Mr Yusuf is popular among hardline members, but internally others worry he will put off voters in Middle England whom Mr Farage will need to get into No10.

One insider said Mr Yusuf was 'pandering to the base, and that's not going to win us the next election. Nigel's going to have to choose between Zia and Tim'.

Another added: 'We've got a core vote of 20-22 per cent. If we're disciplined and coherent and go for Middle England rather than Restore voters, we could be incredibly competitive.'

An ally of Mr Yusuf defended him, insisting: 'We're an anti-establishment party. We do have to hate people in government.'

'You can't read too much into Zia. If he gets angry on Twitter, he gets angry on Twitter. He doesn't do cryptic — if he doesn't like you he'll tell you.'

'Tim is just nothing.' Mr Montgomerie is reportedly meeting party chairman Lee Anderson next week to discuss his appeal against suspension.

COMMENTARY by Dan Hodges

IN the mid-1980s, Derek Hatton, the sharp-suited Trotskyite leader of Liverpool's Militant Tendency, rose to national prominence. The Merseyside council he administered with an iron fist had become a symbol of Labour's ideological lunacy.

Under his slogan 'Better to break the law than break the poor', he effectively bankrupted the once-great city.

But there was one odd thing about Hatton and his despotic rule — he wasn't actually in charge of Liverpool City Council, but was merely its deputy leader. John Hamilton, a mild-mannered former Quaker and schoolteacher, formally ran the authority, but found himself brutally shunted aside by both Hatton and history.

I've been reminded of Hatton and his anarchic appropriation of power as I've seen the mayhem descending on Reform. On Monday, Tim Montgomerie, a former Downing Street adviser to Boris Johnson and defector to the party, broke cover in the media to criticise Zia Yusuf, Reform's self-styled 'Shadow Home Secretary'.

According to Montgomerie, Yusuf is 'not a team player'. When Montgomerie had helped broker the defection of Robert Jenrick to Reform, Yusuf had refused to talk to him for three months. Yusuf was prone to acting 'like a child', he charged.

Though punchy, Montgomerie was simply articulating what many senior members of Reform also believe. In any case, he has no formal leadership role and is entitled to express his views as freely as any other ordinary party member.

But Yusuf does not tolerate dissent. So before the full interview was broadcast, Montgomerie was suspended. Reform was supposed to be shifting the media's focus to its welfare policy and away from its internal funding and continuing questions about Nigel Farage's undeclared £5million gift from Thailand-based crypto-entrepreneur Christopher Harborne. Yet in a

Farage's authority over his party is under threat — from a man who should be his great champion

predictable turn of events, in suspending Montgomerie it has found itself condemned across the political spectrum for its 'snowflake-like' attitude to criticism.

For his part, the political commentator, who created the Conservative Home website and co-founded the Centre for Social Justice think-tank, refused to be silenced — and began a tour of broadcast studios in which he doubled down on his views. 'I am going to fight this suspension,' he declared. 'I want to stay in Reform. I didn't leave the Conservative Party lightly.'

Opinion in Reform is split. Some insiders support his suspension, a number are opposed. But one voice has been conspicuously silent. That of Nigel Farage.

The official line from Reform is that he has taken a holiday following the Clacton by-election — although the timing is bizarre, given that he vanished on election night before the result was officially declared, and it was only a few days ago that Reform was lambasting Andy Burnham for taking his own summer break.

Regardless, one thing is becoming clear. Zia Yusuf is now starting to reshape Reform in his own image. And Farage, the putative party leader, seems unwilling or unable to do anything about it. The evidence of Yusuf's growing power is everywhere. Last week, it was announced that a

man called Jaymey McIvor had been elevated to a senior role managing the party's election candidates. This raised eyebrows because McIvor had been expelled from the Tory party for allegedly sending inappropriate photos of his 'private parts' to a colleague, which he denies. But according to Reform insiders, McIvor, a former Virgin air steward, is a close ally of Yusuf's. 'Jaymey is very pro-Zia,' one person told me. 'But giving him the plum job of selecting parliamentary candidates is odd.'

THEN there is Yusuf's fanatical hostility to Reform opponents outside and inside the party. Last week he was publicly censured by Farage for calling former Tory defence secretary and Scots Guards officer Ben Wallace a 'traitor' for his role in secretly bringing thousands of Afghans to Britain during the last Tory government.

On Tuesday, Yusuf tweeted: 'Have you noticed the people with 'Right Honourable' in their titles are among the most dishonourable people in the country?' This was widely perceived to be a thinly veiled dip at Jenrick, with whom he has a feud.

This antipathy is in turn having a direct influence over Reform's overall political

strategy. According to another Reform insider: 'During the past couple of months there has been some discussion inside the party about whether we should try to explore some sort of deal with Kemi Badenoch and the Tories if that's what it takes to stop Labour.' Several Reform leaders back the idea. But Yusuf is passionately opposed. 'He hates the Tories more than he hates Labour,' the source added.

And then there is Yusuf's growing grip on Reform's communications strategy. This summer it began to adopt a more vicious and aggressive tone towards its rivals. This sits at odds with Farage's previously upbeat, optimistic, happy-go-lucky brand. According to a third Reform source, it is again primarily down to Yusuf: 'He's out of control. He just does his own thing. He doesn't consult anyone,' they insisted.

As a result, Farage is slowly but surely losing control himself. In the wake of the outrage at Yusuf's Wallace smear, Farage pledged to 'give him a ticking-off.' But if he did, it had zero impact. The offending tweets remained in place. And there was no apology or contrition from 39-year-old Yusuf, a former investment banker who sold his 'luxury concierge' company, Velocity Black, for £233million in 2023.

Over the weekend it was reported that Farage was coming close to dumping his increasingly power-crazed de facto deputy. But some Reform insiders are openly questioning whether he has the power to do so. 'The problem is Zia knows where all the bodies are buried,' one told me, 'and because of that, Nigel is very, very reluctant to move against him.'

That reluctance may be justified — however the political reality is that Farage has no choice. His authority over his party is indeed being challenged. Not by relatively minor figures like Montgomerie, but from one of his most senior spokesmen.

The chaos inside Reform is unsustainable. Zia Yusuf is running amok, putting in place his own leadership team, establishing an independent media 'grid' to deal with the Press and pursuing his own political strategy. Reform is supposed to look like a government in waiting. Instead it looks like a rabble.

On Farage will have to act quickly because once a political underling gets a taste for power, they will not easily relinquish it. As poor John Hamilton found out in Liverpool all those years ago.

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Page 9

On set: Joking with Bradley Cooper

Why Margot really is the heist of fashion

THERE was no getaway car in sight – but Margot Robbie already looked set to steal the show as she filmed the prequel to Ocean's Eleven in Paris.

The Barbie star, 36, harked back to the Sixties in an off-white mini dress, chic black hat and quilted Chanel bag as the cameras rolled for the as-yet untitled heist movie.

And she shared a joke yesterday with co-star Bradley Cooper, who is also writer and director. The American Sniper

By Dominique Hines

actor, 51, wore a powder-blue polo shirt and grey trousers.

While the prequel's plot is largely under wraps, Ms Robbie has suggested the pair will star as the parents of professional thief Danny Ocean, played by George Clooney in the 2001 version and Frank Sinatra in the 1960 original. 'You'll see them pulling off an epic heist at the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix,' she told CinemaCon in April.

Vaccine 'stopped spread of cancer' in landmark trial

A NEW personalised cancer vaccine stops the disease from spreading, a major trial has found.

The experimental jab was given to patients with skin cancer melanoma, which kills more than 2,000 Britons every year.

Its makers Moderna and Merck revealed it has been successful during trials, sending shares skywards.

The vaccine helps the immune system recognise cancer cells and respond better to treatment, raising hopes such tailor-made treatments could benefit thousands.

The trial involved 1,000 patients with high-risk melanoma – the deadliest type of skin cancer – who had already undergone surgery. It was given alongside Keytruda, an immunotherapy drug prescribed by the NHS for a dozen types of cancer.

The companies say the combination – compared with Keytruda alone – significantly extended the time patients remained cancer-free, while reducing the risk of the disease spreading elsewhere.

Results from the final-stage trial have not yet been published, with details to be released this year.

Findings from a smaller trial earlier this year showed adding the vaccine Intsimeran to standard immunotherapy treatment can slash the risk of recurrence or death by 49 per cent.

By Meike Leonard

Moderna chief executive Stephane Bancel called the latest findings 'a pivotal moment for the field of cancer research'. He added: 'For many years, the idea of creating an mRNA [a molecule used as the body's genetic messenger] treatment designed specifically for an individual patient's cancer was aspirational. We are now helping turn that vision into a reality.'

The vaccine uses mRNA – the same technology used by the Pfizer and Moderna Covid jabs. Unlike conventional vaccines, which are designed to prevent infection, the new treat-

'Could be available from next year'

ment is made individually for each person. Tumour samples removed from patients are used to identify specific cancer cell mutations, which are then encoded into mRNA.

Once injected back into the body, engineered mRNA strands teach the immune system to recognise and attack any remaining tumour cells.

Shares in Moderna soared yesterday by more than 150 per cent in New York following the announcement. More than 20,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with mela-

noma every year – with numbers expected to climb by more than 25 per cent by 2040.

Half of those with the disease will die within a year if it is diagnosed at stage 4, when it has already spread throughout the body.

Alongside melanoma, the pharmaceutical giants are testing similar personalised vaccines for bladder cancer, kidney cancer and non-small-cell lung cancer.

If regulators approve the treatment, Moderna says it hopes it could reach patients next year.

But questions over the extent of the benefit provided by the vaccine, its side-effects and the cost and complexity of manufacturing personalised doses at scale still remain.

Dr Lennard Lee, associate professor at the University of Oxford and senior national clinical adviser on cancer vaccines, yesterday called the findings 'significant'.

'This is the first positive phase three trial of an individualised neoantigen therapy and an mRNA-based cancer treatment,' he said.

'That makes this an important moment for a field scientists have been working towards for many years. Within six years of the pandemic, we have mRNA vaccines to treat cancer.

'We should now look forward to seeing the complete data.'

City & Finance – Page 61

Sixties chic: Margot Robbie in Paris yesterday

All the right notes: Trombone fans Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise

Trombones slide out of favour with children

TO children, the trombone's chief appeal is sounding as if it's blowing raspberries – which may partly explain its unpopularity among more serious young musicians.

In fact, the instrument is now in danger of sliding out of favour altogether, with just 5 per cent of youngsters playing it.

The prospects of the French horn are even worse – it is said to be 'endangered', with just 3 per cent of budding musicians taking it up, a poll revealed yesterday.

The piano, guitar and drums are the

Daily Mail Reporter

most popular choices for pupils learning an instrument, research by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) warns.

In a survey of 2,000 parents, 35 per cent of their children played the piano, 28 per cent were learning the guitar and 22 per cent were drummers.

Orchestral instruments such as the violin and trumpet, plus the recorder, are becoming more popular, too. Although

there has been a 25.6 per cent fall in music GCSE entries in England since 2010, the trend appears to be reversing, with entries increasing by 6.1 per cent across the UK in 2025 following an 8.7 per cent rise in 2024.

But 94 per cent of parents believe more could be done to encourage children to engage with classical music. RPO managing director Sarah Bardwell said: 'While it is heartening to see a rise in GCSE uptake, more needs to be done to safeguard the musicians and audiences of tomorrow.'

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Page 10

Child vapers ‘more likely to suffer from depression and breathing problems’

By Claran Foreman

CHILDREN who vape are more likely to suffer breathing problems, poor mental health and a host of other health issues, a major review has found.

Experts warned vaping is a ‘gateway’ to smoking tobacco and ‘should not be seen as a harmless part of growing up’.

Doctors from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) examined all published studies on vaping among young people. They are now urging ministers to ‘go further’ than the curbs proposed in the Tobacco and Vapes Act.

Some 5.5million people, including nearly a million 11 to 17-year-olds, are thought to vape – with experts warning that colourful packaging and sweet flavours have helped entice youngsters.

The RCPCH analysed 81 studies examining the health and social effects of vaping among young

people. It was associated with respiratory problems including wheezing and coughing, anxiety, depression and panic disorders.

The analysis also found links to sleep problems, eye conditions and oral health problems such as inflammation, ulcers and dry mouth. There was evidence of

harm in babies whose mothers vaped while pregnant, too, including ‘more abnormal reflexes’, ‘lower motor maturity’, poorer self-regulation and higher risks of low weight gain.

Publishing their findings in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, the doctors wrote: ‘There is strong evidence... that vaping predicts and increases the risk of

‘Government must go further’

subsequent cigarette initiation among young people who have never smoked.

‘There is consistent evidence... that young people who vape report higher rates of cough, wheeze and other respiratory symptoms than non-vapers.’

They added: ‘There is evidence emerging for a wider range of likely health harms impacting specifically on CYP (children and young people) including mental health, oral and dental health, allergies, sleep, eye symptoms

and adverse perinatal outcomes for babies exposed to nicotine during gestation.’

It comes after the number of people who vape in Britain overtook the number who smoke cigarettes for the first time last year, at 5.5 and 4.9million respectively.

In July, the Government announced plans for plain packaging and rules forcing manufacturers to replace enticing flavour names inspired by sweets, desserts and alcohol with simple descriptions such as ‘apple’.

Professor Will Carroll, co-author of the review, said: ‘Vaping should not be seen as a harmless part of growing up.

‘As paediatricians, we call on the Government to go further and limit the types of flavours available, as opposed to just their descriptions.’

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: ‘Children should never vape...

‘We have already banned single-use vapes and have legislated to ban advertising and sponsorship from next year too.’

20,000 foreign criminals now out of jail – but not deported

By David Churchill

THE number of foreign offenders still living in Britain despite being earmarked for deportation has surged nearly 10 per cent to a record high since Labour came to power, according to a study.

Some 18,000 awaiting deportation were living freely in the community after serving their sentence when Labour was elected in July 2024.

But this has jumped to nearly 20,000 during the first quarter of this year, says the Migration Observatory, part of the University of Oxford.

The number of foreign offenders being returned to their country of origin was just 5,858 in the year to March 2026.

Experts said the first early release scheme under Labour in September 2024 – when thousands of offenders were let out of prison early to tackle overcrowding – had fuelled the backlog.

It is feared the number could surge further this October when more offenders will be let out early.

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Page 11

French civil servant is accused of drugging 250 women to make them wet themselves

By Olivia Alhusen

A CIVIL servant in France allegedly drugged as many as 250 women's drinks because he liked to see them wet themselves.

Victims claim Christian Negre spiked the drinks with a powerful diuretic during interviews before taking them to places where there were no toilets and waiting for them to lose control of their bladders.

Anais de Vos, 42, has claimed she was drugged while being interviewed for a job at France's ministry of culture in Paris in July 2011. She said she did not usually drink coffee but accepted one after it was offered to her by Negre, a senior civil servant who was conducting the interview.

Ms de Vos, 27 at the time, said he made the drink himself before suggesting they continue the meeting outside.

But as they walked through the streets of Paris, Ms de Vos began to feel weak and developed an uncontrollable urge to urinate.

'I was really weak. I couldn't really feel my legs any more,' she said. 'I was scared.'

Ms de Vos said she told Negre she urgently needed to find a toi-

'I felt like a child. It was weird'

let, but claimed he appeared to take pleasure in her distress.

She said: 'He looked me right in the eye and said, 'Oh, do you need a wee?' I felt like a child. It was really weird the way he looked at me, almost gleeful.'

She claims Negre then directed her towards a cupboard beneath a bridge on the River Seine and told her: 'You can do it here.'

Ms de Vos is one of nearly 250 women who claim to have been drugged by Negre between 2009 and 2018.

Police are thought to have uncovered a spreadsheet labelled 'experiments' on Negre's computer, allegedly detailing dates, doses and the reactions of women who were applying for ministry jobs.

The document reportedly noted the time the women arrived for their interviews, when the diuretic was administered, how long it took before they urinated and what kind of underwear they were wearing.

Many reported trembling, dizziness, humiliation and, in several cases, wetting themselves or being forced to urinate in public.

Ms de Vos told BBC Global Women she became increasingly alarmed and refused to enter the

Humiliated: Anais de Vos says her coffee was spiked. Right, alleged victim Marie-Helene Bricem

cupboard, fearing Negre could push her inside and close the door behind her.

The pair instead walked to the Louvre to use the toilets, but Ms de Vos had left her purse at the ministry's offices and Negre allegedly claimed he had no money to pay the one euro charge.

In pain from trying to hold on, she eventually found a cafe which allowed her to use its toilet. But by the time she reached it, she lost control of her bladder.

She did not get the job, and has remained baffled and suspicious about the encounter.

She received a letter from police in 2019 and was told investigators suspected she was among almost 200 women Negre was accused of drugging during job interviews, purportedly for roles at the ministry.

Dozens more alleged victims have since emerged who believe they were subjected to chemical submission – where drugs are

used to gain control over another person. Police believed Negre used diuretics, which can be prescribed for conditions including high blood pressure but triggers the urge to urinate more often.

Negre, who is in his 60s, is now under formal investigation on charges that include drugging, invasion of privacy and sexual

'Begging to go to the toilet'

assault. He is awaiting trial. Chemical submission came to prominence in France in 2024 when Gisele Pelicot's husband was found guilty of sedating her and inviting strangers to rape her while she was unconscious.

Another of Negre's alleged victims, marketing expert Sylvie Delezenne, had travelled to Paris in 2015 believing she was on the brink of her dream job. Instead,

Accused: Christian Negre

she says she was marched around the Tuileries gardens while begging to go to the toilet.

Eventually, she was forced to crouch beside a tunnel to relieve herself as Negre 'shielded' her with his jacket – a moment she says left her devastated.

Marie-Helene Brice, another woman allegedly named in Negre's notes, was interviewed by him for a ministry of culture job in Strasbourg in 2016.

She said Negre told her she appeared stressed and suggested they walk outside to calm her nerves, but she soon had the uncontrollable need to urinate. Negre allegedly offered to shield her with his jacket, but Ms Brice said he continued watching her, leaving her deeply embarrassed.

Negre has continued to work in human resources, according to women's rights group Fondation des Femmes, which is supporting 30 of the women.

Singing Doll: K-Pop gift

Is a K-Pop doll on your child's Xmas wish list?

Daily Mail Reporter

IT MAY have been a long, hot summer, but up at the North Pole, Santa's already gearing up for Christmas.

And when it comes to toys, it appears a £300 doll's house and a singing K-Pop Demon Hunters figure may be top of children's lists this December.

According to early predictions by John Lewis, physical toys that bring families together are likely to trump tech offerings in stockings this year.

The retailer's top ten forecast includes a £24 wooden breakfast-in-bed set tapping into the 'slow living' lifestyle trend, a £39.99 'Marvin's' magic trick set and a rather pricier £299.95 Paddington doll's house by Le Toy Van.

And on the back of Netflix's hugely successful cartoon K-Pop Demon Hunters, a singing doll of key character Rumi is predicted to fly off the shelves at £34.99. A £116.95 Gruffalo Micro Scooter is also likely to be snapped up.

John Lewis's toy buyer Alan Wright said the nation was witnessing a 'great play revival', with playtime toys that 'encourage collaboration, creativity and outdoor adventure' making up nearly half of all sales in the retailer's toy department.

He added: 'Families are actively choosing connection over collection and swapping screen time for shared experiences that create lasting memories.'

Murder probe after woman dies in blaze

A MURDER inquiry has been launched after a woman died and eight others were injured in a house fire yesterday.

Emergency services were called to the property in Hounslow, west London at 1.5Sam.

Nine people were taken to hospital, where a 48-year-old woman died of her injuries.

Another woman, 40, last night remained in a 'life-threatening' condition. The other six men and one woman were discharged after being treated.

The Met Police said no arrests had been made but officers believed the fire may have been started deliberately.

DCI Neil John, leading the investigation, said: 'Our inquiries are progressing at pace.'

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Page 12

Stricken: The London to Eastbourne train derailed at Lewes last week

Track 'defect' shows up on CCTV before Lewes crash

A TRAIN derailment that injured 30 people occurred after a track appeared to buckle on the hottest day of the year, investigators say.

The defect could be seen on the CCTV of another service that passed the site of the accident near Lewes, East Sussex, two hours earlier.

An interim report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) showed images from a train at 2.04pm displaying the 'track geometry irregularity'.

By Mark Duell

Investigators also received 'several reports of rough riding' from passengers on other trains at the same location.

Preliminary analysis of the derailed train's data recorder shows it was doing 65mph as it approached the point of derailment at 3.54pm last Thursday.

About 150 people were on the eight-carriage Southern train from London Victoria to Eastbourne. Three carriages ended

on their side. Of 30 people hurt, 20 needed hospital treatment.

The RAIB full report will consider the weather conditions as well as the status of the track.

The incident occurred on the hottest day of 2026 as London temperatures hit 38.1C (100F).

But conditions have cooled this week, with Britain facing thunderstorms and flooding after some areas experienced their first rain in months.

Parched southern England finally saw downpours yesterday after more than 60 dry days.

Burnham: I may not have the cash to fulfil rough sleepers vow

CRACKS were last night already starting to appear in Andy Burnham's scheme to give all rough sleepers a bed this Christmas - as he admitted he may not have the money to pay for it.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister vowed to get them off the streets for the festive period as part of his wider plans to end homelessness altogether.

He pledged an extra £102million on top of £340million already announced, saying the scheme would be fully funded from Government coffers. The PM had

'Promise already falling apart'

also tasked mayors and councils with solving the problem. But in the first test of his bid to drain power from Westminster, Mr Burnham admitted yesterday that Government cash may not 'be enough'.

Speaking on a visit to the North East, the PM warned that 'Government money itself may not fully be enough', adding: 'We're saying to the wider community, voluntary, and faith sector. 'Come on, let's get behind this. Let's show what Britain can do when we all pull in the same direction.'

'We did it in the pandemic, we can do it again, and it's a rallying call, really, that I'm putting out there today with a lot of Government money behind it.' But Tory housing spokesman Sir James Cleverly said Mr Burnham's vow to end rough

By Sophie Church Political Reporter

sleeping was 'already falling apart' hours after his announcement. He added: 'He's been forced to admit there might not be enough money for it. And he still can't say where the cash will come from, or where the rough sleepers will be put. Once again he has made an announcement without any plan for delivery.'

And Liam Robinson, of the Local Government Association, said councils are integral to preventing homelessness, 'but need sustainable resourcing and empowerment to ensure any progress is lasting'.

Sean Matthews, chairman-elect of the County Councils Network, added: 'It's vital that these councils receive a proportionate amount of funding from today's announcement and that rough sleeping is not seen as purely a major city problem.'

The latest annual national statistics, published in February, estimated there were 4,793 people sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2025 in England. This was a new record high and the fourth annual rise in a row, with just over two in five of those sleeping rough in London and the South East.

But Housing Secretary Angela Rayner told LBC yesterday she is 'very confident' that enough accommodation can be found to get everyone off the streets by Christmas, adding: 'And working with people like Shelter, working with the charities and the faith sector, working with local authorities, I believe we can do it.' The Government refused to respond to a request for comment.

Comment - Page 14

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SLIP

Page 13

Trip to the seaside that ended in tragedy and left a little girl of six with no parents or sister

By Inderdeep Bains and Vivek Chaudhary

A FATHER, mother and their teenage daughter died after a day trip to the seaside turned to tragedy.

Hassan El-Khawas, 55, his wife Zeina Alyan, 37, and Sarah El-Khawas, 14, got into difficulty in the water off Shoreham-by-Sea on Tuesday afternoon.

A younger daughter, Saja, who is believed to be around six, was rescued from the sea and airlifted to hospital. She was in a critical condition last night.

Two other children who were on the shore and are said to have witnessed the incident are being cared for by a relative in London.

Mr El-Khawas and his wife were Palestinian refugees who moved to Britain from a camp in Lebanon. They had travelled from their home in north-west London to the West Sussex coast for a day out with their children.

Neighbours told how Mr El-Khawas, a builder, had spoken excitedly about the trip just days earlier. Sam Olatos, who lived below the family in a block of flats in Harlesden, said that they had been in the UK for ten years.

'Hassan was a lovely man and I often saw him in the shared garden we have. I saw him a couple of days ago and he said they were going down to the seaside for a day trip,' he added. 'They were a warm, close family and what's happened is devastating.'

The Prime Minister yesterday described the incident as 'a real terrible family tragedy' as he sent the surviving relatives his 'best

'They were a warm, close family'

wishes and love'. Disaster struck soon after the family arrived at Shoreham Fort beach. Several members entered the water shortly after 2pm and quickly got into trouble.

A major rescue operation was launched involving HM Coastguard, RNLI lifeboats, ambulance crews, paramedics, rescue helicopters and police officers.

Footage from the scene showed a lifeboat rocking in the water close to the harbour, where the sea was noticeably choppy.

Police said an investigation into the incident is ongoing but, after reviewing CCTV footage and witness accounts, it is being treated as a 'tragic accident with no third-party involvement'.

Chief Superintendent James Coillis said: 'The events of Tuesday afternoon are a heartbreaking tragedy which has devastated a family and their friends and had a profound impact on the Shoreham community.'

'Our thoughts remain with the family's loved ones as we work to understand how this incident occurred.'

'The emergency response was significant, and I would like to thank all of the first responders for their determined attempts to save all four people.'

Tributes have been paid to the family, who are of Palestinian origin but lived in the Rashidieh refugee camp in southern Lebanon before moving to Britain.

'Hassan worked as a builder and was a down-to-earth guy who was always smiling and friendly,' one neighbour said. Another added:

Accident: Sarah El-Khawas, 14, died on a day trip with her parents in Shoreham

Good neighbour: Zeina Alyan

Down-to-earth: Hassan El-Khawas

Choppy: Rescue boats faced rough conditions. Right, flowers at the RNLI station

Parked: Police search a car near the beach

'We would see the children playing outside... they were good neighbours. They were nice people.'

Confirming the identities of the three who died, a spokesman for the Palestinian embassy in London said the family had become British citizens after settling here.

He added: 'The whole family is in a rough situation mentally – very, very bad.' Flowers have

been laid close to the RNLI station from where a lifeboat was launched in an attempt to rescue the family.

Sandra Ford, who lives nearby, said: 'We saw one helicopter after another, it was very loud. We couldn't believe it. We knew something was really wrong, especially when they closed the road.' She added: 'It was shock-

ing to see so many people and rescue units.'

Tom Rutland, the MP for Shoreham, said last night: 'It's too early to know exactly what happened here and exactly where the family got into difficulty in the water and what caused it, but we want to be making sure we're doing all we can to ensure people swim safely on the coastline.' During a visit to the

North East yesterday, Andy Burnham was asked if the Government needed to do more on water safety.

He replied: 'Always... the thing I can say today – and there is still, I think, a further heatwave to come this summer – is just to remind people about the dangers of open-water swimming.'

Additional reporting: Kristina Wemyss and Nick Pagge

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Page 14

Edinburgh Mail

COMMENT

Burnham leadership

absent as bills soar

EXACTLY one month to the day since Andy Burnham took over after his coup, and his core pledge to the nation is fraying. He vowed to 'pull every single lever' to help reduce the cost of living - but it has just been disclosed that inflation rose to 2.9 per cent in July.

Labour's measly cuts to VAT on household energy bills are set to be wiped out - indeed, eclipsed - by increases to the energy price cap.

Meanwhile, train fares in England could increase by more than 4 per cent next year in another shock to household budgets.

And, crucially, Mr Burnham lacks the guts to wholeheartedly back drilling for North Sea oil and gas, so cowed is he by the Net Zero zealots on the Labour backbenches and within his own Cabinet.

When, exactly, will we begin to see leadership? Serving as Prime Minister is not as easy as being a regional mayor, as Mr Burnham is discovering.

It requires a constant awareness of tone which he is yet to fully develop - witness his 'best wishes and love' remark yesterday to the relatives of a young girl who survived the tragedy at Shoreham beach.

An offer of 'sincere condolences' would have been more appropriate than his trademark chumminess.

But whoever is in charge, there is one constant within this Labour Government upon which we can always rely - its class- war spitefulness and politics of envy.

Changes to funding formulas mean cash is being stripped from well-run areas, which vote Conservative, and redirected to those with higher deprivation, which coincidentally vote Labour.

It means residents of Tory-controlled Wandsworth, in south-west London, are now facing the largest council tax hike ever seen in England.

This is what 'levelling up' means under Labour - punishing those who are efficient and assiduous in order to reward the incapable.

'Rape is wrong'

Don't rape anyone, it says, and don't beat up your wife or other relatives.

The very fact that this pamphlet has been deemed necessary is enough to chill the blood.

Setting out such basics to people who have arrived in this country by small boat or other means emphasises the chasm that exists between the behaviour and beliefs of native Britons and many of those arriving uninvited on our shores.

It would be ludicrous or laughable if it were not so horrifying.

Politically homeless

ROUGH-SLEEPING is a very visible problem but, it can be argued, may not be the most pressing facing the country today.

It would, however, be churlish to criticise Labour's plan to eradicate street homelessness, purportedly 'by Christmas'.

Ministers plan to give the largest share of support to parts of the country with the greatest need.

Factuality that means areas such as Tory- controlled Westminster - with hundreds of rough-sleepers on a typical night, the highest in the land - or the affluent City of London.

It is hoped the Government puts aside its political bias to resolve this issue, putting roofs over people's heads and helping them off the streets of our towns and cities.

Is Wall Street's 'Fear

Index' flashes red, my super-rich financier friend and so many top bankers are all saying... CIGARETTE!

OVER a frugal breakfast of coffee and croissants, a friend who last year sold his hedge fund for several hundred million dollars shared with me his doom-laden vision of the future.

He believes the timing of his disposal was impeccable - because a great reckoning is coming. It will start, he said, with a stock market crash sparked by the burst- ing of the AI bubble.

The price of shares in the chip manufacturer Nvidia have risen 20-fold since 2022. This boom has helped drive up the value of the rest of the Magnificent Seven - Google owner Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Apple and Tesla - to dizzying heights.

Gloomy

The first four are expected to spend a combined $745bil- lion on AI infrastructure just this year, more than double last year's figure, as they ramp up capital investment for fear of being left behind in the great race for a comput- ing 'superintelligence'.

The AI-tech mania has reached Shanghai where shares in Unitex - China's humanoid robot maker - soared fivefold on their trading debut yesterday.

The explosion in the value of AI firms, fuelled by their mad dash for market leader- ship, has turbocharged a rise in America's S&P 500, the stock market index that embraces every sector of the US economy: not just the tech behemoths but also banks and blue-chip brands from Coca-Cola to Disney.

These rises seem to me unsustainable - and my hedge-funder friend reckons the only safe place for savers to put their money at present is in government bonds. With gift yields - the interest paid on British bonds - now stand- ing at close to 5 per cent, they offer a healthy and suppos- edly risk-free return.

Yet the rise in gift yields is double-edged. Yes, investors can now make a better return on bonds than they could in

by Alex Brummer

the bad old days of zero per cent interest rates that followed the Great Financial Crash of 2008.

But surging yields on gov- ernments bonds - not just in Britain but in the Eurozone, America and Japan - make it far more expensive for those same governments to borrow in the international markets, in turn making the cost of ser- viving public debt ever more expensive and ultimately risk- ing a new financial crisis.

In America, the federal debt is this week expected to cross the landmark figure of $40trillion - a number more or less beyond human com- prehension - with Donald Trump's war in Iran leading to a surge in inflation and with US oil reserves dwind- ling to historic lows.

I find it hard to disagree with my financier friend's gloomy prognosis. Indeed, this paper has long feared a crash on both sides of the Atlantic; and this week, a measure known as the Shiller PE Ratio - more colloquially described as the Wall Street Fear Index - soared past the red-alert level.

This ratio measures a com- pany's share price against its average earnings over the pre- vious ten years - in doing so, hopefully smoothing out booms and recessions.

Named after Yale Universi- ty's Nobel Prize-winning econ- omist Robert Shiller, the ratio is revered today for having sig- nified the end of the dotcom bubble of 1999-2000. Fully 26 years later, it is sparking fears of another market meltdown.

After all, the speculative boom has not been confined to Silicon Valley. Even Britain's drab FTSE 100 index, light on tech stocks, has benefited. In 2025 it rose by 20 per cent, and at the end of last month was 10 per cent higher still.

Few believe this is because UK firms, under Labour's high tax regime, are booming in and of themselves. Some City fund managers, wary of a tech down- turn, counsel that London's

mix of established business, such as the big banks, pharma- central giant, arms manufac- turers and oil companies, could offer a safe haven should the AI bubble pop. Veteran investors, however, know there are few markets as unpredictable as stock exchanges.

In the run-up to the Great Crash of 1929, US investors were convinced that the only way was up. Ordinary Ameri- cans poured their hand-earned money into stock markets, only to see their savings wiped out when an economic slow- down destroyed confidence and sparked panic selling.

The contagion spread around the globe and the result was a terrible depres- sion which played no small part in ushering in the condi- tions that led to the Second World War.

This August, while the media's attention has been captured by heatwaves and wildfires, central bankers and financial firms have been grimly focused on Shiller's notorious ratio.

At the turn of the millen- nium, when dotcom mania had the markets in its grip, nothing illustrated the folly of those times more starkly than the doomed £150billion merger of the traditional media giant Time Warner with upstart internet service provider AOL. And it was the Shiller index that predicted the disaster ahead.

Contagion

Back then, the ratio hit 40 - a number beyond which any further increase in the share price is seen as unsustain- able. That figure proved right on the money, with markets across the world plunging soon afterwards.

Worryingly, history looks to be repeating itself. In each of the past four months the Shiller ratio has, at times, risen above that critical 40 level.

This harbinger of doom has not gone unnoticed by the global financial monitors.

This week, economists at the European Central Bank (ECB) noted that the rise of AI has driven a blistering rally in the tech sector last seen during the dotcom bubble.

They warned that the US stock market is close to a his- toric peak: 'A correction of current stock market valisa- tions is likely.' Put more plainly buckle up.

The ECB's economists are far from alone. Last month, a paper produced by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), Switzerland's club of central bankers, compared the current AI boom with 'the canal and railway manias of the 19th century'.

Unsustainable

The BIS, originally set up to administer reparations pay- ments after the First World War, is among the world's most respected financial insti- tutions. In 2007 and 2008 it was one of the few global bodies to warn that a 'credit crunch' precipitated by America's dysfunctional mort- gage market could bring down the world's banking system - as it very nearly proved.

Of course, AI tech could end up being so transformational that economic history will be turned on its head. It may be that Shiller's ratio is now outdated and these record- breaking highs of the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 will prove entirely justified.

But this does not appear to be the view of the world's central banks.

Having stopped buying gold earlier this year, many returned to the market this month, driving the price of bullion up to touch $4,500 an ounce yesterday, an increase of more than 10 per cent in the past three weeks. China, in particular, has been buying the previous metal for 21 consecutive months and its reserves now sit at a huge $300billion.

Gold, of course, is seen as the ultimate safe haven asset - and the fact these champions of financial proddy are putting their money into it is a sure sign that, with AI valuations sky- rocketing, they fear the worst.

My advice? Take heed of that hedge-funder's warning - and plan accordingly.

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Page 15

Close: President Trump and Natalie Harp

WHETHER sprinting around a Scottish golf course to keep up with the presidential buggy or being squashed into a car boot to ensure she didn't miss one of his court appearances, Natalie Harp has always swallowed her pride and put her devotion to Donald Trump above all else.

After all, as the former presenter of a Right-wing cable-TV news show gushed to the US President in one of her many cloying letters expressing her fealty: 'You're all that matters to me.'

The White House aide, 35, is nicknamed 'the human printer' because of her somewhat demeaning job of juggling around a portable, wireless computer printer - with battery pack and paper - wherever he goes. It's her role to keep him instantly updated with everything positive that is said or written about him, always in the hard copy he prefers.

Until now, mention of Harp's name has drawn only eye-rolling from Trump critics as an illustration of his pathological need for adulation and the lengths to which undying loyalty combined with shoulder-length (dyed) blonde hair can take an attractive young woman in his administration. The President has hardly helped matters by calling her 'sweetie' and 'that young, beautiful woman'.

Now, however, she has been thrust centre stage after an apparently chance remark by a Democrat politician raised questions about the exact relationship between the 80-year-old president and his constant companion less than half his age.

Jon Ossoff, a Georgia senator who has been touted as a potential Democrat contender for the White House in 2028, complained at a rally this week that Trump 'doesn't want to do the job [of president]', adding: 'He wants to build his [White House] ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenceless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar.'

OSSOFF was referring to the fact that Harp had recently been revealed as one of a select handful of aides who, following a Nato summit in Turkey last month, had left the aeroplane donated to Trump by the Middle Eastern state and secretly moved with him - for security reasons - to a different plane.

Ossoff later said he mentioned Harp's name because she had been described in the media as Trump's 'security blanket'. He claimed Harp, along with some others in the White House, are 'not telling him what he needs to hear - they're telling him what he wants to hear - The nation is at war - and we cannot afford that'.

However, the fury of the Trump administration's response to Ossoff's remark has fuelled speculation that the Democrat touched a raw nerve.

Asked about Ossoff's comments by CNN reporter Kristen Holmes, Trump ridiculed Ossoff and, when Holmes asked a subsequent question about North Korea, told her to 'be quiet'.

The White House later castigated Holmes on social media, telling her: 'Some day, your chil-

What is the truth about Trump and the blonde 'human printer' who's his most devoted aide?

by Tom Leonard

IN NEW YORK

dren will come across your disgusting and inhumane question.'

So who exactly is Natalie Harp - and how did she rise to such a powerful position?

She joined Trump's staff in 2022 and her devotion to the president - after many had abandoned him following the January 6 attack on the US Capitol - reportedly stunned even his closest aides.

I want to bring you joy, to feel like we can get through a day without ever having to talk 'work', she wrote in one gushing letter to her boss, revealed in the recent book Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan.

In another she described Trump as her 'Guardian and Protector in this Life', while in a third she admitted that her devotion to him was such that she would sometimes forget to eat and sleep while working for him.

Trump describes Harp as the only person who loves him as much as his wife and children. According to political journalist Alex Isenstadt, author of Revenge: The Inside Story Of Trump's Return to Power, Harp remains so determined to deliver the printed updates to Trump wherever he needs them that his wife, Melania, once found her late at night in his private quarters at

Mar-a-Lago, which was normally off-limits to staff. There was no suggestion of impropriety and the First Lady has not publicly commented on the alleged incident.

Photos of the president on duties rarely fail to capture Harp nearby, staring lovingly at him - in recent weeks, she was spotted next to him at Camp David (the president's country retreat), at his Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey and in the Oval Office.

Even before he went into politics and was a New York property developer, Trump liked to fill his office with young women who could be relied on to pamper his ego. That continued in the White House. Insiders, however, insist Harp has an influence like no one before her, often texting world leaders on her boss's behalf.

THE New York Times described the 'seldom-heard-from and syphilike woman' as 'a one-woman conduit of information operating entirely outside the usual chain of command'.

Trump chronicler Michael Wolff claims people around the president were baffled by her sudden rise before the 2024 election and, at the time, some even considered her 'dangerous' given her obvious influence over him.

'She was the most important person in his political life, and I think was then gradually becoming the most important person in his personal life, also,' said Wolff.

The White House said in response: 'Natalie Harp is one of the most loyal and hardest-working aides on President Trump's

team. Michael Wolff is a professional scumbag and serial liar with s**t for brains.'

She proved her devotion in 2023 when Trump's motorcade was setting off with him for his appearance in a New York court. There was no room for Harp in the vehicles but, following a 'screaming match' with other aides, she scrunched into the boot of one of the SUVs to ensure she was there for him.

A Christian from California, she was - according to her estranged brother Preston - homeschooled by an 'extremely conservative' mother. Preston, a self-described Communist, has called his sister's relationship with Trump 'very unhealthy'. He believes she's 'inflatable' with the president because he embodies her conviction that the US is 'the boss of the world'. Harp is unmarried and has no recorded boyfriends.

In 2019, she had come to Trump's attention after she was interviewed on Fox News. Harp claimed to be 'living proof' of the merits of his federal healthcare changes - giving Americans the right to try experimental drugs.

Trump saw the interview and recruited her to his campaign.

She addressed the 2020 Republican national convention - only a month after her father's death by suicide - where she cooed at Trump: 'I wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for you.'

Soon afterwards, she and her mother moved into an apartment in West Palm Beach, Florida, so

Harp could be close to Trump's Mar-a-Lago HQ, reportedly sleeping in the women's changing rooms at his golf club so she could remain close to him, having rejected a maid's room because it was further away.

