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People from a village in Liverpool have said they are outraged after flowers worth thousands of pounds were destroyed by vandals.

Woolton in Bloom has said planters have been torn from their pots and thrown to the ground, causing about £3,000 of damage.

The charity has said it has CCTV footage showing young people in balaclavas pulling up the flowers and throwing them at cars.

Kerry Peacock from Woolton in Bloom, said "every time we've put plants in this year they have come and pulled them out".

She told BBC Radio Merseyside the issue had been ongoing for three years.

"They're throwing them at cars and leaving them anywhere all over the ground to die."

Merseyside Police have been contacted for comment.

'Threatening behaviour'

Woolton in Bloom was founded back in 2000 by a group of volunteers who were keen to "improve and enhance" the village.

Woolton won the 2014 Champion of Champions award at the Britain in Bloom awards, as well as first prize in the Large Village category in 2013, 2010, and 2008.

They have not competed since but said people still work to maintain the flowers.

Ms Peackock said: "Woolton in Bloom is a whole village effort. People help and support us all year, so this is an affront to all of them.

"We are intimidated by these people. They all have bikes, are wearing balaclavas, masks, and their behaviour is threatening."

Despite the recent reports of vandalism, Woolton was voted best place to live in the North West by the Liverpool City Region Destination Partnership.

The group's treasurer Viv Hicks said: "We have lots of fundraising initiatives and a yearly calendar supported by local businesses, and events.

"We have a store at the monthly market, and then we have the open gardens every other year where 600 people came through the village to admire it.

"And now they are getting thrown on the ground."

Woolton in Bloom said volunteers are now resorting to moving their planters out of the area, and that it will take some effort to fix the problem.

A retired nurse died from lung cancer after being exposed to asbestos in the hospital where she worked, an inquest has concluded.

Jean Elizabeth McCluskey, 77, from Wrexham, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in February 2020, and died five years later in February 2025.

The inquest in Ruthin was told mesothelioma is a type of cancer which develops in the lining of the lungs and chest and is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos.

In a statement written before her death, Ms McCluskey described how asbestos dust would regularly be in the atmosphere at the former War Memorial Hospital in Wrexham, where she worked from 1963 until its closure in 1986.

Former Arsenal and England captain Tony Adams says he has more motivation than ever to support those experiencing drug and alcohol abuse.

Adams served four months in HMP Chelmsford in 1990 for drink-driving, but continued to drink for another six years.

Visiting Margate FC, Adams met members of The Forward Trust, an organisation that that helps people with drug and alcohol dependence, for whom he has recently been named the chair of trustees.

"There's a lot of people here who have used our services here in this area, which means a great deal," he said.

"It's a pleasure to be here in Margate. In East Kent we do a lot of great work.

"I'm an ex-offender. It's the holy trinity for me, getting people employed and in housing.

"I recovered from alcohol addiction 29 years ago now. It's the 12-step programme.

"I've got such a great life today – my head is calm, I've got energy and peace of mind that I don't want to give away and doing events like this, I can see people at the start of their journey and it reminds me of what it was like for me."

Dave, who was a substance abuser and left prison a year ago, said: "I've looked up to Tony Adams all my life and for him to be part of something that's got me through into recovery is massive.

"I used to have shirts with [Tony's] name on the back, to be in the same room as Tony I never thought it was possible."

Adams won four league titles, three FA Cups and played 66 times for England.

His recovery has seen him support many organisations, with the Forward Trust now working with Reach Out And Recover (ROAR) Kent.

Charlie is an Arsenal fan who has being supported by ROAR.

"My first game at Highbury was in 1995, I've followed [Tony] ever since," said Charlie.

"I'm an alcoholic and an addict, when I got into a rut, I never thought I could be the person I am today."

Trudy is a recovering alcoholic and said: "It nearly killed me, but I've had the best life in the past three years, I wouldn't want it any other way.

"I'm chuffed to bits, I'm so grateful for [Tony] coming and that he's helping us."

Adams will be back in Margate to referee a charity football match on 28 June.

A project to bring trams back to West Yorkshire has received a major funding boost from the government.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced that £2.1bn of local transport funding would be allocated to the county.

According to West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the grant would mean "spades in the ground" by 2028, with the first trams operating before the mid-2030s.

