Industry

'Vandals destroyed all our village flowers'

by Nolan
written by Nolan

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".

Woolton in Bloom said the vandalism is "an affront" to the people who maintain the flowers

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.

Market

A UK-US deal sounds good but it is all about the detail

by Jasmine
written by Jasmine

US Vice-President JD Vance said there was a "good chance" a trade deal could be reached with the UK, suggesting it would be easier to land than with other European countries due to "a much more reciprocal relationship".

UK business and trade minister Sarah Jones welcomed Vance's comments and said talks to secure a deal with the US were ongoing, but declined to provide a timeline on their progress.

"Nobody wants tariffs. No one wants a tariff war. We want to secure a deal with the US," she added.

The real question about positive comments by Vice-President JD Vance and Jones about a UK-US trade deal, is what they actually mean by the term "deal".

Just after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's visit to the White House in February, it was rather telling that the UK delegation referred to what was being negotiated as an "economic deal".

This was meant to show that this "deal" was not about an extensive free trade agreement, covering nearly all goods.

In Trump's first term, negotiations between the UK and US progressed fairly well up until the point controversial issues about medicine pricing and food standards emerged.

Trump's team told me back then that they were waiting to see how close the UK would remain to European Union rules after Brexit.

This time around, the "deal" seems to have been about science, technology and artificial intelligence cooperation in return for avoiding tariffs.

The US has wanted to talk about the UK's "tech tax" on mainly US digital companies, and has raised issues about the Online Safety Act.

However, there is a big problem now.

The US has now levied a 10% tax on UK imports as part of what it called its "reciprocal tariffs".

But there is no general problem with this trading relationship. In fact, the UK buys more from the US than the other way around.

The mood music from Washington is that this 10% tariff is not for negotiation with anyone. That is the baseline tariff that has been levied on nearly all of America's trading partners.

Making an exception for one country would simply invite significant trade diversion.

Tech

Explosion community 'relieved but still in pain'

by Nora
written by Nora

A community area devastated by an explosion at a cannabis factory which left a man and a seven-year-old boy dead has been described as "relieved but still in pain" following the end of the court case.

Reece Galbraith, 33, of Gateshead, was jailed for 14 years for the blast at Violet Close in Benwell, Newcastle, in October 2024 which killed Archie York and Jason Laws and forced 120 people from their homes.

Cornerstone Community Centre provided emotional support and co-ordinated donations of clothes, toys and essential items for those displaced.

Its operations manager Amy Sturdy said the sentence offered "some closure, but it doesn't take away the pain or the lasting effects of the tragedy".

Mrs Sturdy said: "The mood in the area is a mix of relief and lingering anger.

"No sentence can truly replace what was lost."

Those evacuated in the hours after the blast on 16 October had now been rehoused or returned to Violet Close, Newcastle City Council said.

Daniel Holland / LDRS
Cornerstone Community Centre received thousands of donations for displaced families

Thinking back to the aftermath of the blast, Mrs Sturdy said people were in disbelief, deeply shocked and sad.

"It was something they had never anticipated."

The hub on Armstrong Road received thousands of donations from across north-east England, and Mrs Sturdy said: "The sense of community spirit was heartwarming and showed the true heart of the North East."

  • 'My son was killed by criminals making cannabis'

She thanked the people who donated at the time and those who "tirelessly" volunteered.

"The generosity and compassion has been heartwarming," she said,

"The community spirit in Benwell has been incredible, as it always is."

Innovation

'An e-bike fire killed my sister in her home'

by Jason
written by Jason

"When you do come to realise that there's something wrong with your bike, it is going to be too late because we are talking about a very, very fast-developing fire that you will have not a chance to get past," says a sister in mourning.

Ehsia Johnson-Mall still struggles to come to terms with the loss of her sister, Natasha, at the age of 27 in November.

Natasha, along with her partner, 24-year-old Karlo Bogdan, died at the home they shared in Coventry after a battery Karlo had fitted to an e-bike caught fire.

Now, Ms Johnson-Mall is trying to raise awareness of the dangers of using home conversion kits to replace e-bike batteries.

Following her sister's death, Ehsia Johnson-Mall is aiming to raise awareness of the danger of fitting batteries to e-bikes at home

The deaths of the couple were ruled as accidental at an inquest in February.

An investigation by West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) said the blaze started when the battery ignited and "rapidly escalated into an intense blaze".

It said that over the past two years it had seen a 50% increase in fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, which are often found on e-bikes.

WMFS
The whole of Natasha and Karlo's home was badly damaged in the blaze

WMFS said it was concerned that people underestimated the dangers posed, especially if the batteries degrade.

"The battery that we believe Karlo had purchased was actually subject to a product recall before he'd actually purchased it due to… other fires that have happened nationally," said fire investigation officer Annette Carrington. "It's obvious that this risk was unknown to Karlo."

Fire investigation officer Annette Carrington says people underestimate the risk posed by e-bike batteries

It is thought that nationally, 15 people have died in fires caused by e-bike batteries.

Ms Johnson-Mall believes the night the fire that killed her sister broke out was the first night the bike was left charging in the hall – and is determined to make people aware of the risks.

"I know Karlo would be absolutely devastated at himself," she said. "Knowing that he had an item that was his possession that had caused this fatality."

WMFS
Natasha Johnson-Mall and Karlo Bogdan lived together in Coventry

A memorial bench has been placed outside Natasha and Karlo's home, but Ms Johnson-Mall wants her sister's legacy to be that no other lives are lost in the same way.