Around the same time, she started working for the One America News Network, a Right-wing TV station accused of promoting conspiracy theories.

Enjoying the title of 'Special Assistant to the President and Executive Assistant to the President' on a salary of £110,000, Harp helps compose many of the wilder posts Trump puts on his social media platform Truth Social.

These have reportedly included reposting a racist video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, as well as an AI-generated picture of Trump as Jesus Christ.

As salacious theories continue to circulate about the pair, Trump insiders stress the president regards his aide like one of his children.

But given that in 2006 he observed of Ivanka Trump that if she were not his daughter 'perhaps I'd be dating her', that assurance may not silence the cynics.

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Page 16

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Page 17

When you visit your local town centre, do you believe all the claim crime is falling? No, men either

by Peter Hitchens

BRITAIN'S most politically correct broadcasting station, BBC Radio 4, is currently transmitting a series arguing that we're all wrong and that crime is, in fact, going down. Really? Well, so they say. A lot. Noisy trailers blare the foghorn voice of Mark Easton, who sums up his own message on anti-social media as: 'If we're serious about cutting crime, we need to accept it's fallen and work out why.'

He's not alone. This 'crime is falling' theory is widely believed among the great and the good, which might explain why our criminal justice system has become so feeble. Large numbers of politicians, Labour and Tory, have proclaimed that crime has been going down for many years now.

We, the public, have apparently got it all wrong and are having a moral panic, fuelled by delusions.

Mr Easton, after decades at the BBC, has now definitively joined the think-tank world in which such exalted beliefs guide our nation. He is a senior fellow at something high-minded called the National Centre for Social Research. He is also a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and a governor of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

How shall I put this? I think it would be unfair to call any of these bodies fiercely conservative.

What is really going on here? How can we tell? From 1898, the old Home Office collected classic crime figures - actual crimes committed, and acted upon by proper police officers. However, that long line ended in 2002. The figures you see now are gathered in a different way and cannot be compared with the old ones.

As with so many things in modern Britain, the beginning of the Blair era in 1997 signals a break in almost everything government does or says.

A new National Crime Recording Standard was introduced. And what we see now are figures of 'recorded crime'.

DR Rodger Patrick, who ended 30 years of police service as a Chief Inspector for West Midlands Constabulary, is now an academic specialising in such things.

He is filled with doubt about the figures we now see.

He says scathingly: 'They have been fiddling the figures for years and [they] are as reliable as an elastic ruler. Making sense of them is like reading tea leaves.'

Back in 2013, Parliament's Public Administration Committee examined the reliability of modern police crime statistics. Its report was entitled 'Caught Red-Handed and said there was 'strong evidence of under-recording, which was exaggerating the rate of decrease in crime.'

The Daily Mail at the time reported: 'Crime figures are routinely massaged by police desperate to show that they are making the streets safer, it was claimed yesterday. Serious offences including rape, child sex abuse, robberies and burglary are disappearing in a 'puff of smoke'. Police are accused of downgrading crimes to less serious offences

and even erasing them altogether by labelling them as accidents or errors.'

One police analyst claimed that hundreds of burglaries 'disappeared' in a matter of weeks at the Metropolitan Police after managers intervened. Police forces throughout England and Wales were found to have an 'utterly unacceptable' rate of accurately recording crime.

The then HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) estimated that almost one in five crimes were not being recorded, though how anyone can know how many crimes go unrecorded is hard to say.

The rebuke was so severe that recorded crime figures rose sharply in each of the following four years.

Actual crime probably just carried on rising as before, but how can we be sure? Years later, all is still not perfect, even in the official view.

Almost a year ago, HMIC's successor, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), said 'the percentage of overall crime the police have recorded has risen from 80.5 per cent in 2014 to 94.8 per cent in 2023' - an assertion some might possibly doubt. How can it know?

It said: 'Although the standard of crime recording has improved, there is still more to do. There is still too much dif-

ference between forces in how well they record crime.

'Some forces have set and achieve high standards; others haven't made as much progress as we would have liked. Violent crimes - such as minor assaults, harassment, stalking and controlling or coercive behaviour - still aren't being recorded well enough.'

Dr Patrick would go much further. He says the picture is being badly blurred by a new standard for recording crime, introduced in April last year.

He gives this example - a woman has her phone stolen from her bag on a train but does not see the theft. She tries to report it when she discovers it's gone, but cannot prove the phone has been stolen.

Officers, under pressure from bosses to cut crime figures, classify it as a 'loss' - and refuse to record it as a crime. Thus does crime fall, or appears to do so, in modern England.

There is another element in this. The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) is heavily relied on by many analysts when discussing crime in this country.

But again it is full of flaws. Dr Patrick describes it as 'a survey of nice people living in Riverdle - the survey group is selective and the offences covered are limited'.

For instance, it does not survey shoplifting, an alarming,

dispiriting and often frightening activity which many burglars have switched to, in the near-certainty that they will not be caught or punished and because of the ease with which it can be done.

The CSEW is also poor at giving full impact to 'anti-social behaviour', the inutist menace in the streets faced by so many, which alters lives for the worse but is hard to quantify. And it has trouble noticing huge and growing crimes, such as the possession of illegal drugs.

YOU could nowadays use a Smellometer, if such a thing existed, to detect the widespread use and possession of marijuana, a crime that is officially punishable by up to five years in prison but almost unprosecuted.

The sad truth - and it applies nowadays to exam results, unemployment and inflation figures - is that almost all politically significant statistics are fiddled or massaged in one way or another.

This has especially affected crime since the Blairites claimed to be tough on it, back in the 1997 election.

So I can't prove the ebullient Mark Easton wrong when he incessantly proclaims his happy-clappy message of falling crime. I'd need a whole government machine and several years to do that.

However, to all those who, confronted with such claims, mutter that it doesn't feel that way round where they live, I would say that there is a good chance the optimists may in fact be wrong, and your eyes and ears may be right.

Ephraim Hardcastle

DWHEN William finally proposed to Kate, he apparently tried to persuade the late Queen to break with precedent and not promote him to a dukedom. Unfortunately, Her Majesty, a stickler for tradition, declined but did allow him to choose his title from a College of Arms shortlist. Cambridge was an unexpected choice given it had been vacant since 1904 as the last duke's sons hadn't been able to inherit. Prince George, grandson of George III, had married an actress without seeking Queen Victoria's permission, leaving wife and children dispossessed.

SOURCES report that Beatrice and Eugenie have come under pressure to lay aside their royal titles voluntarily to spare the King potential awkwardness in doing it himself. Will they follow the example of their now common parents?

The last to do so as a sign of family solidarity was Queen Victoria's granddaughter Princess Patricia when she married a commoner in 1919. With George V's permission she disowned her royal titles and became simply Lady Patricia Ramsay.

Seems unlikely, though, that Andrew's daughters will follow her example. They seem to think more like their mother, who once said: 'I'm a complete aristocrat. Love that, don't you? I love it. It's tremendously fabulous.'

EXPECTING her fourth child, Vogue Williams, 40, bawls that husband Spencer Matthews, 38, has lost interest in her sexually. Confiding to her podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me, she wails:

'Last night I shouted: 'What's wrong? Which bit of me do you not fancy?' I think our fun times are over, if you get me. I'm too pregnant now. I don't think Sperany fancies me any more. Vogue, pictured above, plaintively asks: 'Is it because the Botox has worn out?'

GRUMPY cook Marco Pierre White, recalling his two Michelin star triumph at his first eaterie, Harveys, claims that renowned food critic Fay Maschler denied him a five-star review when he refused to sleep with her. Evergreen Fay, 81, still chomping for Tatler, clarifies: 'I should have given him five stars. And shouldn't have - and didn't - sleep with him.'

CAST as the late Queen in an upcoming stage tour of Daisy Goodwin's play By Royal Appointment - the story of HM's relationship with her dresser Angela Kelly - actress Jane Asher admits she's yet to get into character. 'I've had my first fitting [in the Queen's outfits] and I don't yet feel like the Queen,' she says. 'I'll let you know when I do!'

IDENTIFYING the most memorable contestant gaffe on TV quiz show Pointless, host Alexander Armstrong recalls: 'The most jaw-droppingly poor one was during a round on famous Williams. The question was, 'Who wrote Hamlet?' The answer they gave me was William Tell. That was just so spectacularly wide of the mark, it was marvellous.'

Email: john.mcentee@dailymail.co.uk

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Page 18

18

by Jana Hocking

IT'S 5pm on a Friday afternoon when a close girlfriend pings me with a message. 'Emergency. Get ready now. I've just walked past a table full of hot men in suits at the pub and I'm sure they checked me out. I'm running home to change, then I'm picking you up.'

Now this was music to my ears. She had managed to entice me with three of my favourite things: Friday drinks, men in suits and an excuse to flirt.

I jumped up and pulled on my best 'casual drinks at the pub' outfit. Jeans, a cute top and heels to make the whole thing slightly sexier. Then I poured myself a quick glass of wine for Dutch courage.

It had been months since I'd had a proper night out with a single friend and oh God, how I needed it.

We arrived at the pub and spotted the businessmen immediately. A quick scan of their ring fingers ruled out several but, happily, the bar was roughly 70 per cent male.

I made a mental note that after-work drinks at a pub, rather than a fancy wine bar filled entirely with women, might be one of the few remaining ways to meet men in the wild.

And my problem is, I don't have many options

'Tinder feels like the clearance bin of online romance'

left but to meet them In Real Life. For I've been banned from every dating app available.

Yes, all of them. Bumble. Hinge. Tinder. Happn. Why? Given I've never behaved badly on any of them, my best guess is that dating apps follow the first rule of Fight Club: You do not talk about dating apps.

Which is hard when you write a sex and dating column for a national newspaper read by millions of people. I can hardly not talk about my experiences online.

In fact, my crime, I suspect, has been raising uncomfortable questions about the safety of these apps. Questions like how, in 2026, can someone still join a dating app using a fake name and stolen photographs, then lure another person on to a date under an entirely false identity?

I know how easily that happens because my own photographs have been stolen and used on fake dating profiles more times than I can count.

At one stage, it was happening almost weekly. Followers would send me screenshots of accounts using photographs lifted from my Instagram or articles, usually attached to a different name and an entirely invented life.

I've been 'Anna', 26, which was flattering, and 'Hannah', 48, which was not so flattering (I'm 41!). And various other non-existent women, all using my photos.

Somewhere out there, indeed, several fake versions of me were apparently dating more successfully than the real one.

It was funny until I considered the people being tricked into speaking to 'me' were sharing personal details and potentially

arranging to meet someone who didn't exist. Catfishing and romance scams are alive and well and often launched on dating apps. And yet, the solution could be so simple: Verification.

Yes, it's an option on these sites, but it's not compulsory. Tightening the rules wouldn't magically remove every creep and con artist, but mandatory identity checks would make catfishing harder and give users some confidence that the person on the screen actually exists.

Last year, one of the major dating apps took me to lunch and asked me to stop raising this issue in my columns. When I said I wouldn't stop until it strengthened its safety measures and made verification non-negotiable, its head publicist told me, and I quote: 'But our numbers would drop dramatically.'

And there it was. The app knew verification could make users safer, but it also knew it might shrink its membership figures.

Sometimes the consequences

are far more serious than one horribly awkward date or a ghosting. Britain's National Crime Agency analysed 671 stranger rapes and serious sexual offences that began through a dating site or app between 2003 and 2021, and found that 83 per cent of the victims were female and almost half the named suspects already had a criminal conviction.

There is surely a connection between these facts and the rapid decline of online dating among women in the UK. In a turn of events that should surprise precisely no one, people are abandoning the biggest dating apps in dramatic numbers.

Since 2023 there's been a double-digit percentage decline in UK users across all the main apps. Tinder's UK user base dropped from 2.5million in May 2023 to 1.3million in May 2025, while Bumble is down to 1.1million from a 1.3million UK high.

This month, indeed, Bumble confirmed a 16.4 per cent year-on-year decline in its global paying user base, and a scary 95 per cent

loss of its market value since a high in 2021. The people who remain aren't exactly brimming with enthusiasm either.

Almost half of Britons asked in a YouGov survey said their experience of the apps was 'bad' and a worrying 61 per cent had come across profiles they thought were fake.

Across the biggest names in

'One swipe away from someone taller and hotter'

online dating, the message is becoming difficult to ignore: Singles are tired of swiping.

I should know. I've spent more than a decade on these apps, which is long enough to remember when Tinder still felt exciting.

In the early days, it was like

being handed the guest list to an enormous singles party. You could match with someone over breakfast, exchange a few messages and be sitting across from them at a bar that evening.

Now, Tinder feels like the clearance bin of online romance. You have to rummage through chaps looking for a pen pal, an ego boost, an affair or somewhere to send the unsolicited photographs they've been keeping in their camera roll. Many think it's now acceptable to post bios that read 'Just ask'.

Then came Bumble, promising to put women in control by making us send the first message. In theory, it sounded empowering. In reality, it gave us another piece of admin.

We chose the match, studied his profile, came up with an opening line and waited patiently for him to reply, often with, 'Hey'. If he replied at all.

Now even Bumble appears to be quietly admitting that women are tired of doing the work. The app has relaxed its famous

I've been banned from every single dating app. But now I've hit on a novel way to find far sexier and more eligible men

---

VI

Page 19

women-message-first rule, allowing men to initiate exchanges for the first time, presumably in an attempt to halt the precipitous decline in users.

Hinge is probably the best of the bunch and the only one bucking the downward trend in terms of membership.

The profiles reveal more, the prompts make starting a conversation easier and the people using it generally seem more interested in relationships.

Still, it suffers from the same strange paralysis as every other app. People match and never speak, which is one of the most common complaints among my friends.

Or if they do, they exchange messages for weeks without suggesting a date.

The trouble is, and has always been, these apps give the impression that everyone is just one more swipe away from matching with someone taller, hotter or geographically closer. That there's always a better option.

So, instead, I turned to In Real

Fresh start: Jana Hocking and, inset, her Insta questionnaire

Life dating – but, alas, that revealed an unforeseen consequence of the initial success of the apps. Men don't chat women up any more.

On our hopeful night at the pub, my friend and I caught the attention of a couple of suited men, and yes, there was decent eye contact and clear approval of each other. Yet not one of them actually approached us.

And not to toot my friend's horn (toot toot) but the girl is all legs

and blonde hair. She should have had them lining up!

It wasn't until I got home that I discovered one had appeared in my Instagram direct messages. 'Hey, I've been following you for a while and was pleased to see you at the pub tonight. I didn't get a chance to come and say hi, so thought I'd try my luck on here.'

Interesting. He had seen me, and yet the only place he felt comfortable approaching me was... online.

Again and again, men feel more confident siding up to a woman digitally than they do in the flesh. For someone fed up with the apps, it's a Catch-22.

And that was how I ended up doing something rather drastic: Using social media to find a man instead. With an empty Saturday night stretching ahead of me, I decided to take my courage in my hands – not that I need it – and advertise for a date on Instagram.

People are already repurposing various platforms for exactly this. The business network LinkedIn has become a particularly popular means of mixing work with pleasure, with a remarkable one in eight users in a US survey this year saying they'd formed a romantic relationship through it.

No one's looking at LinkedIn on a Saturday, however, so I chose Instagram. With no date and apparently no shame, I did what any dating columnist banned from every app would do: I posted a carousel (series of pictures) asking for one.

My requirements were hardly outrageous. He had to be single – a detail that should go without saying (one glance at the creepy married men roaming freely through my direct messages would explain why it didn't). He had to be age-appropriate, although the older men remain alarmingly confident, and he had to be interested in an actual relationship.

Then, because I had already taken things this far, I added a questionnaire asking men to tell me about themselves and pitch their ideal first date.

Then I put my phone down and wondered whether I had just publicly humiliated myself.

When I checked again, my inbox

'Several sent highly-sexual responses'

was overflowing. Some men had clearly skimmed the brief, with many opening lines like: 'Are you really banned from every app?' Sir, that very fact was clearly described in the carousel I spent far too long putting together.

Plenty were decades outside my requested age range and used gross words like 'sweetheart'. Others wanted children despite the fact I had explicitly said I was child-free by choice.

Several sent highly-sexual responses, apparently believing the quickest route to a first date was to describe what they hoped would happen at the end of it. Calm down, Fabio. If you have to tell me how good you are in bed, there's a fair chance you're not.

Then there was the man who told me he was 'separated in spirit' from his wife, although one quick glance at the loved-up pics of them on his profile would beg to differ.

Yet among the chaos were thoughtful messages from funny, interesting men who had clearly

taken the time to read what I had written.

Four stood out immediately. One was a blast from a man I met in New York last year (yes, in the wild – a rare beast) who told me he would be in town next month for a three-month stay and would love to take me out. He even followed it up with an advanced restaurant booking. Bravo.

Another came recommended by a dear friend, which offered the kind of character reference no dating app could provide.

'He's so lovely and is a big

'This way, I could skip all the nonsense'

golden retriever at heart,' she assured me.

The third gave answers that aligned so closely with what I wanted that I found myself reading them twice.

And the fourth, well he's just so darn hot, I had to pursue it. I know, shameless.

For the first time in ages, dating felt fun again.

Instagram gave me something the apps rarely do: Context. I could scroll through years of someone's life, see how they spoke to people and check whether we had mutual friends. A profile filled with family, work, holidays and regrettable old haircuts told me far more than six carefully selected photographs and a conversation starter claiming the way to his heart was 'good banter'.

Of course, Instagram has fake profiles and married men, too. My inbox proved that social media hasn't discovered a magical new species of emotionally available male.

It did, however, remove some of the coldness of swiping. The men responding already knew my sense of humour, I didn't have to have that awkward. I'm a sex and dating columnist' chat on my first dates, because it's pretty darn clear on my profile.

Plus, my online soul-baring allowed me to skip the nonsense and list exactly what I was looking for. Perhaps LinkedIn will be next, although approaching someone beneath a post about quarterly growth feels a little less sexy. On the upside, at least you can tell if they can hold a job.

As for whether my Instagram experiment will lead to love, it is far too early to say. But it has already produced several men I'm genuinely interested in meeting, which is more than the dating apps have managed in quite some time.

The suited man at the pub may have been too nervous to cross the room, but he had no trouble finding me online once he got home. Perhaps digital dating isn't disappearing entirely – it's just moving where people can see more of the person before deciding to swipe right.

Insta and LinkedIn may even be the best accidental dating apps on the market. I'll let you know how it works out...

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Page 20

Teacher accused of abusing two boys in the 1980s told police claims were 'fantasy'

A TEACHER accused of having sexual relationships with two pupils has claimed the allegations are a 'total fabrication'. Sally-Anne Bowen, 65, had

Daily Mail Reporter

illicit relations with the boys when they were aged 14 and 15, jurors have been told. The chemistry teacher, then in her mid-20s, was at Christ's

College school in Finchley, north London, in the late 1980s when the alleged incidents took place. One of the complainants – who cannot be named for legal reasons – claimed he and Bowen had sex 'about 20 or 30 times'

over a period of several months when he would regularly visit her home. He viewed her as his girlfriend and had fallen in love.

In her initial interview with police, dated January 2015, Bowen described the first complainant as 'a nuisance' and 'besotted', Harrow Crown Court heard yesterday.

'He may well have been in love with me but, you know, this is total fabrication,' Bowen – whose replies were read out by prosecutor Madeleine Wolfe – said.

She added: 'I remember this child. He was not a nice person, he didn't have a great reputation at school. He hassled me in a not very nice way, he was quite aggressive, he was pushy. It sounds like these are the workings of a fantasy – it's total nonsense.'

She further claimed the first complainant once followed her to her house from the school, put his foot in the door and asked to be let in, 'I said, "You can't!", Bowen told police, adding that the boy never

'Recalls touching her breasts'

entered her home address. She also explained that she would get a lot of attention from pupils at the all-boys school and was the subject of 'lewd comments'.

The second complainant alleged he and Bowen kissed on multiple occasions – including once in a cafe when he was 'goaded' into it by other boys, and remembers touching her breasts.

He reported the alleged offence in 2024. Bowen was interviewed again, but she said she could not remember him.

A former pupil at Christ's College, who was around the same age as the complainants, told jurors yesterday he remembered 'rumours' at the school that Bowen and the first complainant were having sex.

'It seemed to be quite common knowledge in my peer group,' the witness said.

'In today's times, things are very

Defence: Sally-Anne Bowen at Harrow Crown Court yesterday

different, but at the time that's just how it was, we just accepted it.'

The witness, who was never taught by Bowen, also recalled a trip during which she seemed to be enjoying attention from pupils. He found this 'quite odd'.

He also told jurors the second complainant disclosed to him during a holiday in the spring of 2024 that he 'had been abused' by Bowen. 'The words he used were, "She did stuff to me", he added.

Bowen, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, denies eight counts of indecent assault against two boys.

The trial continues.

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Weekly injection to free diabetics from daily jabs

TYPE 2 diabetics could soon be offered a weekly insulin jab – freeing them from daily injections.

Regulators have approved a drug that delivers a longer-lasting version of the hormone. Trials show the jab – insulin efsitora alfa – stabilises insulin levels as effectively as the daily alternative.

Some 4.2million Britons have type 2 diabetes, which develops when the body cannot make enough insulin, or the insulin it makes does not work properly.

This can trigger serious problems including organ damage, as the hormone helps to regulate blood sugar levels.

One in four people with type 2 diabetes rely on insulin injections

By Eve Simmons

– with some requiring several a day. But this could change following the green light from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

The weekly jabs, made by Eli Lilly and marketed as Onswik, will benefit people who need help injecting insulin, including the frail and those with learning disabilities.

NHS England is yet to announce plans for its use. Douglas Twenefour, of Diabetes UK, said any rollout should be supported 'by guidance, staff training and fair access', adding: 'It's essential... this treatment helps reduce inequities in diabetes care.'

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Page 21

Spotted! Jaime enjoys sun ahead of her Strictly debut

Rumba ready: Jaime

SHE'S obviously making the most of her summer before being put through her paces in the Strictly Come Dancing studio.

And Jaime Winstone, 41, was snapped partying in Ibiza with her DJ husband James Suckling and friends – with just weeks to go until her stint in the BBC's dance contest.

Puffing on a cigarette, Ms Winstone embarked on a boat trip this week in a polka dot, halter-neck swimsuit and matching headband. The actress – daughter of Sexy Beast star Ray – cooled off with a dip in the Med and a spot of paddleboarding. Back home, Ms Winstone was seen in London last

By Joanna Crawley

week as this year's celebrity Strictly cast met for the first time at a dance studio.

She will join actresses Lacey Turner and Delta Goodrem, reality stars Dani Dyer and Cach Mercer, Big Brother host Will Best, Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, Gavin & Stacey star Melanie Walters, celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, House Of The Dragon's Bethany Antonia, footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, celebrity dog trainer Graeme Hall, Emmerdale's Lawrence Robb, YouTuber John Nellis and Olympian Tabby Stoecker.

Boat trip: Jaime Winstone in Ibiza this week

Stop hiding the source of killer salmonella eggs, demand experts

By Ciaran Foreman

THE source of contaminated eggs behind a deadly salmonella outbreak must be revealed, the Government has been told.

Officials have said the disease's spread – which has so far killed one Briton and left 207 ill – is related to eggs imported from abroad, but will not specify where they are from.

Now experts are demanding the authorities make the origin of the contaminated products 'public information'.

It comes as health chiefs in Belgium announced they are investigating a similar salmonella outbreak at a poultry farm that is

'Should restrict importations'

said to have affected 300 people and contaminated eggs shipped to nine nations.

The UK is not yet listed as one of the affected countries but Poland, which supplies eggs to Britain, is.

The Government was warned this year of the dangers imported eggs pose in a major report published by industry experts, which highlighted 'significant' safety risks from countries such as Poland and Ukraine.

While most on supermarket shelves are produced in the UK, increasing numbers are being brought in from overseas – where farmers use

Risk: Foreign eggs

practices banned here. Egg imports have risen by 60 per cent since 2021, data shows.

Paul Wigley, professor in animal microbial ecosystems at Bristol University, told the

Daily Mail the contaminated eggs' source 'should be public information'.

'If necessary, restrictions should be imposed on importations,' he said.

He explained that non-British eggs are of a 'lower standard', adding: 'A UK-produced egg will come from a hen that's vaccinated against salmonella.

'Every flock is tested for salmonella roughly three to four times, every two years.

'You're extremely unlikely to get salmonella from a British egg – there's almost zero risk.'

Issuing an alert on Tuesday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed those affected had become sick after eating in cafes and

restaurants. The UKHSA has identified five unnamed food businesses which two or more of those impacted attended in the week before getting symptoms.

So far, 199 cases from the outbreak have been confirmed in England, six in Scotland, one in Wales and another in Northern Ireland.

More than a third needed hospital treatment, while two developed potentially life-threatening infections in their bloodstream.

The specific strain identified is Salmonella Enteritidis, commonly found in poultry and eggs.

Salmonella usually causes fever and vomiting which clears in a few days, but it can be fatal in rare cases.

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Page 22

Daily Mail, Thursday, August 20, 2025

WHY I GAVE AWAY

by Annabel Fenwick Elliott

EVIL, lazy and irresponsible. That's what I used to think of people who gave up their pets for adoption... until I was faced with the heartbreaking decision myself. I have confessed in print to a lot of stupid things I've done over the years but

given I'm such an avid animal lover, this feels the most shameful.

I failed Bear, my gorgeous - but extremely tricky - long-haired German shepherd, and I miss him every day. But I had no choice except to let him go. He's in the perfect home now - I didn't give up until I found it - so I'm confident I made the right choice.

You can't possibly know, until you've lived with an aggressive dog, how life-consuming and truly soul-destroying it is.

Bear was a 'lockdown dog'. I, like so many others, got him in 2020, several months into the pandemic, because for the first time in my life I was working remotely and living in the countryside.

I didn't make the decision to get a dog without considering what I'd do with him when we all returned to the office. In fact, I knew I could never go back to my old life in London. Getting Bear cemented that.

I found him posted on a private dog-adoption website and was told he was a two-year-old male, supposedly highly trained, excellent with other dogs and children, not very expensive and looking for a new home through no fault of his own. We met in an empty park (big mistake) and I fell deeply in love with him. The deal was swiftly done.

I should have suspected his former owner - a young chap in his early 20s, dressed head to toe in an Adidas shell suit - was dodgy, given that he never asked to do a home check and just handed Bear over to me then and there.

Other red flags: Bear was just a little too thin and his fur a bit dull. But instead of interrogating the shifty owner, I had an overwhelming urge to get this dog out of his hands and give him a better life.

The problems began when I took him back to the park the following day, this time with other dogs around. Bear went straight into attack mode, rearing up, baring his teeth and straining to reach them.

Thank goodness I had him on the lead. I very nearly couldn't hold him back, but I managed to get home

desperate to get rid of him, and thus lied about Bear's nature.

Had he not, he might well have found him impossible to rehome.

Bear's issues were severe. He was highly 'reactive' to all other dogs: male, female, big, small, yappy or docile - he wanted to kill all of them. It wasn't fear-based or born out of situations where he felt threatened. Bear could see a dog a mile away, minding its own business, and tear off in pursuit of it.

This week, the tragic death of a man attacked by a German shepherd in West Yorkshire shows just how dangerous these animals can be.

My life became almost unbearably stressful. For the two years I had him, my fists were constantly clenched. Physically, I simply wasn't strong enough to restrain him, even using the snout harness I soon bought him.

More than once in the early days, he had pulled me over and man-

It was so exhausting and isolating

aged to get free and attack other dogs. On one occasion he drew blood from his victim but thankfully did not cause serious injury. The other owners were furious but luckily accepted my apologies and didn't press charges.

I was in an impossible situation. I couldn't exercise Bear as much as he needed because it was dangerous to have him off the lead.

I lived on a property in rural Essex at the time with a garden that was big enough for him to play fetch - until he managed to escape past our fencing when he saw another dog go past.

The only time it was safe to let him run off the lead was in the dead of night or shortly before dawn, when no other dog-walkers were out. I became like a deranged woman; scurrying around at night and in the early hours of the morning, hoping to avoid any interactions or altercations.

It was exhausting and isolating - I couldn't have visitors who had dogs, my mother included, or take Bear anywhere in public.

I must have watched thousands of hours of dog-training videos on YouTube, and then booked him in with a series of professionals.

In total, I spent nearly £10,000 on private and residential training programmes. The consensus was that his aggression was genetic and he would have to be 'managed' for the rest of his life.

Things got a little easier that year when I met my now-husband, Julius, in that he was strong enough to handle Bear when the dog flew into a rage, so we could get Bear out of the house more and even took him on a road trip around Europe.

Still, every single outing was like a military operation. Every corner was a danger zone, lest another dog appear from around it.

Worse still, when inside the house he was mysteriously able to open

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---

Page 23

OUR FAMILY DOG

It's a confession that will enrage millions of pet lovers. But here one writer insists she doesn't regret her decision that Bear just had to go

doors, somehow clasping the handle to break free from whatever room we had put him in.

But it wasn't until we had our son Jasper in 2022 that the challenges became insurmountable. Bear had always been fine with humans and other children we'd encountered, but how could I be sure he'd be the same with our baby, given his murky past? What if Bear did something unspeakable to my son?

By this point we had moved to Iceland for my husband's job – bringing Bear with us cost nearly £5,000 – and our daily walks with both the dog and the pram were downright dangerous.

The icy paths meant even Julius couldn't drag Bear to safety if we encountered another dog. Neither of us could physically manage both our baby and a reactive Alsatian in public – it was too much.

And it was under these condi-

tions that Bear succeeded in getting free again and biting another dog.

Like previous episodes, we broke it up before any serious damage was done. And despite the owner being understandably furious, he accepted our apology.

While Bear, thank God, was never problematic with Jasper – apart from the few times he accidentally knocked my toddler son down while running to the window to bark at another dog – in the end, I realised that it wasn't just myself and my husband who were living in misery. This was no life for Bear either. He needed to live on a large stretch of secure land, with an experienced handler and no other dogs around, for ever.

So I set about hunting for a new home that fitted the brief, resigned to the fact that I might never find one.

Rescue sites are full of dogs just

Tense: Annabel, Julius and Jasper take Bear for a walk. Inset, Annabel with her pet

like Bear, and very few – especially those with a history of biting other dogs – get adopted.

I knew this, and wouldn't have dreamt of sending him to a shelter. My last resort would have been to have him euthanised rather than have him suffer that fate.

I issued a Facebook appeal in Iceland and we did have a few potential adopters. But upon interviewing them, none felt like a good match. Either they assumed they could 'fix' him or I was worried they'd use him as a guard dog, which seemed too cruel.

But after several months a family got in touch. They had a remote farm, far away from other animals, and good experience with big breeds.

The first meeting went well, and so did the subsequent trial week.

For the first time, Bear could run freely for hours a day, with no risk of seeing another dog. The couple adored him. Miraculously, he found his forever home.

The relief we felt upon handing him over that last time was enormous, but it didn't quite surpass the intense sadness. I had given everything I could to that dog and loved him dearly. I'd never given up on an animal before and I hope I never have to again.

Two years later, we were ready to try again. I went for a golden retriever puppy whose parents had been rescued from a terrible dog farm and spent a month visiting her and spending time with her foster parents to make sure she had no behavioural problems.

At last we took her home and called her Laska. She's the

sweetest dog I've ever known. For a while, when walking her, my husband and I still flinched every time we saw another dog – bracing for an attack. To this day, every time Laska greets them with a wagging tail, the relief floods in.

I can't see another German shepherd without clutching my heart, and it's still bittersweet to see photos of Bear living his best life over in Iceland. If I could turn back time, though, I wouldn't change a thing. I shudder to think what would have happened to Bear had I not taken him in from that awful man.

I may not have been the best owner for Bear, but I got him to the right place eventually.

It was a twisty, turbulent road to a happy ending for both of us.

---

Page 24

Girl, 13, took own life after being 'fed stream of suicide videos from social media'

A TEENAGE girl took her own life after being fed a stream of social media videos normalising suicide, her family have said.

Blake Gallier, 13, died at her

By Olivia Christie

home in Northfleet, Kent, on October 30 last year – just weeks after her birthday. Her mother, Gemma Best, said

she had no idea how much 'disturbing' content Blake had been looking at.

She said her daughter had shown no signs that she was struggling with her mental health. 'Blake was really happy,'

she said. 'She was an extrovert, funny, hilarious. She was the life and soul of the party.'

But it emerged after her death she had been watching and reposting 'worrying' content on her phone. It prompted Ms Best and Blake's older sister, Tayla Gallier, to back the Raise The Age campaign for a ban on social media for under-16s.

Ms Best, 47, added: 'I think social media was a big issue for Blake. From what I have gathered, Blake reported a lot of worrying stuff and I was not aware of that.'

'I never realised what the content was. All her friends had phones. The age for social media was 13, and I stupidly never researched it.'

'After going through what we have gone through, I 100 per cent support the social media ban. I was not a parent who was convinced until this happened. Now I think, 'Why did she need that phone?'

'If Blake had gone out more and not been on her phone so much or in her bedroom, she might not have done what she did.' Tayla, 19, said

'I never realised what content it was'

of her sister: 'She was very funny, she was the life of the party. You could hear her from a mile away. She was completely full of life.'

The Government announced in June that children under the age of 18 will be banned from social media sites, including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram. It is hoped the measure will pass this year, with the ban coming in by spring 2027.

The proposals are aimed at protecting young people from harm online and addressing unhealthy late-night scrolling on phones.

Blake's mother and sister, who both work for Marks and Spencer, have set up a charity in her name.

Blake's Pink Promise is in the process of being registered with the Charity Commission but has already funded counselling for 76 pupils across four Gravesend schools, as well as two adults. The charity has been working with Blake's secondary school and former primary school to identify pupils aged seven

Worrying content: Blake Gallier

Campaign: Blake's sister Tayla wants social media limits

to 13 who may need support. Ms Best said she believes Blake may have been struggling with her mental health from a young age.

Tayla said: 'Even if we help one child not feel the way Blake must have, [that] makes doing this every day worth it. We want to prevent anyone else from going through the same thing that we have had to. We want to help people in the way we wish she was helped.'

An inquest into Blake's death is due to be held later this year.

■ For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org

1 in 3 children interact with strangers online

ONE in three children talk or play online with strangers and half say bypassing parental controls is 'easy', the Information Commissioner's Office warned.

An online survey of more than 4,000 children aged eight to 17 and their parents found 36 per cent of youngsters interact with people they only know online – or do not know at all. Among 14 to 16-year-olds, this figure rose to 40 per cent, the regulator added.

It found 52 per cent of children said they were able to bypass age checks for online services, and 31 per cent of parents admitted to having helped their youngsters do this. While 91 per cent of parents reported using controls or monitoring tools, 41 per cent of children

By Eleanor Harding Education Editor

said they had tried to circumvent them – with 49 per cent saying it was 'easy'.

An eight-year-old child interviewed by researchers said he uploaded videos of himself to YouTube using his full real name and showed his full face. One video was recorded without his shirt on.

Katie Searle, ICO director of children's strategy, said: 'Children today are growing up in an extraordinary digital world. Children who discuss online privacy with their parents on a weekly basis are more likely to feel privacy settings keep them safe. Frequent, open conversation works.'

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Page 25

Eden & Confidential

Tim Horlick takes £255m secrets with him to grave

SHE was the high-flying fund manager who simultaneously brought up six children, earning herself the sobriquet 'Superwoman'. By contrast, Nicola Horlick's husband, Tim, was seemingly content to live in her shadow.

Or was he? Perhaps only now will the dynamics of their 21-year marriage, which ended acrimoniously in 2005, gradually emerge, accompanied by a true insight into the scale of Tim Horlick's ambition.

For I can disclose that he died this week, aged 65, at London's Royal Trinity Hospice after falling ill earlier this summer. Two of his daughters, I understand, were with him.

His death seems certain to intensify examination of the extraordinary – and controversial – transformation of his personal fortune, achieved in 2020, the first year of the pandemic.

That was when his company, Ayanda Capital, was awarded a £255million Department of Health contract for personal protective equipment (PPE), even though it had never previously supplied such goods to anyone, specialising instead in currency trading, private equity and offshore property.

The deal helped Ayanda – whose only directors at the time were Horlick, pictured right, and his son-in-law,

Nathan Engelbrecht – to achieve profits of £30million in two years, even though 50million of the PPE masks it supplied were deemed faulty.

When, in 2023, I revealed that Horlick had treated himself to a property in Switzerland, a friend of his assured me that there was 'absolutely no connection at all' with the fabulously lucrative PPE contract which Ayanda had secured. 'It's all funded from Tim's personal assets,' insisted the chum.

HMRC did not agree. In 2024, after Horlick had further beefed up his portfolio – splashing out £8.5million on a three-bedroom flat in Pimlico, south-west London – he was arrested following investigations by HMRC's anti-fraud team focusing on income received during the pandemic.

It was reported that millions of pounds in tax allegedly remained unpaid.

Later, a criminal restraint order was imposed on the Pimlico property, blocking any attempt to sell it. Horlick, who, by then, had overseen extensive refurbishment on it, reportedly denied any wrongdoing.

Engelbrecht resigned as a director of Ayanda Capital in 2023. The following year, he paid £7.4million for a house in Kensington.

Horlick's ex-wife, Nicola, does not respond to my inquiries.

She married financial journalist Martin Baker in 2006, but their happiness was cut cruelly short when he died of prostate cancer in 2022.

Kerching... Royal gift shop pays Camilla's sister

WHEN he controlled the Duchy of Cornwall as Prince of Wales, King Charles made sure to use the services of Queen Camilla's sister, Annabel Elliot, 77, an interior designer.

Now Prince William is in charge of the Duchy, his sister-in-law is being paid instead by the Royal Collection Trust – the charity which looks after the King's private art collection.

Trust accounts disclose that Annabel's business was paid £9,000 in the last financial year.

A trust spokesman says the payment was for work on a Windsor Castle gift shop.

In 2022, her company was paid £20,000 for finding and purchasing furniture for properties in the Duchy. Since William took over, it's not received a penny.

Davina gives hairdresser husband a clip!

DAVINA McCall's husband appears to be in the dog house already, just eight months after their wedding.

Hair stylist Michael Douglas recently said they both had 'five years' left before bowing out, TV star Davina, 58, clarifies firmly: 'He's thinking about hanging up his scissors – I'm not hanging up the microphone.'

Explaining how the story got out, she adds: 'Michael did somebody's hair and he was saying in five years' time he'd like to stop being a hairdresser.'

Douglas had said: 'We've got five years of hard work left in us. Then it's time for us to relax and enjoy all of that hard work. Davina will be about 62 and I'll be around 58. There comes a point where you think, 'When do we actually sit back and enjoy everything we've worked so hard for?''

Probably best to have checked with Davina first!

Heavy metal cult at heart of power?

IS WESTMINSTER home to a secret society of headbangers? Iron Maiden's manager Rod Smallwood recalls the late Conservative MP Mike Weatherley was, 'a huge metal fan who always wore his Maiden T-shirt under his shirt in the House of Commons'. Smallwood hoped a Tory metal alliance would help the band put ticket-scalping websites like Viagogo out of business.

'Mike fixed me meetings with Sir John Whittingdale [then chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee]. John is a Maiden fan with the art for our album The Number Of The Beast on his wall in his office at the House.'

Only fitting – Whittingdale used to work as political adviser to the original Iron Maiden, Margaret Thatcher.

Dunbar's girl marks year of sobriety

LINE Of Duty star Adrian Dunbar's daughter Madeleine is a singer and actress who revealed her battle with addiction, ADHD and substance abuse last year in a track she released called Dopamine.

Now, she's celebrating 12 months of sobriety. Speaking online, Madeleine, 37, declares: 'One year no alcohol or mind-altering substances.'

The singer, whose mother is Dutch-Australian actress Anna Nygh, performs under the stage name MINX. She gave birth to her first child in 2021.

Read my view of the big royal stories. Sign up to the Palace Confidential newsletter

mailplus.co.uk/palacenewsletter

Follow me on ✉ @richardaeden and on Instagram @edenconfidential richard.eden@dailymail.co.uk

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Page 26

Rivals: Mr Fedorov and Mr Zelensky

Rival calls for election in the biggest challenge to Zelensky since war began

UKRAINE'S ousted defence minister has called for an election, saying 'democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia'.

The country has been under martial law since Vladimir Putin's

By Imogen Garfinkel

invasion in 2022, meaning elections are suspended.

But in what is being seen as the biggest challenge to president Volodymyr Zelensky since the war with Russia began, Mykhailo Fedorov

said this must change to 'find a legal, safe and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to renew its full democratic process'.