Following the announcement, Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: "It is time for trams. Today is a huge moment for our region."

The first phase of the £2.5bn mass transit programme is expected to see the creation of two tram lines.

A Leeds line will run from St James's University Hospital through the city centre to the White Rose Centre, while a Bradford Line will connect Bradford and Leeds city centres.

Brabin said the funding meant that "other vital projects" could also go ahead, such as new bus stations for Bradford and Wakefield.

That would "help us create a better-connected region that works for all", she said.

The combined authority is expected to publish its preferred route options for the tram system later this year, with a full public consultation planned for 2026.

According to the authority, the scheme would improve local transport for 675,000 people and benefit West Yorkshire's most deprived communities.

James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "Delivering a tram system will transform connectivity across our city, and between Leeds and Bradford, bringing jobs and opportunities within easier reach of thousands of local people."

Analysis: Spencer Stokes, BBC Yorkshire business and transport correspondent

Today's announcement is a big leap forward for those who have long campaigned for trams to return to West Yorkshire's streets.

But political leaders will understand voters' scepticism after the failure of two previous schemes.

The proposed Supertram network was given the go ahead by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in 2001.

Early building work got under way, but the project was cancelled by Transport Secretary Alastair Darling in 2005 due to rising costs.

A proposed electric bus system with overhead wires, known as New Generation Transport, was then promised – before it was also axed after a planning inspector ruled it was "not in the public interest".

The new tram network – being called a mass transit scheme – is a region-wide proposal serving Leeds and Bradford initially, with the ambition to extend it to other towns and cities in West Yorkshire.

The money pledged by government today will allow work to start.

But with an estimated cost of at least £2.5bn, additional finance will be needed.

Meanwhile, the government has also allocated £1.5bn of local transport funding to South Yorkshire.

About £530m of the money is expected to go towards renewing the county's tram network, providing a fleet of new vehicles and modernising tram stops.

A £350m cash injection is also expected to see the reform of bus services, with franchised buses operating in Sheffield, Doncaster and Rotherham by 2027, and across the whole of South Yorkshire by 2029.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard called the investment "game-changing" for communities.

"It will mean new and better buses, new electric vehicles, integrated ticketing and better information," he said.

"It will mean new trams and better tram stops and lays the foundation for extending the tram network.

"It will mean that our young people will be able to get to jobs and opportunities; that we can all access services, see friends and family, or go for a day, or a night out, without worrying how to get home."

West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds

Hundreds of small explosives have been recovered from a waterway by a bomb disposal team.

The railway detonators were found by a person cleaning in the River Nene area close to the Carlsberg brewery off Bridge Street, Northampton, on Sunday.

Police closed the road at 16:00 BST for three-and-a-half hours while the emergency team worked at the scene.

A total of 379 detonators, used as a loud warning signal to train drivers, were collected and taken away from the site, Northamptonshire Police said.

Frank Skinner has revealed he has married his girlfriend Cath Mason after 24 years together.

The comedian and presenter shared the news on his podcast, Frank Off The Radio on an episode broadcast on Friday morning, alongside co-hosts Emily Dean and Pierre Novellie.

"You'll never guess what I did on Monday, I got married", the 68-year-old said, adding: "Don't be offended, we didn't invite anyone".

He confirmed that their only witness was their son Buzz, who was born in 2012, and that the marriage took place at Camden Town Hall.

Skinner previously said during an interview with The Sun in 2024 that he had asked Mason to marry him four times, but she had always declined.

"Maybe it's some terrible personal reason that I don't know about," he said, "that she doesn't actually like me as much as I think she does.

"Her parents got divorced, so she got a bit cynical about it and thinks if we get married it would be like a slight curse on the thing," he went on to add.

Skinner, who met Mason when she was working for his management company, says their wedding was not a traditional one at her request.

"I don't want a load of guests, I'm not going in a church. I don't want a ring," he says she told him.

He added: "The thing that no one ever says about getting married is it's quite embarrassing. How can I put it? It's a bit basic getting married."

Instead of a white dress, Skinner says "she wore a flowery dress" and they walked down the aisle to Lie Dream Of a Casino Soul by The Fall as the Manchester post-punk group "meant so much to me and Cath when we were in our early days".

He says Mason also kept her own name and does not wear a ring now that they are married.

A county council has reimbursed a total of £26,475 to parents who used private educational psychologists due to a backlog.

