Firefighters and an ariel ladder platform were on the scene at the Talbot hotel in Yorkersgate, Malton, shortly before 1.20pm on Sunday (April 12).

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said its two crews extinguished the fire which was confined to the chimney flute.

A service spokesperson said: “A crew from Malton and an ariel ladder platform from Scarborough responded to a chimney fire.

“The fire was confined to the chimney flue and the ariel ladder platform and chimney nozzle adapter were used to extinguish the fire.”

Philip Lee Owen, 41, of Diggle Street, Wigan, faces multiple charges.

These include three counts of false imprisonment, threats to kill, two counts of child neglect, aggravated burglary and sending a communication threatening death or serious harm.

Greater Manchester Police said officers were called to reports of a disturbance at a house on Dicconson Lane at around 2am on Friday (April 10).

On Friday, Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker said: “Following this challenging incident, I can confirm the individual has been detained by our officers, and those involved have been safely secured and protected.

“I want to commend the bravery and professionalism of our officers and thank the public for their patience and cooperation while we worked to bring this situation to a safe conclusion.”

Owen has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court on Monday (April 13).

Large parts of the street were locked down for several hours following the incident, which also included the attendance of armed police.

Residents were not allowed to leave their homes as around 17 police vehicles – including armed police – took over the street.

Dicconson Lane connects Westhoughton and Blackrod to Aspull and Wigan.

A police car with two officers inside remained parked outside the house in question for much of Friday.

The major retailer has announced around 700 Wash.ME self‑service laundry machines will be installed at its Supercentres, Superstores, supermarkets and Express sites in May, following a partnership with ME Group International.

Each washing machine unit will offer large‑capacity 9kg and 20kg drums, energy‑efficient cycles and high‑speed drying.

This means everything from everyday laundry to larger household loads such as duvets can be accommodated.

Even better, the washing machines are designed to allow customers to wash while they shop in a “quick, convenient and great‑value way”.

Discussing the partnership, one shopper on Reddit has said it is “great news” as they have “used them before and are much better than your standard household washing machine”.

Another said the Wash.ME units “can be useful when you have issues with your own”.

They added: “My washing machine wasn’t spinning so had a basket full of soaking wet clothes that would’ve made my flat super damp.

“These things came to the rescue.”

Someone else shared: “They’re particularly handy for bulky bedding”.

Joseph Sutton, Vice President of Asda Express, foodservice and fuel, commented: “We’re always looking for new ways to make life easier for the customers who shop with us, particularly by strengthening the breadth of services that meet their needs under one roof.

“This large‑scale rollout of Wash.ME units gives customers a quick, convenient and great‑value way to tackle their laundry while they shop.

“We’re pleased to be working with ME Group on this significant partnership and look forward to seeing the benefits it brings to customers across the UK.”

In total, there are currently more than 1,000 Wash.ME launderettes installed around Britain, which can be found in the car park of your local supermarket, petrol station or shopping centre.

To find the nearest Wash.ME unit near you, enter your postcode on the company’s official website.

How much will Wash.ME washing machines cost at Asda?

For those wondering how much the units could cost to use, Wash.ME explains: “Prices vary depending on the machine used.

“The cost of a wash cycle in our laundrettes will cost you between £5.50 (8-9 kg) and £11 (18-20 kg), including detergent.

“As options, you can opt for pre-wash, softener, disinfectant, disinfectant fabric softener in addition to your regular wash.”

Vladimir Crasneanscki, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of ME Group, said: “Asda is a perfect company to partner with, their retail and petrol stations are excellent locations for our services and their innovative and fast paced approach will enable us to deploy our units rapidly.

“We are delighted to announce this partnership; this is the largest single client deal in the history of our laundry division and demonstrates the growing demand for our services.”

Have you used Wash.ME before? (Image: Asda)

Asda confirms it is not axing in-store pizza counters at 464 locations

Elsewhere, Asda has given an update to customers regarding the rumoured axing of the popular pizza counters in stores, following a viral post on X.