The 35-year-old was a long-time ally of Mr Zelensky until he was unexpectedly fired last month, after just half a year as defence chief.

Shortly after his dismissal, Mr Fedorov publicly criticised the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Oleksandr Syrsky, an old-guard military commander. The rift led thousands of Ukrainians to take to the streets to demand his dismissal and Mr Fedorov's

'Crisis of governance'

reinstatement. Mr Zelensky bowed to pressure and fired the military chief - but appointed Yevhenii Khmara as defence minister.

In what appeared to be a challenge to the president, Mr Fedorov said Ukraine faced a 'systemic crisis of governance'. 'Now, our state must become worthy of its people,' he added.

A recent poll indicated Mr Fedorov would beat Mr Zelensky in a head-to-head vote.

The president's office had no immediate comment.

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FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE

AUGUST 20, 1998 DETECTIVES are investigating the deaths of 20 patients of a GP after he was left a fortune by a widow. The daughter of 81-year-old Kathleen Grundy was shocked to find her mother had made a new will leaving substantial properties to Dr Harold Shipman, 52, instead of herself.

AUGUST 20, 2007 ALMOST a quarter of Labour voters could desert Gordon Brown at the ballot box if he refuses to hold a referendum on the EU constitution. A poll for the Daily Mail also reveals that more than eight out of ten of the wider public want a national vote on the revived Brussels treaty.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY ADAMS, 52. The Italian-born US actress - star of American Hustle - has been nominated for six Oscars. Of being called a 'late bloomer' because her breakout role in Enchanted came at 33, she said: 'At least I bloomed.'

SYLVESTER MCCOY, 83. The Scottish actor was the seventh star of Doctor Who. He said writers sneaked in anti-Thatcher pilot lines in the late 1980s: 'Our feeling was that Margaret Thatcher was far more terrifying than any monster the Doctor had encountered.'

BORN ON THIS DAY RAJIV GANDHI (1944-1991) became prime minister of India after the assassination of his mother, Indira. He was born three years before his country achieved independence under his grandfather and its first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. He was killed, aged 46, by a bomb at a rally. SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC (1941-2006). The ex-president of Yugoslavia and Serbia died in detention at The Hague tribunal. The 'butcher of the Balkans' was accused of genocide for his collusion in the massacre of more than 7,000 Muslim males at Srebrenica in 1995.

ON AUGUST 20... IN 1940, PM Winston Churchill paid tribute to the RAF: 'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.'

IN 2013, a receipt revealed pop star Beyonce spent almost £1,500 in one night at an Essex branch of Nando's.

WORD WIZARDRY GUESS THE DEFINITION Anamorphic (coined 20th century) A) Sbrunken. B) Of something that has been distorted so that it appears normal when viewed from a particular direction. C) Of a human turned into an animal.

Answer below

PHRASE EXPLAINED Rub of the green: Can mean either good or bad fortune in some sporting event, it dates from 1681 and comes from 'rub' being an obstacle in bowls.

QUOTE FOR TODAY There's nothing worse than an introspective drunk. Tom Sharpe, English novelist (1928-2013)

JOKE OF THE DAY WHY did the lettuce go to the gym? To get shredded. Guess The Definition answer: B

Compiled by ETAN SMALLMAN and ADAM JACOT DE BOINOD

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femail

MAGAZINE

Why leopard is the chic print to be spotted in

PAGES 34 & 39

My rapist changed his identity to assault more children. We must close the loophole to stop him doing it again

WHEN we meet in a country pub near her Warwickshire home, I notice Della Wright scanning the room cautiously before taking a seat. It's a small gesture, easily missed, but it seems at odds with her worldly, authoritative demeanour.

An author, mother of four and activist, she has spent the best part of a decade campaigning for tighter controls on sex offenders and is well used to lobbying MPs to make changes, so it's surprising to see Della caught off-guard, wary even.

But behind the confident exterior, she explains, is

INTERVIEW

by Heather Main

a crippling fear she has carried since she was six, when she was brutally raped and abused by a man who had befriended her mother.

Even though Della's rapist is now serving a lengthy sentence - and isn't due for release until 2039 - she has good reason to feel anxious. Terry

TURN TO NEXT PAGE

Picture: ED MILES/Hair & make-up: COLLETTE RUDDY

Determined and brave: Campaigner Della Wright today

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Page 28 femail

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Price, as he was known to Della, is a repeat offender who exploited a staggering legal loophole to evade justice and continue his vile crimes for decades.

Once caught, he would change his name by deed poll from his prison cell – then move house on his release, free to prey on children such as Della, whose parents had no idea who he was or his previous convictions.

Most horrifying of all, it is entirely legal for paedophiles and sex offenders to change their names in this way.

'I just couldn't believe that these loopholes were well known, but nobody in authority seemed to care that they exist,' says Della, now 53, who knows of at least five aliases Price has gone through. 'I know he's been able to slip in and out of different names,

identities, change his appearance with wigs, so even though I'm told he is in prison now, I still feel that he might have managed to worm his way out.

'I can't stand in a queue at a coffee shop without scanning everyone's faces, looking for a trace of him. I'm constantly in fear I'll sit next to him on a train or he's watching me doing my food shop. I have nightmares about him turning up on my doorstep. It's the reason I don't really go out alone.'

It was only during the trial of her abuser in 2017 that Della learned about Price's multiple identities. He was even able to change his name mid-trial, nearly collapsing the case because the court papers then referred to the wrong name.

Incensed, she launched a campaign in 2018 to bring in new legislation – known as Della's Law – which would mean that convicted sex

offenders would not be allowed to change their name without an effective system for tracking name changes.

This horrifying legal loophole has been highlighted again this week in the Daily Mail's exclusive story of paedophile fireman Jason Brown, a convicted sex offender who adopted as many as 20 new names to hide his convictions.

MPs are now under more pressure to put a stop to this practice, which is apparently a well-known trick among sex offenders.

Brown, 50, was able to move around the country, preying on unsuspecting women and children and changing his name whenever he was caught.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act in 2023 revealed there were more than 700 sex offenders who had completely vanished from the system – many

of whom are believed to have changed their names.

'When I saw the story about Jason Brown, it turned my stomach,' says Della. 'I've seen it happen so many times now that it no longer shocks me – although the case was appalling – but I am glad that it has brought renewed attention to the problem. We might finally see something done about this.'

Della has joined forces with The Safeguarding Alliance – a multi-disciplinary advice and research firm that works with schools, governments and businesses to ensure safeguarding standards – to fight for a change to the current system that would allow registered sex offenders to be biometrically tracked with their facial image and fingerprints via their ID, regardless of what name they go by.

Earlier this year, the Government announced changes to the system –

anyone changing their name is now required to inform the authorities seven days before, rather than within three days of making the change.

'That is absolutely not good enough,' says Della. 'It doesn't go anywhere near far enough to protect members of the public. We can't rely on the honesty and integrity of convicted sex offenders to keep the public safe.'

Born to teenage parents in 1973, Della had a tough start to life. She was just five when her father went to prison for armed robbery and her mother – who had been through the care system – showed no interest in raising her.

'She never really wanted to be a mother,' says Della. 'Mum would have parties at our house, and one day this man called Terry turned up – he was only 17, but he said he loved kids, and spent the whole night talking to me and my friends instead of the adults.'

'Mum immediately moved him in as a live-in babysitter so she could go out whenever she liked.'

'I have no idea whether Terry Price was the name he was given at birth, or whether he'd already changed it.'

It's unclear whether Della's mother, who has since died, was aware that he had already been convicted of committing sex offences against children and was listed as a Schedule One offender, meaning he was likely to pose a risk to children. But while Della's mum was working at the local fish and chip shop, Price would take Della along to his probation meetings.

'Looking back, I can't believe that nobody questioned why a paedophile was bringing a six-year-old along to probation meetings, but nobody ever said anything, or certainly, they didn't ever ask me anything,' she recalls. 'If I was 'good' and sat quietly, he'd take me

to the pet shop on the way home or buy me some sweets.'

Price started abusing Della when she had just turned six.

'One day, when Mum was out, he came and lay next to me on the sofa while I was watching Top of the Pops, and raped me. He didn't say a word. I was terrified, so I just kept watching the telly and tried to block everything out.'

Whenever Della's mother left the house, Price would take the opportunity to rape her daughter.

'He'd come and hide up to me like it was the most natural thing in the world,' she recalls. 'I was absolutely terrified. I would freeze until he had finished. Nowhere in the house was safe.'

'Afterwards, I'd run and lock myself in the bathroom, scrubbing my underwear clean so that nobody would know what had happened.'

'Whenever my mother left me anywhere, at home, at school, I'd cling to her, screaming for her not to leave me. I didn't think she would protect me, but I knew that it never happened when she was there. I didn't have the language or understanding to be able to explain to anyone what was happening – I just knew it was bad, and thought it was my fault.'

The abuse continued for two years, only stopping when Price was sent to prison for manslaughter after stabbing a priest, whom he claimed had abused him as a child, 47 times.

He served 18 months before he was released and Della's mother welcomed him back into her home.

'I came home from school one day and found him sitting in our kitchen,' she says. 'I was nine, and ran

out of the house, screaming that I wouldn't go home if he was there.'

'But it was Price, not her mother, who came looking for Della. 'I told him I didn't want it to happen again, and to my surprise, he just said 'OK'. He never touched me again.'

'I fell even deeper into a trap believing the abuse had been my fault. If only I'd said I didn't want him to rape me when I was six, he wouldn't have done it – I really thought it was entirely my own fault. He was incredibly manipulative.'

Her mother's babysitting arrangement with Price ended in 1983 when his girlfriend fell pregnant.

'The last time I saw him, my mother took us to his flat in Birmingham,' Della says. 'His girlfriend was there, heavily pregnant, and a social worker was helping them decorate a nursery. He didn't need us any more because, sickeningly, he was breeding his own victims.'

Just before she turned 15, she told a priest at her Catholic high school what had happened – only for him to call her a sinner for talking about such depravity. Ashamed and desperate to escape her mother, Della left home when she was 15, but soon found herself pregnant by a coercive boyfriend.

By 1996, when she was 26, she had managed to get out of the relationship and was a single mother to two children. However, she was determined to change her life for her children's sake. She trained in counselling and worked helping to rehabilitate offenders (albeit not sex offenders).

By her early 30s, Della was studying health and social policy at the University of Warwick, was in a new relationship, and had two more children. However, she suffered horrific flashbacks to her abuse as she gave birth to her fourth child.

'I was induced and the loss of con-

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'We can't rely on the honesty of sex offenders to keep public safe'

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femail Page 29

'He faced the court in a comedy wig, making a complete mockery of the justice system, of the police, of me'

Sickening: Abuser Terry Price was jailed for 22 years, extended by five years, in 2017. Above: Della as a young girl

trol, being so vulnerable and in a roomful of men, seemed to bring everything back. People were rushing around me and I just wasn't mentally in the room; in my head I was in a room with him, and I couldn't come out of it.

'I couldn't close my eyes without seeing him, and it just didn't stop. I couldn't bring myself to say anything to the doctors, I just bottled it up.'

Della was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after she attempted suicide when her youngest daughter was six months old. After several months of counselling, she finally felt stronger, and decided she wanted to see justice done.

Encouraged by the counsellors, Della finally felt able to report her abuse to the police – who initially struggled to locate Price because of him having changed his name to Robert McEwan.

Price was already in prison, serving a sentence for another sexual offence, and by the time the case came to court in 2017, Della nervously waited to be called to the stand.

But on the day Price should have made his first appearance, Della received a phone call from a police liaison officer telling her

that the case couldn't go ahead because he had changed his name again from his prison cell, meaning the paperwork was in the wrong name.

'I just collapsed,' recalls Della. 'I'd been building to this moment, of seeing him in court for ten years, and it felt as though he had managed to snatch it from me at the last minute. He just made a complete mockery of the justice system, the police, of me – it was all a joke to him.'

It was six months before the case was finally heard at crown court, in November 2017. But even when the paperwork had been changed to match Price's new alias – 'Mister Mac' – he was allowed to continue to make a mockery of the legal system.

'He appeared in court via a video screen from prison. I was offered the opportunity to give my evidence from behind a screen, but I wanted to face him. I was so scared. I didn't really

want him to see me now, but I also wanted to look him in the eye,' says Della.

'I was horrified when he appeared on screen wearing a comedy, big afro-style wig. I have

'I couldn't close my eyes without seeing him again'

no idea why he was allowed to do it – much less where he managed to get hold of a wig like that in prison. Do they have a props department?

'It just felt as though he was laughing at me, and the justice system was allowing it. He knew

what I looked like now, but I still didn't really know what he looked like.'

The jury returned a guilty verdict on 13 counts of abuse and Price was sentenced to 22 years in prison – later extended by five years on account of how horrific the abuse had been. Della has been told he is not eligible for parole until 2039.

'I know I was lucky for him to have been given a sentence like that,' she says. 'So many of them get away with a slap on the wrist.'

But it was only when Della looked into how Price was able to change his name from prison that she discovered how easy it was for him to have done so – and how many other sex offenders had done exactly the same.

Under UK law, anyone is allowed to change their name via unenrolled deed poll by simply writing a declaration of a new name on a piece of paper. As long as two witnesses sign it and declare they

are of sound mind, the document is legally binding and can be used to change a person's identity. This change can be carried out from prison. As well as using the process to disrupt legal proceedings, many men use it to facilitate their reoffending.

With a legal name change, offenders can gain a clean Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) – a criminal record background check used to see if a person is fit to work in sensitive fields, such as with children or vulnerable adults.

While offenders who have changed their name are legally required to declare all previous aliases on official paperwork, including DBS checks, the current system relies entirely on the integrity of the applicant to ensure they do so. If an offender does not declare their previous identity, there is very little chance of it being discovered, meaning they can go undetected on their release from prison.

When they change their passport and driving licence, there is no biometric tag which links their new identity with their old one.

The only piece of identification which links back to an offender's previous identity is their national insurance number, but this is not

'We can save others by keeping these monsters away'

required to apply for an enhanced DBS check.

'I just couldn't believe that it was allowed,' says Della. 'Paedophiles and sex offenders can so easily change their identity and get a job working with children.'

'We have Clare's Law and Sarah's Law, which are supposed to allow people to check whether someone who has close contact with their child has any convictions for abuse. If they have changed their name, these systems – which are a wonderful idea in theory – are completely redundant.'

Della fears that Price will change his name on release – or worse, that multiple name changes might mean he gets lost in the system, with victim liaison teams unable to tell her whether he is in or out of prison.

'I had a man message me on Facebook and tell me that he was already out and had been spotted walking around town,' she reveals. 'I panicked and contacted the Ministry of Justice, which confirmed he was still behind bars.'

'But how can I feel confident that he hasn't just changed his name so they can't keep track of whether he is in or out? Or, of course, there's the possibility that this stranger is actually him, using another identity, messaging me from prison to frighten me. I don't know which scenario is worse, really.'

'I've accepted that I will live my whole life on tenterhooks, seeing him everywhere I go.'

'But I'm determined that life will not be like that for other women – who we can save from ever having to go through such horrendous abuse by ensuring these monsters are kept away from them.'

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Page 30 Jemail

BEFORE Making the cut: Elizabeth's longer look. Right, her bob.

UNTIL I was 18, my mother cut my hair in a bob. She did a terrific job and always told me I suited shorter hair.

But then when I was 19 and on a gap year in Cape Town, I went to a stylist clutching a picture of Natalie Imbruglia from the singer's Torn video. He glanced at it sceptically before giving me a brutal cut. I left the salon looking like one of my games teachers from school.

It took years to grow out and, when it did, my previously straight hair had acquired a wavy kink that was more frizzy than full-on curly.

Haunted by that South African cut, I kept growing my hair.

Throughout my 20s and 30s, I was determined to have a long, glossy barnet. The problem was, my hair was very fine and when it reached a certain length, the scraggly ends would split so I'd have to go for another cut.

For many moons, my wonderful hair stylist Olivia patiently trimmed my hair as I explained I wanted to 'grow it out, please'. Every so often, she would gently suggest a more sizeable chop. One day, I decided she should go for it. Her eyes lit up.

At first, we experimented with a shoulder-length bob. A 'lob', if you will. When I realised how much I liked it, we kept going shorter. Now, I have a proper bob which tucks just beneath my ear. And I have never felt better about my hair.

I love my bob because it feels fresh and witty and very me. I

I love my short hair. So why do strangers feel they have the right to criticise it?

by Elizabeth Day

love it because it makes my hair look thicker and requires hardly any styling. I love it because it feels strong and feeling strong is one of my favourite ways to feel.

The bob liberates women from hours spent in a chair having tongs and mousse and clips and sprays applied.

It stands in direct opposition to the 'porn star' hair popularised by toxic masculinity: the kind of hair that weighs down feminism with its improbable extensions and a high-maintenance shade of blonde; the kind of hair that requires so much attention and work and money to keep up with that women have less time to do the things that matter.

So, yes, I love my bob. But what

I've noticed since cutting my hair short is how many other people will proffer their unsolicited opinions about it.

It's not just the strangers on the internet who will comment something unkind, saying it looks 'weird' or 'unfeminine'. It's also people in everyday life who believe a woman with short hair must want to discuss it.

AT THE airport earlier this year, a female member of the ground crew staff who I've met a handful of times asked me why I didn't grow my hair. 'It would be much prettier!' she insisted. 'Just down to here,' she said, gesturing at her shoulders. 'Much better.'

I've had enough of these exchanges now to know I do not need to defend my decisions about bodily autonomy. So, I simply said: 'Well, I like my hair.'

What I didn't say – because I would never dream of doing so –

is: 'Why don't you cut your hair shorter? It would look so much better?'

In fact, I very much doubt people feel as emboldened to offer hair styling advice to women with longer hair. These women are deemed to fit the default mode of what is considered 'female'.

It's only if you have the temerity to experiment with this definition that others appear quite comfortable telling you that you've got it wrong or they don't like it or that you should change it.

A few months ago, I met TV presenter Emma Willis. She is one of the most strikingly beautiful women you could ever hope to cross paths with.

She also happens to have short hair – shorter than mine – and it looks fantastic. I have adored her from afar for many years, not just because of the hair but also because she favours (as I do) a nicely tailored suit. When we met, we were both in jackets and trousers. 'Do you get people online

telling you to grow your hair out?' I asked. She rolled her eyes. 'All the time,' she said. 'And I get: 'Why don't you wear a dress?''

Isn't that insane? In 2026! That's how embedded patriarchal notions of femininity remain: we want our women with long hair and wearing dresses. Preferably sporting a chastity belt.

I now think of Emma any time I get an unwanted comment about my hair. Because, although I love my bob, criticism still hurts.

But then I remind myself that my tastes and my desires are what I express when I choose to look a certain way. This is my version of womanhood. It doesn't have to be anyone else's. And any time I begin to doubt whether short hair looks good, I think of Emma and my mother who also has very short hair.

So thank you for all those opinions I didn't ask for, but these are the women I'd rather be like.

■ theelizabethday.substack.com

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Daily Mail, Thursday, August 20

femail Page 31

Clare Foges

I froze my eggs. Here's why I'd pay for my girls to do it, too

FOR weeks, it was my evening ritual: sit on the sofa, switch on Love Island, grab a good inch of belly fat and plunge in the syringe. As I watched the Ronseal-tanned guys and gals lounge around the swimming pool, the hormones I'd injected sent a message to my egg follicles: grow!

After two weeks of these jabs, and several scans of my ovaries, my eggs were harvested and frozen at -196 degrees.

I was 34 years old when I froze my eggs. Though I'd had a few serious relationships and dated like an honorary ambassador for Tinder, I was still single.

So avid was my search for a man that some evenings I'd have two dates: firemen and lawyers, comedians and accountants, butchers, bakers, candlestick-makers. While I met some lovely people, none was quite right.

Meanwhile that dreaded age loomed closer, in neon flashing lights: 35. From puberty we are taught that at this point fertility 'falls off a cliff', as though our eggs hurtle into oblivion like lemmings. Blow out 35 birthday candles and poof! Your chances of procreating are gone in that puff of smoke.

So I became increasingly preoccupied with the baby issue. Each month was a grain of sand trickling through the fertility hour-glass. Sniffing a friend's baby's soft head induced a kind of panic. Would it happen? When?

This made dating difficult, since every poor chap I met for a pinot grigio was scrutinised as a potential father. He votes Liberal Democrat? Is a Swiftie? Doesn't like Pizza Express? No, no, no!

Within minutes I'd count them out, not prepared to waste time getting to know them since I was on an urgent mission to find the Father Of My Children.

All this brought me to a posh London fertility clinic with minimalist décor, piped Muzak and a waiting room full of vaguely worried looking women like me.

The egg freezing wasn't cheap - costing about £4,000 - but frankly it might be the best money I've ever spent. Why? Because as soon as those 11 eggs were retrieved from my ovaries and plunged into liquid nitrogen, I felt a weight leave my shoulders.

This relief didn't come from the

misguided belief that I was now guaranteed to have children. It came from the feeling that finally - after years of being subject to the twists and turns of romantic fate - I was taking control.

Egg freezing lifted the preoccupation with having a baby. Dates stopped being dads-in-waiting. I lightened up.

SURE enough, just months later I got together with my now husband - and I don't believe the timing was a coincidence. For those women who might get similar relief, there should be no shame or stigma around egg freezing.

That is why I applaud US politician Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez - otherwise known as AOC - for going public with her own process.

'Usually, I keep my private life quite private, but I have made the decision to start freezing my

Kiss me quick: David and Victoria Beckham post holiday picture

Please pack away the PDAs, Posh

ANOTHER day, another picture of a Posh and Becks PDA in a glam European resort within conven-

ient reach of the paparazzi. Lights, camera, snog! Is it just me, or are they trying too hard?

eggs,' Ocasio-Cortez said in a live-streamed video, promptly sticking a syringe into her tummy and declaring herself 'badass' for doing so.

Cue fury from various US commentators. One sneered at 'AOC's sad fertility journey'. Another called her 'totally backwards and ridiculous' for delaying having children when she's already 36. Another chided that 'too many women buy into the feminist lie and spend their child-

bearing years climbing the career ladder'. Yet another cried this is 'one of the reasons why fertility rates are cratering. Just freeze your eggs, kids! Pursue that career... This is not female 'liberation', it's a cautionary tale'.

The central criticism: AOC is perpetrating the idea that the average woman can 'have it all' - a successful career into their 40s, with babies as an after-thought.

Frankly, this is patronising, misogynistic nonsense from those who want women knocked-up and stove-bound by the age of 21.

No, women like me who freeze their eggs aren't idiots who think we can outwit Mother Nature. We are under no illusions about this being a 'guarantee' of a baby. We have read and understood the data and know that the older our age at freezing, the slimmer our chances.

But still, more and more women are choosing to do it. According to the HPEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority), the number having the procedure tripled between 2020 and 2024.

Sorry Gillian, crystal meth ISN'T cool

GILLIAN Anderson has admitted taking crystal meth as a teenager, in her 'punk

phase'. Wow, how edgy! Such confessions send the message to teens that they, too, can dabble in Class A drugs before becoming a global star. In reality, crystal meth will more likely lead you to skin sores, black teeth, premature ageing and early death. Drug-taking is life-deut-roying - not a cool story to earn actresses like Anderson a bit of attention.

■ AH, summer holidays. Buckets, spades and spats with my spouse. I write this from the Isle of Wight, where it's clear that, when it comes to holidays, my husband and I differ in every way. I'm a night out who wants to keep the children on the beach until late; he is early to bed. I'm relaxed about domestic issues, he hovers every grain of sand out of the Airbnb. We will both be breathing a sigh of relief on the ferry home - unless I chuck him overboard first.

I will wager that most of these have not chosen to delay a baby just so they can climb the greasy pole at the office or squeeze in more fancy holidays. Many simply haven't met the right man. AOC recently separated from her long-time fiancé, which may well be behind her decision to egg freeze.

'This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life,' says AOC, and I get it.

I went on to have four children with my husband - without using the frozen eggs - but should my own girls want to freeze their eggs down the line, I would be fully supportive.

This is a long way off; my daughters are only eight, five and two. I have no opinion on whether they should have children or not, I only want them to be happy.

But knowing the enormous pressures that young women can feel around having a baby, if they were to look into the process I would be right behind them.

Indeed, if I had the funds I would pay for it - not as an investment in future grandchildren, but in my daughters' peace of mind.

Someone save those sharks!

AS if we needed more proof that social media 'influencers' don't have too much going on between the ears, several have been bitten by sharks while trying to take the perfect selfie.

Strangely, Jaws wasn't interested in posing for Instagram. Now they picture themselves pouting while showing off their scars. My deepest sympathies - to the sharks involved.

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It's a complaint that will ring true with so many women. Now, a leading psychotherapist asks...

Is your husband lazy, angry or distant? Here's how to decode what he's really thinking...

by Dr Peter Meades

HE JUST lies on the sofa, doing nothing. 'He buries himself in his work and barely speaks to anyone at home.' 'He flies off the handle at the smallest thing.' 'Even if I get upset, he doesn't seem to care.'

Would you make one of these complaints, I wonder, if you were describing your husband or partner?

In my experience, as a psychotherapist of more than 25 years who specialises in male mental health, these are some of the most common criticisms women make about the men in their lives.

Undoubtedly, such behaviour can be hard to bear. Some women even describe coping with their partner's emotions as 'man keeping' - by which they mean the unspoken burden that falls on them when absorbing his difficult or insular habits.

But rather than dismiss character flaws like these simply as 'a man thing', as I've so often heard them described, I would instead argue such behaviours are signs your husband or partner needs your support and understanding, not frustration or criticism.

This is because those 'man things' - perhaps losing his temper because of events which seem insignificant to you, whether it's you rushing him to leave the house or the kitchen being untidy - often have a hidden meaning.

I've seen again and again that men who appear angry, persistently lazy, emotionally numb or excessively devoted to their work are actually showing signs of past traumas.

Society doesn't usually appreciate this. I heard someone recently comment, 'Aren't men ***!' and I bristled because it showed that common lack of understanding of the distress and pain which so often underpins these male behaviours - and the survival response they really signify.

SO WHAT'S really on your husband's mind at these difficult moments? From what I've observed in my many male patients, anger (almost always seen as aggression) may well conceal fear or even sadness, while silence could be a sign of his body pulling away to survive.

Laziness is often withdrawal in disguise, more than likely his nervous system shutting down to cope with big feelings. And seemingly not caring? That numb response to your tears could be his body protecting him against emotional overwhelm.

I use the word 'body' in these cases deliberately - because trauma is a wound that can be carried in the mind and body. That wound often triggers a physical reaction to stressors (for example, like your stomach tightening when someone raises their voice).

Not knowing what these behaviours mean then misreading them can have a significant impact on your relationship. Partners can feel they're being pushed away when they're not and colleagues incorrectly perceive unreliability. Meanwhile, men themselves think they're damaged when they're really just finding a way to cope.

This isn't helped by men usually avoiding seeking professional help from therapists like me until they can't go on. And when men avoid therapy, the women in their lives often feel the strain first, themselves experiencing anxiety or difficulty coping while they carry the responsibility for holding the relationship together.

This is the reason I wrote my new book on male mental health. I want to help you, so you don't

have to be your partner's only emotional outlet.

And I want to provide him with the tools to cope with his difficult feelings. Here, then, is my guide to what your husband is really thinking and why - and how he can help himself...

HE SAYS HE'S FINE ... BUT HE'S NOT

FROM the start of my career as a therapist, I've seen how hard it can be for many men to ask for help or even to talk about what's really going on in their heads.

I won't surprise many women if I say men often lack the emotional vocabulary to describe their feelings. Often, when you ask a man how he feels he'll answer in brief, usually along the lines of 'I'm alright' (even when he's clearly not). This contributes to too many men struggling on in silence, as if admitting distress means weakness, failure or being judged as 'not man enough'.

Yet it's important to name our feelings: psychotherapy research shows doing so reduces the power of the emotion and makes it easier to step back from.

Rather than generalities such

as 'busy' or 'alright', even a rough label such as 'angry' or 'flat' gives the brain more room to process feelings. Your husband doesn't have to get lyrical - but encourage him gently to try to be more specific. If he finds himself saying, 'I don't feel anything' - something I've heard from men a lot - that matters just as much.

A sense of blankness or numbness is an emotional state in itself. For men, it's often how the nervous system learned to keep things manageable.

THE REAL REASON HE LOSES IT OVER NOTHING

FOR some men, the build-up of smaller pressures over time can become exhausting. It might be someone making an awkward comment at work, another put-down by a family member, the tax return that needs to be done.

Each one feels manageable but they begin to stack up and the strain builds subtly over time, until one evening, over something as small as a spilled drink or lost keys, his whole system erupts.

Suddenly, he's snapped at you or raised his voice and stormed out of the room. You might be

familiar with the idea of 'losing it over nothing' - but his body is simply reacting to what it wrongly reads as one large stressor. In reality, the body is instead releasing a whole load of cumulative stress.

Here, I advise something known as 'values-based action'. The man should start by noticing what's happening in his body and mind. Perhaps his stomach is churning or jaw clenched. Then name it for what it is. Perhaps say, 'Here's anger' or 'I'm feeling anxious'.

That initial naming helps to keep him grounded, because he's no longer treating the experience as an emergency. The final move is to choose. He should ask, 'What matters?' or 'Who do I want to be in this moment?'

The choice isn't about eliminating the feeling; it's about acting more in line with the person he really wants to become.

THE LEGACY OF CRITICAL FATHERS

EARLY experiences with parents affect the male nervous system. Perhaps your husband or partner had a critical or neglectful parent - sometimes fathers are particu-

larly judgmental of their sons. This may have meant your partner learned to withdraw, please others or keep his guard up to protect himself.

Over time, all this can develop into anxiety, depression, addictions or difficulties in relationships. This is because trauma is not locked away in memory but is shown in how we respond to stress, conflict and intimacy in daily life.

David, a 42-year-old patient of mine, showed this clearly. He sought therapy because his marriage was close to breaking point. His wife felt he had several different personalities - sometimes he was fine but then explosive, shouting over small things like the children being noisy.

At other times he would withdraw completely, staring blankly at the television, unreachable for hours. He sincerely wanted to change but felt trapped in reactions he couldn't control. David spoke about growing up with a father who was quick to anger and a mother who coped by placating his father or by keeping quiet.

As a child, he'd inevitably learned both patterns from them.

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As a consequence, when his nervous system detected threat – for example, if his wife questioned him about something he'd forgotten to do like putting the bins out or suggested he wasn't listening to her, however gently she did it – he either went into light mode, or froze into silence.

For him to understand this was not a moral failing but a survival strategy helped him move out of shame. I taught him to notice the quick, shallow breathing that preceded his anger and realise it was a warning sign.

It helped him bring his feelings under control. His wife soon noticed the difference, too.

THE PERILS OF THE ANDROPAUSE

IF YOUR husband is over 50, you should be aware of the andropause – often described as the male equivalent of the menopause – and the impact it can have on his mental health.

I saw this in Jacob, in his mid-50s, when he came to see me. His wife had persuaded him to come after months of his increased irritability. 'I don't know what's wrong with me,' he said.

'I'm tired all the time. I'm always in a bad mood. I wake up at 3am and can't get back to sleep.'

'Sex isn't enjoyable any more – it feels like hard work and I avoid it because I feel embarrassed. At

work I keep overreacting to things. When I go home I put the TV on and try to stay away from everyone. I don't even feel like I know who I am any more.'

Sound familiar? Any woman going through the menopause will know how distressing such changes can feel after a lifetime of relative confidence.

Thanks to the andropause, Jacob felt he was becoming less virile, less certain, more fragile. He had never heard of the andropause and, when I told him, like many men he was fascinated to discover there was a recognised explanation for many of the changes he'd been experiencing. Just understanding what might be happening reduced some of the shame and self-blame.

In most men, testosterone declines gradually from the 30s onwards. By their 50s or 60s, the accumulative effect of this slow decline, combined with lifestyle changes, stress and genetics, can produce noticeable physical and mental effects – low energy, low libido, changes in mood, loss of muscle, increased fat around the middle, less motivation and more disrupted sleep.

Jacob eventually told me he avoided intimacy with his wife because of worries about not being able to perform. When his wife asked, 'Are you not attracted to me any more?', he wasn't able to tell her the real issue: that he

struggled with his erections. Experiences like this trigger shame, which makes many men retreat into silence, busyness, irritation, work or unhelpful coping strategies such as alcohol misuse and so on.

Some men going through the andropause might be helped by testosterone replacement therapy, but this isn't a blanket answer. A good lifestyle is vital, especially sleep. Testosterone levels rise overnight and poor sleep accelerates decline.

Good food and exercise are other essentials.

Mindset helps, too. Yes, the pace has changed from the frenetic summer of youth – but the colours of midlife autumn are richer, the wisdom deeper. Libido may reduce but intimacy can deepen when performance is not the principal concern.

THE TOXICITY OF THE 'MAN UP' MESSAGE

IN THE therapy room, I've met countless men who feel the pressure of expectations. Men grow up with very particular messages about what it means to be a man, like 'Man up!'. 'Be a man!' and 'Boys don't cry!' And so some continually push themselves harder to project toughness even when they feel exhausted.

From early in life, the masculinity script also rewards and reinforces activity in males. The cul-

tural messages are established early on and often stay for life – to be a man is to be useful, driven, and to prove your worth you must always be doing something.

You possibly live by this silent code yourself if your diary always has to be full, your phone always in your hand. Men who live like this say they can't stop. Quietness and stillness bring a risk of emotional pain in the form of sadness, fear or, as I've heard it described many times, 'approaching the void'. For some men, sitting still, even briefly, raises questions that are just too challenging: 'What am I doing all this for?', 'Who am I if I'm not working?'

Rhys was in his mid-40s when he came to see me. At work, he managed a team and was respected for being reliable. He had a good salary and a family who cared about him.

But he described himself as dissatisfied, easily irritated and tired of feeling like he was always on edge. He told me early on, 'I can't sit still. I'd rather keep busy. If I stop, I feel worse.' He laughed but his eyes told me stopping was frightening for him.

At home, his partner said he often came in from work and sat for hours on his phone. If she tried to talk to him, he'd often not answer. His children had learned to not bother him, which made them sad.

To Rhys, it felt like drowning. I

Inner turmoil: Your husband may need support, not criticism, says Dr Meades

Picture: MARK HARRISON

suggested mindfulness would help. It asks you to slow down, to pause, to notice, to be present with yourself. Rhys pulled a face. 'That's not for me, mate. I can't imagine anything worse than sitting on the floor like the Buddha with my eyes shut.'

Although he sounded irritated, I sensed fear. Even the suggestion of stopping briefly to tune in to himself was terrifying. So, we began with something small – I asked him to try paying attention to his breathing for one minute in the evenings. This smallest change eventually sparked something and even he came to admit his mind was more at peace.

HELP CONTROL THE ANTS

A MAN'S thoughts are just as important as his feelings. In therapy, types of thoughts that are automatic and unhelpful are called ANTS – automatic negative thoughts. Just like the other kind of little ants we're all familiar with, they arrive quickly, often without invitation, and before you know it they're appearing all over the place, shifting your mood and tensing your body.

ANTS are nothing more than patterns of thinking which often develop from early experiences and seem to get stuck even when you consciously know better. A common one is all-or-nothing thinking, where life gets reduced to extremes, such as success or failure. You miss one gym session and immediately think: 'I've blown it. I might as well give up.'

Overgeneralising is another: a clumsy moment in a conversation turns into, 'I'm hopeless at talking to people and socialising.'

Labelling is also common: calling yourself an idiot after a small mistake, as though a moment defines your whole character.

What matters most is noticing when any of the thoughts might be a result of the underlying script. That moment of awareness opens an opportunity between the old voice and current reality.

'This can look very ordinary. Imagine a man driving to work, already tense from exchanges with his wife and children while helping to get everyone out of the house on time for school or work. Suddenly, another car cuts him up at the traffic lights. The thoughts immediately spring up: 'People always do things like this to me' or 'They always walk over me.' His jaw tightens, face reddens and anger rises.

Halfway through swearing, he notices that it's his old 'I don't matter' way of thinking. Recognising the thoughts about people always walking over him doesn't mean they completely vanish, but it does mean they loosen their hold on him and his reaction (or the response) becomes more appropriate to the situation.

■ ADAPTED by Maureen Brookbanks from I'm Fine (But Not Really) by Dr Peter Meades (Robinson, £16.99). © Dr Peter Meades 2026. To order a copy for £15.29 (offer valid to 05/09/26, UK P&P free on orders over £25) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.

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Can a pair of blow up Michelin Man trousers banish my dreaded cankles?

IT turns out the dreaded 'cankles' come for most of us, in the end.

Water retention in the legs shows up in mid-life as puffy or swollen ankles and general lower-leg heaviness.

Research shows this is often down to fluctuating hormones in perimenopause and menopause which can cause our lymphatic system – the network responsible for clearing excess fluid – to work less efficiently and hold on to water.

Case in point: at 45, and after two pregnancies in my 30s, my ankles never quite returned to normal and I'm firmly in the 'cankle' camp these days. By the end of the day, my ankles are usually puffy with sock indents and a general heavy feeling of tiredness.

This is despite trying to do all the right things – I walk as much as I can, and spend a few minutes (pre-shower) body-brushing daily to kick-start my lymphatic system. I've even tried lying with my legs up against a wall before bed.

Yet according to lymphatic drainage expert Rebecca Trevalnet, founder of Methode Trevalnet, I'm far from alone in my battle against the bloat.

'Our lymphatic systems rely on movement, muscle contractions, breathing and the gentle contractions of the lymphatic vessels to keep fluid moving around the body,' she explains.

'Fluctuating oestrogen and progesterone in our 40s can make this process less efficient, or we may move less, meaning our muscles don't pump fluid back up the legs as effectively and then, unfortunately, gravity does the rest – the fluid naturally travels downwards collecting around the ankles.'

In the past, I've tried full-body lymphatic drainage massages – the gold standard in beating water retention – and found them very effective at getting rid of swollen ankles.

BUT, from upwards of $100 a session (and given they need to be done once or twice a month to maintain results) they're a considerable commitment.

Then, a pair of high-tech compression trousers landed on my desk, promising to promote lymphatic drainage and improve post-workout muscle recovery... while I recline on the sofa.

The trousers, called Skinvity's PrescTech, resemble oversized black ski trousers that go from your feet up to your waist. This is what sets them apart from

Trimmer: Bethan noticed a difference after two months

by Bethan King

other trousers on the market, as the groin, abdominal area and glutes are all massaged as well as the legs, supposedly boosting the lymphatic drainage.

Once inflated, they use 'pressotherapy' – air-pressurised squeezing – to encourage lymph flow by squeezing your legs in a special sequence to drain excess fluid and reduce puffiness.

But do they work, or are they just a gimmick?

'Compression boots and trousers work because they inflate in waves, starting at the ankles and moving up the legs, helping push fluid upwards, supporting both lymphatic and venous circulation,' explains Rebecca. 'The effect is similar to the natural pumping action of our muscles when we walk, but in a more regular, repetitive way, so after use, you notice your legs feeling lighter, with less puffiness.'

The first time I donned them at home, I realised the biggest challenge was going to be surviving ridicule from my husband, whose help I needed to zip into them. Once he'd stopped laughing and I was lying on the sofa, I adjusted the control panel to the appropriate mode and sat back.

'They vary from mode one (for lymphatic drainage and fluid retention), to six (for massaging muscles post-exercise). You then choose a pressure setting, from a low 30mmHG (millimetres of mercury, the measurement for pressure), to a more intense 260mmHG. I

went for mode two, which is best for drainage, and a pressure of 40mmHG, and tried to relax. A tough call, because the trousers quickly inflate to Michelin Man proportions and stay inflated, squeezing very firmly up your legs in sequence; a little like having your blood pressure taken, but on your whole leg.

THEY then hold the 'squeeze' around the waist for a few seconds, before releasing a little pressure again. It was quite meditative, and I noticed an immediate difference in how my legs felt: lighter and slightly tingly.

I didn't see a huge difference in my cankles at first, but after using the trousers three times a week for a month, then twice a week for another month, my ankles definitely looked trimmer. Even better, if I spend all day on my feet the sock indents are no more.

But how do gadgets like this compare to a professional lymphatic drainage massage?

'Compression devices work on the areas they cover, whereas manual drainage is much more adaptive; the hands can feel the tissues, adjust pressure and work more precisely beyond the legs too, to the abdomen, arms, neck and face,' explains Rebecca.

'But I don't see them as in competition; compression devices are a great, accessible way to support fluid movement at home.'