Surrey County Council paid out to 27 families of children with special educational needs who had to go private between the 2023 summer term and May 2024.

This was due to a lack of qualified professionals able to create educational care plans, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The council said it was now operating at over 90% "timeliness" and able to meet demand.

In one case, the local government and social care ombudsman upheld that the authority refused to reimburse a mother who used a private educational psychologist in support of her son's education health and care needs assessment.

The ombudsman also upheld the council delayed making payments for her son's tutor and that its communications were poor, and further complaints about delays at Surrey County Council in completing needs assessments due to the national shortage of educational psychologists.

The ombudsman's office said it had since been satisfied with the steps being taken to resolve the issue.

Between the 2023 summer term and May 2024 Surrey County Council said it temporarily agreed to reimburse private reports due to its backlog.

'Cover the cost'

Clare Curran, cabinet member for children, families and lifelong learning, said she was not able to comment on any individual children, but the council accepted the findings from the report and apologised to the family affected.

A spokesperson for the council added: "Where we used the private educational psychologist report as the sole advice during that time at the parent/carer's request we would cover the cost.

"However, if we did not use it as the sole advice then we would not reimburse."

Fisherman's Friends are set to stage their own festival next year – as their popularity now makes it impossible for them to perform in their home village in Cornwall.

The Cornish folk group has announced plans to host the first Fisherman's Friends Festival in May 2026.

The sea shanty band from Port Isaac, who have been performing together since 1995, can no longer perform in the village as "too many people turn up for it to be safe".

But, having previously played the main stage at Glastonbury and the Royal Albert Hall, they said a festival seemed "like a natural progression" for them.

A spokesman for the band said: "The guys are no longer able to perform on The Platt in Port Isaac because of health and safety – too many people turn up – and every show they headline in their home county sells out really fast.

"Creating their own festival seems like a good way to give people an authentic taste of the authentic FF vibe, while showcasing the Cornwall they love."

Fisherman's Friends went from singing in their local pub to having a top 10 UK album, a movie made about them and also a musical.

Band member Jon Cleave said it would be a "brand new festival down in the very heart of our wondrous county at Stithians, in what promises to be a Cornish occasion for all friends you've known for years and for all those you've yet to meet."

Jools Holland OBE and his 20 piece Rhythm & Blues Orchestra will perform as well as Mercury Prize winner Kate Rusby, Celtic band Skipinnish and others.

Attendees will be able to camp and enjoy local foods, drinks and crafts.

The festival will take place at the Stithians Showground on Friday 22 until Sunday 24 May 2026.

When the government axed the Sustainable Farming Incentive, many farmers said the loss of cash incentives to grow nature-friendly crops would leave them facing a hard choice.

That choice was between growing as much food as possible to make a profit, or looking after nature while losing money in the process.

But some farmers argue it is possible to do both.

Aidan Stanley raises beef cattle entirely on untouched grass pastures at Lilliput Farm near Bath, a practice which substantially reduces carbon emissions.

"This is working because of public demand," he said.

So what is he doing to make his farm more sustainable, and how does he make it pay?

A woman says she wants to wants to "start a conversation" about afro hair, including the challenge of finding a salon that caters for black and mixed heritage people.

Rayh Mohammed, from Hull, has opened a photographic exhibition at the city's Ferens Art Gallery, which she hopes will challenge stereotypes.

Ms Mohammed said for many people even finding a salon that caters for black hair can be problematic, leaving some with no option but to call on family and friends.

The free exhibition, Hair: Identity in the AfroWorld, runs until 17 August.

Ms Mohammed, 34, said she now regularly travels to salons in Bradford, in West Yorkshire, and Kettering in Northamptonshire.

Referring to Hull, she said: "There's still a very small amount of people (salons) that attend to the nuances of black hair.

"That's why the home salon is such a big thing for a lot of black people. I do your hair, you do my hair."

The Nigerian-born artist said she loves her afro hair.

"It's versatile, it's strong," she said.

"I love the fact that it defies gravity. It teaches us patience. It forces you to sometimes be self-sufficient."

Visitors to the exhibition can learn about braiding styles and hair care techniques passed down through generations.

Ms Mohammed said she hopes people, including children, will find the exhibition "validating".

Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Soundslatest episode of Look North here.