"The fact that we've got to sit on a bench with her name on it and not sit with her on a garden bench is just unfair beyond belief."

A memorial bench has been placed outside Natasha and Karlo's home in Coventry

Ms Carrington agrees that people need to understand the dangers.

"Imagine 70 or 80 fireworks going off at one point," she explained. "I would never advise anyone to carry out their own conversion.

"Is a life worth the risk? I would say no."

Industry

Former nurse died of asbestos exposure at hospital

by Jose
written by Jose

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.

Business

PC accused of groping woman would have been sacked

by Stella
written by Stella

A police officer accused of groping a colleague during a night out would have been sacked if he had not resigned, a disciplinary hearing has ruled.

The panel found that Joshua Barden's actions amounted to sexual misconduct

The officer, who served at Northamptonshire Police, resigned on 21 March and did not attend the hearing on 15 May.

His conduct would have had "a significant impact on public confidence in the profession", the panel ruled.

Barden asked a female officer where she was interested in a relationship with him during a night out in 2022, the panel was told.

She had declined and walked away, but the colleague said Barden came up to her while she was talking to someone else and groped her chest.

When Barden was interviewed, he said he had consumed alcohol that night and could not remember the incident happening.

The witness provided a written statement about the incident earlier this year, which Barden did not challenge.

The hearing found that the misconduct had been "confined to a single episode and had been brief in duration".

Assistant Chief Constable Adam Ward, who chaired the panel, said there was "only one appropriate and proportionate conclusion that it could reach in the circumstances, namely, to impose disciplinary action".

"In practical terms, this means that had the former officer still been a member of the Northamptonshire police force, the panel would have dismissed him."

Tech

Police appeal after man found with serious head injuries

by Oscar
written by Oscar

Police in Aberdeen are appealing for witnesses after a man was found with serious head injuries in the city's Mastrick area.

The 49-year-old was found badly injured on Strathmore Drive at about 03:40 on Friday morning.

He was taken by ambulance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where medical staff describe his condition as critical.

The man had earlier been seen using an E-scooter which was missing when he was discovered.

Tech

'I'm gigging with my former job adviser'

by Camila
written by Camila

A singer will be performing at Latitude Festival with her former job centre adviser, seven years after he told her not to give up on her music.

Peonie Gage signed up for a meeting at Colchester Job Centre, aged 18, after she could not earn enough of a living through performing.

She met adviser Wallace Rice, who happened to be a part-time musician with his band Monster Florence, and he told her to keep at it.

Gage said: "[Other] people were trying to help me find corporate jobs and things in retail… who knows what path I would have gone down [if she had not met Rice]."

The pair will perform together at Latitude Festival in Suffolk this summer.

'No work'

Gage, who went to school in Ipswich, is no stranger to big crowds, and she previously sang both the UK and US national anthems in front of millions at the O2 Arena when Floyd Mayweather fought Geordie Shore's Aaron Chalmers.

Now 25 years old, she admitted her future might have looked different if she had been advised by somebody else.

"He ended up giving me so much advice about music, and what to do and where to turn to and how to keep going," she said.

Laura Palmer / LOFTUS
Wallace Rice is part of the six-member group based in Colchester

Normally used to seeing Rice's name on job centre appointment slips, Gage experienced deja vu when she saw that familiar name written on a different form.

Years later, they were put down to play at the same BBC Introducing stage at Henham Park, – a festival which usually draws a crowd of approximately 40,000.

"I was so excited," Gage said when she saw his name.

"Also, it's so nice that we're both from Colchester and that we're both trying to put Colchester on the map."

The pair will reunite and perform together at Latitude in July.

Business

Bernard Kerik, head of New York police during 9/11, dies at 69

by Christopher
written by Christopher

Bernard Kerik, New York City's former police commissioner during the 11 September 2001 attacks, has died aged 69.

His death was confirmed by FBI Director Kash Patel, who said the former police officer died Thursday after a "private battle with illness."

Kerik oversaw the police response to the deadliest terrorist attack in US history, and was later appointed by former US President George Bush as head of a provisional police force in Iraq.

He pleaded guilty to charges of tax fraud in 2009 and served three years in prison, though he was pardoned by President Donald Trump in 2020.

Those who paid tribute to Kerik include former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was in office when Kerik served as commissioner of the NYPD, and current mayor Eric Adams.

"We've been together since the beginning. He's like my brother," Giuiliani said Thursday on his show.

"I was a better man for having known Bernie," Giuiliani said. "I certainly was a braver and stronger man."

Adams, who had been friends with Kerik for nearly 30 years, said he had visited him in hospital before his death.

"He was with his loved ones who are in my prayers tonight," Adams said in a statement. "He was a great New Yorker and American."

Kerik, a former army veteran and a decorated law enforcement officer, rose up the ranks through his career, and was nearly tapped to run the Department of Homeland Security under Bush in 2004 before he abruptly withdrew his nomination.

In 2009, Kerik pleaded guilty to federal charges after he was accused of lying to investigators about interest-free loans he received from an Israeli billionaire and a New York real estate magnet while he was in public office.

He was granted a full pardon by Trump in 2020, and later joined Giuiliani's efforts to overturn Trump's election loss that same year.

Industry

Adams 'more motivated than ever' against addiction

by Sebastian
written by Sebastian

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."

Former substance abuser Dave said he has looked up to Tony Adams all his life

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 being supported by Reach Out And Recover 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.