I'm hooked, providing my marriage survives the mocking. At $1,000 a pair, there is no denying they're a considerable investment – but if you use them twice a week, the cost-per-wear quickly outruns professional treatments.

Leopard is

OVER my two decades in fashion, the one trend I've always dreaded the return of is leopard print. It's not for me; I don't do prints. A Breton stripe is as far as I'll go.

But over the last few years, I've noticed that the interval between leopard trends has shrunk from once a decade to once every couple of years.

And now it turns out that leopard isn't just 'back' for autumn 2026; it has finally been promoted to 'wardrobe staple'.

Vogue insists that 'leopard isn't a fleeting trend but a pattern with real staying power'. My most fashionable friends seem to agree.

And the designers do too. A quick

by Dinah van Tulleken

FASHION EDITOR

search on Net-a-Porter produces 127 leopard-print pieces, from dresses to shoes – 127!

Perhaps the die was cast when legendary street fashion photographer Bill Cunningham said: 'All the sophisticates wear leopard.'

At this point, not owning at least one leopard-print piece is like not owning a pair of jeans or a white T-shirt. Leopard for autumn is much like florals for spring: essentially uniform. It's time for me to get on board. Here's how you can too...

Blouse, £139, baukjen.com

Let your top do the talking

START with one statement piece that you genuinely love. Baukjen's long-sleeve leopard blouse (£139), is relaxed and easy to wear: the perfect 'nice top' to go with your nice jeans.

If you want something understated, a button-through cardigan is the answer. This classic-cut version from Boden (£75) ticks all the right boxes. I'll be wearing mine as a top, without anything underneath, open at the neck and left slightly undone at the bottom, with black tailored trousers.

It's leopard, but not too leopard. Perfect if you're a print-phobe.

Cardigan, £75, boden.com

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the print to be spotted in

Jacket required

WE'RE not talking about a traditional leopard-print coat; what you want is a jacket. And a transitional style is exactly what you're after, like Sezane's wool-and-mohair bomber with its trendy baseball collar (£185). It will work over a simple vest now, as well as layered over knitwear when the temperature drops.

If you want something more substantial, Baum und Pferdgarten's longline design with a contrast collar is on sale at Flannels, reduced from £319 to £225. A worthwhile investment.

Jacket, £225, flannels.com

Bomber, £185, sezane.com

Best foot forward

Slingbacks, £24, asos.com >>

Flats, £275, anoncph.co.uk <<

Loafers, £99, mintvelvet.com <<

FOR those of you who remain hesitant, one way to dip your toes into the trend is through footwear.

Leopard-print shoes are one of the easiest ways to add a little excitement to an otherwise ordinary outfit. When it comes to heels, don't go higher than a kitten. Try these slingbacks from Asos (£24), or opt for a pair of loafers, such as this snaffle-detail style from Mint Velvet (£99). The beauty of a printed shoe is that it does all the work for you. I love Anonymous Copenhagen's Mary-Janes (£275).

Wear them with an entirely black outfit and you'll find they pull the whole look together.

Bags of style

HISTORICALLY, leopard has been a print for extroverts, but the whole point is that this has changed.

Nonetheless, if you're approaching it with trepidation, an accessory is the obvious place to start. Massimo Dutti's oversized leopard tote (£450), is top of my wishlist. Crafted from cowhide leather with a fur finish and animal-print pattern, it looks outlandish compared with my usual dark-blue totes, but is, in fact, a very sensible everyday bag.

If this still feels like too much of a commitment, you can proceed more cautiously with Mango's leather shoulder bag (£94.99). A flash of leopard against a pared-

Shopper, £38, damsonmadder.com

back outfit is all you need to make it feel considerably more interesting. For something more affordable, turn to Damson Madder's canvas shopper (£38).

Dress it up

IF YOU'RE going to do leopard, I suggest you dive straight in with a dress.

M&S's leopard-print dress, £45, is leopard as nature intended: a traditional spot, true to scale. No lurid colours or oversized patterns. The sleeveless bodice and flowing midi-skirt make it easy to wear, and it's available in petite, regular and tall lengths, in sizes 6-24.

For something looser, with less cling, look to Rixo (£215). Its casual cotton midi-dress has a scoop neck that is particularly flattering on a fuller bust.

Keep accessories simple: a ballet pump now, knee-high boots when the weather turns. And never underestimate the power of a red lipstick - it'll take either dress from day to evening in seconds.

Scoop-neck dress, £215, rixolondon.com

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femail

Blind Date

WOULD YOU LIKE US TO FIND YOU A DATE?

FANCY a posh meal with an eligible single like you? Or would you like to play cupid for someone else? Email your — or their — details and a photo to blinddate@dailymail.co.uk

'Romance? My dad was waiting to give me a lift home'

FREYA, 21

VITAL STATISTICS

SINGLE for a year, no children.

CURRENT ROLE

I WORK in hospitality and also for a charity.

WOULD LIKE TO MEET

SOMEONE with good hair who is into music. No 'gym bros'.

DATING PAST?

I'VE had three serious relationships and a few more fleeting romances. I only ever really meet people 'IRL' - in real life - rather than online. If a guy is a friend of a friend or someone at work, you make more time to see them.

PRE-DATE NERVES?

WALKING into the restaurant I was a bit nervous, but I don't tend to think too far into the future or worry about things.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS?

VEGAS has dark, curly hair with intense, deep brown eyes and long lashes. He looked physically fit - he clearly looks after himself. He's cute, but isn't my normal type, although my must-haves in a man are good hair, a smiley, sunny disposition and being socially capable. He definitely ticked those boxes.

EASY TO TALK TO?

YES, from the get-go it didn't feel like a random blind date, although I would say Vegas seemed much more nervous than I was. We discovered we both produce our own music. After the date, we went for a walk and even played each other some of the music we'd made.

EMBARRASSING MOMENTS?

I NEARLY knocked over my drink. Vegas jokingly asked whether I'm a clumsy person, then confessed he absolutely is.

DID SPARKS FLY?

I'D say so! There was definitely a bit of chemistry between us. There was good eye contact. Vegas was very smiley and seemed a little nervous around me, which was endearing. As the date progressed, I felt more certain of my attraction towards him.

SEE HIM AGAIN?

YES, although I'll see what he says about me first. The date only ended because my dad was waiting to give me a lift home. Otherwise, I would have spent the rest of the day with Vegas.

WHAT DO YOU THINK HE THOUGHT OF YOU?

I'D like to think he liked me. He mistakenly thought he would be deliberately matched with someone who was his polar opposite. When he saw me, he seemed relieved.

WOULD YOUR FRIENDS LIKE HIM? YES, he'd definitely fit into our world. My dad met him when he came to pick me up, and his verdict was positive.

FREYA'S VERDICT: 8/10

LIKED? Vegas is as outgoing as me. REGRETS? Leaving early. COFFEE OR CAB? Coffee.

'It's rare to meet a girl's father so soon. We shook hands'

VEGAS, 21

VITAL STATISTICS

SINGLE for five months, no children (that I'm aware of).

CURRENT ROLE

APPRENTICE gas engineer.

WOULD LIKE TO MEET

SOMEONE down-to-earth who appreciates music.

DATING PAST?

I'VE only had one significant relationship. We met on Hinge and were together for around six months. I wouldn't say I'm actively looking for anyone, but then if you don't look, you won't find anyone, will you? My name is a conversation starter on dates. I was meant to be called Elvis, but my dad was against it. He worried I'd get bullied at school.

PRE-DATE NERVES?

YES. But I don't let that feeling stop me from enjoying my life.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS?

FREYA is very pretty with dark eyes and brown hair. We complimented each other on our outfits. I stood up to give her a hug but, as we were seated at a corner booth, I couldn't pull her chair out for her, though I absolutely would have done.

EASY TO TALK TO?

YES. Freya was a bit nervous at first. I could tell because she played with her bracelets, so I put her at ease by asking lots of questions. Freya works for a charity supporting people with learning difficulties and is very close to her dad. She's also musical and a very good singer.

EMBARRASSING MOMENTS?

YES - there were two. I tripped as I stood up to greet Freya, but I put that down to nerves. Freya nearly split her cocktail.

DID SPARKS FLY?

I'D say so, definitely. There was a positive vibe between us. We went for a walk after lunch, and then met up with Freya's dad, as he was driving her home. It's not often you meet someone's father on a first date, but he was pleasant and we shook hands.

SEE HER AGAIN?

I'D like to. She asked to exchange numbers. I messaged her when I got home, thanking her for the date. I haven't heard back yet.

WHAT DO YOU THINK SHE THOUGHT OF YOU?

HOPEFULLY, she thought I was cool, especially because we have similar tastes in music.

WOULD YOUR FRIENDS LIKE HER?

YES, she's funny and cool, and she knows her music.

Interviews: SAMANTHA BRICK

VEGAS' VERDICT: 7/10

LIKED? Freya's wit. REGRETS? Not buying something new to wear. COFFEE OR CAB? Coffee.

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Page 41

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42 TELEVISION

NEW SERIES

Dragons' Den, 8pm, BBC1

THE iconic series is back in business, and this time the Dragons are leaving the door open for some fierce and familiar-faced investors. In this episode, Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones and

Steven Bartlett (pictured) are joined by CEO and co-founder of Rely Beauty. Jenna Meek She is a powerhouse in the world of beauty and cosmetics, and won't be taking it easy on the fresh wave of ambitious entrepreneurs.

PROPERTY SHOW

Renovation Rescue, 8pm, Ch4

VOGUE Williams and Luke Mabbott are in south Wales in this episode. They're meeting Pete and Lu, who have asked our hosts for help after 18 months of living in what can only be described as a building site — add the fact that they have two young children and you get the perfect recipe for utter chaos.

PICK OF TODAY'S TV

LUDWIG, 9PM, BBC1

DID you know that David Mitchell turned down the lead role in Caribbean crime drama Death In Paradise 13 years ago? The Peep

Show star admitted he has always wanted to play a detective ever since he saw Joan Hickson as Miss Marple and John Thaw as Inspector Morse on TV in the late 80s. Well, he finally got his wish when he took on the role of puzzle-setter-turned-sleuth John Taylor in the hugely entertaining Ludwig, and he's back again for a second series tonight. It was one of the best shows of 2024, and fans will be pleased to know that Mitchell's Ludwig is still terrible at so many

things — even opening a door is a struggle in the opening episode — but excels at solving seemingly impossible cases. This time John has a fancy new title and will be helping Cambridge police with more 'impossible' cases as a Crime Scene Consultant. Picking up from the end of the last series, the disappearance of John's identical twin brother remains unsolved but with sister-in-law Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin, pictured with Mitchell) by his side again, it's a case he's determined to crack. New faces in the cast include Mark Bonnar and Sian Clifford, and look out for guest stars such as Stephen Merchant in future episodes.

BBC1

6.00 Breakfast

9.30 Countryfile Treasures (R)

10.30 Garden Rescue (R) Creating a garden in Loughborough.

11.15 Homes Under the Hammer (AD) Properties in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford and Worthing.

12.15 Bargain Hunt (AD,R) Two teams occur. Ardingly antiques fail.

1.00 BBC News at One; Weather

1.35 BBC Regional News; Weather

1.45 BBC News at One; Weather

2.00 Money for Nothing At Witley recycling centre in Surrey, Sarah Moore finds a food service table for designer Rupert to upcycle and a 100-year-old rug in need of rescuing.

2.45 Escape to the Country (R) Jules Hudson helps a couple from Kent to find a property in Cornwall.

3.30 The Repair Shop (AD,R) Items include a Victorian movie machine and a pair of designer chairs.

4.30 The Answer Run Quiz show.

5.15 Pointless (R) Quiz, hosted by Alexander Armstrong.

6.00 BBC News at Six; Weather

6.30 BBC Regional News; Weather

7.00 The One Show With Roman Kemp and Clara Amfo.

7.30 EastEnders (AD) Priya takes advice from an unlikely source.

BBC2

6.30 Escape to the Country (R)

7.15 Money for Nothing (R)

8.00 Gardeners' World (AD,BSL,R)

9.00 BBC News

1.00 Richard Osman's House of Games (R) With Nina Conti, Nick Helm, Athena Kugblenu and Toby Tarrant.

1.30 The Finish Line (R) Kate, Syreeta, Andrew, Kit and Shaun take part.

2.15 Do You Know Your Place? (R)

2.45 Animal Park Summer (AD,R)

3.30 Serengeti II (AD,R) The hyenas make life hard for the jackals and the leopard cubs.

4.30 Vintage Antiques Roadshow (R) From Burton-on-Trent.

5.10 Flog III (R) Paul Martin presents the show from the Royal Marines Museum in Hampshire.

6.00 Richard Osman's House of Games (R) Former winners Edith Bowman, Rhys James, Anita Rani and Simon Rimmer test their general knowledge skills in the penultimate round of challenges.

6.30 Richard Osman's House of Games (R) With Edith Bowman, Rhys James, Anita Rani and Simon Rimmer.

7.00 Today at the Test England v Pakistan. Highlights of the second day of the First Test in the three-match series.

ITV1

6.00 Good Morning Britain Morning magazine featuring a mix of news and current affairs, plus health and entertainment features.

10.00 This Morning Daily magazine, featuring a mix of celebrity chat, showbusiness news, lifestyle features, topical discussion, health and beauty advice and more. Including Local Weather.

1.00 News; Weather

1.20 Regional News

1.30 ITV Racing: Live from York

Francesca Comani and Ed Chamberlin present coverage of the second day of the Ebor Meeting, including feature race the Yorkshire Oaks; Regional Weather

4.30 Tipping Point: Best Ever Finals (R) Compilation of some of the most dramatic endgames from the arcade-themed quiz show.

5.00 The Chase (R) Bradley Walsh presents as Jane, Winston, Daniel, Sammie work as a team to take on one of the ruthless Chasers.

6.00 Regional News

6.30 News; Weather

7.30 Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy (AD) Tom explores Sicily's citrus heritage. Last in series.

CHANNEL 4

6.30 The King of Queens (AD,R)

7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond

(AD,R) Triple bill.

9.10 Frasier (AD,R) Four episodes.

11.10 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (R) A restaurant in Brooklyn.

12.05 Channel 4 News Summary

12.10 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (AD,R)

1.10 The Great House Giveaway (R) Chris and Adam have just six months to renovate and sell a house bought at auction that's been condemned, not once but twice.

2.10 Countdown Debbie McGee is in Dictionary Corner with Susie Dent.

3.00 A Place In the Sun (R) A father and daughter seek a holiday home in Estepona on the Costa del Sol.

4.00 The Great B&B Challenge (R) The contestants host an event.

5.00 Chateau DIY (AD,R) An old cow shed is converted into a sophisticated business suite.

6.00 American Pickers (AD,R) In Michigan, Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz find a 1985 Cadillac and fall hard for her ultra-rare, barn-fresh Ford Model-A tow truck.

7.00 Channel 4 News

8.00 Renovation Rescue (AD) In South Wales, a family who've been living in a building site for 18 months decide to complete their renovation themselves.

9.00 Love You to Death (AD) Lisa's world implodes as an unthinkable truth is revealed: Matthew's illnesses are not as they seem. Matthew comes to terms with a new reality.

10.00 Love You to Death (AD) Matthew confronts his past and meets the professionals who worked on his case, as he searches for the elusive truth. Last in series.

11.05 Outback Murder Highway (AD) Documentary investigating the disappearance of Tony Jones in hopes of determining whether he was one of the victims of serial killer Andy Albury.

12.05 Outback Murder Highway (AD) 12.55 Crime Scene Cleaners (AD,BSL,R) 1.50 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (BSL,R) 2.40 The Schoolgirl Terrorist? (AD,BSL,R) 3.35 Dictator: The Hitler Interviews (AD,BSL,R) 4.30 Couples Come Dive with Me (BSL,R) 5.25 A Place in the Sun (R) 5.50 Countdown (R)

7 PM

8 PM

9 PM

10 PM

11 PM

12 MNT

8.00 Dragons' Den (AD) Entrepreneurs pitch water-saving powder-to-liquid hair care, traditional confectionery, handcrafted spice blends and a mission-led travel start-up.

9.00 Ludwig (AD) New series. John Ludwig Taylor gets new job as a crime scene consultant and a double confession sees him proving who did not commit a crime at a theatre. Return of the drama, with David Mitchell.

10.00 BBC News at Ten 10.30 BBC Regional News (Followed by Weather) 10.40 The Truth About My Murder New series. The police investigation into a murder at Wentwood Forest in 1996.

11.20 The Truth About My Murder The discovery of a young woman's body in a suitcase next to the M4 motorway.

12.00 The Truth About My Murder A woman's supposed death in a car crash on a mountain road in south Wales. 12.40 Alan Carr's Picture Slam (R) 1.25 Weather for the Week Ahead 1.30 BBC News

8.00 The Big Deal with Steph McGovern (AD) The remaining six pairs team up to source and sell artwork for luxury homes.

9.00 A House Through Time David Dluosja examines the life of Victorian-era residents of the house on Calton Hill, including Thomas Mains, a maker of expensive shoes.

10.00 Red Dwarf (R) The Inquisitor arrives on board. 10.30 Newsnight Analysis of the day's events with Paddy O'Connell. (Followed by Weather)

11.05 Emergency 24/7 (AD,R) A look at the emergency department at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, revealing the everyday pressures as well as the teamwork required to keep the department running.

12.05 FILM: Tar (2022) (15) (AD) Drama, starring Cate Blanchett. 2.35 The Mother of All Cons (AD,BSL,R) 3.35 This Is BBC2

8.00 Emmerdale (AD) Caleb is determined to ruin Joe's big day. 8.30 Coronation Street (AD) Leanne has a go at idris for gambling with her money.

9.00 The Chase Around the World (AD) The teams land in the final city, Athens, where they must defeat all the Chasers in head-to-head battles across the region. Bradley Walsh hosts.

10.00 News (Followed by Weather) 10.30 Regional News 10.45 Skyfall (2012) (12) (AD) James Bond hunts the mastermind behind a terrorist attack on M16, and discovers a former agent with revenge in mind. Action thriller, starring Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem and Judi Dench.

1.20 Shop on TV 3.00 Love & Death (AD,R) Last in series. 4.00 Unwind with ITV 5.05 Deal or No Deal: Celebrity Special (AD,BSL,R)

(R) Repeat. (HD) High Definition. (AD) Audio Description. (b/w) Not in colour. (BSL) British Sign Language.

Family viewing

Generally suitable for all

Caution recommended

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TELEVISION 43

SOCIAL HISTORY

A House Through Time, 9pm, BBC2

IN this episode, historian David Olusoga is taken back in time to Victorian Edinburgh – the era that saw the Scottish capital outgrow its medieval centre through slum clearances and the development of its iconic Gothic and Scots Baronial buildings. It was also when some of the city's most infamous crimes took place, such as the Burke and Hare murders. But what were the residents of the house on Calton Hill doing during the 19th century?

FILM CHOICE

Tax, 12.05am, BBC2

THE brilliant Cate Blanchett delivers a dynamite. Oscar-nominated performance as the revered, utterly terrifying Lydia Tax, the icy and serious head conductor of a Berlin orchestra, who is headed for a paranoid fall. It's not an easy watch by any means: the character of Lydia is very difficult to read, or to like.

CHANNEL 5

6.00 Milkshake! Peppa Pig (AD,R) 6.10 Tweedy & Fluff (R) 6.15 Odo (R) 6.20 Thomas & Friends (R) 6.35 Fireman Sam (R) 6.45 Peppa Pig (AD,R) 6.50 Pip and Pony (R) 6.55 Paw Patrol (R) 7.00 Move It Milkshakeers! (R) 7.20 Rubble & Crew 7.35 Peppa Pig (AD,R) 7.40 Peppa Pig (AD,R) 7.45 Tim Rex in Space (AD,R) 8.00 Stan & Grom (R) 8.15 Paw Patrol (R) 8.30 The Adventures of Paddington (R) 8.40 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom (R) 8.50 Kangaroo Beach (R) 9.05 Peppa Pig (AD,R) 9.10 PRWsome Puzzles (R)

9.15 Jeremy Vine

11.30 Storm & Alesis

12.45 5 News at Lunchtime

12.50 Matt Allevright

2.20 Sins in the Family (2023) (12) ①

FTR A suburban wife and mother's perfect life threatens to fall apart when a school counsellor becomes uncomfortably close to her daughter. Thriller, starring Monique Plante and Natalie Sharp.

4.00 Castle (R) Part one of two.

4.55 Love Nature (R)

5.00 5 News with Dan Walker

6.00 Corsica: Jewel of the Med (R)

6.55 5 News Update

7.00 Around the World in First

Class (R) Josie Gibson heads to Hong Kong. Last in series.

7.55 5 News Update

8.00 The Yorkshire Vet Matt Smith helps a cow who has suffered a massive prolapse after giving birth. Cameron also focus on a 12-year-old Boston Terrier, who has a very sore mouth.

9.00 Benidorm Is Murder (AD)

PKK Dennis and Rosa investigate the death of a former jackpot winner. Crime drama, with John Hannah and Carolina Becquer.

10.00 Killer at the Crime Scene (R)

The murder of Karla Godoy, who vanished after going on holiday to Peru. As detectives scrambled to uncover the truth, a shocking confession led to an international manhunt.

11.05 Fare Dodgers: At War with

the Law (R) In London, investigators hunt for a woman thought to owe more than £2,300 in unpaid fares.

12.05 Street Cops: Catching the Vobs

(R) 1.00 Cruise TV with LovettBookit (R) 2.00 GPS: Behind Closed Doors (R) 2.55 Castle (R) 3.40 Friends (R) 4.05 Friends (R) 4.30 The Highland Vet (BSLR) 5.30 Entertainment News on 5.5.40 Paw Patrol (BSLR) 5.45 The Adventures of Paddington (BSLR)

▲ Particularly liable to offend

Professor T, the detective with more mummy issues than Tutankhamun

PAGING Dr Freud! The neurotic detective show with a raging 'mother complex' is back, and it's more messed up than ever.

Professor T, starring Ben Miller as the highly strong sleuth Jasper Tempest, has worse mummy issues than Tutankhamun. Never mind unraveling the murders and kidnappings – there's enough emotional puzzles to fill a psychology library.

Nearly every male we meet is terrified of women. And it has to be said that the women are fairly formidable. Not content with having Frances de la Tour as Jasper's overbearing mother, Juliet Stevenson as his bossy therapist and Sarah Woodward as his forthright secretary Ingrid, the writers have added Zoe Wanamaker as his girlishly boisterous Aunt Zelda.

The first time we met Zelda, Jasper mistook her for an intruder until she emerged from the bathroom, stuck her head round the door and announced: 'I'm in the absolute nuddy!'

Then she started comparing her own body to that of her sister, Jasper's dear mama: 'I could

LIVING DEAD OF THE NIGHT:

Horror fan Joe Pasquale made Frankenstein Pie on Celebrity Masterchef (BBCI), with 'a bit of everything in it' – beef, onions, and garlic 'to keep the werewolves away'. Instead of cooking it, he should have zapped the dish with a bolt of lightning!

never get into Adelaide's clothes... much bigger t'ts.'

There's enough material there to keep a platoon of Freudians busy for a week.

Zelda pounced on the first man she met, the university dean (Douglas Beith), and insisted on booking a dinner date, even though he had the words 'confirmed bachelor' running through him like the lettering in a stick of rock. When the dean didn't turn up at the restaurant, she began batting her eyelashes at the chap on the next table, with more success.

Jasper, grieving the death of his murdered protege Lisa, was ordered back to work as a police consultant by his shrink, Dr Helena Goldberg. She is showing signs of taking a more than professional interest in him – and if she decides on romance, he won't get much say in the matter.

Even at the station, he cannot escape the influence of domineering women. Chief Inspector Maiya Goswami (Sunetra Barker) treats him like a bright

N. IRELAND TV VARIATIONS

BBC1 10.40am The Crime Chart's Forget: Edwin Handcock recalls a homophobic killing in 1969. Dublin, 15.30 The Truth About My Murder: 12.00am The Truth About My Murder: 12.50 The Truth About My Murder.

WELSH TV VARIATIONS

BBC1 12.40am Buried with Michael Sheen. Part one of two, investigating allegations of toxic contamination in south Wales. 1.40 BBC News. 3/4C 6.00am Cyns. 12.00am Newyddion. 12.05 Cali Quimalt. 12.30 News. 1.00 Cold Heart. 1.30 Sisters Gary Liner. 2.00 Newyddion. 2.05 Prynhawn Do. 2.00 Newyddion. 3.05 Am Sir or 4.00 Awr Fawr. 5.00 Dhrinth. 6.00 Candle. 7.00 News. 7.30 Newyddion. 8.00 Pobol y Coen. 8.25 Gellad y Baug. 9.40am Bowen Phys. The musician continues his journey at Louisville. 8.30 Newyddion 5/4C at Tawydd. 9.00 Line Sir Bank's 2026. 10.00 Tackin' Ty. 10.30 Vr Alon.

CHRISTOPHER STEVENS

LAST NIGHT'S TV

Professor T (ITV1) ★★★★☆

but socially backward schoolboy. 'I didn't think you could get any stranger,' she told him with a pitying gaze, 'and yet here we are.'

Back for a fourth series (series five is already airing in the U9), his first case involved an anxious young man called JC. He'd

booked a boat trip to scatter his mother's ashes at sea but instead his girlfriend had apparently disappeared overboard.

The Professor solved the mystery when he discovered that JC's late mother was a child psychologist who wrote the book on tough

love and starved him of affection. When she died, he flipped and kidnapped his girlfriend, before locking her up and faking her suicide. Something about living out a control fantasy, apparently.

The only woman who doesn't breathe fire and toast her menfolk for breakfast is DC Chloe (Rhian Blundell), so recently promoted to CID that she feels awkward in plain clothes. She'll soon find her confidence when she realises all the chaps are terrified of her. It's a woman's world.

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£3,249( ^{pp*} )

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

√ Selected departures between May 2027 and September 2028 √ Return flights, coach travel and transfers √ Nine nights' three- to four-star bed-and-breakfast accommodation √ Tours and visits to Halifax, Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Peggy's Cove, Lunenburg, Fort Anne, St-Andrews-by-the-Sea, Fundy National Park, Hopewell Rocks, Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Anne of Green Gables Museum and Alexander Graham Bell Museum √ Ferry across the Bay of Fundy √ Scenic drive along the Cabot Trail √ Escorted by a tour manager

Call us FREE on 0808 239 9312

Visit www.mailtravel.co.uk

Holdings are operated by and subject to the following conditions of Revenue, Travel, ABTA Market, Price, State prosecuted, a company, independent of Associated Newspapers Ltd and Mail Travel. Prices are per person, based on two people sharing, and are subject to availability. *From price based on August 31, 2027 from London Heathrow. Price correct at time of print.

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44 DIGITAL & ON DEMAND

PICK OF DIGITAL & ON DEMAND TV

LION, DISNEY+

If you've ever wondered what a real-life version of The Lion King might look like, well, executive producer Jon Favreau has you covered with this epic four-part natural history series that follows one pride over the course of four years. Favreau, who previously directed the photorealistic animated remake of Disney's The Lion King in 2019, seems determined to go one step further with this series for National Geographic, which has been produced by the BBC's Natural History Unit and has music from none other than

TENNIS GREAT

Novak Djokovic: The Wolf In Winter, Amazon Prime Video

THE tennis great Novak Djokovic (pictured) says he just cannot enjoy his many accomplishments in the sport. This is a career that includes more than 100 title victories. 428 weeks spent as world number one and an Olympic gold medal. It's a typical perspective to hear from the Serbian legend who, as he looks back on his incredible career in this feature-length documentary, still feels there is so much for him to do and prove. But to whom? The number one doubter is here, he says, pointing at himself. Djokovic isn't oblivious to the cost

Hans Zimmer. Thankfully, it's not full of references and comparisons to Simba, Mufasa, Timon and co., although narrator OJ Lynch did play Mufasa in The Lion King stage play, so he certainly fits into that feel. It does turn its lions into characters, though, and the story it's telling revolves around Kin (pictured), who we follow from a fluffy cub all the way up to indomitable king of the lions. It's not an easy road - poor Kin endures loss, violence and even exile on the way of what is very much a hero's journey.

of it all, though, and ponders the impact on his family of the total dedication that being in service to the tennis court requires. The film hears extensively from Djokovic, as well as from his wife Jelena and tennis greats such as Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal.

TEEN ADVENTURE

Outer Banks, Netflix

THIS adventurous drama show follows a gang of down-at-heed local teens in the Outer Banks coastal area of North Carolina. Permanently at odds with the rich folk who swan in and out of the nearby posh beachfront properties, the poor kids long for something better... and just might have found the route to it when one of them learns of his missing father's connection to a long-lost treasure. Full of mysteries, surprises, lost loot and a smattering of romance, it's become a teen favourite over the years and is now back for its final series.

TIME

BBC 4

E4

ITV2

7.00pm

Villages by the Sea

Ben Robinson makes a discovery at Norfolk's Hokham Estate

7.30pm

Canal Boat Diaries: Robbie Cumming tackles the River Trent

8.00pm

The Bridge: Fifty Years Across the Forth

Forth Celebrating the Forth Road Bridge, one of Scotland's great landmarks and the biggest of its kind when it opened in 1964

8.30pm

The French Connection (1971,18) Two New York cops use unorthodox methods to break a drug-ring smuggling heroin into the U.S. from France. Oscar-winning fact-based thriller, starring Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider

9.00pm

9.30pm

10.00pm

10.30pm

11.00pm

11.30pm

11.30pm

11.30pm

11.30pm

11.30pm

E4

ITV2

E4

ITV2

E4

The Simpsons

Homer is given free plane tickets

The Simpsons

Homer becomes head of a secret society

The Great Celebrity

Bake Off for Stand Up

to Cancer (N) Mabuse, Gatto Logan, David O'Doherty and Sudi Ruffel take part in the baking challenge

The 1% Club Kids Special on black hosts a special edition in which children aged from 9 to 15 take part in the quiz

Crushing Paradise:

Above and Below

Deck Love is in the air on the Star Princess

Gogglebox

The armchair critics share their opinions on the coronation ceremony and concert. The Greatest Auction, and the local elections results on BBC News

The Great Celebrity

Tracing 'The French Connection' critic Mark Kermode examines the making of classic thriller

1.05 First Dates

Twenty seven-year-old single mother and dog groomer Brenna seeks a shaky who won't be put off by the fact she has a daughter (To 12,10)

1.05 First Dates

1.35 American Stud

Francine demands the 'Sun give up his 50k (To 12,05)

E4

ITV2

E4

The Floor Just 25 players are left as Rob Brydon hosts another tense round of quick-fire standards, with each win expanding a player's territory

ENTERTAINMENT & FACTUAL

5 ACTION

Preview 33 Sky 150

11.00am Gunsmoke. 12.10pm FILM: The Hired Hand. (1970) (15) 2.00 FILM: Branded. (1950) (PG) 4.00 Highway Thru Hell. 5.00 Motorway Cops: Catching Britains Speeders. 6.00 Police Interceptors. 8.00 Motorway Cops: Catching Britains Speeders. 9.00 Police Interceptors. 10.00 Timber Titans. 11.00 The X-Files.

BBC THREE

Preview 23 Sky 115 Virgin 107

7.00pm The Catch Up. 7.05 Deadly 60. 8.00 Sort Your Life Out with Stacey Solomon. 9.00 Better Date than Never. 10.00 He Had It Coming.

COMEDY CENTRAL

Sky 153 Virgin 133

12noon Sahyna the Teenage Witch. 1.00 Friends. 9.00 FILM: Instant Family. (2018) (12) 11.20 Shupid Central.

DISCOVERY

Sky 135 Virgin 177

11.00am Building Off the Grid. 1.00pm Or left Rocky Mountain. Yet 3.00 How It's Made. 5.00 Alaska: Homestead Rescue. 7.00 Wheeler Dealers. 9.00 Naked and Afraid Global Showdown. 11.00 Expedition X.

E4 (DAYTIME)

Preview 13 Sky 125 Virgin 106

11.00am Below Deck. Mediterranean. 12noon The Simpsons. 2.00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine. 3.00 Modern Family. 5.00 The Simpsons.

5 STAR (DAYTIME)

Preview 12 Sky 125 Virgin 126

12noon Traffic Cops. 2.00 Police Interceptors. 5.00 Car Pound Cops. 6.00 Home and Away.

5 SELECT

Preview 46 Sky 153 Virgin 138

12noon Red Eagle New Lives in the Wild. 1.00 Murder. She Wrote. 3.00 Columbo. 5.00 Suburban Wonder of the West Country. 6.00 Abandoned Engineering. 7.00 Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild. 9.00 Mysteries of the Pyramids with Dara O'Brien. 11.00 Prisoner. Cell Block H.

5 USA (DAYTIME)

Preview 21 Sky 141 Virgin 120

12noon Law & Order. 6.00 NCIS.

FOOD NETWORK UK

Preview 43 Sky 144 Virgin 168

11.00am The Great British Bake Off. 1.00pm James Martin Islands to Highlands. 3.00 The Hairy Bakers Go Local. 4.00 James's Comfort Food. 5.00 The Pioneer Woman. 6.00 James Martin Islands to Highlands. 7.00 The Great British Bake Off. 8.00 Michel Rouck French Country Cooking. 10.00 James One-Fan Wonders. 11.00 Dinners. Drive Ina and Dives.

GREAT! TV

Preview 14 Sky 157 Virgin 170

12.50pm Good News on GREAT! Extra. 1.00 The Waltons. 4.00 Good News on GREAT! Extra. 4.10 Little House on the Prairie. 5.50 Good News on GREAT! Extra. 6.00 The Irish Rift. 7.00 MAS*H. 9.00 FILM: Carry On Caday. (1963) (PG) 11.00 Robins Nest.

ITV2 (DAYTIME)

Preview 4 Sky 118 Virgin 155

11.10am Charmed. 12.10pm Deal or No Deal. 1.10 Supermarket Sweep. 2.10 The Floor. 3.10 The Only Way In Space. 4.10 The Real Pleasures of Potomac. 5.00 The Real Pleasures of Beverly Hills. 6.00 Celebrity Catchphrase.

ITV3 (DAYTIME)

Preview 10 Sky 119 Virgin 117

11.30am Heartbeat. 1.35pm Midcomer Murder. 3.35 Classic Emmerdale. 4.40 Classic Coronation Street. 5.50 Heartbeat.

ITV4 (DAYTIME)

Preview 26 Sky 120 Virgin 158

12.30pm Magnum, Pl. 2.35 The Candole of Sherlock Holmes. 3.45 Boon. 4.50 The Professionals. 5.50 Sharpe.

MORE4 (DAYTIME)

Preview 16 Sky 126 Virgin 167

12.40pm Come Dine with Me. 3.20 Four on a Rock. 5.50 Car S.O.S.

NAT'L GEOGRAPHIC

Sky 129 Virgin 183

10.50am Construction Fails. 1.00pm Air Crash Investigation. 2.00 Lost Ships of WW2. 4.00 Lost

Treasures of Egypt. 5.00 Destruction Decoded. 6.00 Nazi Megastructures. Death From Above. 7.00 Air Crash Investigation. 8.00 Lion. 9.50 Serengeti Speed Queen. 10.50 Air Crash Investigation. 11.50 Amsterdam Central 347.

PBS AMERICA

Preview 84 Sky 173 Virgin 187

11.50am The Truth About Franco-Spains Forgotten Dictatorship. 1.00pm World of Stonehenge. 2.20 The Last Days of Anne Boleyn. 3.40 Prochastias Beyond the Myth. 4.50 The Truth About Franco-Spains Forgotten Dictatorship. 6.00 World of Stonehenge. 7.50 The Last Days of Anne Boleyn. 8.25 Prochastias Beyond the Myth. 9.35 The Truth About Franco-Spains Forgotten Dictatorship. 10.40 The Last Days of Anne Boleyn.

REALLY

Preview 44 Sky 153 Virgin 165

12noon Celebrity Yorkshire Auction House. 2.00 The Repair Shop. 3.00 Salvage Hunters. 4.00 Salvage Hunters: Celebrity Special. 5.00 Who Do You Think You Are? 6.00 The Repair Shop. 7.00 The Yorkshire Auction House. 8.00 Antispas Read Trip. 9.00 The Pavilion Clinic. 11.00 Help My House Is Haunted.

SKY ARTS

Preview 36 Sky 173 Virgin 123

12noon The Art of Film with Ian Nathan. 1.00 Tales of the Unexpected. 2.00 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. 3.00 The Nineties. 4.00 Discovering Jane Ponda. 5.00 Portrait Artist of the Year 2023. 6.00 Tales of the Unexpected. 7.00 Voices of the Valleys. 8.00 Discovering Mel Gibson. 9.00 Spymasters: The Great Spy Writers. 10.00 Billy Idol Should Be Dead.

SKY ATLANTIC

Sky 108 Virgin 121

12.40pm Homicide Life on the Street. 2.30 Britons. 4.30 Danger. 6.30 House of the Dragon. 9.00 Possession. 10.00 FILM: Promising Young Woman. (2020) (15).

SKY COMEDY

Sky 112 Virgin 112

11.50am Will & Grace. 12.20pm Based on a True Story. 1.35 The

RADIO

RADIO 4

FM 2.30-4.94-5/2022

5.00am News Summary.

5.04 Sideways.

5.32 Weather.

5.34 Shipping Forecast.

5.43 Prayer for the Day.

5.45 Farming Today.

6.00 Today.

6.00 Natalie Haynes

Stands Up for the

Classics.

9.30 The Guitar Story.

10.00 Woman's Hour.

11.00 1.00 This Cultural

Life. New series. John Wilson talks to author Sebastian Faulks.

11.45 Book of the Week:

The Fire in the

Mountain: Sicily,

Etna and her People.

By Helena Attlee.

12noon News.

12.04 Scam Secrets.

12.32 Sliced Bread.

12.57 Weather.

1.00 The World at One.

1.45 Human Intelligence.

2.00 The Archers.

Comeback. 3.00 Will & Grace. 4.00 The Reluctant Landlord. 5.00 Community. 6.00 Will & Grace. 7.00 The Office (US). 8.00 The Reluctant Landlord. 9.00 Alan Carr, Regional Topher. 10.00 Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. 10.45 Based on a True Story.

SKY DOCUMENTARIES

Sky 114 Virgin 121

12noon Liza Heath Ledger. 1.50 My Icon: Michael Holding. 2.00 Bardot. 4.00 The Directors. 5.00 Answering: Samuel L. Jackson. 6.00 FILM: The Alport. (2021) (12) 7.50 My Icon: Anthony Joshua. 8.00 The United Way. 9.50 My Icon: Chris Highton. 10.00 Terry Venables: A Man Can Dream.

Sky 114 Virgin 121

Sky 114 Virgin 121

Sky 114 Virgin 121

SKY HISTORY

Sky 112 Virgin 118

10.10am Juck & Disorderly. 11.05 Storage Wars. 12noon The Last

PICK OF TODAY'S RADIO

BBC PROMS 2026, 7PM, RADIO 3

THE Proms celebrate the genius of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, in his centenary year. The BBC Concert Orchestra are joined by American Arimose Akinmusire, a fun of Davis since he was a boy and who has said he admired how he was 'always moving forward'. Akinmusire

has released albums on the legendary Blue Note Records label and worked on the 2015 film Miles Ahead, helping to recreate Miles Davis's trumpet sound. Tonight he plays some of Davis's own hits like Blue in Green as well as music that influenced him by Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

Gershwin and Rodrigo.

---

FREEVIEW PRIMETIME PLANNER 45

ITV3	ITV4	MORE4	SKY MIX	QUEST	U&DAVE	U&DRAMA	5STAR	5USA
10	26	18	11	17	19	20	32	21
6.55 Heartbeat A clairvoyant at Whitby Funfart gives a bride-to-be cold feet about her imminent nuptials	5.50 Sharpe The treacherous Major Brand tries to dupe Sharpe into helping him betray Rios to the French, while a poet sets out to impress Jane. Sean Bean stars	6.50 Car S.O.S Fuzz Townshend and Tim Shaw recitors an Austin army truck	Nothing to Declare The work of customs officers in Australia	Antiques Road Trip Anta Manning and Raj Bioram go shopping in the Kent towns of Great, Sandwich and Feversham	7.05 Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing From the lake of Burghley House	7.20 Last of the Summer Wine The trio scheme to get Wally out from under Nora Batty's thumb for a day. Comedy, starring Bill Owen	GPx Behind Closed Doors Regular patient Bob is concerned about memory loss	NCIS A petty officer is killed while competing in a swimsuit contest, raising fears the may have fallen victims to a jealous rival — or a stalker. Crime drama, starring Mark Harmon
Vera The detective is drawn into Newcastle's underworld to discover the identity of a murder victim found dead in the river, with no clue as to who he is apart from a distinctive drugs wrapper. Murder mystery, with Brenda Bletchyn and Jon Morrison	Cycling: Women's Tour of British Highlights Action from stage two	7.55 Grand Designs Harry and Bristow Anzcombe decide to build a house heavily inspired by American modernist properties, after moving from London to Cornwall with their three young children	Live EFL Sheffield Wednesday v Bradford City (Nick-off Bpm). Coverage of the League One match at Hillsborough, as the Yorkshire rivals meet for the first time since Bradford's 3-1 home win in the 2022/23 EFL Trophy. Both teams end and disappointment last term, with third-gradly finishing bottoms of the Championship and the Bantams losing to Bolton Wanderers in the semi-finals of the play-offs	Outback Truckers Australia's toughest drivers hit the open road and reveal the adventure of trucking, with bigger loads, rougher roads and more intense action	8.20 Would I Lie to You? With Richard Hammond, Sean Lock, Judy Harris and Trevor Noah	The Marlow Murder Club At the suspect's secrets stack up. Judith, beck and Suzie still can't find anyone with a mother to hurt the Mayor. Guest starring Peter Davison	Casualty 24/71 Every Second Counts There are no available beds in Barnaby hospital's A&E department	NCIS An officer is found dead, and though the evidence initially suggests the committed suicide as a result of a nervous breakdown, Ducky suspects foul play
Midsomer Murders The Electric Vendetta: A series of mutilated corpses turn up in the middle of crop circles, leading DCI Barnaby to question his customary down-to-earth approach. Murder mystery, starring John Nettles	Benidorm Mick forces his family to enter a pub quiz with a big cash prize	24 Hours in A&E Cameran follow Lawrence, 26, who is rushed to St George's after being hit by a car while crossing the road on a night out in Eastbourne	Nothing to Declare The work of customs officers in Australia	Outback Opal Hunters The Blacklighters call in an expert on a rare thrill, and ageing machines threaten to end the Bushmen's season	Hit Point Lion battles with his dangerous double life — and Carter and Dylan fear his feelings for Bella could destroy them all	Father Brown A celebrity florist brings glamour and murder to Kembleford. Mystery drama based on the stories by G.K. Chesterton, guest starring Diane Page	A&E After Dark A biker is badly injured in a high-impact collision with a car	Blue Bloods The Reagan's band together to prevent Joe Hill from being killed in the line of duty like his father when they fear Joe's cover has been blown
11.55 Trial & Retribution Part one of two (To 12.55)	Benidorm Mick falls victim to a con	24 Hours in A&E Cameran follow a 8-year-old who has sewed his finger at school, and a stonemason who has dropped a marble slab on his hand	Nothing to Declare The work of customs officers in Australia	The Repair Shop A treasured table from the late 1970s requires the attention of woodworker, Will. Modelling expert David fiam up a beloved horseracing game	Have I Got a Bit More News for You Victoria Coren Michael hosts an extended episode of the satirical quiz	New Tricks The gun used to kill a boxer is discovered at the scene of an armed robbery. 8-years later, prompting the team to reinvestigate the case	Ambulance: Code Red Two air ambulances are called to a dual carriageway, where a car has crashed through the barriers	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit An investigates a man's claim that his sister was gang raped
	Black Sails While Miranda tries to save the island, Eleanor opens old wounds and lone deals with a problem (To 12.05)	11.05 999: On the Front Line A young mother suffers a panic attack while out with her three-year-old son. When paramedics arrive, she's gasping for breath (To 12.10)	Grimm Nick and Hank investigate a murder and discover two people with a connection to the victim are magical creatures (To 12.00)	How Do They Do It? The production of Ford's Transits	Tankmaster Greg Davies sets Aisling Bea, Bob Mortimer, Mark Watson, Nick Kumar and Sally Phillips brilliantly bewildering back (To 12.20)	11.20 Luther The detective is forced to work outside the law to track down vigilante killer Marwoods. Thriller, starring Idris Elba (To 12.40)	Skin A&E Dr Natalia struggles with a lipoma on the jawline of a biker who won't stop talking (To 12.00)	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit An Alzheimer's patient claims to have been raped. No receives his sergeant orders. Starring Marilda Hargitay (To 12.00)

9.00 Loose Ends. Kiri Printhard McLean presents from the Crossed Wires Festival in Sheffield. 9.45 The Cows Are Mad. Partner Mark Purdley becomes convinced pesticides are the root of the problem. 10.00 The World Tonight. News round-up, with Shaun Ley.

Mysteries: 4.00 The Mentalist. 5.00 Hudson & Rex. 6.00 Body of Proof. 6.55 Private Eyes. 7.50 Bookish. 9.00 The Hunting Party. The team hunt a killer dubbed The Masewiser for breaking the necks of her massage clients. 10.00 Death in Paradise. 11.00 Private Eyes.

U&DAVE (DAYTIME)

Freeview 19 Sky 111 Virgin 127

11.20am Yukon Gold 12.30pm Top Gear. 2.20 Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. 3.00 Guy Martin: Proper Side. 4.00 Harry Blikey: Best of British. 5.00 Rick Steins Cornwall.

U&DRAMA (DAYTIME)

Freeview 20 Sky 143 Virgin 150

11.40am The Bill. 12.40pm Classic: EastEnders. 2.00 Classic: Neophixcars. 3.00 Whitstable Pearl. 4.05 Lovejoy. 5.20 As Time Goes By. 6.00 Last of the Summer Wine.

10.45 Book at Bedtime: Mr. Bidho's Post Office. By Amman Brar. 11.00 Radical. 11.30 Poetry Please. 12midnight News and Weather. 12.30 Book of the Week: The Fire in the Mountain Sicily, Etna and her People. 12.48 Shipping Forecast. 1.00 BBC World Service.

U&EDEN

Freeview 57 Sky 166 Virgin 176 12noon Great Australian Railway Journeys. 1.00 Canal Boat Diaries. 2.00 Great Australian Railway Journeys. 5.00 Canal Boat Diaries. 7.00 Great Australian Railway Journeys. 9.00 Canal Boat Diaries. 11.00 Great Australian Railway Journeys.

U&GOLD

Sky 110 Virgin 124 11.40am Ever Decreasingly Circles. 12.20pm Holy Fools and Horses. 1.00 Keeping Up Appearances. 1.40 Dad's Army. 2.20 The Green Green Grass. 3.00 Are You Being Served? 3.40 Ever Decreasingly Circles. 4.20 Dad's Army. 5.00 Last of the Summer Wine. 6.20 Keeping Up Appearances. 7.00 Holy Fools and Horses. 7.40 Dad's Army. 8.20 Are You Being Served? 9.00 The

RADIO 2 FM 88-90.2MUZ

6.30am The Sara Cox Breakfast Show. 9.30 Verran Kay. 12noon Jeremy Vine. 2.00pm DJ Spoony. 4.00 Jason Macford. 7.00 From Nights on Radio 2. 9.00 The Country Show with Darras Rucker. 10.00 The Good Groove with Melvin Odoren. 12midnight O.I. Borg.

RADIO 3 FM 90-2.92.4MUZ

6.30am Breakfast. 9.30 Essential Classics. 1.00pm Classical Live. 4.00 Composer of the Week: Felix Mendelssohn. 5.00 In Tune. 7.00 12.00 5 BBC Promo. 20.06 A tribute to jazz star Miles Davis in his centenary year. 10.00 Night Tracks. 11.30 Round Midnight. 12.30am Through the Night.

RADIO 5 LIVE

With this booklet.

5.00am Wake Up to Money. 6.00 5 Live Breakfast. 9.00 Rima Ahmed. 11.00 Gordon Smart. 2.00pm Adam Fleming. 4.00 5 Live Drive. 7.00 5 Live Sport. Eleanor Oldroyd presents the day's sports news. 8.00 5 Live Formula 1. 9.00 5 Live Sport: The Euro League Podcast. 10.00 Qasa Alom. 1.00am Joel Mitchell.

Office. 9.40 Joe & David's Magical Sitcom Tour. 10.40 The Office. 11.30 Mrs Brown's Boys.

UAW

Freeview 25 Sky 133 Virgin 125 12noon DIY SOS: The Big Build. 1.00 Tipping Point. 4.00 Property Brothers: Forever Homes. 5.00 DIY SOS: The Big Build. 7.00 MasterChef Australia. 8.00 Property Brothers: Under Pressure. 9.00 DIY SOS: The Big Build. 11.00 Leo, David and Betrayal.

UAVESTERDAY

Freeview 27 Sky 158 Virgin 129 11.00am The World at War. 12noon Antigone Roadshow. 2.00 Dangers & Cash. 4.00 Secret Nazi Bases. 5.00 The World at War. 6.00 Antigone Roadshow. 7.00 The Blue Planet. 8.00 Dangers & Cash. 9.00 Dream Car Fixers. 10.00 Bangers & Cash.

SPORT

SKY MAIN EVENT

Sky 405 Virgin 501

10.15am Live Test Cricket. England v Pakistan. Coverage of the second day of the First Test in the three-match series, held at Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds. 7.00pm The Transfer Show. 7.30 Live EFL Sheffield Wednesday v Bradford City (Kick-off Bpm). Coverage of the League One match at Hillsborough. 10.30 Live PGA Tour Golf. The BMW Championship. Coverage of day one of the second tournament in the FedExCup Playoffs.

SKY PREMIER LEAGUE

Sky 402 Virgin 503

12noon Transfer Talk. 1.00 Premier League Years. 3.00 FL Retro. 5.00 The Premier League Show. 7.00 The Transfer Show. 8.00 The Big Interview. 8.30 Premier League 500 Club. 9.00 FL 360. 11.00 Premier League Years.

SKY CHICKET

Sky 405 Virgin 505

10.15am Live Test Cricket. England v Pakistan. 7.00pm Best of ICC

WT20. 7.30 Nepal Climbing Cricket's Mountain. 8.00 Test Cricket. 9.00 International T20 Cricket. 9.30 Test Cricket Bitesize. 10.00 Test Cricket. 11.00 One-Day International Cricket.

SKY MIX

Sky 408 Virgin 511

12noon My Icon: Natasha Jonas. 12.10 My Icon: Chris Hughton. 12.30 My Icon: Kadeena Cox. 12.30 Rob Cross. 2018 World Champion. 1.00 NFL Highlights. 2.00 Betfred-Super League. 4.45 My Icon: Heather Fisher. 5.00 NFL Bitesize Highlights. 6.00 NBC's Pro-Football Talk. 8.00 Indycus. 9.00 Formula 1. 11.00 NFL Highlights.

TNT SPORTS 1

Sky 403 Virgin 523

11.15am Women's Cycling World Tour. 12.15pm Live Women's Cycling World Tour. Coverage of stage two of the Lloyds Tour of Britain. 2.45 Live Men's Cycling World Tour. Coverage of stage two of the Renews Tour. 4.30 TNT Sports. Reload. 5.00 MLB

Highlights. 6.00 Live MLB: Tampa Bay Keys v Toronto Blue Jays (Start-time 6.10pm). 9.00 Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks. 10.00 AFL. 11.30 Live MLB: Baltimore Orioles v New York Yankees (Start-time 11.35pm).

TNT SPORTS 2

Sky 403 Virgin 522

12noon Test Cricket Highlights. 1.00 Live Men's Cycling Pro Series: The Lidl Deutschland Tour. 4.00 CPL Highlights. 4.30 LTV Golf. 5.30 Live LTV Golf. Coverage of the first round at LTV Golf Indianapolis. 11.30 Live CPL: Antigua & Barbuda Falcons v St Kens & Nevui Parizets.

TNT SPORTS 3

Sky 403 Virgin 521

10.15am Live AFL: St Kilda v Gold Coast Stars (Season-up 10.30am). 1.15pm British Superbikes Rewind. 1.30 Series A. 2.30 Live Men's Cycling World Tour. 4.30 European Rally Championship Highlights. 5.00 Serie A. 9.00 Inside Serie A. 9.30 Test Cricket Highlights. 11.30 Men's Cycling World Tour.

MOVIES

FILM4

Freeview 14 Sky 313 Virgin 428 11.00am The Battle of Apache Pass (1952) (PG) 12.45pm Role-Lonesome (1959) (U) 2.50 Siege of the Saxons (1963) (U) 4.05 American Gangster Special. 4.15 Cleopatra (1963) (PG) 9.00 Heat (1995) (15) 12.30am Cheaper (2000) (18) 2.15 Wire: All Going to the World's Fair (2020) (55)

GREAT! ACTION

Freeview 42 Sky 318 Virgin 426 10.30am Hell River (1974) (PG) 1.00pm The Unit. 2.00 Burn Notice. 4.00 Assault on Stakes III (2022) (U) 6.00 The Unit. 7.00 Burn Notice. 9.00 The Transporter Network (2005) (15) Action thriller sequel, starring Ed Street. 11.05 The Avengers.

GREAT! MYSTERY

Freeview 50 Sky 320 Virgin 425 12noon Unforgettable. 1.00 Or Plain Sight. 2.00 Castle. 3.00 Diagnosis Murder. 5.00 Murder.

She Wrote. 7.00 Castle. 8.00 Unforgettable. 9.00 In Plain Sight. 10.00 Winning Show Mysteries: Death by Design (2019) (PG) Whodcast starring Hally Robinson Foote. 11.55 Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Honeymoon, Honeymurder (2021) (PG)

GREAT! ROMANCE

Freeview 52 Sky 323 Virgin 424 12noon Bottled with Love (2019) (PG) 2.00 Hip in Time (2022) (PG) 3.55 Once Upon a Holiday (2015) (PG) 5.50 A Winning Team (2023) (PG) 7.40 Two Tickets to Paradise (2022) (PG) 9.30 This Little Love of Mine (2020) (U) 10.40 The Vows We Keep (2020) (U)

SKY DRAMA

Sky 376 Virgin 501

11.30am A Star In Burn. (2020) (15) 1.50pm Manner. (2025) (12) 4.00 Bohemian Bluejacks. (2026) (U) 6.15 September 5. (2024) (15) 8.00 True Got. (2030) (15) With Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld. 10.05 True Got. (1969) (PG)

SKY PREMIERE

Sky 393 Virgin 401

10.40am Hamset (2020) (U) 1.00pm Tom And Jerry: Forbidden Compass (2020) (PG) 2.45 Signal One (2026) (15) 4.25 Mortal Kombat II (2026) (15) 6.25 Rewind (2026) (15) 8.00 Hamset (2025) (U) Period drama, starring Paul Mesold and Jessie Buckley. 10.15 Seven Singers (2026) (15) Thriller, starring Radha Mitchell and Tim Roth. 11.50 Signal One (2026) (15)

TALKING PICTURES TV

Freeview 82 Sky 344 Virgin 405 10.30am Scandal Street (1952) (PG) 12.10pm The Telegible (Festival). 12.55 Cindoos Memories. 1.00 The Adventures of DJ Lancelot. 1.35 By the Dome It's Known. 2.50 First Comes: Courage (1943) (PG) 4.35 Albert RN (1963) (PG) 6.20 Strange But True. 6.55 The Brothers. 8.00 Mark Sabot. 8.30 The Wheelkeepers and Shoppers Social Club. 9.20 Assault (1970) (18) 11.10 Deux Hommes dans la Ville. (1973)

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Page 46

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 PICKING the wrong checkout queue can make you feel like every other line is moving much more quickly. What is the hold-up? Is it worth switching or would it be wiser to wait it out? Should you stick where you're already invested or cut yourself loose? If you've been questioning why a situation refuses to budge, remember that not every important development happens where you can see it. Today encourages patience and faith without passivity. Your future is waiting, and the stars are ready to guide you. Call now: 0905 789 0301*

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 ANYONE who has struggled to unpick double-knotted shoelaces knows force isn't always the best approach to untangle difficulties. Sometimes the solution appears when you change the direction of your effort. Today encourage flexibility rather than stubborn determination. You don't have to abandon your goal. You may simply need to approach it differently. Strength isn't measured by how long you keep pushing the same way. Success comes by the wisdom to try another. Your future is waiting, and the stars are ready to guide you. Call now: 0905 789 0302*

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 HAVE you ever found yourself reading the same paragraph three times before reading your mind has wandered? Concentration doesn't always come easily when your thoughts are already occupied. Today invites you to acknowledge the concern that's demanding your attention. Once you stop dividing your energy between what you're doing and what you're avoiding, everything becomes clearer. Confidence can be found in a conscious choice. Your future is waiting, and the stars are ready to guide you. Call now: 0905 789 0303*

CANCER June 23 - July 23 SOME people clean their skirting boards as often as they sweep the floor. Others prefer to wait until they're so dusty that a new layer of paint is required. It's impossible to keep on top of everything when we have so many competing demands. Sometimes, prioritising your peace is a mark of maturity, not laziness. There is a difference between neglecting what matters and

JEMIMA CANVER

JCAINER.COM

HOPE is often mischaracterised as blind optimism. But it tends to arrive only after we've been through tough enough times to know exactly what we're up against. Those who pretend everything will work out for rarely inspire confidence. Real leaders acknowledge challenges

and keep looking for solutions. History is full of moments when progress seemed unlikely until one small development turned things around. Loyal moments are rarely obvious while we're living through them. Resilience doesn't always feel like strength at the time.

accepting that some things can wait. You don't have to earn your right to rest. Your future is waiting, and the stars are ready to guide you. Call now: 0905 789 0304*

LEO July 24 - Aug 23 PEOPLE keep old travel tickets for years, tucked into books or at the back of drawers. They are not valuable in themselves, but they serve as a reminder of what is possible when we venture out of our comfort zone. Today encourages you to notice how far you've travelled emotionally rather than focusing only on the destination that still lies ahead. A recent difficulty may already be becoming part of your strength instead of your burden. Your future is waiting, and the stars are ready to guide you. Call now: 0905 789 0305*

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 MOST people know the feeling of finally finding the missing piece after they've already tidied away the puzzle. It can be tempting to think all the earlier effort was wasted, yet without it you'd never have recognised where the final piece belonged. Life is full of chicken-and-egg conundrums. Today's influences remind you that nothing you've learnt this week has been pointless. Trust that today's understanding is built on yesterday's confusion and don't fret over what is still unclear. Your future is waiting, and the stars are ready to guide you. Call now: 0905 789 0306*

• Calls cost 80p per minute plus your phone company's access charge and will last approximately 4 minutes. Head to jcainer.com and join Jemima's Moon Circle for exclusive extras, videos and live readings and exciting astrology workshops! To report a phone line problem, call 0330 100 0601.

comfort or leaves you feeling trapped by hypothetical problems. Efforts to protect yourself work in the same way. You have more choice than you think in how you view your situation right now. Today's Moon entering your sign restores a sense of possibility. You don't need preparation to profit from optimism. Your future is waiting, and the stars are ready to guide you. Call now: 0905 789 0309*

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

LOOKING through old photos, we can remember worrying about things that no longer matter. We forget about our frizzy hair or chubby bits and instead remember the sun on our face and the smiles of loved ones. It's a useful reminder that today's concerns are not permanent. There's every reason to take your responsibilities seriously, but no need to believe they will always feel this heavy. Today's influences encourage perspective. Time is enough to solve some problems. Your future is waiting, and the stars are ready to guide you. Call now: 0905 789 0310*

AQUARIUS Jun 21 - Feb 19

THERE is an art to skimming stones successfully. It begins with finding the right kind of pebble. A jagged lump will sink immediately. But choosing the perfect piece is no good if you don't try it out. A movement today relies on experience as well as instinct. Being brave enough to test things out may not come easily but it will be worth it. Letting go will enable you to learn how to find more of what you are looking for. Your future is waiting, and the stars are ready to guide you. Call now: 0905 789 0311*

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

SOMETIMES, walking away from a conversation feels less like giving up and more like recognising that you've said everything worth saying. Knowing when to stop can require just as much courage as knowing when to keep going. Today, trust your instincts about where your energy belongs and channel it towards what feels right for you, rather than trying to satisfy somebody else. Contentment can be found through releasing the need for external validation to do what you know is right. Your future is waiting, and the stars are ready to guide you. Call now: 0905 789 0312*

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

• Departs December 17, 2026
• Return flights, coach travel and transfers
• Five nights' five-star full-board river cruise accommodation, plus a free drinks package*
• Tours and visits to Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, plus three Christmas markets
• Services of a cruise director and cruise host

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Visit www.mailtravel.co.uk

Holdings are operated by and subject to the booking conditions of Riviera Travel, RIOS 01/04, ATOI 3430 protected, a company independent of Associated Newspapers Ltd and Mail Travel. Prices are based on sole occupancy and are subject to availability. Prices price based on December 17 2026 from London Heathrow, then on board 65. Riviera Business is looking to infringe applies to this saving only. Book by August 20, 2026. * 2026 and 2027. User cruises include an unlimited quantity of drinks from 10am to midnight while on board (selected drinks available). Riviera Travel reserves the right to withdraw or amend this offer at any time. Price correct at time of print.

To order Garfield Home Cookie* by Jim Davis for £12.56, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 379 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.

Get to ask "Striking For Quantity" ebook, available for £3.99. Email info@trianetrooms.com to purchase.

To order Chien & Co. via Anchor Searchly Live LW by Gray Joliffe for £14.39, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 379 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.

To order the final Basic! Yearbook 2026 by Alex Graham for £9.08, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 379 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.

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Page 47

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Page 48

PETERBOROUGH

email: pboro@dailymail.co.uk

Help, my tasty lunch is 400 miles away...

BEING a bit of a Luddite and not so good with technology, I was rather pleased with myself when I went into Newcastle to one of the large pub chains and used the app to order a rather appetising-looking midday meal and a beer. When 'order confirmed' appeared on my phone, I was so pleased. Anyway, I just hope that the chap in Plymouth

enjoyed his lunch. Clive Gladstone, Cullercoats, Tyne & Wear

Sign Language

CHEEKY BEAKER: This gull hasn't read the memo... Ken Patterson, Rhyl, Denbighs

One-line Philosophers

YOU can tell there's fierce rivalry between the energy providers - I asked my gas company to send round a mechanic and he actually turned up.

Mrs Valerie Ashton, London N14

Anagram

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Right Honourable Andrew Murray Burnham - With might, he up-ended Keir Starmer (horrible man) and got him out of Number Ten in a hurry! David Bourke, Rochester, Kent

Follow-up

READING about milk cart horse reminded me of the strong dray horses that delivered the barrels of beer. My dad was a burman/cellarman in a busy pub in the Camberwell New Road. On a Saturday morning he would take me with him to 'help' with his work. We would go down to the cellar and await the delivery, which was always on time. You could hear the sound of the horse's hooves in the street above, and Dad would

open the trapdoor. The deliveryman would roll the heavy barrels down the ramp, and my dad would stop them below. He would sometimes let me help him attach them to the pump. Once a year in Hyde Park, near Speakers Corner, there was a parade of these magnificent creatures in their finery with plumes, plaits and tassels. As an eight-year-old boy, I would stand in wonder to see them. Mike Main, South Hykeham, Lincoln

Joke

IF YOUR child won't eat bacon, here's what to replace it with... a dog. Dogs love bacon. Austin Morris, Southport, Merseyside

Limerick

Every record is under attack As a sprinter shows rivals her back. Only out at the front Will you see Amy Hunt - She's the new British queen of the track!

Mike Mesteron-Gibbons, York

Picture That!

FRUIT FRIGHT: Was this tomato shocked that his friends had been picked from the garden?

Mrs J. M. Tong, Canterbury, Kent

Today's poem

BEATS ME

My friends, I have a problem I simply cannot crack, This dismal lack of progress Has taken me aback. I've talked to saints and sages. I've followed every trail, I've pondered, read and googled But all to no avail. For nobody can tell me Beyond the slightest doubt What on earth we're doing here And what it's all about.

One day, amid the chaos, Did a lonesome little cell Meet up with another one And then proceed to 'get'? Bonding and uniting Then branching out apace, Becoming flora, fauna And e'en the human race. If this is how it came about, No problem then, that's it. We simply live our meagre span Until it's time to quit.

But if we are created, Well, that's a different scene, For then we are eternal, With all that that may mean. We're born and grow and prosper, And sicken, age and die, Then go to Hell or Heaven... And hence my question... why? I cannot understand at all The purpose or the plan, Nor the reasons for creating The soul of Everyman. Is there an answer out there, Out there anywhere at all? Those I've heard all seem to me Too porous and too small. If anyone can fathom it, I'd really like to know. Answers on a postcard please To 'Mundesley PO'.

Tricia Sturgeon, Mundesley, Norfolk

LETTERS

Netanyahu jibe

AN ARTICLE in the Daily Mail on Saturday quoted Benjamin Netanyahu's provocative reference to 'the Islamic Republic of Britain'.

That's rich, from a man whose government has spent years presenting increasingly extreme nationalism as though it were synonymous with the interests of Israel itself.

Mr Netanyahu should concern himself less with inventing insulting names for Britain and more with the consequences of his own policies.

Britain remains a parliamentary democracy with independent courts, political opposition, a free Press and the freedom for its citizens to criticise their government without being accused of betraying the nation.

We may argue, often bitterly, about immigration, religion, Gaza, Israel and almost everything else, but that argument is itself evidence that Britain has not become the theocracy he glibly describes.

Nor does criticism of the Israeli government become anti-Semitism merely because Mr Netanyahu would find that convenient. Israel is a state. Its government is a government and Benjamin Netanyahu is a politician. All three are therefore legitimate subjects for political criticism.

His jibe is particularly distasteful directed at a country that has supported Israel for decades, simply because Britain has dared to disagree with him over the genocide in Gaza, prisoner abuses, the illegal settlements in the West Bank and Palestinian statehood.

If Mr Netanyahu wishes to warn Britain about the dangers of religious extremism, authoritarian politics and the belief that one people possess a superior claim to the land and rights of another, he might first consider whether the view from his own doorstep is as reassuring as he imagines.

JEAN PEASON, Worthing, W. Sussex

Asylum misnomer

THE people now crossing the Channel in batches of 200 and more are regularly described as 'asylum seekers' and we are told our Government has a legal obligation to provide asylum seekers with board, lodging and much else besides.

But an asylum seeker is someone fleeing persecution.

They may have been asylum seekers when they arrived in France, creating a legal obligation for the French. But as France is a safe country offering no threat of persecution, when they cross the Channel surely they lose asylum-seeker status and become simply illegal immigrants. They do so courtesy of well-paid criminal gangs, who must be delighted by our generosity to their customers.

In giving these arrivals priority over local people, where is the fairness Andy Burnham has called for?

As for housing thousands of young men in isolated army camps, I can hear the ghost of Sergeant Wilson saying: 'Do you think that's wise, sir?'

C. FISHER, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middx

Perfect puzzle

WELL done to Catherine Hedges for being so very active at the age of 110 (Daily Mail).

I'm sure reading the paper each day helps a great deal. I also read the Daily Mail every day and, aside from the excellent news coverage, I really enjoy the puzzles pages.

The killer sudoku is my favourite, especially the more challenging one in The Mail On Sunday.

I couldn't finish it when I began doing it but I'm not one to give up. And it's a great feeling to get the puzzle finished, which might involve a second attempt at the next day.

I am 76 and it certainly keeps my brain active.

B. BRAITHWAITE, Macclesfield, Cheshire

Write to: Daily Mail Letters, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY email: letters@dailymail.co.uk

All though we cannot respond individually, all correspondence received is read and considered. Thank you for writing.

CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF A LOVED ONE

HAVE you lost a relative or friend in recent months whose life you'd like to celebrate? Our column on Friday's letters page tells the stories of ordinary people who lived extraordinary lives. Email a 450-word tribute and a favourite photo to: lives@dailymail.co.uk or write to: Extraordinary Lives, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY, including your phone number.

On the menu

I VERY much enjoyed Tom Parker Bowles's list of foods he won't eat (Daily Mail) and agree with him about many of them. I adore the gras but ethically cannot allow myself to consume it.

Tom says we should all eat less red meat but I believe we should eat more venison.

Britain has six species of deer: red, sika, fallow, roe, muntjac and Chinese water deer. And we have too many of pretty much all of them, yet their meat is tasty, nutritious, sustainable and truly wild.

We could go further and eat more pigeon and grey squirrel, both pest species and both very tasty.

But one step at a time.

NICOLA JANE SWINNEY, Bromley, Kent

Pension raiders

JEFF PRESTRIDGE (Daily Mail) foresees pensions Armageddon thanks to Labour's announced pension changes and those likely to come in the October Budget, which Jeff reckons will be the final nail in the coffin for 'strivers'.

I disagree with him that it's all Labour's fault, though.

As an octogenarian and victim of pension cons by governments, employers and pension schemes, I have fought for pension reform for more than 30 years, without success. Back in 1992, I was invited to be questioned by a House of Commons select committee on my proposals for pension reform. In 2002 I sent a letter to the Prime Minister and Opposition leaders entitled Saving For Retirement: The Reality.

I also sent it to the Institute of Actuaries, whose president at the time said: 'It demonstrated to me that the personal experiences of members of the public can be far more telling than the representations of the experts, in pressing for reform.' These kind words have sustained my efforts ever since.

Labour is indeed sounding the final death knell. And trade unions are equally to blame, as their only members immune from Labour's pension changes are public sector workers, not union members in the private sector.

What pension would people hope to achieve when they retire? Enough to at least maintain the living standard they had while working, is probably the answer most people would give.

But has any government asked ordinary working people this question? No, because they are all too scared to admit the state pension alone will never be enough to maintain their standard of living in retirement. Only an additional pension can achieve that.

But what is the point, when the Government is continually pulling the rug from under your feet?

JAMES WIGNALL, Accrington, Lancs

SEND your contributions to Peterborough, Daily Mail Letters, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY

The Mail is published by AML, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY. Printed by Newsprinters Holdings Ltd (Brodsburne); Newsprinters Holdings Ltd (Knowsley); Newsprinters Holdings Ltd (Gunszentral); AP Services (Jersey); Irish Times (Clowest, Dublin); Ireland, Bermond Impression, Madrid; TFPint, SA, Tenerife; Miller Newsprint Ltd, Malta; Kronos Corporate Group Ltd, Cyprus; Milbro Helas Publisher Services Ltd, Athens; Atlas Media Communication, Dubai, UAE. The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2024 was 37.2%.

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Page 49

Our flower and veg shows need saving

WE ARE in danger of becoming a nation that loves vegetables but no longer knows how to grow them, or at any rate how to grow them well enough to display at local shows. I was surprised to see little mention of the actual growing of vegetables for competition in this year's media coverage of our great flower shows. Britain has a remarkable tradition of village and county flower and vegetable shows. For generations, these have brought communities together and encouraged people of all ages to grow, nurture and take pride in what they produce. Sadly, many of these shows are dying out. The RHS stages wonderful major shows, of course, but I feel much more could be done to encourage, promote and support the smaller shows on which so much of Britain's gardening tradition has been built. If we lose the culture of growing, we lose something fundamental to our gardening heritage. Growing vegetables for a show is not some mysterious art. It is really only an extension of growing vegetables for the kitchen, with a little more care and attention devoted to them. I speak from many years of experience,

Grow your own: Award-winning vegetable grower Medwyn Williams

as honorary president of the National Vegetable Society and the winner of 13 gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. I believe there is a real opportunity to encourage a new generation to

discover the pleasure of growing their own vegetables and, in doing so, help ensure our village shows continue to have a future.

MEDWYN WILLIAMS, Llanfairpellgwyngyll, Anglesey

Costly error

LAST Saturday, my husband accidentally picked up the Daily Express in Tesco, rather than the Daily Mail.

I thought, never mind, I would read it anyway. A much less informative newspaper for £3.40 - double the price. I couldn't believe it.

R. SMALL, Bar Hill, Cambs

Little arsonists

I SPOKE to a youngster this week who showed me a TikTok page where kids and thugs were bragging about their fire-lighting skills and who'd caused most damage.

These idiots have no concern for the devastation they have caused in South Wales alone. Surely their parents have some idea what they are doing?

The fire teams here are working so hard but the

thugs, communicating on social media, light a new fire almost every other day.

Mrs ROSEMARY DAVIES, Blamavon, Mons

Fib four

OH DEAR. What was director Sam Mendes thinking when he tried to re-create The Beatles as depicted on the famous Abbey Road album cover (Daily Mail)?

For a start, since when did

John Lennon have ginger hair? And as for Ringo's dreadful wig, words fail me.

SHARON AITKEN, Clevedon, Somerset

Sounds painful

YOUR reporter Karl Grafton tells us that a Chinese social media content creator filming sharks was 'bitten in the Maldives'. Ouch.

KEVIN WILLIAMS, Bury, Lancs

Nae chance

FURTHER to T. Radford's letter about water pipelines from Scottish lochs, I'm afraid to say the Scots are very touchy about natural resources being sent across the border to the dastardly English. They even get upset at the idea of their locally produced electricity being fed into the National Grid.

A. LEE, Fiskerton, Lincs

LETTER OF THE WEEK

WN our Letter Of The Week Magic Mug, courtesy of Printer Fix. These reveal our Daily Mail Letter Of The Week design when hot. To create personalised photo gifts (see example, right), visit printerpix.co.uk. The Letters Editor will announce the Letter Of The Week each Friday. Write to: Daily Mail, Letters, 9 Berry Street, London W8 5HY or email letters@dailymail.co.uk, including your full postal address and telephone number.

I'M DEBAT

Is the BBC a stale shadow of itself?

WHAT has the BBC done for me?, Romesh Ranganathan asks us. The short answer is, made him rich. What has the BBC done for me? It charges me an extortionate amount for a TV licence, threatens me if I don't pay it and offers me no end of repeats.

PETER BRYANT, Salisbury, Wilts

ON MONDAY there were nine programmes on BBC2 between 1pm and 7pm. Every one was a repeat. That's what the BBC has done for me.

BOB POTTER, Collingham, E. Yorks

WHEN I was watching Pointless recently, Alexander Armstrong asked a competitor to talk about

himself. One answer was: 'I like to set myself targets every year.' In reply, Alexander asked: 'And what have you set for 2023?'. Surely we're not watching three-year-old quiz shows. Where is our licence money going?

GRAHAM NICHOLSON, Shphal, Salop

SADLY, I will no longer be watching Strictly. I've seen the line-up and know only three of them. Dani Dyer has been recycled and I read that the BBC has, as usual, gone for social media 'stars' and influencers rather than people we have actually heard of. Yet we are stuck with the same judges. When will the BBC stop their

desperate attempts to attract younger viewers at the expense of older, loyal viewers? The youngsters only ever stream on their phones now when it suits them, and I don't think the BBC is top of their list. I'd hoped things would improve with a new D-G but it's just the same.

Name supplied, Lanford, Essex

YOUR showbusiness reporter Alex Doyle (Daily Mail) is clearly not a Strictly fan, as he hadn't a good word to say about this year's contestants in his sniffy report on Saturday. However, we who love the superb production, music, costumes and dancing can't wait.

BRENDA BENTHAM, Runcorn, Cheshire

Straight to the

POINT

■ THE Burnham Bounce seems to have developed a slow puncture.

PAUL SIMPSON, London SE13

■ A WORD of advice for Nigel Farage. 'Be ye never so high, the law is above you.'

COLIN PRICE, Ilford, Essex

■ I'VE switched off alerts on my phone. At my age, I can't afford the Tena replacements.

RUTH BENNETT, Marchwood, Hants

■ COULD golden girl Amy win a race by a nail?

NICK ROBERTS, Cheltenham, Gloucs

■ I'VE a feeling the engraving on the BBC SPOTY trophy may already have been completed.

M. BUSBY, Birchington, Kent

■ IS STING moonlighting as Van der Valk?

NEY BRENTNALL, Wrexham, Denbighs

■ MIDDLE-CLASS areas must take more migrants. No mention of upper-class areas.

MARGARET SAXBY, Hessle, E. Yorks

■ ONE football pitch (Letters) is approximately 1.75 acres, or 0.7 hectares.

CLIFF MATHER, Bezhill-on-Sea, E. Sussex

■ THEY'RE called travellers so why don't they keep travelling?

ANDREW WILLS, Epsom, Surrey

■ HOW soon will water become the new oil?

W. FERGUSON, Boney Tracey, Devon

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Page 50

QUESTION What was the advice in the 1940 government leaflet If The Invader Comes?

ON June 18, 1940, 15 million copies of the leaflet If The Invader Comes were printed by the Ministry of Information, advising the public on what to do if the Nazis arrived on our shores. A copy went to every household in Britain, but it didn't go down particularly well with the public. A Mass Observation report claimed that it was 'out of touch with common people'.

Certainly its tone was a touch confused. While it started by confidently claiming that any invading force would be 'driven out by our Navy, our Army and our Air Force' and advised against panic, it then went on to warn the public that, 'If you run away... you will be machine-gunned from the air.'

The Nazis had advanced across Western Europe and there was genuine fear of an invasion. This had also seen the setting up of the Home Guard, affectionately remembered in the classic BBC show Dad's Army.

The leaflet started with a statement that the British people must not be taken by surprise as the populations of Poland, Belgium and Holland had been. It then made seven instructions.

The first was simply not to move. 'If the Germans come, by parachute, aeroplane or ship, you must remain there you are. The order is 'Stay Put'. It was felt that efforts to defend Holland and Belgium had been hampered when people had fled and blocked the roads.'

The next two rules were 'Do not believe rumours and do not spread them', followed by, 'Keep watch. If you see anything suspicious, note it carefully and go at once to the nearest police officer or station or to the nearest military officer.'

Fourth on the list was advice in case you actually came face to face with an invader. 'Do not give any German anything. Do not tell him anything. Hide your food and your bicycles. Hide your maps. See that the enemy gets no petrol. If you have a car or motor bicycle put it out of action when not in use. It is not enough to remove the ignition

Hide your food and bicycles!

'Don't tell him, Pike': Comedy Dad's Army floated the idea of a German invasion

key; you must make it useless to anyone except yourself.'

The fifth rule was about people's duty to help. 'Be ready to help the military in any way. But do not block the roads until ordered to do so by the military or LDV [Local Defence Volunteers] authorities.'

After that came advice for the workplace. 'In factories and shops, all managers and workmen should organise some system now by which a sudden attack can be resisted.'

The leaflet ended with a patriotic statement: 'Remember always that the best defence of Great Britain is the courage of her men and women.' Then came the final point, a rousing rallying call: 'Think before you act but think always of your country before you think of yourself.'

Paul Fuller, Norfolk

QUESTION Are any soft fruits still picked by hand?

YES, many soft fruits, especially raspberries and blackberries, are still predominantly picked by hand, chiefly for the fresh supermarket sector. Mechanical over-the-row harvesters and emerging automated tech have come into use mostly for processed or frozen goods, but manual harvesting remains vital to prevent bruising these delicate fruits.

Raspberries are the most delicate of the soft fruits as they easily crumble and can be crushed, meaning almost all commercial fresh-market raspberries are hand-picked, just occasionally using specialised assistive technology.

The same applies to blackberries, which are prone to leaking if handled roughly, so these are still largely hand-picked for fresh retail sales. However blueberries are sturdier and a significant proportion grown for processing or freezing can be

mechanically harvested, although some varieties are still hand picked to maintain a longer shelf life.

In the automated sector, large two-sided mechanical shakers straddle rows of berry bushes, using force to harvest at high speeds. However the rate of crop damage is relatively high and robotic fruit pickers, which replicate the selective, gentle touch of a human worker, look set to be the future of the soft-fruit agri-sector.

Robots navigate the rows of berries using multi-spectral cameras to analyse the crop and judge the precise ripeness of each fruit. Soft silicone pincers or gentle vacuum suction cups then delicately grip the fruit, preventing the berries from being crushed.

James Dyson, already uses robotic harvesters for strawberries at his futuristic looking growing facilities. However, for the time being, students should still be guaranteed to find a traditional fruit-pricing summer job if they require it.

Jenny Parker, Gloucestershire

QUESTION What is the meaning of 'hurst' in place named?

HURST or hyrst means a wooded hill, a small rise of ground covered with trees, a knoll or a thicket.

I remember this because I used to live in Chislehurst in Kent. The name comes from old Anglo-Saxon. It combines 'cisel' which means gravel and 'hyrst' meaning a wooded hill. So, put together, it means a 'wooded hill on gravelly ground.'

Linda Emms, Kent

■ IS THERE a question to which you want to know the answer? Or do you know the answer to a question here? Write to: Answers To Correspondents, Daily Mail, 9 Berry Street, London W8 5HY, or email answers@dailymail.co.uk. A selection is published, but we're unable to enter into individual correspondence.

TODAY'S RECIPE:

Coronation chicken skewers

Classic gets a makeover. Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 1 tbsp mango chutney
• 1 tbsp mild curry powder
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, plus extra for drizzling, and wedges to serve
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• A thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely grated
• 600g skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips
• 2 Little Gem lettuces, cut into thin wedges
• ½ a cucumber, sliced
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• Olive oil, for drizzling

• 2 tbsp toasted flaked almonds
• A small handful of coriander, chopped
• For the coronation sauce:
• 100g Greek yoghurt
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp mango chutney
• 1 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

1 Mix the yoghurt, chutney, curry powder, turmeric, lemon juice, garlic and ginger in a large bowl, season, then stir in the chicken strips to coat. Cover and chill for at least 30 mins (up to 24 hrs). 2 Soak wooden skewers in water for 20 mins. Thread the marinated chicken onto the skewers, folding each strip back and forth. 3 For the coronation sauce, stir all the ingredients together and season to taste. 4 Heat a griddle pan over a medium-high heat or light the barbecue. Cook the skewers for 8-10 mins, turning often, until charred and cooked through. Scatter the lettuce, cucumber and radishes over a platter, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, and toss. Lay the skewers on top, scatter over the almonds and coriander, and drizzle with the coronation sauce. Serve with extra lemon wedges and sauce on the side.

Good Food's Barney Desmazery

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QUESTIONS

Q: When were marbles introduced as children's toys, how were they made and are they still being produced?

David Wilson, Southend-on-Sea, Essex

Q: The Domesday Book of 1086 recorded around 40 vineyards in England. How many are there now?

Mary Kemp, Berkshire

Q: When were roll-on deodorants invented? Mrs M Morel, Milton Keynes

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Page 51

THE TOP PARTNER FOR HURTIGRUTEN

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Other dates are available on request - please call for details & pricing

• Day 1 Fly from London to Helsinki, Finland Arrive in Finland's capital and settle in for your Northern Lights adventure
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• Day 4 Saariselkä ★Santa Claus Village, glass igloo stay & Reindeer Safari★ Travel north through Lapland and visit the Arctic Circle
• Day 5 Saariselkä to Kirkenes Visit the SIIDA museum, Kirkenes Snow Hotel and enjoy a King Crab experience
• Day 6 Kirkenes, Norway Embark your Hurtigruten Coastal Ship and head south
• Day 7 Tromsø - Hammerfest and Arctic ports

• Day 8 Svolvær - Lofoten, Vesterålen and the Trollfjord Sail through Lofoten's dramatic islands

• Day 9 Brønnøysund - Helgeland Coast and the Arctic Circle Cross the Arctic Circle and sail the Helgeland coast

• Day 10 Trondheim and Coastal traditions Historic Trondheim and Norway's fishing heritage
• Day 11 Bergen, Norway ★City Tour★ Conclude your voyage in Bergen
• Day 12 Norway in a Nutshell to Flåm Bergen to Flåm through fjord and mountain landscapes
• Day 13 ★Flåm Railway to Oslo★ Ride the Flåm Railway and continue to Norway's capital
• Day 14 Oslo, Norway Transfer to the airport for your return flight to London Please note, transfers in Helsinki are not included

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• English speaking expert tour managers
• Scenic rail journey through Finland's Arctic wilderness
• Ride the Flåm Railway & cruise on the UNESCO listed Nærøyfjord
• INCLUDED city tour in Bergen

FIVE NIGHTS full board voyage on board a Hurtigruten Coastal Ship, including:

• INCLUDED Wi-Fi for all bookings
• No gratuities expected

Return flights from London (regional and premium class flights may be available on request†), and select overseas transfers

EARN EXCLUSIVE CRUISE MILES worth up to £145 off your next booking*

CABIN OFF:	2PT*1000 2027	2PT*1000 2028	2PT*0000 2028
Inside	£5,010	£5,025	£5,270
Outside	£5,239	£5,299	£5,639
Expedition Suite	£6,389	£7,269	£7,389
Solo	£6,627	£6,869	£7,269

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Pricing and availability correct at time of sign off 10/05/2026. Prices are per person based on two adults sharing receipt single cabins, may increase or be withdrawn at any time. Offer applies to new bookings only. Please note cabins can be based on fixed checks or turn tied configuration. Will incur supplementary costs. Flight schedules are subject to change and may involve indirect routes. Final timings will be confirmed closer to departure and could affect your holiday duration. An extra hotel night may be required. Minimum speed of £3,999 applies. Discount is per booking, for two adults travelling and will be deducted from total booking value. For new bookings only and not combinable with FCC's. Further T&Cs apply. ††Cruise Miles T&Cs apply. For full t&Cs visit www.rolcruise.co.uk. E&OE.

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Page 52

IMAGINE CRUISING

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Book a Balcony cabin or above to receive a complimentary upgrade to the five-star Ivory Tree Game Lodge

Escorted tours of Pilanesberg National Park* and walking tour of Victoria Falls

Five-star hotel stay in Johannesburg with breakfast

Four-star hotel stays in Pilanesberg, Livingstone and Cape Town with breakfast^

All flights (London departure) and transfers

INSIDE	£5,299pp	BALCONY	£7,299pp
OCEANVIEW	£6,299pp	GRILL SUITE	Sold Out

HOLIDAY CODE: AFR7397

*Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed. ^Pilanesberg hotel also includes lunch and dinner.

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Call us on 01793 575 237

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For full terms and conditions please visit www.imaginecruising.co.uk. Imagine Cruising are fully ABTA and ATOL bonded. Prices are correct at the time of print and are subject to change. Prices are per person based on two adults sharing a cruise cabin and include flights from London (regional flights available at a supplement). Holiday duration includes overnight flights when applicable and is subject to change.

---

Page 53

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Page 54

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

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THERE'S something special about spending the day out. Whether it's exploring a city, visiting a favourite attraction, meeting family for lunch or discovering somewhere new, those are often the moments we remember most.

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'SAFELY home' is a phrase with a reassuring ring to it - yet most falls among older people happen at home. And while any fall is unwelcome, slipping or falling on the stairs doesn't bear thinking about.

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Page 55

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Page 56

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

The alarm watch that works wherever you go

AROUND two million older people in the UK now use personal alarms to summon help if they have a fall. But pull cords and red buttons only work when you are at home, while statistics show that 48 per cent of falls happen outside.

Now a discreet and stylish new type of personal alarm is helping people to stay active as well as independent.

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EARLIER this year, 55-year-old Marie underwent a procedure at the EvoDental clinic in Edinburgh to have a full mouth of dental implants. After decades with bad teeth and dentures, she says her life has been transformed.

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Page 57

Emergency help at your fingertips with the YourStride Fall Alarm Watch

Peace of mind, wherever life takes you

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If the YourStride watch detects a fall, you will be connected to our experienced 24/7 monitoring team. You can manually call by pressing the SOS button on the front of the watch.

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AN ACTIVITY AND HEALTH MONITOR

YourStride is a comfy, lightweight wristwatch with a clear time and date display. Alongside the SOS button and automatic fall detection, it monitors your heart rate, blood pressure, and has a built-in step-counter.

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Page 58

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Unlock a more flexible neck and spine

KEEPING the neck and spine mobile is becoming less a luxury than a sensible part of everyday wellbeing. Flexibility and gentle movement can help maintain natural posture, ease muscular tension and keep the body feeling ready for whatever the day brings. That thinking lies at the heart of the DR-HO'S MotionSolution Massage Mat, created by Dr Michael Ho, a retired chiropractor and internationally renowned pain specialist. Rather than simply vibrating beneath you, as many cheaper massage mats do, the MotionSolution takes a markedly more active approach. Its 17 mobilisers and two powerful motors are designed to reproduce elements of hands-on therapy, gently

mobilising and stretching the neck and spine while targeting areas where tension commonly gathers. There are three treatment zones – the upper and mid-back, lower back and hips, and neck and shoulders – with a particularly strong neck mobilisation feature. Four automatic programmes and adjustable intensity allow users to tailor the experience to their comfort. Heat provides another layer of therapy, helping to ease stiffness, relax muscles and create that agreeable feeling of unwinding after a long day. A remote control means the treatment can be adjusted while lying comfortably on the mat, while its pack-away design makes storage and transport pleasantly straightforward. For those who sit for hours, undertake

physical work or simply want to give their neck and back more attention, the appeal is obvious: a convenient way to make gentle neck and spinal mobilisation and stretching part of a regular routine. The independent review platform Judge.me gives the MotionSolution an impressive 4.8l out of 5, suggesting that its combination of movement, massage and heat is resonating with users. In the quest for feeling better, perhaps the most encouraging message is also the simplest, keep moving. And when movement needs a little helping hand, MotionSolution offers a sophisticated one. For further information call 0800 652 0604 or visit drhomat.co.uk

BEFORE

AFTER

Pictures: DOLPHIN WALK-IN SHOWERS

Walk-in showers installed in just one day

FROM London to Leeds, Durham to Devon, Dolphin Walk-In Showers offers a UK-wide service, providing customers with sleek, modern and individually tailored bespoke shower solutions. The specialist team promises to fit an easy-to-use walk-in shower in the same space as your previous bath in just one day – installing a brand-new Mira shower, a stone resin shower tray, and your choice from a wide range of decorative wall panelling options.

Dolphin Walk-In Showers (which is a company independent of any other 'Dolphin' named brand) offers a fixed, no-nonsense price promise of £4,995. The price includes optional free seat and grab rails and a 'your window is no obstacle' guarantee, plus free waste disposal of everything you no longer need, and which will be removed from your bathroom. This unique 'one day' business model offers significant advantages to customers: it

means no more waiting around, no more uncertainty and no more disconcerting quote changes. The company's testimonials page provides a glimpse into the professional service it offers: 'far exceeding' the expectations of customers, who have been left 'delighted with such attention to detail, confident workmanship and the clean way in which the workmanship was undertaken'. For more information go to dolphinwalkinshowers.co.uk or call 0800 0288811

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• The only additional cost would be for a pump if required

---

Page 59

SHIFT

motion solution

SPECIAL SUMMER OFFER!

Enjoy at-home Spine Therapy with Dr. Ho's Motion Solution Mat!

Dr. Ho's Motion Solution Mat

Targets Back Pain's Hot Spots!

• Massage-style therapy mat! Gentle motion helps decompress and mobilise your spine
• Soothing heat function! Helps to relax tense muscles and stimulates blood flow
• Targeted relief! 17 built-in mobilisers target precise areas of your back and neck
• Custom comfort! 4 automatic programmes fully customisable to your specific needs
• Powerful massage! Built-in motors simulate professional massage therapy techniques

IF your back often feels stiff, tight or tired after a long day, you're certainly not alone. Hours spent sitting, bending, or simply moving less than we used to can leave the muscles around the spine feeling tense and uncomfortable.

The truth is, your spine needs gentle movement to stay flexible. When the joints and muscles aren't regularly stretched and mobilised, stiffness builds up and everyday activities start to feel harder than they should.

Specialist pain doctor

Inspired by world-renowned pain specialist, Dr Michael Ho, the Motion Solution Mat replicates his hands-on therapy techniques to gently stretch and

mobilise your spine while you simply lie back and relax.

Personally tailored comfort

With its 17 built-in mobilisers and powerful massage motors,

it carefully moves and supports key areas of the neck, back and hips to help loosen tight muscles and relieve everyday aches. With four automatic motion programmes,

targeted treatment zones and a soothing heat function, you can tailor each session to your comfort.

Just lie back and relax!

Simply get comfortable on the mat, select your programme on the remote control and enjoy the relaxing feeling of a gentle spine stretch ... without even leaving the comfort of home.

Dr Michael Ho

Simulates Dr. Ho's

hands-on techniques

Programmed using AI to simulate the hands-on stretching and mobilisation techniques Dr. Ho has used on patients over the last 30 years.

"Very relaxing to use, and I seem to be walking better and not in as much pain. I would highly recommend it."

Online customer review

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Motion Solution Mat improves flexibility to reduce tension and stiffness!

Slip onto the Motion Solution Mat and feel the difference. Gentle motion technology carefully mobilises your spine while targeted warmth helps relax tight muscles. With adjustable treatment zones for the neck, upper back and lower back, you can enjoy soothing comfort exactly where you need it most.

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Page 60

SHOP AT HOME WITH Chums GREAT VALUE WITH FREE DELIVERY & FREE RETURNS!

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Make walking a joy. Supremely comfortable, super lightweight design makes these Men's Cushion-walk Shoes a must. And just £28 per pair they are fantastic value for money.

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Order	Sizes	Was	Now	You Save
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1. 2017年1月1日，公司召开2017年第二次临时股东大会，并通知全体董事、监事和高级管理人员。

Chums Ltd., Cheques, Deli, St. Helens

---

Page 61

City Finance

City Editor Alex Brunner

www.theisenseey.co.uk

Business Editor Hugo Duncan

Moderna soars 177pc after cancer breakthrough

SHARES in US drugs giant Moderna more than doubled after a successful trial raised hopes of a vaccine to treat skin cancer.

The company, which shot to fame during the coronavirus pandemic when it developed a Covid-19 jab, said a critical late-stage study of an experimental vaccine showed the treatment stopped melanoma from spreading to other parts of the body while also preventing the disease from returning.

The treatment, developed by Moderna and Merck, uses the mRNA technology behind both the Pfizer and Moderna Covid vaccines.

The technology is designed to teach the body's immune system to target cancer

By Calum Muirhead

tumours and other illnesses, making them more effective at destroying affected cells so the disease is less likely to return.

The successful trial sent Moderna's shares soaring 177pc in trading on Wall Street, while Merck shares climbed 13pc.

These findings are a pivotal moment for cancer research. For years, the idea of creating an mRNA treatment designed specifically for an individual patient's cancer was aspirational. We are helping turn that vision into a reality,' said Moderna boss Stéphane Bancel.

Professor Georgina Long, the study's lead investigator and medical director of

Melanoma Institute Australia, hailed the results as a 'landmark moment' for melanoma treatment, adding that it had the potential to help patients 'remain cancer-free for longer'.

Moderna and Merck said the detailed results of the study would be unveiled at a medical conference later this year.

'Moderna and Merck's melanoma vaccine success is a major confidence boost for investors, particularly for Moderna, which has been searching for its next growth engine after the Covid boom faded,' said Lale Akoner, global market strategist at eToro.

She added that investors should 'keep expectations measured' despite positive

results. 'The companies have not yet released the full trial data, overall survival results are still pending, and manufacturing personalised vaccines at scale could be expensive and complex,' Akoner added.

Despite becoming a hero during the pandemic, Moderna has struggled in recent years as demand for its Covid-19 jab has faded, sending its share price tumbling from record highs reached in 2021.

At its peak in September that year, the firm was worth nearly £150bn. Today, even following the surge, it is closer to £40bn.

The firm has pinned its hopes on cancer vaccines to revive its fortunes, with the latest trial results coming after years of work.

The £290,000 London house price slump

High-end homes in capital down as much as 25pc - but it's boom time in the North

By Hugo Duncan and Ed Magnus

NEARLY £300,000 has been wiped off house prices in some of London's most desirable neighbourhoods amid a North-South divide in the property market.

Official figures yesterday showed the average value of a home across the UK rose by 2pc in the year to June to £272,000.

But while areas such as the North West and North East saw prices go up by more than 4pc, London suffered its tenth month of decline in a row with the value of the average property down 2.5pc.

The worst-hit borough in the capital was the City of Westminster - including areas such as Mayfair, Belgravia and Marylebone - where prices fell 25pc to £854,198. That fall wiped £290,024 off their value.

In Kensington and Chelsea, prices have fallen by over £215,000 or nearly 15pc from approaching £1.5bn to around £1.25bn over the past 12 months. Other areas of the capital to see large falls include the City of London, which is down 20pc, while the average house price in Tower Hamlets and Hammer-

HOUSE PRICE CHANGE

(12 months to June 2026)

North West	4.7%	Scotland	2.3%
North East	4.3%	South West	1.9%
Yorkshire & Humber	3.6%	Wales	1.8%
West Midlands	2.6%	East of England	1.1%
East Midlands	2.4%	South East	0.3%
		London	2.5%

smith and Pulham fell 13pc. The slump follows Labour's clamp-down on non-doms and the threat of further wealth taxes, which has seen an exodus of many affluent people and entrepreneurs.

Stamp duty increases on more expensive homes and a surcharge on second homes have also dented demand alongside the so-called 'mansion tax' of up to £7,500 a year on homes worth more than £2m.

The tax hikes have come at a time when even well-off families are struggling to afford expensive homes in pricey areas due to elevated mortgage rates.

PwC economist Paige Tao said the 'regional picture is becoming more divided' as prices rise in the North but fall in the capital. 'London's underperformance is more than a mort-

gage rate story,' she said. 'High starting valuations, higher transaction costs and greater sensitivity to international demand mean London must adjust more than most regions.'

Stacy Eden, head of real estate at RSM UK, said: 'There are significant disparities between regional markets with prices largely rising in the North, and either declining or not moving in the South.

'This is particularly evident in London, where penal rates of stamp duty and larger mortgages at ever higher mortgage rates are most keenly felt.'

The comments came just a week after the boss of one of Britain's biggest builders - Bellway chief Jason Honeyman - called for an immediate cut to stamp duty to help revive the housing market.

SUPERHUMAN DEBUT FOR CHINESE ROBOT GIANT

SHARES in a Chinese company that makes humanoid robots that can dance, play table tennis and do martial arts rose more than sevenfold on their stock market debut in Shanghai.

Unitree stock jumped as much as 629pc in early trading - giving it a value of close to £50bn - before eventually closing up 460pc on a landmark day for the country's robotics sector in its battle with US technology rivals.

Unitree, whose competitors include Eton Musk's electric car and robot company Tesla, has drawn global attention for its robots that run, dance and perform martial arts.

One of the world's biggest producers of humanoid and quadruped robots, Unitree is a symbol

of national pride for China and is backed by private sector and state-backed firms.

'It is a top-tier player, and its uniqueness commands premiums,' said Yan Kai, venture capitalist and partner at Ivy Capital in Shanghai.

Unitree founder Wang Xingxing, 36, continues to own around a fifth of the company. The stock market listing has catapulted his personal wealth to more than £8bn.

Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, said: 'It's not just AI where China is seeking to rival higher-profile players in the West. The robotics industry is another area where the world's second-largest economy is making strides.

'This was crystallised as robot manufacturer Unitree made a splash with its listing in Shanghai.'

---

Page 62

Haldane sounds the retreat

WHEN Andy Burnham was installed as Prime Minister on July 20 it was reassuring to learn that he was receiving economic advice from several wise men.

Among them was Lord O'Neill of Gatley, a former Tory minister and Goldman Sachs economist who has fallen by the wayside in a reported dispute over more wealth taxes.

Another, Andy Haldane, previously chief economist at the Bank of England, has over the years expressed great frustration about the swathes of the North left behind by prosperity. He is a greatly respected voice. At the Bank he spotted the inflation genie escaping in the Spring of 2022 at a time when the governor Andrew Bailey insisted the rise in prices was transitory.

Inflation soared to 11.1pc, a 41-year high, and Haldane alone wanted interest rate rises and an end to quantitative easing – printing money.

As president of the British Chambers of Commerce, Haldane always seemed an unlikely candidate to work easily with Burnham with his view that state intervention is a good thing. Indeed, announcements since Burnham came to office, from

Alex Brummer

CITY EDITOR

a cap on bus fares to a cut in VAT on household energy bills, have been uncosted. The suggestion from City economists is that Burnham statism could be costed at £25bn.

The bill would be even higher should Thames Water end up on the government books. There has been no effort from Burnham or Chancellor John Healey to douse reports that the nation could be heading for a third growth strangling, tax raising Budget in a row on October 28.

Now Haldane has spoken out. Writing in the Financial Times, Haldane argues that recent budgets have been 'outright harmful' to the private sector. Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves marched the business community to the top of the hill, with a

smoked salmon and sauvignon blanc offensive, and then let it down with a thump. Despite the harm done, output continued to expand in the first two quarters of 2026.

Haldane concludes enough is enough. He wants a moratorium on further tax rises and regulatory burdens on consumers and businesses in the next Budget. The full force of Reeves' tax rises, most notably the freeze on personal allowances, remains in place until the end of the decade.

It would be tremendous if Healey, desperate to fill a hole in defence spending, would come out of his bunker and find the money by scything welfare spending and the ballooning public sector. So far there has been silence.

The presence of O'Neill and Haldane on the Burnham brains' trust was reassuring. Both reached a sane verdict that the saturation point for higher taxes has been reached.

Open wounds

SMITH-Nephew ought to be a great treasure of Britain's healthcare.

A pioneer in orthopaedic replacements, wound repair and sports medicine it should be in a sweet spot in a body conscious world. Instead, it is a serial disap-

pointment with the boardroom doors constantly spinning. Even as astute an operator as chairman Rupert Soames seems unable to stop the rot.

The latest executive to go is finance director John Rogers, who insisted on working from the US. American rewards are an enormous temptation, and it is no surprise to learn that within hours of leaving the FTSE 100 he is off to join rival medical tech firm Baxter International as vice-president.

Soames and the board are under siege. Some 8.5pc of the stock is in the hands of short traders.

Activists are demanding action. Among demands is a new chief executive to displace sub-octane Deepak Nath, a spin-off or sale of orthopaedics (hips and knees), a focus on profits and an end to write-offs. There is great intrinsic value in the group's R&D and innovation. Execution is crass.

Time machine

WE LIVE in weird times. Stock prices can move so rapidly that it is hard to keep up. Shares of US pharma Covid-19 vaccine hero Moderna shot up 150pc due to a melanoma (skin cancer) vaccine trial success. In the Chinese haven of capitalism Shanghai, the stock of newly listed humanoid robot outfit Unitree soared 629pc. Eureka!

THE Chinese carmaker behind the 'Temu Range Rover' plans to build a research and development centre in Britain this year as demand for its vehicles in the UK grows at a staggering rate, writes Rob Hull.

Chery Group, whose brands include Omoda and Jaeco, maker of the Jaeco 7 Range Rover alternative, said the new facility in Bedfordshire will open in late autumn.

Gary Lan, chief executive of Chery International UK, said the site was 'the next step in our long-term plan for the UK'.

He added: 'We waited over 20

years for the right time to enter this market, and our ambition has always gone much further than simply bringing vehicles here.'

The move follows a recent agreement with Nissan UK to explore manufacturing Chery vehicles for the UK market at the manufacturer's Sunderland facility.

Last month, Chery's sales secured 8pc of the UK new-car market.

Earlier this year it signed former England footballer Peter Crouch and his wife, model Abbey Clancy, for an ad campaign (pictured) promoting its flagship Chery Tiggo 9.

Training faces pride for drip pricing by CMA

SHARES in Trainline crashed after competition regulators launched a probe into 'drip pricing' that sees firms add extra costs as the buying process proceeds.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) yesterday announced an investigation into the digital platform, as well as airline Virgin Atlantic and Red Driving School.

The probe will focus on whether all mandatory fees are displayed upfront to customers making bookings – or if extras charges are added later.

Looking at Trainline, the CMA said it saw 'transaction fees of as much as £2.79 for train travel and booking fees of £1.50 on coaches.

At Virgin Atlantic, the regulator will focus on if mandatory resort fees and local taxes are included in the upfront price of package holidays.

At Red Driving School, it

By Jane Denton

raised fees of £7-plus per booking for driving lessons.

Consumers affected could get compensation if it is found the companies broke the law, the CMA said.

'At a time when many households are watching every pound they spend, it is important that people are not surprised by extra fees when

'Surprised by extra fees'

booking train and coach tickets, holidays or driving lessons,' said Emma Cochrane, executive director for consumer protection at the CMA.

'Clear pricing helps people compare offers confidently and choose the option that works best for them. Unexpected mandatory charges make this much harder, which

is why the CMA initially put these firms on notice over concerns about their pricing practices and is now opening formal investigations.'

Shares in Trainline tumbled 14pc – wiping almost £120m off the value of the FTSE 250 firm.

A Trainline spokesman said: 'Trainline is committed to offering customers a transparent experience with clear pricing and genuine value.

'We're proactively engaged with the CMA and are taking steps to address its concerns.'

A Virgin Atlantic Holidays spokesman said: 'We take our responsibility to customers seriously. Mandatory fees are indicated at multiple stages.

'We are reviewing the points raised by the CMA carefully and will co-operate fully.'

A spokesman for Red Driving School said: 'Red Driver Training expresses disappointment to have been included in a wider investigation in 'drip pricing'.'

Pinewood agrees £545m deal

PINEWOOD Technologies has become the latest London-listed firm to be snapped up by private equity after a takeover by US-based Ridgeview Partners.

The £545m deal will see Pinewood, which offers a cloud-based platform for car manufacturers and was once a division of Pendragon, delist from the London market.

The San Francisco-headquartered private equity firm will pay 448p per share in

cash, a 43pc premium to Pinewood's share price before it made its offer.

It marks a discount to an earlier offer for Pinewood by private equity giant Apax Partners in February.

The firm withdrew its £575.5m offer, citing 'prevailing challenging market conditions' following a software stock rout.

Ridgeview said it plans to 'support the business in its next phase of growth.'

Soft drink sales soar for Carlsberg

SOFT drinks and non-alcoholic beer have boosted trading at Carlsberg as demand for its lagers remained under pressure.

Sales of soft drinks for the Danish giant in the first half of the year were 7.8pc higher than the same period of 2025.

Volumes of alcohol-free beer rose by 11pc, driven by strong growth in Western Europe, helping to offset a 1pc fall in

beer. Across Western Europe, beer volumes fell by 3.9pc as the company battled 'challenging' market conditions, including a fall in alcohol consumption among younger people.

Carlsberg group chief executive Jacob Aarup-Andersen said: 'Carlsberg delivered solid top-line and earnings growth despite the uncertain environment.'

---

Page 63

	52-week	High	Low
Aeropoint & Defence
Actor Martin	89	+1	89
BAE Systems	2167	+8	220
Choeung Go	585nd	+3	638
Grand2	539nd	+1	1774
Rata-Royce	1516nd	+9	1570
Garcia	282n		311
Banks
Barret Garlander	1000	+9	1100
Bartolyn	490nd	+1	1300
HEBC Https	1481nd	+7	1581
Live Finance	1083E	+8	1000E
Liquids Banking	703nd	+2	1774
Metro Bank	172n	+1	1800
Netflix Group	482nd	+1	1720
Star-Chartered	2164d	+7	2248
TBC Bank	4702nd	+9	3168
Everages
Star Hill	800	+8	710
Coco-Coco HBC	4516	+9	5170
Dayton	1000n	+1	2121
Chemicals
Crude Health	3270	+10	3322
Elements	179nd	+1	1871
Johnson Mail	2330nd	+2	2180
Volume	494	+7	497
Construction & Materials
Balfour Deaty	886	+1	1561
Brendan	304n	+6	1774
Grand Group	282n	+2	3800
Gratter Go	1580n	+1	1248
Enders	85n	+1	1424
Fuller Group	2954d	+9	2944
Kar Group	204n	+2	2611
Volation	600	+1	710
Electricity
One Go	734n	+7	918
SSC	2302nd	+8	2757
Electronic & Electrical Equipment
Hanna	3498	+8	4678
Morgan-Mannold	237n	+6	230
Orsted Instruments	2828	+2	3332
Revolver	5003	+3	5435
Equity-Investment Instruments
3-Infrastructure	361n	+3	361n
Aberloth Serv Cos	1705nd	+24	1706
ALTM	597	+7	643
Alliance Witar	1370	+1	1588
Allianz Tech.	757	+1	758
Astrakis India	295n	+1	295n
AM Global Port	265	+1	272n
Ballier DCP Japan	1004	+6	1006
Ballia DCP US	287	+4	360n
Banana Ina Fat	150nd	+1	154n
BH Stores	426	+1	482n

	52-week	High	Low
Caprianna Credit	75	+1	75
Cashless Srvs	2710nd	+1	3041
DMHMMM	980	+8	1248
GH Greater Eur	584	+4	424
Buckner	1504nd	+8	1572
Caledonia Inc.	580n	+5	428
City of London IT	587nd		597
Epic Inv Trust	851	+5	851
Epic Watch	250	+1	2901
Euro Doc Co.	234nd	+2	2451
FAC Inv Trust	341n	+2	2611
Fidelity Drive	284	+1	3221
Fidelity Srvs	1404	+4	1502
Fidelity Eur	427	+1	444
Fidelity Srvs Ltd	671n	+1	475
Finalsys Golf Tst	816	+6	918
Finalsys Golf Tst	884	+1	884
IGCP Hlts Inc.	83nd	+1	83n
Global Smaller	104nd	+1	101n
Greencoat UK	1010nd	+1	1101
Harborama	3375	+9	3338
Hardeman Serv Co.	875	+1	597
Health Inv Trust	2885	+9	3393
HQ Capital Trust	465	+2	509
HCC Int	1581	+1	1581
ICG Enterprises	1485nd	+9	1659
Imasco Asia	485	+3	518
JPM Americas	1200nd	+8	1204
JPM Grouping Markets	1001	+1	1001
JPM Euro Gas	820	+8	1600
JPM Japan IT	816	+5	851
Japier Fund	1604nd	+2	1601
Law Defensive	1509	+4	1379
JMD	347	+1	364
Mercantile IT	365	+2	388
Merchants Trust	671nd	+2	695
Mobile Ventures	887	+2	884n
Mobile Inv Fst	1604nd	+8	1658
Morgan Select	4278	+8	3338
Murray Inv Fst	3804d	+2	1524
Murray Inv Fst	370	+4	371
Net design Private Srvs	1403nd	+4	1502
Next Energy Solar	48nd		731
Nearly One	276n		2591
Oakley Capital Inc.	535	+4	576
Pacific Horizon	1080		1252
Pathman Mfrs	112n	+1	116n
Pathman Intl	380n	+2	467n
Partners Group	623	+1	942
Patra Private	596	+2	642
Peering Square	3802nd	+9	5298
Personal Assets IT	545	+1	557
Polar Cap St	350	+1	254
Polar Cap Tech	647	+3	733n
Polter Brown	847	+8	964
Renewables Mtrs	79nd	+1	79n
RIT Cap Partners	2500	+5	2638
Schroder Asia	818	+2	688
Schroder Oriental	448	+2	448
Scot America Inv.	595nd	+1	573
Scot America Inv.	1000nd	+1	1000
Scottish Mortgage	1460n	+2	1545

TOP RISERS
Oxford Nanopore
Hochschild Mining
Fresnillo
Pan African
Endeavour Mining
	52-week	High	Low
Secusta Econ Hlts	48-nd	+1	67n
Symona	108	+2	100n
Sanglesse Em	310	+1	350
Twentelour	184		116n
Venture Enter	781	+6	848
First Capital Yshrs	432	+1	498
Wisconsin	396	+5	508
Good Producers
Asian Bt Ftrads	2025	+8	2208
Crossed	1525nd	+9	3008
Greencon	284n	+2	300n
Water Food Sp	617	+2	642
Pharma Foods	186	+1	204n
Priscus Group	318n	+1	478
Saia E Life	564	+1	508
Outdoor	4000nd	+5	5472
Governs & Interiors
Fishing	2825	+19	4439
Animals Sp	2081	+24	2081
Biological Group	301	+6	340n
Capital Gowning	326	+2	326
CMC Markets	780	+2	788
Clock Group	81n	+1	81n
Content Digital Inhse	124n	+1	125
Poweright Group	485	+1	502
Harus Investment Co	342nd		344
ICS	2028	+46	2332
IG Sp	1316nd	+27	1558
Integrate	365n	+2	398
Intl Public Privlpts	1404nd	+1	1604
Invader	884n	+1	885n
IP Group	88n	+2	71n
JTC	1200		1588
London Stock Ex	8016nd	+12	8000
Man Group	2004nd	+1	318
Min Atlantic Serv	433	+8	433
OSB Group	1104nd	+2	1424
Reagan	800	+9	800n
PlanOS	2170	+34	3078
Quiter	194n	+1	200n
Reinforce Grp	1684	+22	2200
Hyde Investment	289		310n
Schroder	384nd	+1	404n
SDCL Efficiency	36n	+1	63
Seraphin Equity	180	+2	270n
Temple Bio	420n	+2	428
TP Cash	327n	+2	350

TOP FALLERS
Trainline
Ocaido
IG
Raspberry Pi
Smith & Nephew
	52-week	High	Low
JPS Pension	395n	+2	397
World Care Equipment & Services
Angelo	2000n	+9	2000
Global Biomedica	500	+7	310
Smith & Nash	1000n	+2	1400
Spun Employ	200n	+1	208
Householders
Gerard Andrew	310n	+1	405n
Helway	2100	+14	2000
Heritage Grp	2004	+12	4434
InterStemation	84n	+1	77n
Resimmon	1101n	+5	1542n
Sajun Display	84n	+1	110n
Ward Group	378	+5	78n
Industrial Transportation
Cartoon	4800	+2	5102
Type	401n	+2	419
Industrials
Airports	807n	+2	503
Globalists	85	+1	81n
Gratford	18000	+300	25000
Intl & Death	2940	+10	3000
IML	3025nd	+8	3140
Malibu Intl	4004nd	+6	6810
IM Magnetics	3900	+20	3340
Merck	404nd		408
Smiths Sp	2000	+9	2740
Naval Group	7000	+9	7000
Resolute	380n	+5	500
Rev	2942	+28	3500
Leisure Goods
James Ainsberg	16000	+8	21040
GE Group	118n	+2	208
Electron & Svc	730	+4	1010
Life Insurance
Baraboo Group	2004d		200
Wax	710n	+1	707
Legal & General	298	+2	310n
Incident	1020	+2	1220
St James Pacn	4720d	+7	5220
Standard Life	804	+8	841n
Metals
Angora	4074nd	+58	5000

	52-week	High	Low
Granger	75n	+1	25
Go Portland Est	340	+1	374
Hearstman	574		384n
Hayworth	1	+2	1
Land Securities	680n	+5	722
Loebstallers Rep	182n	+1	212
Perry's Hlth Pty	85	+1	93n
Salescore Hlgs	580n	+5	637
Seville	1004		1038
SEGAO	1604nd	+2	1671
Shalladury	140n	+1	154n
Silva Real Estate	85n	+1	91n
Supermarket Inc	84nd	+1	84n
Top of Northam	1704nd	+1	918
TR Property IT	500n	+1	501n
Titan Big Bus	1974nd	+1	1724
Urria Group	610n	+2	720n
Worcester Grp	300	+3	400
區域商
All Maury	84n	+1	110n
ASOS	360	+3	390n
IBM	230n	+5	354n
Buckery Grp	1083	+5	1500
Comer	100n	+1	100n
Co Markets	85n	+1	84n
Quader Grp	886	+5	1241
Peace Group	871n	+3	1021
Greggs	1400	+8	2200
Health & Safety	1971	+2	1970
Inchsply	1971nd	+1	1998
JD Sports Partner	85n	+1	104n
Kingdane	320n	+4	1701
Mark & Spencer	384n	+5	1704
Morning	397	+1	398
Nair	15000	+10	15700
Ocado Grp	337n	+2	340n
Pets of Home Grp	214n	+2	208
Standard Jd	320n	+4	280n
SSP Group	253n	+1	314n
Trace	440n	+2	631n
Win Smith	420n	+2	1200n
Wolse Group	180n	+2	200
Business & Company Services
McDermott	1671n	+5	1100
Ashton Tech	447n	+5	460n
Baltic Crossfield	200n	+1	208
Byba Technology	420n	+8	427n
Group Location	5225		5272n
Delaware	170n		170n
Kansas Grp	1215	+27	1228
WCC Grp	1275n	+1	1271n
Pepper	381n	+6	427n
Salford	2200	+2	2322
Wright Group	1270	+5	1170
Trusco	270	+1	280n
Support Services
Marble Hill	2121nd	+7	1522
Burst	2750	+9	2670
SCO Energy	6365	+5	6380

	52-week	High	Low
Geisring	716n	+6	710
Guamma	100n	+1	74
Cayman	262n	+8	2682
Hayes	2	+2	2
Interco Grp	5840	+6	6850
Intl Allergicron Grp	1770	+5	1004
Johnson Service Grp	140n	+1	170n
Michael Page	211n	+2	208
Wine Group	2000nd	+1	210
Randall Initial	344nd	+1	500n
RB Group	737n	+2	740n
Derco	280n	+2	324n
Okima	280n	+3	298n
Texas Preform	540	+5	714
W.A.G.	1081		1108
Pathology Research & Industries
Amberell Grp	770	+6	800
GB GROUP	160	+2	200
Randall's IT	657	+2	1031
Spun近郊 Inc	180n		180n
Telecom
Antal Africa	337n	+1	420n
BT Grp	2024nd	+1	2104
Gamma Comms	882	+5	1108
Husky Towers	2814nd	+1	2401
Telecom Plus	870nd	+3	1692
Diabetes Grp	1974	+1	1224
Tobacco
J. M. T. B.	4000	+1	4942
Imperial Brands	2025	+7	3341
Travel & Leisure
Compass Grp	31n		2527
Compass Picos	184nd	+1	220
AssyJet	670n	+1	690
Exxon	544	+6	885n
FoodGroup	180n	+1	227
Hollywood Steel	270	+1	307n
Intersat Hlts	161n	+2	1000
Intl Cons Aht	427n	+2	488
Michelle & Distress	276n	+1	287
PPHE Hotel Grp	1540	+22	2000
Truslow	200n	+24	300
Methengron (JD)	830n	+10	1000
Whitehead	2400	+8	3274
Woo Air Mtrg	1001	+5	1447
Utilities
Carolina	100n	+2	210n
Hyder	47n	+1	92n
National Grid	1170	+32	1400
Yamun	4004nd	+2	4300
Seven Tree	3000	+24	3200
United Utilities	1420	+6	1427

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RACING | Daily Mail | Sport | 65

SAM TURNER

at York

IT was billed as a seismic clash between the world's best middle-distance horse and a potentially prerectional three-year-old talent. Onthrobuster versus Constitution River, Godolphin versus Ballyhope, the Gondens versus Addis O'Brien. However, no one told Colin Kieane drained Item, who overcame a dramatic late fitness scare to match a thrilling first Group One success as the main postagonists flopped on York's Knavemore. Trained by Andrew Balding at Kingselee, like stablemate and

Lonee Run in Georgia

another of the summer's Group One winners Kalpana, the progressive role followed in the hoofprints of his father Frankel 14 years on to capture an enthralling Juddmonte International Stakes. Racing in the colours of the race's sponsors, Item's proven stamina was his chief ally to the closing stages as he overcame an interrupted passage in the straight to collar Kieran

Shoemark and Almagara at the conclusion of a race run at an unrelenting gallop. Balding, who will be represented by Kalpana in today's Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks, was grateful to his staff for ensuring Item came through the 11th-hour injury scare. We declared, but at that time he wasn't running as they found a little blood blister in his foot," he said. "However, he was pain free

and it wasn't a problem he way he jogged up this season. It's amazing to win races like this and the King George and we are extremely lucky to be sent three horses to the first place." Balding, who burst through the 6m/6th season, was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who was a good man who

Tireless Keane and Item FA

YORK CITY 1/14
1.5 DAY WE CANWERS STAKES (FILLIES) GROUP 2 (1) (2) 9 1/14
1.5 1/2 (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) (23) (24) (25) (26) (27) (28) (29) (30) (31) (32) (33) (34) (35) (36) (37) (38) (39) (40) (41) (42) (43) (44) (45) (46) (47) (48) (49) (50) (51) (52) (53) (54) (55) (56) (57) (58) (59) (60) (61) (62) (63) (64) (65) (66) (67) (68) (69) (70) (71) (72) (73) (74) (75) (76) (77) (78) (79) (80) (81) (82) (83) (84) (85) (86) (87) (88) (89) (90) (91) (92) (93) (94) (95) (96) (97) (98) (99) (100) (101) (102) (103) (104) (105) (106) (107) (108) (109) (110) (111) (112) (113) (114) (115) (116) (117) (118) (119) (120) (121) (122) (123) (124) (125) (126) (127) (128) (129) (130) (131) (132) (133) (134) (135) (136) (137) (138) (139) (140) (141) (142) (143) (144) (145) (146) (147) (148) (149) (150) (151) (152) (153) (154) (155) (156) (157) (158) (159) (160) (161) (162) (163) (164) (165) (166) (167) (168) (169) (170) (171) (172) (173) (174) (175) (176) (177) (178) (179) (180) (181) (182) (183) (184) (185) (186) (187) (188) (189) (190) (191) (192) (193) (194) (195) (196) (197) (198) (199) (200) (201) (202) (203) (204) (205) (206) (207) (208) (209) (210) (211) (212) (213) (214) (215) (216) (217) (218) (219) (220) (221) (222) (223) (224) (225) (226) (227) (228) (229) (230) (231) (232) (233) (234) (235) (236) (237) (238) (239) (240) (241) (242) (243) (244) (245) (246) (247) (248) (249) (250) (251) (252) (253) (254) (255) (256) (257) (258) (259) (260) (261) (262) (263) (264) (265) (266) (267) (268) (269) (270) (271) (272) (273) (274) (275) (276) (277) (278) (279) (280) (281) (282) (283) (284) (285) (286) (287) (288) (289) (290) (291) (292) (293) (294) (295) (296) (297) (298) (299) (300) (301) (302) (303) (304) (305) (306) (307) (308) (309) (310) (311) (312) (313) (314) (315) (316) (317) (318) (319) (320) (321) (322) (323) (324) (325) (326) (327) (328) (329) (330) (331) (332) (333) (334) (335) (336) (337) (338) (339) (340) (341) (342) (343) (344) (345) (346) (347) (348) (349) (350) (351) (352) (353) (354) (355) (356) (357) (358) (359) (360) (361) (362) (363) (364) (365) (366) (367) (368) (369) (370) (371) (372) (373) (374) (375) (376) (377) (378) (379) (380) (381) (382) (383) (384) (385) (386) (387) (388) (389) (390) (391) (392) (393) (394) (395) (396) (397) (398) (399) (400) (401) (402) (403) (404) (405) (406) (407) (408) (409) (410) (411) (412) (413) (414) (415) (416) (417) (418) (419) (420) (421) (422) (423) (424) (425) (426) (427) (428) (429) (430) (431) (432) (433) (434) (435) (436) (437) (438) (439) (440) (441) (442) (443) (444) (445) (446) (447) (448) (449) (450) (451) (452) (453) (454) (455) (456) (457) (458) (459) (460) (461) (462) (463) (464) (465) (466) (467) (468) (469) (470) (471) (472) (473) (474) (475) (476) (477) (478) (479) (480) (481) (482) (483) (484) (485) (486) (487) (488) (489) (490) (491) (492) (493) (494) (495) (496) (497) (498) (499) (500) (501) (502) (503) (504) (505) (506) (507) (508) (509) (510) (511) (512) (513) (514) (515) (516) (517) (518) (519) (520) (521) (522) (523) (524) (525) (526) (527) (528) (529) (530) (531) (532) (533) (534) (535) (536) (537) (538) (539) (540) (541) (542) (543) (544) (545) (546) (547) (548) (549) (550) (551) (552) (553) (554) (555) (556) (557) (558) (559) (560) (561) (562) (563) (564) (565) (566) (567) (568) (569) (570) (571) (572) (573) (574) (575) (576) (577) (578) (579) (580) (581) (582) (583) (584) (585) (586) (587) (588) (589) (590) (591) (592) (593) (594) (595) (596) (597) (598) (599) (600) (601) (602) (603) (604) (605) (606) (607) (608) (609) (610) (611) (612) (613) (614) (615) (616) (617) (618) (619) (620) (621) (622) (623) (624) (625) (626) (627) (628) (629) (630) (631) (632) (633) (634) (635) (636) (637) (638) (639) (640) (641) (642) (643) (644) (645) (646) (647) (648) (649) (650) (651) (652) (653) (654) (655) (656) (657) (658) (659) (660) (661) (662) (663) (664) (665) (666) (667) (668) (669) (670) (671) (672) (673) (674) (675) (676) (677) (678) (679) (680) (681) (682) (683) (684) (685) (686) (687) (688) (689) (690) (691) (692) (693) (694) (695) (696) (697) (698) (699) (700) (701) (702) (703) (704) (705) (706) (707) (708) (709) (710) (711) (712) (713) (714) (715) (716) (717) (718) (719) (720) (721) (722) (723) (724) (725) (726) (727) (728) (729) (730) (731) (732) (733) (734) (735) (736) (737) (738) (739) (740) (741) (742) (743) (744) (745) (746) (747) (748) (749) (750) (751) (752) (753) (754) (755) (756) (757) (758) (759) (760) (761) (762) (763) (764) (765) (766) (767) (768) (769) (770) (771) (772) (773) (774) (775) (776) (777) (778) (779) (780) (781) (782) (783) (784) (785) (786) (787) (788) (789) (790) (791) (792) (793) (794) (795) (796) (797) (798) (799) (800) (801) (802) (803) (804) (805) (806) (807) (808) (809) (810) (811) (812) (813) (814) (815) (816) (817) (818) (819) (820) (821) (822) (823) (824) (825) (826) (827) (828) (829) (830) (831) (832) (833) (834) (835) (836) (837) (838) (839) (840) (841) (842) (843) (844) (845) (846) (847) (848) (849) (850) (851) (852) (853) (854) (855) (856) (857) (858) (859) (860) (861) (862) (863) (864) (865) (866) (867) (868) (869) (870) (871) (872) (873) (874) (875) (876) (877) (878) (879) (880) (881) (882) (883) (884) (885) (886) (887) (888) (889) (890) (891) (892) (893) (894) (895) (896) (897) (898) (899) (900) (901) (902) (903) (904) (905) (906) (907) (908) (909) (910) (911) (912) (913) (914) (915) (916) (917) (918) (919) (920) (921) (922) (923) (924) (925) (926) (927) (928) (929) (930) (931) (932) (933) (934) (935) (936) (937) (938) (939) (940) (941) (942) (943) (944) (945) (946) (947) (948) (949) (950) (951) (952) (953) (954) (955) (956) (957) (958) (959) (960) (961) (962) (963) (964) (965) (966) (967) (968) (969) (970) (971) (972) (973) (974) (975) (976) (977) (978) (979) (980) (981) (982) (983) (984) (985) (986) (987) (988) (989) (990) (991) (992) (993) (994) (995) (996) (997) (998) (999) (1000)

2.2 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION BY GORTS (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
2.2 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION BY GORTS (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
2.2 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION BY GORTS (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
2.2 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION BY GORTS (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
2.2 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION BY GORTS (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
2.2 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION BY GORTS (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
2.2 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION BY GORTS (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
2.2 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
2.2 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
2.2 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
2.2 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION (2) (2-7-0) 1/14

3.00 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION BY GORTS (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
3.00 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION BY GORTS (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
3.00 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
3.00 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
3.00 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION (2) (2-7-0)
3.00 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
3.00 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
3.00 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION (2) (2-7-0) 1/14

BOBIN GODEFELLOW				GIMCRACK
1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
2.25	2.25	2.25	2.25	2.25
3.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	3.00
4.00	4.00	4.00	4.00	4.00
5.00	5.00	5.00	5.00	5.00
6.00	6.00	6.00	6.00	6.00
7.00	7.00	7.00	7.00	7.00
8.00	8.00	8.00	8.00	8.00
9.00	9.00	9.00	9.00	9.00
10.00	10.00	10.00	10.00	10.00
11.00	11.00	11.00	11.00	11.00
12.00	12.00	12.00	12.00	12.00
13.00	13.00	13.00	13.00	13.00
14.00	14.00	14.00	14.00	14.00
15.00	15.00	15.00	15.00	15.00
16.00	16.00	16.00	16.00	16.00
17.00	17.00	17.00	17.00	17.00
18.00	18.00	18.00	18.00	18.00
19.00	19.00	19.00	19.00	19.00
20.00	20.00	20.00	20.00	20.00
21.00	21.00	21.00	21.00	21.00
22.00	22.00	22.00	22.00	22.00
23.00	23.00	23.00	23.00	23.00
24.00	24.00	24.00	24.00	24.00
25.00	25.00	25.00	25.00	25.00
26.00	26.00	26.00	26.00	26.00
27.00	27.00	27.00	27.00	27.00
28.00	28.00	28.00	28.00	28.00
29.00	29.00	29.00	29.00	29.00
30.00	30.00	30.00	30.00	30.00
31.00	31.00	31.00	31.00	31.00
32.00	32.00	32.00	32.00	32.00
33.00	33.00	33.00	33.00	33.00
34.00	34.00	34.00	34.00	34.00
35.00	35.00	35.00	35.00	35.00
36.00	36.00	36.00	36.00	36.00
37.00	37.00	37.00	37.00	37.00
38.00	38.00	38.00	38.00	38.00
39.00	39.00	39.00	39.00	39.00
40.00	40.00	40.00	40.00	40.00
41.00	41.00	41.00	41.00	41.00
42.00	42.00	42.00	42.00	42.00
43.00	43.00	43.00	43.00	43.00
44.00	44.00	44.00	44.00	44.00
45.00	45.00	45.00	45.00	45.00
46.00	46.00	46.00	46.00	46.00
47.00	47.00	47.00	47.00	47.00
48.00	48.00	48.00	48.00	48.00
49.00	49.00	49.00	49.00	49.00
50.00	50.00	50.00	50.00	50.00
51.00	51.00	51.00	51.00	51.00
52.00	52.00	52.00	52.00	52.00
53.00	53.00	53.00	53.00	53.00
54.00	54.00	54.00	54.00	54.00
55.00	55.00	55.00	55.00	55.00
56.00	56.00	56.00	56.00	56.00
57.00	57.00	57.00	57.00	57.00
58.00	58.00	58.00	58.00	58.00
59.00	59.00	59.00	59.00	59.00
60.00	60.00	60.00	60.00	60.00
61.00	61.00	61.00	61.00	61.00
62.00	62.00	62.00	62.00	62.00
63.00	63.00	63.00	63.00	63.00
64.00	64.00	64.00	64.00	64.00
65.00	65.00	65.00	65.00	65.00
66.00	66.00	66.00	66.00	66.00
67.00	67.00	67.00	67.00	67.00
68.00	68.00	68.00	68.00	68.00
69.00	69.00	69.00	69.00	69.00
70.00	70.00	70.00	70.00	70.00
71.00	71.00	71.00	71.00	71.00
72.00	72.00	72.00	72.00	72.00
73.00	73.00	73.00	73.00	73.00
74.00	74.00	74.00	74.00	74.00
75.00	75.00	75.00	75.00	75.00
76.00	76.00	76.00	76.00	76.00
77.00	77.00	77.00	77.00	77.00
78.00	78.00	78.00	78.00	78.00
79.00	79.00	79.00	79.00	79.00
80.00	80.00	80.00	80.00	80.00
81.00	81.00	81.00	81.00	81.00
82.00	82.00	82.00	82.00	82.00
83.00	83.00	83.00	83.00	83.00
84.00	84.00	84.00	84.00	84.00
85.00	85.00	85.00	85.00	85.00
86.00	86.00	86.00	86.00	86.00
87.00	87.00	87.00	87.00	87.00
88.00	88.00	88.00	88.00	88.00
89.00	89.00	89.00	89.00	89.00
90.00	90.00	90.00	90.00	90.00
91.00	91.00	91.00	91.00	91.00
92.00	92.00	92.00	92.00	92.00
93.00	93.00	93.00	93.00	93.00
94.00	94.00	94.00	94.00	94.00
95.00	95.00	95.00	95.00	95.00
96.00	96.00	96.00	96.00	96.00
97.00	97.00	97.00	97.00	97.00
98.00	98.00	98.00	98.00	98.00
99.00	99.00	99.00	99.00	99.00
100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00

3.00 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION BY GORTS (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
3.00 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
3.00 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
3.00 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
3.00 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
3.00 CHERRY'S WAZ MILLION (2) (2-7-0) 1/14

4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
4.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14

5.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
5.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
5.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
5.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14

6.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
6.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
6.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
6.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14
6.00 NEWS HOTEL GOSTS (SF SILLIONS) NURSERY (2) (2-7-0) 1/14

LINGFIELD 1/14
2.00 RELIEF RESTRICTED MOVES STAKES (5) (2-7-0) 1/14
2.00 RELIEF RESTRICTED MOVES STAKES (5) (2-7-0) 1/14
2.00 RELIEF RESTRICTED MOVES STAKES (5) (2-7-0) 1/14
2.00 RELIEF RESTRICTED MOVES STAKES (5) (2-7-0) 1/14
2.00 RELIEF RESTRICTED MOVES STAKES (5) (2-7-0) 1/14

[Non-Text]

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66 Daily Mail Sport FOOTBALL

■ LIVERPOOL and Inter Milan have resumed talks over a deal worth $200 million for Curtis Jones. The Italians are offering a similar structure to the deal used to sign Djed Spence from Tottenham which comprises £26.7m plus £4m in add-ons, with a 10 per cent sell-on league for the midfielder. Highly-rated Reds centre-back (Reany) Ndukwe is in talks to join Levante on loan. The 18-year-old does not qualify for a work permit in England so has to be loaned out. Liverpool remain in talks over Pary Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola.

■ ASTON VILLAGE anticipate a fourth offer from Al Hilal for striker Ollie Watkins after rejecting a £30m bid on Tuesday. The England international is open to the move but so far Villa have rejected the Saudi club's advances. The Premier League side remain interested in CHELSEA striker Nicolas

Jackson and his teammate Tosin Adarabioyo, with the latter an option to replace ARSENAL-bound defender Ezri Konsa. Villa face competition from Marseille for Adarabioyo, 28, who also has interest from Sevilla and Benfica

his 'B' and 'H' are 'B' and 'H' are 'B' and 'H' are 'B' and 'H' are 'B' and 'H' are 'B' and 'H' are 'B' and 'H' are 'B' and 'H' are 'B' and 'H' are 'B' and 'H' are 'B' and 'H' are 'B' and 'H' are 'B' and 'H' are 'B

among others after deciding to leave Stamford Bridge.

■ ANOTHER Chelsea defender, Mamadou Sarr, is a target for Real Sociedad and Al Hilal, while Premier League clubs remain interested in taking the 20-year-old on loan. The Blues have signed 18-year-old centre-back side Osborne from HEARTS for £400,000.

■ CRYSTAL PALACE have rejected a bid of more than £3m from Galatasaray for striker friends Sarr. The Eagles are also braced for offers for

22-year-old England midfielder Adam Wharton.

■ NEWCASTLE UNITED are closing on on Gencierbirligi midfielder Ousmane Diabate. The 60-year-old was set to join Brentford, with Tottenham also interested, but the Magpies have agreed to loan him back to the Turkish club. ■ ANGELA, are working on a deal for 20-year-old right-back Habeeb Osunwoye from

MANCHESTER UNITED. The Gunners want players to boost their Under-21 squad and have also shown interest in United's James Scanlon. Arsenal CEO Richard Garlick says they are not actively seeking to sell Mybel Lewis' Saddy or Eileen Nwaeri but they would consider the 'right opportunity' for both. Nwaeri is expected to

leave on loan. Striker Gabriel Jesus is understood to be reluctant to join Napoli.

■ WREXHAM are exploring an ambitious move for LEEDS UNITED forward Liaba Neneha. They have also spoken to free agent of under Axel Ruanzebe.

■ LEEDS have signed Nico Eivedi from German club Borussia Monchengladbach. The final fee is £6.5m rising to £8.0m with bonuses. They have loaned striker Joel Piroo to WEST HAM until the end of the season.

■ RENNES midfielder Jordan James is poised to finalise a loan move to WOLVES.

■ STOKE have agreed a fee of £6m plus add-ons with IPSWAT for striker George Hirst and are also taking the 'tractor Boys' full-back Ben Johnson on loan.

SPORT IN BRIEF

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - Play-off Round First Leg

DATE... (2) 1 LUX... (0) 8

Night: 25

Date: 31.57

Shown in Weldon's CM Celia's, Hapson Beer Sheva 2 Salem Bala's, WC1 Bolo's/Carol's

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100

■ TENNIS

JOB & WTA CNCENADE OPEN (Disc) = March 405 mailed 7 (Josh) (10) 16 8 (Josh City) 4-5 7-6 17-15 JOB & WTA CHIP (Grp) 12 (Minnie) 4-5 7-6 4-5 11 Women's 4th round: 2 (Josh) (Prof) M D Ray's (7) 4-5 6-5 (Angela) (20) 16 5 (Josh) (Prof) 4-5 4-5 7-5 M Konfuck (Ver) M M Andreeva (Raz) 4-6 6-9 6-2

■ TODAY'S ACTION

(7-8 videos dated)

CONFERENCE LEAGUE

Qualifying Play-off Round First Leg

Gret - Sherman ... (7.30)

Hearts - Angel Vanna ... (7.30)

Lincoln Red Imps - Lauren ... (5.0)

Motherwell - Froberg ... (7.30)

Burgers v Johnson ... (7.30)

Shannon's Bovers v Kuffi ... (8.0)

LEAGUE ONE

Skell West v Bradford ... (8.0)

Live on Sky Sports on Event

■ EUROPE LEAGUE - Play-off Round, First Leg Red Star Burgers v Plant (12), Benfica v AGI Club, Brattas v Burgers (Argin) Club, St. Charles v Southern B, St Legislative Baturde v Berra 1999 (5.0), Karat v Ammon's club, Agatis AF v Sadong's (5), Df v CNA Sofa (7.0), Sin 9 (John v Omora House) (7.0) Vedovskov v Ferozovno (6.0), Dineret (And) (Vanna B, B) and Amman (2.0), Dvch (Vanna B, B)

CROCKET - County Championship (day 1 of 4, 6 days): Bristow Beer Hampshire v Yorkshire (The Rose Bowl), Leicestershire v Glamorgan (Lancaster), Somerset v Essex (Saskin), Surrey v Warrington (The Warrington Road), Warrickshire v Scorks (Edgerton), Bristow Two Derbyshire v Durham (Derby), Gloucestershire v Worcestershire (Cheltenham), Lancashire v Northamptonshire (Old Fulford), Middlesex v North Stent (Newark)

STRATFORD FWY

3.3 RACING TV CLUB DAY NOVICEY HURDLE (4) £30,000 added (2) £4,000 2nd 8/7 (Feb 22)

1 1/11 PORCHPINE MAIN (2) D (3rd 1HC) 4/1/6 ... S Bowen 2 1/20 2/1 1/16 1/14 1/12 Boston 5/1/2 ... H Bullen 3 1/4 1/2 1/4 1/2 1/2 Boston 5/1/2 ... H Bullen 4 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1

6.0 KAPPY TWIN BIRTHDAY HELEN HANDICAP HURDLE (4) (2) 1/2, 3/2A (4) 1/4A (2) 4/3D (3) 1/4 B (1) 1/4 C (1) 1/4 D (1) 1/4 E (1) 1/4 F (1) 1/4 G (1) 1/4 H (1) 1/4 I (1) 1/4 J (1) 1/4 K (1) 1/4 L (1) 1/4 M (1) 1/4 N (1) 1/4 O (1) 1/4 P (1) 1/4 Q (1) 1/4 R (1) 1/4 S (1) 1/4 T (1) 1/4 U (1) 1/4 V (1) 1/4 W (1) 1/4 X (1) 1/4 Y (1) 1/4 Z (1) 1/4 AA (1) 1/4 AB (1) 1/4 AC (1) 1/4 AD (1) 1/4 AE (1) 1/4 AF (1) 1/4 AG (1) 1/4 AH (1) 1/4 AI (1) 1/4 AJ (1) 1/4 AK (1) 1/4 AL (1) 1/4 AM (1) 1/4 AN (1) 1/4 AO (1) 1/4 AP (1) 1/4 AQ (1) 1/4 AR (1) 1/4 AS (1) 1/4 AT (1) 1/4 AU (1) 1/4 AV (1) 1/4 AW (1) 1/4 AX (1) 1/4 AY (1) 1/4 AZ (1) 1/4 BA (1) 1/4 BC (1) 1/4 BD (1) 1/4 BE (1) 1/4 BF (1) 1/4 BG (1) 1/4 BH (1) 1/4 BI (1) 1/4 BJ (1) 1/4 BM (1) 1/4 BN (1) 1/4 BO (1) 1/4 BP (1) 1/4 BP (1) 1/4 BP (1) 1/4 BP (1) 1/4 BP (1) 1/4 BP (1) 1/4 BP (1) 1/4 BP (1) 1/4 BP (1) 1/4 BP (1) 1/4 BP (1) 1/4 BP (1) 1/4 BP (1) 1/4 BP

7.0 GUNNERT NOVICE' LIMITED HANDICAP CHASE (3) £12,550 (2) 1/2 A (4) 1/2 B (4) 1/2 C (4) 1/2 D (4) 1/2 E (4) 1/2 F (4) 1/2 G (4) 1/2 H (4) 1/2 I (4) 1/2 J (4) 1/2 K (4) 1/2 L (4) 1/2 M (4) 1/2 N (4) 1/2 O (4) 1/2 P (4) 1/2 Q (4) 1/2 R (4) 1/2 S (4) 1/2 T (4) 1/2 U (4) 1/2 V (4) 1/2 W (4) 1/2 X (4) 1/2 Y (4) 1/2 Z (4) 1/2 AA (4) 1/2 AB (4) 1/2 AC (4) 1/2 AD (4) 1/2 AE (4) 1/2 AF (4) 1/2 AG (4) 1/2 AH (4) 1/2 AI (4) 1/2 AJ (4) 1/2 AK (4) 1/2 AL (4) 1/2 AM (4) 1/2 AN (4) 1/2 AO (4) 1/2 AP (4) 1/2 AQ (4) 1/2 AR (4) 1/2 AS (4) 1/2 AT (4) 1/2 AU (4) 1/2 AV (4) 1/2 AW (4) 1/2 AX (4) 1/2 AY (4) 1/2 AZ (4) 1/2 BA (4) 1/2 BB (4) 1/2 BC (4) 1/2 BD (4) 1/2 BE (4) 1/2 BF (4) 1/2 BG (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4)

8.0 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1

1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1

1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1

7.0 GUNNERT NOVICE' LIMITED HANDICAP CHASE (3) £12,550 (2) 1/2 A (4) 1/2 B (4) 1/2 C (4) 1/2 D (4) 1/2 E (4) 1/2 F (4) 1/2 G (4) 1/2 H (4) 1/2 I (4) 1/2 J (4) 1/2 K (4) 1/2 L (4) 1/2 M (4) 1/2 N (4) 1/2 O (4) 1/2 P (4) 1/2 Q (4) 1/2 R (4) 1/2 S (4) 1/2 T (4) 1/2 U (4) 1/2 V (4) 1/2 W (4) 1/2 X (4) 1/2 Y (4) 1/2 Z (4) 1/2 AA (4) 1/2 AB (4) 1/2 AC (4) 1/2 AD (4) 1/2 AE (4) 1/2 AF (4) 1/2 AG (4) 1/2 AH (4) 1/2 AI (4) 1/2 AJ (4) 1/2 AK (4) 1/2 AL (4) 1/2 AM (4) 1/2 AN (4) 1/2 AO (4) 1/2 AP (4) 1/2 AQ (4) 1/2 AR (4) 1/2 AS (4) 1/2 AT (4) 1/2 AU (4) 1/2 AV (4) 1/2 AW (4) 1/2 AX (4) 1/2 AY (4) 1/2 AZ (4) 1/2 BA (4) 1/2 BB (4) 1/2 BC (4) 1/2 BD (4) 1/2 BE (4) 1/2 BF (4) 1/2 BG (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4) 1/2 BH (4

TRACK FACTS: Left Toyota course. GONNI Standard. STALLS: Straight model. Third session. DRAW ADVANTAGE: High. Top package: Four Mushroom. Top trainer: 1 Jaroline. Headgear first time: 1/8 Winners: Guardian. Wave Power: 754 Casino Star. Influence: Man. Star People. Longest traveler: Man 8:5d 244 miles.

Daily Mail RACING SERVICES

UK/IRISH COMMENTARY AND RESULTS

09016 09 29 39

THE RACING TIPS CALL

09016 09 53 39

Call us to fill up on the day you have been category where is one. (any

time you have been a member of the company. All the following are the following:

ROBIN GOODFELLOW

5.20 Pincusine Bank

5.00 Cheer Tobacco

5.00 Cigars 5.00 Dunantque

5.00 Dunantque 5.00 Dunantque

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

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5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

5.00 Dany's Bank

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BROWN RESULTS

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FOOTBALL | Daily Mail Sport 67

Alonso's squad is so big he can't take training!

INSIDE THE GREAT CHELSEA FIRE SALE

by Kieran Gill

CHELSEA are bound to be the busiest Premier League club in what remains of the transfer window — at least when it comes to getting rid of players.

Kabi Alonso does not need a bloated squad with no European football in his first season in charge, and those higher up at Stamford Bridge have less than two weeks to finalise business.

Here's how they are shaping up ahead of Monday's opening game at Fulham — including who is in line to leave before the window closes on September 1.

WHO COULD STILL LEAVE?

IN a perfect world where Chelsea get the asking prices they have set, they will do half a billion pound's worth of sales.

We'll start with some of the valuations we are confident in: Nicolas Jackson, £65million; Malo Gusto, £75m; Pedro Neto, close to £100m; Liam Delap, at least £50m; Axel Disasi, £25m; Marc Guiu, £25m. Then there is Enzo Fernandez and his £120m value which we will come on to.

Add all that together and Chelsea are knocking on £460m before getting to others who could leave permanently or temporarily, such as Tosin Adarabioyo, Mamadou Sarr, Aaron Anselmino, Mykhailo Mudryk, Omari Kellyman, David Datro Fofana, Calvo Wiley, Shim Mheuka, Deivid Washington and Benoit Badiashile, who is set to join Napoli on a £3.4m loan with a £23m option. They would take Chelsea past the £500m mark.

But asking prices are not automatically accepted. Delap's £50m is steep for clubs who saw his struggles last season. Gusto's £75m has already scared away suitors. Neto being valued at close to £100m shows how highly he is appreciated inside Chelsea and could prove problematic for those interested.

Still, the number of names shows how hectic the end of this window will be for Chelsea. They have been mocked for having such a large leadership set-up, but it is helpful that the club have five sporting directors overseeing their own areas, and a co-owner in Behdad Eghbali

Hands full: Kabi Alonso needs a more slimline squad for his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge GETTY IMAGES

who is very hands-on unlike others elsewhere, because of the work they tend to get through in these windows.

As of yesterday morning, Chelsea's website had 41 players listed for their first team, and that did not include Disasi. Those numbers forced the club to split their squad into two for training sessions, so Alonso could focus his attention on a more manageable group.

Chelsea's director of finance is Paul Ramos. He will have been with the club for 25 years next month. Ramos and the others in his department will need a stiff drink after sifting through the numbers over this next week or two.

WILL FERNANDEZ STAY OR GO?

THAT has been the £120m question of the summer. Maybe more than that now, because Chelsea sources say valuations have increased since they originally set theirs for

Fernandez in late May. It is claimed those terms expired with their deadline at 5pm last Friday.

Chelsea insiders have also told me that, leaving the money aside, it is now more about strengthening versus weakening the squad for them at this stage. If Fernandez were sold to City now, Chelsea would have limited time to find a replacement. That is a major factor in their thinking.

Because of all that, sources inside Stamford Bridge are saying they expect the 25-year-old Argentine will end up staying. But never say never to a sale while the summer window remains open.

WHO COULD CHELSEA TARGET IF ENZO LEAVES?

THE time for recruiting a replacement may be running out, but there are contenders should Fernandez be sold.

Chelsea have already bid for Bournemouth's Alex Scott once

this summer. They offered £64m for the midfielder, who turns 23 tomorrow, last month.

Bournemouth rejected it, and reiterated he is not for sale and has no set valuation. Chelsea have not suddenly stopped liking Scott because of that stance.

Adam Wharton, 22, has long been linked and there is admiration for him. However, Crystal Palace would not let him leave on the cheap, and Chelsea have already attempted to play down those links this summer.

One new name I have heard is Martin Zubimendi, though recent checks at Arsenal suggested the 27-year-old will stay at the Emirates. Alonso is a

fan of Zubimendi and vice versa. They worked together at Real Sociedad B. They nearly teamed up again at Real Madrid. They share the same agent.

Daily Mail Sport also reported this week how Chelsea showed interest in Morgan Gibbs-White earlier in this window, though Nottingham Forest have insisted he is not for sale.

WILL NETO AND MUDRYK BE ON THE MOVE?

CHELSEA class Neto as an elite winger, and they value him highly enough to say they would want close to £100m to consider a sale this summer. Sources have said several times this summer that the prices of proven wide men have spiked in this window.

Chelsea did not want to place an asking price on Neto when I asked last month, but they did tell me they were tracking the market, and particularly the situations involving Yan Diomande, who joined Real Madrid from RB Leipzig for a fee worth up to £120m, and Bradley Barcola, valued at north of £100m by Paris Saint-Germain.

Neto was used at right wing-back in Chelsea's final pre-season friendly, a win over Real Sociedad last Saturday. The 26-year-old played well but it may not be his favoured role if Alonso wants to regularly use a 3-4-2-1 set-up. I have not heard that Neto has directly communicated a desire to leave. He will still be one to watch in the build-up to September.

As for Mudryk, I wrote two weeks ago that as soon as his suspension was lifted, Chelsea received multiple enquiries as to their plans for Mudryk for this season. Surprisingly so, Because nobody knew Mudryk's level after so long out of the game. Not even Chelsea.

They flew him out to Hong Kong to join their pre-season tour so he could be assessed by Alonso and Co. I also wrote that three Premier League clubs enquired with Chelsea, and one of those was Coventry, managed by Frank Lampard.

Strasbourg have always been another safe option if Chelsea want to make sure he gets game time. I think we will see him leave on loan.

Chelsea should receive a nice loan fee and have a considerable chunk of his wages covered, but more than that, those inside Stamford Bridge want to make sure the Ukrainian, 25, has the best support possible after what he went through.

Playing regular football again would help Mudryk's confidence, and that may be better found away from Chelsea during the coming season.

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68 Daily Mail Sport FOOTBALL

Amazon founder has no interest in football... so has he shelled out for a slice of Liverpool just so he can show off at cocktail parties?

THERE'S an old and barely documented story about Jeff Bezos that is worth excavating for a single reason — the yarn is the only one to suggest Liverpool's newest shareholder held even a passing interest in sport as a child.

It dates to when Bezos was nine and living in Houston. As the mother to a bookish, scrawny lad, Jacklyn Bezos thought her boy needed to toughen up, so she shifted him from his comfort zones of Star Trek and studying.

This would have been around 1973 and American football was the means to an end Jacklyn chose. In Texas, that is no small undertaking, so Jacklyn had her worries. 'I thought he was going to get creamed out there,' she said in an interview published by Wired in 1999.

Naturally, the profile didn't conclude with a punchline about violent defeat. Instead, as Bezos's late mother recalled it, the future founder of Amazon was the only child on the side capable of memorising all the plays. Not only his plays, but those of all his team-mates, too. She claimed he was made captain of the defence in the space of two weeks.

It's a fun snippet but difficult to corroborate — Daily Mail Sport has trawled the archives of Houston's local newspapers and found no mention of a 'Coach Meisner', which was among the few tangible details when the Washington Post — which Bezos now owns — repeated the story in 2000. Emails to a couple of American football historians in Texas also proved fruitless.

If the story teaches us anything, it is the rarity of finding the young Bezos in any athletic environment whatsoever.

When Daily Mail Sport contacted his former school, Palmetto High in Miami, it required only six minutes to establish that the most famous of their alumni from the class of '82 never kicked, threw, jumped, swam, run or sailed for its teams.

Wade Rowdon, once a third baseman at Cincinnati Reds and three years ahead of Bezos, 62, at Palmetto, told me he only recently found out they attended the same school — Bezos may have changed the world of retail for ever but, evidently, he did not leave even the faintest of sporting footprints on his own playground.

All of which means nothing and something, because there are important questions to be asked of the 'why' whenever a financial behemoth lays hands on a sporting institution, and a deep-seated passion for the property at hand is often the first to be ruled out. In the case of Liverpool FC and its union with the world's third-richest man, that can be taken as a given.

SIX days have passed since Liverpool's owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) announced a 'definitive agreement' had been

Chief Sports Feature Writer

reached for a consortium named 1892 Holdings to buy a 'minority' stake in the club at the heart of a socialist city.

It has since transpired that the slice of the pie they have bought for more than £2 billion is far bigger than initially reported — closer to 38 or 39 per cent rather than 30 per cent — and options exist to assume a majority shareholding within 12 months.

Daily Mail Sport has spoken to figures involved in the deal, financial experts and fan groups concerned about the implications. But among the bigger mysteries is Bezos, a man worth £194.9 billion according to Forbes' real-time listings yesterday.

Based on our conversations with individuals connected to the negotiations, Bezos was not on the frontline of talks, nor anywhere close. That role was taken by Amit Bhatia, the former co-owner of QPR and son-in-law of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal.

We understand Bhatia first met with FSG president Mike Gordon a year ago, after introductions from Will McDonough, the founder of Corestone Capital and a former agent to NFL legend Tom Brady. Interestingly, McDonough was also a senior adviser to the White House task force at this summer's World Cup.

It was during the tournament that FSG founder John W Henry is understood to have met Bhatia at an elite private members' club in New York, Zero Bond, with the deal having moved quickly. 'The past three months is when it all escalated,' a source from the consortium told Daily Mail Sport. It is well known that Bhatia will be abundantly visible as the

BEZOS' BILLION

vice-chair of Liverpool, pending approval of the acquisition by the Independent Football Regulator, and two more board seats will go to members of the 1892 consortium — Elaine Saverin, the wife of Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, and Bryan Baum, the managing partner of investment firm K5 Global.

Bezos, the lead investor in K5, is conspicuous in that he holds no precise role and will instead hover as an unseen force in the background.

Our sources characterised him distinctly as a 'silent partner' and K5 is yet to reply to multiple Daily Mail Sport requests for clarity on the precise size of his investment, with K5 said to have pumped

$1bn into the coffers of the consortium. With that level of attachment, it is safe to assume that if Bezos (left) wishes to pull a string at the club, the lack of a designated board seat would be little more than a furniture issue.

And yet the opaque nature of his involvement, and a perceived lack of transparency around the wider process, is part of the uncertainty that has brought some anxiety to the fanbase.

Daily Mail Sport has been told the influential supporter group Spirit of Shankly (SoS) will hold a meeting with the regulator next week to share their thoughts, which are inevitably tethered to memories of the despised ownership of George Gillett and Tom Hicks, which preceded FSG.

A spokesperson for SoS told Daily Mail Sport: 'We want to know what it means for Liverpool. We know first-hand what it's like to have bad ownership, so we want to know how the club will be run and by whom.'

The same spokesperson got in touch yesterday, after it emerged in The Athletic that the stake was closer to 40 per cent, adding: 'The

fact we didn't know the percentage has given us more questions to ask. It's changed the landscape — this is not a small investment and we need to know more about what it means for the club.'

There is some reading to be done between the lines here. Change can be good, of course, and there is no one so blind as to assume FSG have lacked mis-steps since taking over for £300 million in 2010 — they were part of the grubby posse that tried for a breakaway European Super League in 2021 and have pushed for an assortment of unpopular price hikes.

But FSG, while overseeing multiple sporting victories from their base in Boston, have also shown, on occasion, a willingness to listen to public backlashes. That cannot be guaranteed with new faces — the jokes about discussing issues with an Amazon chatbot write themselves.

Sources involved in the 1892 deal have stressed they will engage with supporters, but said those conversations will likely occur after the regulator has approved the purchase. The intervening wait of up to 90 days could supply a vacuum for fraught

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v1

FOOTBALL | Daily Mail Sport 69

DO YOU KNOW THE OFFSIDE RULE, JEFF?

JEFF BEZOS is not known to be a football fan, but he was pictured at USA's World Cup last-16 defeat by Belgium in Seattle with wife Lauren Sanchez. It is the only clear evidence of the 62-year-old attending a match, and came weeks before his consortium completed their deal to buy a stake of nearly 40 per cent in Liverpool.

sentiments, especially as Premier League and UEFA financial rules mean the era of free-spending on popular new signings are over.

QUITE why Bezos is investing in Liverpool is both obvious and difficult to decipher. Returns in the best-case scenario would be pocket change to a man of his

wealth, but iconic sporting properties are hard to acquire. By extension, they are attractive.

After backing away from explored purchases of the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders in 2019 and 2023 respectively, Liverpool is Bezos's entry point to an alien world.

It is understood he has not yet stepped foot inside Anfield and his appearance, alongside his wife

Red-letter day: Bezos, pictured with wife Lauren Sanchez at the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, has invested in Liverpool

GETTY IMAGES

Lauren Sanchez, at USA's World Cup last-16 defeat by Belgium in Seattle last month is the only clear evidence of him ever attending a match.

The assumption of Kieran Maguire, the noted football finance expert, is that Liverpool will be something akin to a fancy new toy, which might tally with the impression Bezos has grown fonder of a celebrity lifestyle in the past decade.

'Bezos isn't in it for the money because even if he makes $500m out of this, it's not going to move the dial for him,' Maguire told me.

'It's about the kudos, I think. It's about being able to own a room in a different way at a cocktail party. Everybody in that set has an apartment in Manhattan, a yacht, there's only 20 football clubs in the Premier League and there's only one Liverpool. It could just be a hobby, a trophy asset.'

That might serve as scant comfort for Liverpool fans, who will be cognisant that the presence of Bezos is no guarantee of success — masses of discarded staff from the Washington Post prove that point.

But Maguire does foresee key areas of potential for Liverpool from the wider alliance, especially as a means of capitalising on the rapid, recent growth of Indian interest in the Premier League.

'Longer term, what are Liverpool looking for?' Maguire asks. 'They're looking to expand into international markets under the cost-control rules and where are the growth opportunities? Answer A is the United States.'

'Well, hello, Jeff Bezos. And answer B is India. Hello, Mr Mittal [whose family trust is named alongside Bhatia in the purchase].'

'As for Bezos personally, my gut reaction is it's a vanity purchase, but as a secondary thought, he will want to expand Amazon into new markets and having an involvement with an iconic club will help.'

Time will tell if that leads one day to Amazon sponsorship on the shirt or stadium wall — sources in the deal claim it is not part of the current thinking. We also understand there is no concern from the Premier League or UEFA about any conflicts of interest around Amazon Prime's ownership of broadcasting rights to football. Precedents already exist in that area.

That said, there is a mild curiosity, expressed by one figure near the top of British football, about whether this involvement might encourage Bezos to put extra effort into tackling rights piracy, which is often linked to modified Amazon Fire Sticks.

For now, that is an unknown. So too is the question of whether Bezos might be faced with a rush of cancelled subscriptions if results go badly or fans dislike what they discover.

It might not go in that direction, of course, but football can be funny like that. Presumably Bezos has learned as much in his due diligence, because 53 years after he pulled on pads for a kids' team, there are myriad ways he could still get creamed.

United ready to seal Baleba deal

MANCHESTER UNITED are closing on a deal for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba. United's offer of £60million plus £5m in add-ons has been rejected but talks are expected to reach an agreement, with the 22-year-old determined to make the move to Old Trafford before the window shuts on September 1. Talks resumed for the Cameroon international after it became apparent his ankle ligament injury was not as serious as first feared. Baleba is expected to be fit next month. Baleba has also drawn enquiries from Newcastle in recent weeks but a move to Old Trafford has been his priority since United made their interest known last year, only to be quoted £100m. Baleba's form dropped away in the second

By SIMON JONES

half of last season at Brighton but United continue to see value in his potential. After signing Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa in the space of 24 hours last month, there has been an increased fervour around who United would add after manager Michael Carrick admitted last week that he needed more signings. United still need a left back and were progressing in talks for Leicester City's 18-year-old Louis Page, but the fee required for Baleba may mean they struggle to secure other desired targets. Nonetheless, they will remain attentive to opportunities as the window draws to a close.

City want £51m Kone in revamped midfield

MANCHESTER CITY have identified Roma's Manu Kone as a target in midfield after selling Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders. Rodri and Reijnders left this week for a combined £110million, leaving boss Enzo Maresca with holes in his squad just four days before City's Premier League opener against Bournemouth. City are hopeful of wrapping up a deal for Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, valued at £85m, in the coming days, and Daily Mail Sport understands Kone — who played five times for France at this summer's World Cup — is on their wish list as well. The 25-year-old has spent the past two years in Serie A, scoring four goals in 63 appearances for Roma. He is renowned for his dynamism and excels off the ball. Roma are reported to have set an asking price for Kone of around £51m, a similar fee to

that paid by Saudi club Al-Qadsiah for Reijnders. Chelsea and Manchester United have both been linked with Kone — Daily Mail Sport revealed last month that United had spoken to Kone's representatives — but United are now swooping for Brighton's Carlos Baleba. City remain interested in Enzo Fernandez, even though Chelsea's soft deadline to secure a deal for £120m has passed. The Argentine midfielder is keen to link up with Maresca again but City are unwilling to satisfy Chelsea's demands. In what promises to be a frantic final fortnight of the window, Newcastle are also exploring a move for Nico Gonzalez and City are in advanced talks to sell forwards Savinho and Omar Marmouh to Tottenham.

JACK GAUGHAN

Blades are facing a 12-point deduction

SHEFFIELD UNITED are at risk of a 12-point deduction after the company used to buy the club was hit with a winding-up order. Blades fans now face an anxious wait while the EFL investigates whether its rules have been breached and decides if it will take further action. United World, the investment arm of former owner Saudi Arabian Prince Abdullah Bin Mosaad Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, took COH Sports Bidco to the High Court, claiming it was owed £35million from the sale, which took place in 2024. It argued the current custodians of the Championship club, American duo Helmy Eltoukhy and Steven Rosen, had effectively attempted to take

the club without paying for it, after transferring their shares in United to a new company. The Americans dismissed the move as a 'publicity stunt', but a United World spokesman said it had 'made every effort to resolve the matter amicably' and had tried to do so again yesterday morning 'to give the owners a final opportunity to spare Sheffield United the consequences of their actions'. He added: 'It appears Helmy Eltoukhy and Steven Rosen are simply not concerned about what this means for the club.' A Blades spokesman confirmed day-to-day operations at the club are 'unaffected'.

MIKE KEEGAN

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70 Daily Mail Sport CRICKET: ENGLAND v PAKISTAN

LAWRENCE BOOTH Cricket Correspondent at Headingley

IF Joe Root could have scripted the perfect start to his full-time return to the England captaincy, it might have looked something like this.

Tougher tasks lie ahead than bowling first under glowering northern skies against a Pakistan batting line-up devoid of form and confidence, but this was a day English cricket desperately needed after the chaos that has engulfed it.

Ollie Robinson settled nerves by taking a wicket with the first ball of this three-match series, an unprecedented moment in a Test in this country.

Later, both he and Josh Tongue each celebrated a five-for as the tourists were bowled out for 171 — in successive balls, no less, one man's class instantly backed up by the other's.

Then, as if to suggest Root had other forces on his side too, the clouds parted just as Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay walked out to forge the reply.

Earlier, sweeping rain had triggered an early lunch, delaying

SCOREBOARD FIRST TEST MATCH

England v Pakistan

(Day 1 of 5)

HEADINGLEY: England won the toss. England, with eight 1st-innings while in hand, are batting Pakistan by 22 runs.

PAKISTAN — First Innings
Azan Awais	0
Imam-ul-Haq	0
Shani Masood	0
Abdullah Shafique	0
Saud Shakeel	0
Yagha Salman	0
Mohammad Rizwan	0
Ali Usman	0
Khurram Shahzad	0
Mohammad Abbas	0
Estrea (4-4, 6-4, 10-1)	0

Total (46.1 overs) 171 Patt: 0, 6, 87, 117, 118, 150, 150, 159, 171 Bowling: Robinson 19-3-3-1-5, Archer 9-4-28-6, Atkinson 10-4-6-5, Tongue 9-1-0-46-5

ENGLAND — First Innings
B Duckett	16
E Gay	10
J Cox	23
J Post	37
Estrea (4-4)	4

Total (2 sets 25 overs) 112 Patt: 33, 43 Bowling: Mohammad Abbas 10-2-34-1, Khurram Shahzad 7-0-28-0, Mohammad Ali 7-0-38-1, Ali Usman 10-8-6

the restart for two and a quarter hours. Now, the sun shone on England's endeavours, drawing a little of the sting from the surface. At stumps, they had hurried to 112 for two at four-and-a-half an over, with Root unbeaten and ominous on 37.

Not everything went according to plan. Jofra Archer looked devoid of rhythm after his white-ball exertions in the Hundred. Nor was Gus Atkinson at his best, only three days after appearing in the final at Lord's for Manchester Super Giants.

But Tongue played in that game too, and it didn't stop him taking four wickets in 11 balls either side of tea — the kind of rapid burst that confirmed a different talent from Robinson, who regularly operated below 80mph, striving for skill not speed.

And Robinson it was who had opened the door through which England happily barged, held up only by a third-wicket stand of 91

As the dark clouds of a chaotic summer begin to clear, Root's return to captaincy begins with a bang...

Five-star: pace duo Robinson and Tongue (inset) celebrate as they skittle the tourists GETTY IMAGES

THE WASTE

DAY EARLIER

DRIVER'S

PERFUTATELY

NEEDED

between Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique.

In June, Robinson had marked his return to the Test side after an absence of two-and-a-half years with a triple-wicket maiden against New Zealand at Lord's and a career-best five for 39. But if that underlined his prowess, his subsequent knee injury.

followed by England's refusal to trust him in searing heat in Nottingham, resurrected old grumbles about his fitness.

It raised the prospect that England — certainly under their former Test head coach Brendon McCullum — might pigeon-hole him as a grey-skies specialist. And when Root won the toss, Robinson could not have asked for more.

His first ball jagged back into the left-handed Azan Awais, bringing both his 500th first-class wicket and a roar from the Headingley crowd as umpire Chris Gaffauey gave his assent. And Pakistan were six for two

when Robinson, with his first ball from over the wicket to Shan Masood, another leftie, won an even more adjacent lbw appeal.

It set the tone for a day on which nine of the 12 wickets were either leg-before or bowled-old-fashioned reward for pitching the ball up on a Headingley surface that was helpful but not extravagantly so.

Tongue chipped in when Imam edged low to Harry Brook at second slip for 42, followed by Robinson pinning Saud Shakeel for five. He was grateful when the batsman asked to review a fraction too late: DBS suggested the ball would have cleared leg stump.

When, with Jamie Smith up to the stumps, Robinson brought a beauty back through the gate to bowl Shafique for a hard-earned 61, Pakistan were 118 for five and on the downward slope.

Root admitted recently that he overblowed Archer during his first spell in charge. Now, he

seemed in danger of doing the same to Robinson: of England's first 40 overs, he had bowled 16, including a second spell of two for 17 off eight, an answer to the accusation that he needs the new ball to thrive.

Fortunately for Root, it didn't matter that Archer had mislaid his radar, or that Atkinson lacked consistency. Tongue bowled Salman Agha, Pakistan's stand-in captain, for 21, then speared a 91mph missile on to Ali Usman's front pad, triggering tea at 150 for seven.

After the break, Khurram Shahzad hammered the hat-trick ball through the covers, but the end came quickly. Tongue won a marginal lbw shout against an aghast Mohammad Rizwan, before Robinson had Shahzad slogging to mid-on to complete his five-for. Next ball, Tongue joined him, knocking over Mohammad Abbas's off stump.

Not since 2006, when Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar performed the feat against Pakistan at Old Trafford, had two England bowlers taken five wickets in the same Test innings, and Robinson cheerfully jostled for the match ball with Tongue as they led the team off the field. The 32-year-old's comeback

summer has brought him 12 wickets at 10. If Root and — when he arrives — new coach Stephen Fleming can turn him into a threat in all conditions, they will unlock the match-winner McCullum had hoped for before his patience snapped.

Pakistan's swift decline — their last eight fell for 74 — left England two hours to bat. Duckett narrowly survived a third-ball lbw appeal from Abbas, which irritated the Pakistanis, but reached only 15 before Abbas won the day's sixth leg-before verdict. Gay hit seven stylish fours before he was squared up by Mohammad Ali and caught at second slip for a 31-ball 33.

Agha brought Rizwan up to the stumps during a tireless 19-over spell from Abbas, but Jordan Cox, in his first Test innings at No.3, and Root — having been cheered to the middle at his home ground — were up to the task.

1 ROBINSON and Tongue completed their five-for in consecutive deliveries... a first in Test cricket. They are the first English pair to bag five in all innings since Hamilton and Panesar in 2006 v Pakistan.

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Daily Mail Sport 71

Kyrgios is banned after positive test for cocaine

TENNIS

By TAMARA PRENN

NICK KYRGIOS was banned from tennis yesterday after testing positive for cocaine.

The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up, 31, submitted a sample at a tournament in Mallorca in June that contained benzoylecgonine, a substance found in the class A drug. Kyrgios said he took 'full responsibility' and was 'deeply disappointed' in himself. The Australian has been provisionally suspended since August 4, meaning he cannot play in, coach at or attend any professional tournament.

Kyrgios can appeal against the provisional ban, which could see him face between three months and four years out. His ban could also be reduced if he can prove he did not take the substance for performance-enhancing benefits.

Kyrgios has battled knee and wrist injuries in recent years which have limited his time on tour. He has not won a singles match since March last year. Kyrgios said: 'I made a huge mistake and I take full

responsibility. I am sorry to my fans, family, sponsors, and everyone close to me. Above all I'm sorry to the kids who follow me. I know the example it sets. 'I'm not going to make excuses, but I want to give some context. The last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll. My body hasn't been able to do what my mind expects, and coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined. Letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things I've had to face.

'None of that excuses what I did. The good news is this has given me a wake-up call. For 28 days, I'll be stepping away from social media and public life while I focus on getting myself right. I'll come back better.' The International Tennis Integrity Agency, the sport's anti-doping body, said:

'Cocaine is a stimulant and substance of abuse on the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list and is banned in competition. If taken out of competition, reduced sanctions apply for substances of abuse. Because of the nature of the substance, a provisional suspension is mandatory.'

Kyrgios is tennis' second high-profile anti-doping case in recent months, after 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova was handed a four-year ban in June for refusing to take a drugs test.

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Why Bezos really bought a slice of Liverpool

PAGES 68-69

NOT HALF BAD!

Pace duo share spoils in dream start to Root's second spell

RICHARD GIBSON

at Headingley

OLLIE ROBINSON and Josh Tongue found a novel way of celebrating the twin five-wicket hauls that decimated Pakistan at Headingley — taking home half a match ball each.

As they left the field shoulder to shoulder to the acclaim of the Leeds locals after Pakistan were dismissed for 171, they hatched a plan to share the leather sphere as a memento.

Producing his half from his pocket at the post-match press conference, Robinson revealed: 'We were walking off and Tonguey said it. I told him it would actually be quite cool.'

'You don't have too many half cricket balls, so it will be something we never forget.'

Robinson, 32, welcomed daughter Eva to the world last Thursday and then took a wicket with the first ball of the match to start Joe Root's second spell as captain in style. The hosts resume this morning on 112 for two.

ENGLAND v PAKISTAN

SEE PAGES 70-71

Brothers in arms: Tongue (left) and Robinson, who holds up his memento (inset)

GETTY

Arsenal land Konsa for £51m

By SIMON JONES

EZRI KONSA will have a medical at Arsenal today after they agreed a deal with Aston Villa worth £51million plus add-ons for the England defender. The Premier League champions have been looking for defensive cover with William Saliba ruled out for months with a back injury and Jurrien Timber also sidelined with a long-term groin problem. They identified Konsa early in the summer, noting his ability to play centre back and right back. He must be registered by midday today to be available for Arsenal's Premier League opener against Coventry tomorrow.

Chelsea in race to shift surplus stars

By KIERAN GILL

CHELSEA'S surplus stars are training away from Kabi Alonso's main first-team group, with the Blues facing a race against time to shrink their bloated squad. More than 10 players could leave in a mega-money exodus before the deadline on September 1, including Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap and Mykhailo Mudryk, who could leave on loan after returning from an anti-doping suspension. Chelsea sources have stressed the group is not a 'bomb squad', the term used when unwanted stars train separately.

« INSIDE THE GREAT CHELSEA FIRE SALE: PAGE 67

Enter your Unique Number now at Mailrewards.co.uk

QUICK CROSSWORD

ACROSS

• 1 At ease (11)
• 7 Spoken or verbal (4)
• 8 Playground features (7)
• 9 _ Sayer, singer (3)
• 10 Coffee type (5)
• 11 Insect with pincers (6)

• 13 Worn out or dilapidated (6)

• 16 Castles in chess (5)

• 18 Newt (3)
• 19 Hermit (7)
• 20 Unsightly (4)
• 21 Spongy sweet (11)

DOWN

• 1 Eye part (6)
• 2 Pleasantly smooth or soft (6)
• 3 Performing well (2,4)

• 4 Unit of heat (5)

• 5 Young ursine mammal (4,3)

• 6 Rapture (7)
• 11 Sympanic membrane (7)
• 12 Happen again (7)
• 13 _ Easton, singer (6)
• 14 Real or genuine (6)
• 15 Large sea wave (6)
• 17 Be quiet! (5)

WEDNESDAY'S SOLUTION (NO 10,497) - ACROSS: 1 Settle, 4 Hijab, 7 Psychiatry, 8 Port, 9 Taste, 11 Rambler, 13 Devious, 15 Films, 17 Wand, 18 Allocation, 20 Lotus, 21 Reform, DOWN: 1 Stupor, 2 Fast, 3 Excited, 4 Hold, 5 Jut, 6 Boyle, 7 Primat, 10 Slogan, 12 Reactor, 14 Sodium, 15 Frail, 16 Sects, 17 Wolf, 19 Let.

SOLUTION TOMORROW

The Mail is published by AML, 4 Cherry Street, London W1 2HY

Tel: 0844 333330 931 0008 A Associated Newspaper Unit, 2026 No. 40, 5 95

Enter the Unique Number to Spin our Golden Wheel and collect PRIZE DRAW TICKETS. If you are in Northern Ireland or your Unique Number is missing, sign into your Daily Mail Rewards account and click on the 'Enter Unique Number' button and then the 'Missing number/NI customer' link and follow the instructions.

Visit MailRewards.co.uk to collect PRIZE DRAW TICKETS

---

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Orders dispatched early September. Please add £9.99 PBP to your order - surcharges on additional items may apply. For full information, please visit www.mailshop.co.uk/points. Sold by YouGarden. Seller independent of MailShop. Subject to availability. *Delivery charges/restrictions may apply. All pricing/comparisons responsibility of seller. Returns: notify seller via webtotecall 0161 333 1615 within 30 days of receipt. MailShop is a brand of Associated Newspapers Limited, 2nd Floor, 9 Derry Street, London W8 9AF

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2

MailShop

Seating

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For full information please visit www.mailshop.co.uk/sales. Solicit by The Sola Collection. Seller independent of MailShop. Subject to availability. *Delivery charges/resmissions may apply. All pricing/comparisons responsibility of seller. Returns: notify seller via website/call 0330 230 0309 within 30 days of receipt. MailShop is a brand of Associated Newspaper's Limited, 2nd Floor, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HF

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3

MailShop

Sleep

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*For full information, please visit sleep.mailshop.co.uk. Sold by Aspire. Seller independent of MailShop. Subject to availability. Delivery charges/restrictions may apply. All pricing/comparisons responsibility of seller. Returns: notify seller via website/ call 0121 275 4427 within 30 days of receipt. MailShop, a brand of Associated Newspapers Limited, 2nd Floor, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HF.

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4

MailShop | Wine

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---

MailPuzzles

Page 35

TERMS & CONDITIONS, PAGE 50

SUDOKU

FILL in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and each of the 3x3 squares contains all the digits from 1 to 9. SOLUTIONS TOMORROW

4			3			2
	2			9			1
5	6		7
6				4	5	3
			6	1
					2
		8	5
		9		3	4
							9

Difficulty rating ★★★★☆

1					8
	9				1	7	2
		5	6			9
	1		9	5	7
		2	4		3
4				3
						1
	5	8
			3	6	4

Difficulty rating ★★★☆☆

PRIZE SUDOKU

		4		8		2
		1	6		4
7						4	6
			7		9		5
3						8	7
4				2		1
	8	7				5	1
9	2
					3		6

WIN £250

REVEAL the three shaded squares for your chance to win £250. HOW TO ENTER: Call 0901 292 5009 and leave today's three-number answer (reading left to right) and your details. Or text SUDOKU to 65700 with your answer and name. Texts and calls cost £1 plus standard network charges. One weekly winner chosen from all correct entries received between 00.01 Monday and 23.59 Friday. Answers change daily at 00.01. UK residents aged 18+, excl NI. See Terms & Conditions.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD

PLAY our accumulator game! Every day this week, solve the crossword to find the letter in the pink circle. On Friday, we'll provide instructions to submit your five-letter word for your chance to win a luxury Cross pen. UK residents aged 18+, excl NI. See Terms & Conditions. Entries cost 50p.

WRITE YOUR LETTERS IN THESE SQUARES

WIN A LUXURY CROSS PEN

ACROSS

1 Raised section in a road providing a safe area for pedestrians (7,6) 8 A central rod that connects a pair of wheels (4) 9 Designed to destroy an established system of authority (10) 10 _ birth, one in which the feet of the baby appear first (6) 11 Certain to happen (6,2) 12 _ Squares, comedy TV game show first hosted by Bob Monkhouse (9) 14 The _ Of March, 2011 political drama film starring Ryan Gosling (4) 15 Find one's _ phrase meaning to become familiar with a new environment' (4) 16 Chemical compound released by the immune system during allergic reactions (9) 20 Large-flated tubes of pasta (8) 21 Mandela _ a phenomenon of false collective memory (6) 23 A small overcoat with a belt or half-belt at the back (10) 24 Goddess of the rainbow in Greek mythology (4) 25 British fortification containing Queen Mary's Dolls' House (7,6)

DOWN

1 Describing e.g. retail goods exempt from government duty (3-4) 2 _ Bloch-Bauer, Viennese patroness painted twice by Gustav Klimt (5) 3 Tibor _ novelist and short-story writer born in 1959 (7) 4 Senior political role held by e.g. a home secretary (7,8) 5 Like a visually attractive landscape (6) 6 European city that houses the Rijksmuseum (9) 7 Prone to cunning or underhand methods (7) 13 Suburb of Birmingham in which the main campus of the University of Birmingham is located (9) 15 Put out of action by an illness (4,3) 17 _ McQueen, character in Hollyoaks played by Jorgie Porter (7) 18 A salad originating from Nice, prepared with tomatoes, black olives, eggs and anchovies (7) 19 Chris , comedian and satirist born in 1962 (6) 22 Keith , lead vocalist of electronic dance group The Prodigy (5)

WORD WHEEL

YOU have ten minutes to find as many words as possible using the letters in the wheel. Each word must use the hub letter and at least three others, and letters

may be used only once. You can't use plurals, foreign words or proper nouns. Verbs ending in 's' are permitted. Clue for today's nine-letter word: Hidden in the rafter, no? On time, from midday. RATING: 10 words, average; 15, good; 20, very good; 25 or more, excellent. SOLUTION TOMORROW

Test your general knowledge daily with our quiz in the Morning Mail newsletter. Scan the QR code to sign up now

SOLUTION TOMORROW

NAME GAME

HIDDEN in the grid is the name of a comedian. Answer the questions, then rearrange the letters corresponding to your answers to fill in the name. SOLUTION TOMORROW

BOX 1: Who was the comedy partner of Richard Herring (pictured) throughout the 1990s?

Adam Buxton (S) Stewart Lee (P) Frank Skinner (G)

BOX 2: Russ Conway was a popular British musician in the 1950s and 1960s who played which instrument?

Piano (I) Guitar (N) Violin (V)

BOX 3: What was the name of the sheep who was a co-presenter of the 1990s children's TV show Gimme 5?

Bobby (K) Nobby (L) Hobby (A)

BOX 4: Sam Burns is an American professional in which sport? Ice hockey (B) Baseball (F) Golf (O)

BOX 5: Which of these sci-fi films is based on a French comic book by Jean-Claude Forest?

Barbarella (C) Metropolis (R) Logan's Run (M)

BOX 6: What is the name of the main stage at the Glastonbury Festival? The Rectangle Stage (Y) The Cylinder Stage (E) The Pyramid Stage (H)

BOX 7: Which of these are a prolific meteor shower and also a mythological dynasty? Lyrids (P) Titans (G) Perseids (O)

BOX 8: Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen wrote which series of crime novels? Chief Inspector Gamache (V) Department Q (L) Harry Hole (U)

Yesterday's solution: MARY HOPKIN TIM, 2D, 3R, 4N, 5H, 6A, 7K, 8I, 9P, 10Y)

Picture: PA

MAKING TRACKS

LAY tracks to enable the train to travel from village A to village B. The numbers indicate how many sections of rail go in each row and column. There are only straight rails and curved rails. The track cannot cross itself.

SOLUTION TOMORROW

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Page 36

MailPuzzles

HONEYCOMB

ALL the solutions read clockwise around their numbers. The solution to clue number 1 starts from the given letter.

1. Woods
2. Wandering
3. Chewed
4. Teeter
5. Carp-like fish
6. Props
7. Harsh
8. Make loved
9. Puzzle
10. Laugh
11. Find
12. Packet

SOLUTION: PULLOUT BACK PAGE

KAKURO

FILL in the blank squares of the grid using only the numbers 1 to 9, without repeating any number in any line of blank squares. The lines must be filled in with numbers which add up to the total in the shaded box at the top or beginning of each line. A number in the bottom half of a shaded box gives a downwards total; in the top half, it's a horizontal total.

SOLUTION TOMORROW

MASTERQUIZ

1. Which Swedish director made the films The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries?
2. The scapula is the technical name for which part of the body?
3. Which post is the overall head of the judiciary of England and Wales?

4. A statue of which fictional diarist was unveiled in Leicester Square in 2025?

5. Who wrote the operas Elektra, Der Rosenkavalier and Ariadne Auf Naxos?

6. Since 2006, what has been the official name of the Indian union territory known locally by the nickname Pondy?

MINDBENDER

1. Paul sold a vintage games console to David for twice as much as he paid for it. David made a £50 profit selling it to Adam, who made a 20 per cent loss when selling it to Sian. If Sian paid £224 for the console, how much did Paul pay for it?

2. What connects the inventor Marconi, the chocolate

SOLUTION: PULLOUT BACK PAGE

magnate Milton Hershey and the financier J. Pierpont Morgan?

3. Which river may PUSH A TREE?
4. Which is the odd one out: Basque, Andalusian, Catalan, Galician?
5. Starting with I, add a letter and shuffle to make a new word each time until you reach STREAMING.

SOLUTION: PULLOUT BACK PAGE

KILLER SUDOKU

FILL in squares in the grid so each row, column and each 3x3 square contains all digits from 1 to 9. Each set of cells joined by dotted lines must add up to the number in the top-left corner. Numbers can't be repeated within each set of cells.

SOLUTION TOMORROW

NEED A CLUE? Call 0901 293 6238 or text KILLER to 65700 and receive four clues to today's puzzle. Calls and texts cost £1 plus your standard network charges. Today's clues available between 00.01 today and 23.30 only.

PITCHERWITS™

1a. Breaks off from seas that are edging away (10)

9a. Cede pact, rearranged as is customary (8)

1a. Marine in actual trouble (8)

17a. Competition round on a limiter perhaps? (10)

1d. Calling on, with Bing taking in dry pop? Peculiar! (6,2)

2d. A gentle manoeuvre's so graceful (7)

5d. Forging led to difficulties for Bond opponent (10)

10d. Army pal destroying Asian tree (7)

PIT your wits against Pitcherwits — the exciting puzzle where some of the answers are in pictures! The solutions to the visual clues fit into the shaded spaces on the grid.

SOLUTION TOMORROW

PITCHERWITS BOOK

10 ORDER Daily Mail Pitcherwits Vol 9 by Professor Rebus for £9.99, go to mailshop.co.uk/lifor20 or call 020 3175 2937. Buy 3 or more Daily Mail puzzle books and save 20 per cent. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.

ACROSS

1 Picture Clue 6 Amateur offering that includes currency (4) 7 It used to be in a good proportion (3) 8 Hunger feature of a lifespan generally (4) 9 Picture Clue

11 Picture Clue 14 Intend to be average (4) 15 Dylan, first known as a haircut (3) 16 Yes, it has a change that's simple (4) 17 Picture Clue

DOWN

1 Picture Clue 2 Picture Clue 3 Drab ovenware is actually a bit superior (5) 4 Demand of a precise nature (5) 5 Picture Clue

10 Picture Clue 12 A bit of a dumb element to the flower cluster (5) 13 I'm to be round a screen icon! (1-4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTION — ACROSS: 1 Sargasso Sea. 5 Go after. 9 Kilt. 10 Urge. 11 Conga. 12 Lido. 13 Tidy. 14 Reelers. 16 Legal jargon. DOWN: 1 Sticky label. 2 Rig. 3 Sir. 4 At every turn. 6 Outcome. 7 Flannel. 8 Equator. 14 Rug. 15 Sag.

MAILWORD

ACROSS

1 Large snakes 5 Barter 9 Faith 10 Flightless bird 11 Circuit 12 In the shortest time 13 Choose 14 Crude 16 Pasture 17 Duck 18 French city 20 False gods 24 Be witiful 26 Flying insect 27 Rehearsal 29 Anatomical bag 30 Enemies 31 Assimilate

33 Dog in Garfield 34 Grind teeth 35 Attitude 36 Roe DOWN 1 Savage 2 Owned by us 3 Appraiser 4 Vapour 5 Used rollerblades 6 Desire 7 Abroad 8 Apple seed 9 Drinker 11 Fizzy drink 15 Ruling 19 Partisan palace 21 Totally preoccupy

22 Bind 23 Cult 25 Gentle poke 27 Extinct bird 28 Former Portuguese coins 30 Dandy 32 Joke

SOLUTION

TOMORROW

HIDATO

COMPLETE the grid so that all the numbers, 1 to 60, connect consecutively — horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Hint: you don't have to begin with 1 or 60. Working on the mid-numbers might give you a better start.

SOLUTION

TOMORROW

---

Page 37

KENKEN

EACH row and column should contain 1 to 6 without repeats. Numbers in cages must combine to produce the target number shown at start of that cage using, in any order, the mathematical sign given. Single-box cages can be filled with the number given.

SOLUTION TOMORROW

	P	U	T
M				S
S				G
M				F
	N	Y	C

INTUITION

NINE TO FIVE

FIT the scrambled letters of the given word into the grid to form six five-letter words across and down.

SOLUTION TOMORROW

WORLD'S SMALLEST, HARDEST CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Sibilant summons (4)
2. Canadian cheese (3)
3. More (Ital; music) (3)
4. Sound of a flat impact (4)

DOWN

2. Make dirty (4)
3. Arctic seabird (4)
4. Thank you (colloq) (2)
5. (L) By proxy (abbr) (2)

SOLUTION TOMORROW

1	2	3	4
	5
6
7

CROSS NUMBER

THERE MAY BE MORE THAN ONE SOLUTION

			9	19
4				16
	3			18
		2		24
26	11	10	30	15

Today's challenge time: 4 mins 54 secs

Your working time: □ mins □ secs

FILL each square with a number, 1 to 9. Horizontal squares add up to totals on right. Vertical squares add up to totals on bottom. Diagonal squares through centre add up to totals in top and bottom right.

SOLUTION TOMORROW

CODEWORD

EACH number in our Codeword grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. Today 9 represents C, so fill in C every time the figure 9 appears. You have two letters in the control grid to start you off. Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters should go in the missing squares. SOLUTION TOMORROW

COMPLETE Codeword to reveal the word in the shaded boxes. HOW TO ENTER: Call 0901 293 6232 and leave your answer and your details or text 65700 with the word CODE, your answer and then your name. Texts and calls cost £1 plus standard network charges. One weekly winner chosen from all correct daily entries received between 00.01 Monday and 23.59 Saturday. Answers change daily at 00.01. UK residents aged 18+, excl NI. See Terms & Conditions.

** Volume Fourteen Now Available! ** Order via www.knightfeatures.com/store or by cheque payable to Knight Features, Unit B207, 89 Bickersleth Rd, London SW17 9SH. Price £6.95 + £1.95 UK P&P (£8.90) each. Selected previous volumes also available. Allow 14 days for delivery.

NEED A CLUE? Text the word CODEWORD to 65700 to receive FOUR clues to today's puzzle or call 0901 293 6200. Texts and calls cost £1 plus your standard network charges. Today's clues available between 00.01 today and 23.30 only.

SCRABBLE G R A M S

The board on the right shows four rows of letters from a typical Scrabble game. Use each row to form a word of 3-7 letters and write it in the blank squares provided. Then add up the score for each row. Don't forget to use the double and triple word and letter scores — and add a 50-point bonus for every 7-letter word. Blank tiles can be used for any letter but have no score. See tomorrow's paper for the solution. SCRABBLE and SCRABBLE Ties are registered trademarks. All rights in the game are owned in the USA by Headin Inc., in Canada by Hadam Canada Inc. and elsewhere Inc., UK. Spear & Sons Ltd. a subsidiary of Mallet, Inc.

J	A	M	A	T	E	D	U	G
B	S	T	J	A	V	X	H	Z
A	X	K	Z	Y	M	V	E	L
D	W	J	M	C	Y	I	L	O
T	T	M	K	H	M	N	L	C
Z	I	P	E	O	E	E	O	C
M	Q	Q	R	C	L	E	K	A
A	M	U	O	O	O	Q	I	H
R	K	N	P	C	D	F	T	C
U	A	L	P	A	Y	Y	T	O
K	C	F	I	T	Q	I	Y	P

WORD SEARCH

THE listed words can all be found in the grid – running forwards, backwards, up, down and diagonally – EXCEPT ONE. For a chance to win, discover which word is

Today's theme: Sanrio characters

BADTZ-MARU	KEROPPI
CHOCOCAT	KUROMI
CINNAMOROLL	MIMMY
GUDETAMA	MY MELODY
HELLO KITTY	POCHACCO

HOW TO ENTER: Call 0901 293 6234 and leave your answer and details or text 65700 with the word WORD, your answer and your name. Texts and calls cost £1 plus standard network charges. One winner chosen from all correct daily entries received between 00.01 Monday and 23.59 Friday. Answers change daily at 00.01. UK residents aged 18+, excl NI. See Terms & Conditions. SOLUTION TOMORROW

SUDOKU X

PUT the numbers 1-6 once in each row, each column, each diagonal (highlighted to form an X) and each horizontal 3x2 box (ruled). SOLUTION TOMORROW

	2
			5	1
	6
3		1

QUICK QUIZ

1. Which condiment is made with anchovies fermented in vinegar?
2. What historical nautical item was a cat o' nine tails?
3. World Mosquito Day commemorates the 1897 discovery that mosquitoes spread which disease?
4. Which word can be a flatworm, a part of a whale's tail or a stroke of luck?
5. Which singer topped the UK singles chart in 2008 with a cover of the Snow Patrol song Run?

SOLUTION: PULLOUT BACK PAGE

GOGEN

BEST COAX CONQUEST CRISP FLUNG FUG JUNK MOVED PITCH THROWN TIDY

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

INSERT letters to form listed words, moving between adjacent cells horizontally, vertically or diagonally in any direction. Insert all remaining letters of the alphabet (except 2) in the grid so all listed words are spelt out.

SOLUTION TOMORROW

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Page 38

MailPuzzles

BRIDGE MASTERCLASS CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

West

▲ A 6

▼ K 9 8 4

K 6 5 4

▲ Q 8 6

East

▲ KQ 7 5 3

▼ Q J 10

▼ Q 7

▲ A 4 2

PLAYING teams, you are sitting West as dealer. You open INT (12-14) and your partner responds 2♦, a transfer to spades. You obediently rebal 2♠ and partner now jumps to INT, showing precisely five spades and offering a choice of game contracts. Holding just a doubleton spade, you pass INT, and this ends the auction.

NORTH leads the ♦J. You try the ♦Q from dummy, but it loses to South's ♦A, and the ♦5 is returned. You duck this trick to North's ♦8 and win the third round, South following with the ♦3. How do you plan the play?

Start by playing on hearts, driving out the ♦A and establishing three tricks in that suit. North wins the second round of hearts and cashes the final diamond before getting off lead with the ♦10. What do you do now?

You have three hearts, one diamond, one club and three spades, taking you to eight tricks. If spades are three-three, you will have an overtick, but you can't afford to lose any more tricks if they fail to break. Can you see any other way to succeed?

Tomorrow we will see the full hand.

HEATHER DHONDY

No 17,945

FJR your choice to win, solve the crossword to reveal the word reading down the shaded boxes. HOW TO ENTER: Call 0901 293 6233 and leave today's answer and your details, or TEXT 65700 with the word CRYPTIC, your answer and your name. Webstable cost (1 plus standard network charges. Or enter by post by sending the completed crossword to Daily Mail Price Crossword 17,945, PO Box 28, Colchester, Essex CO2 9GF. Please include your name and address, the weekly winner chosen from all correct daily entries received between 00.31 Monday and 23.59 Friday. Postal entries must be date-stamped no later than the following day to qualify. Calls and texts must be received by 23.59; answers change at 00.31.1K residents aged 18+, excl N. See Terms & Conditions.

ACROSS

1 Affected pair failed by figure in film facing debts (11)

9 Kept clear of video shot amid commercial (7)

10 Fund Lee arranged is required (7)

21 Sellsliness embodied by one gourmet (3)

12 One engaged at length? (7)

13 Suggest advertising bid (7) 14 Proper requirement (3)

15 Punctuation mark kept by protocol only (5)

17 Rough traps for very small fish (5)

18 A part of the body shortly getting pains (5)

20 Son therefore repelled fearsome types (5)

22 Some dim possibility for young troublemaker (3)

24 Start of twitter about lots for those in northwest France (7)

25 Celt has mislaid pupil's case (7)

26 Cut, reportedly, for Welsh male (3)

27 Woman working in drama (7)

28 Silps covering a new day for minor tasks (7)

29 Performers digitally manipulated? (4,7)

NEED A CLUE? Text TIP to 65700 to receive FOUR answers to today's crossword, or call 0901 293 6236. Texts and calls cost (1 plus standard network charges. Today's clues available between 00.31 today and 23.30 only.

SOLUTIONS TO YESTERDAY'S PUZZLES

SUDOKU

6	4	2	5	3	9	8	1	7
5	7	3	8	2	1	6	9	4
6	1	9	7	6	4	5	3	2
2	9	5	4	1	7	3	6	5
7	5	1	3	8	6	2	4	9
4	3	6	9	5	2	7	8	1
9	8	7	6	4	5	1	2	3
3	2	4	1	7	8	9	5	6
1	6	3	2	9	3	4	7	8

1	7	5	2	4	8	6	3	9
9	6	2	1	3	5	7	6	4
5	6	4	9	7	6	5	2	1
2	4	3	8	6	1	9	7	5
7	1	9	3	5	4	8	6	2
8	5	6	7	9	2	4	1	3
3	2	8	4	1	7	3	9	6
6	9	7	5	2	3	1	4	8
4	3	1	6	8	9	2	5	7

PRIZE SUDOKU

4	7	2	9	9	6	3	1	9
1	9	8	3	7	4	6	2	8
5	6	3	2	8	1	7	9	4
7	2	6	1	3	9	4	3	9
8	4	9	6	2	3	5	7	1
3	5	1	9	4	7	6	6	2
6	1	4	6	3	9	2	5	7
2	3	7	4	1	5	9	6	6
9	8	5	7	6	2	1	4	3

WORD SEARCH

Missing: SEL154

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

HIDATO

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

KAKURO

MAKING TRACKS

30-SECOND CHALLENGE

START on left with number given and follow instructions as you go across. In 30 seconds, beginners have to complete their own challenge; intermediates have to complete their own challenge and the beginner's; advanced players have to complete their own challenge and the intermediate's.

SOLUTION BELOW

www.30secondchallenges.com

YOUR ANSWERS

Beginner	20	×6	-1	÷7	×10	-2	÷12	×5	-30	÷8
Intermediate	15	TIMES ITSELF	( \frac{2}{9} ) OF IT	×12	-30	( \frac{7}{19} ) OF IT	( \frac{6}{14} ) OF IT	( \frac{5}{6} ) OF IT	×12	( \frac{11}{100} ) OF IT
Advanced	( \frac{1}{10} )	TIMES ITSELF	×350	×48	-35	( \frac{7}{19} ) OF IT	×1( \frac{1}{7} )?	120% OF IT	PLUS 25%	( \frac{16}{28} ) OF IT

KENKEN

2	5	1	4	6	3
6	1	3	3	5	4
3	2	6	1	4	5
1	3	4	5	2	6
4	6	4	2	3	1
5	4	3	6	1	2

SUDOKU X

3	2	5	6	4	1
1	4	6	5	2	3
2	6	1	3	5	4
5	3	4	2	1	6
4	5	3	1	6	2
6	1	2	4	3	5

KILLER SUDOKU

9	0	3	6	4	2	8	7	1
2	7	4	6	9	1	5	2	6
1	6	6	3	7	5	9	2	4
6	1	7	2	3	9	4	6	5
3	6	2	4	5	6	7	1	9
9	4	9	7	1	4	2	6	3
7	3	5	1	8	4	6	6	2
4	2	9	9	6	3	1	5	7
8	9	1	6	2	7	3	4	8

GOGEN

D	Y	V	J	W
K	E	R	A	H
F	L	Q	G	S
B	L	U	O	P
C	M	X	N	Y

WORD WHEEL: ding, dingo, doing, dong, dour, droning, drug, dugong, dung, dunno, during, girl, gourd, grist, grind, ground, grounding, nudging, rind, round, rounding, undo, undoing.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD

ACROSS: 8 Peterloo, 9 Oregon, 10 Bayeux, 11 Kickback, 12 Diraconic, 13 Newman, 14 Otis, 16 Miami, 17 Dodo, 18 Perrin, 20 Carnegie, 23 Lombardi, 24 Cedars, 25 Spirit, 26 Genovese.

DOWN: 1 Repair, 2 Defences. 3 Blown, 4 Pork scratchings. 5 Korrichos, 6 Benbow. 7 Bouchard, 15 The Hoops. 16 Minority, 17 Deep dive. 19 Robert, 21 Racing, 22 Inrush.

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD No. 17,945

ACROSS: 1 Chalarcesters, 8 Potter. 9 Robotic, 11 Ankle strap, 12 Slur. 14 Carlton, 16 Salami, 17 Net, 19 Recess. 21 Wrongful, 24 8k, 25 Glistening. 27 Repaint, 28 Ingents, 29 Bowling green, DOWN: 1 Crocker, 2 In the flesh. 3 Duration, 4 Inroad, 5 Dubs. 6 Kat-fee, 7 Spear carrier. 10 Cardiologist, 13 Towny eagle. 15 New, 18 Trusting, 20 Calypso. 22 Ffisson, 23 Gluten, 26 Bilt.

MAILWORD

ACROSS: 1 Snug, 5 Ovoid, 10 Opera. 11 Ringo, 12 Gowns, 13 Aptly, 14 Los. 15 Hit, 17 New, 18 Elks, 20 Move on. 22 Eyebrow, 24 Gateau, 26 Wads. 29 Ott, 30 Sex, 32 Yep, 33 Niece. 35 Flora, 37 Errol, 38 Roots, 39 Rests. 40 Opts, DOWN: 1 Spoof, 2 Newsletters. 3 Irin, 4 Gash, 5 Orator, 6 VIP. 7 On the way out, 8 Igloo, 9 Doyen. 10 Ogle, 16 Inblue, 19 Aye, 21 Wow. 23 Losers, 24 Gooer, 25 Allre, 27 Diarts. 28 Spas, 31 Afro, 34 Cot, 36 Lop.

WORLD'S SMALLEST, HARDEST CROSSWORD — ACROSS: 1 APC.

4 Euro, 5 Slew, 6 Sac. DOWN: 1 Asia, 2 Prezi, 3 Cow, 4 Ess.

SOLUTIONS TO TODAY'S PUZZLES

QUICK QUID: 1 Noncestershire Sauce, 2 A whip, 3 Malaria, 4 Hake, 5 Leona Lewis.

MINDBENDER: 1:125, 2 They were due to tail on the Titanic but didn't. 3 Euphrates. 4 Andalusian, 5 Spanish dialect; the others are official Spanish languages, 5 One way is t, in, gin, gain, giant, sailing, seating, steaming, streaming.

MASTERQUO: 1 Ingmar Bergman, 2 Shoulder blade. 3 Lady in Lord Chief Justice. 4 Bridget Jones, 5 Richard Shraps, 6 Puducherry.

HOWLYCOMB:

1 Forest, 2 Rising, 3 Gnawed. 4 Wobble, 5 Barbel, 6 Braces. 7 Severe, 8 Endear, 9 Enigma. 10 Giggle, 11 Locate, 12 Sachet.

KUROSU

O	X	O	X	O	X
O	X	O	X	X	O
X	O	X	O	X	O
O	X	O	X	O	X
X	O	X	O	O	X
X	O	X	O	O	X

30-SECOND CHALLENGE:

Beginner: 5. Intermediate: 99. Advanced: 60.

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