The ‘create your own’ pizza counters have long been a standout feature at the supermarket, allowing foodies to choose a base, sauce and toppings.

Prices start at £3.33 for a medium size and rise to £4.93 for the large option, and have often earned praise for their affordability.

But some customers were concerned that Asda was planning to close down its pizza counters over the past few days, following a recent social media post that blew up online.

Going to need @asda to confirm or deny the rumours that the create your own pizza counters are going from all stores

— Lauren (@laurennUTD) April 10, 2026

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It comes as someone shared: “Going to need @asda to confirm or deny the rumours that the create your own pizza counters are going from all stores.”

The post has since gained more than 911,000 views, creating a lot of stir on X.

However, pizza lovers will be delighted to know that an Asda spokesperson has confirmed they have no plans to remove the pizza counters from any stores.

They said: “We know how much our customers love our pizza counters, and they can be reassured that freshly made pizzas will continue to be available in all 464 of our stores as usual.”

Will you be using the new Wash.ME machines at Asda, or will you just be sticking to using the pizza counters? Let us know in the comments below.

Family-run Baby & Toddler Kingdom, run by mother-and-daughter duo Ebony and Jill, shared the news on social media on Friday (April 10), describing the decision as “not an easy” one.

In the post, the owners said: “After 10 wonderful years I wanted to share that our shop will be closing its doors after this summer.

“This has not been an easy decision, but it feels like the right time for a new chapter. We are incredibly proud of everything this little business has become and that is entirely down to you, my amazing customers.”

The pair have yet to announce a closing date for the Newgate Street shop but thanked their loyal customers for supporting the business over the past decade.

They added: “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support, loyalty, and kindness over the years. Whether you’ve shopped with us once or have been here since the very beginning, it has truly meant the world.

“We still have a little time left before we close, and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible before then.

“With love and gratitude, Ebony and Jill.”

Since the announcement, many items in the shop have been reduced, with discounts of up to 70 per cent off, including prams.

Many customers were quick to share their support online.

One person commented: “Ah this is such a shame. We send everyone to you for prams, car seats and more and have always heard such lovely things.

“You will be a massive miss to Bishop Auckland.”

Another said: “All the best for the future. Got my baby’s first pram from you and her outfits all the way through – going to miss getting her beautiful outfits from here.”

A nine-year-old boy who was trapped in his dad’s van for two years, malnourished and without access to a toilet, has been rescued.

Neighbour heard ‘sounds of a child’ coming from a van, near but were initially told it was just a cat.

But officers who broke the vehicle open found the child ‘lying in a fetal position, naked, covered by a blanket on top of a mound of trash and near excrement,’ in Hagenback, on the Swiss and German borders, on Monday.

According to prosecutor Nicolas Heitz, the father, 43, told police that he put his son in the van in November 2024 ‘to protect him’ because his partner, 37, wanted to send him to a psychiatric hospital.

He also outlined the conditions his father held him in, telling the child to urinate in plastic bottles and defecate in bin bags, adding that his last shower was at the end of 2024.

The child was visibly malnourished and could no longer walk because he had been kept in a seated position for so long. He has now been taken to hospital.

Heitz said the boy had no record of psychiatric issues before his disappearance and that he had good marks at school.

The child told police that he had ‘big difficulties’ with his father’s partner and that he thought his dad had ‘no choice’ other than to lock him up.

His father was held in police custody on kidnapping charges after his arrest, while the partner denied knowing anything about the boy being in the van.

She was also charged with failing to help a minor in danger but was released under judicial supervision.

The boy also has a 12-year-old sister, while the partner has a 10-year-old daughter too, who lived in a block of flats with the couple.

Both of them were taken into care by social services.

Friends and family told police they thought the boy was already in a psychiatric institution while his teachers were told he had moved to a new school – now detectives are looking into whether other people knew about his imprisonment.

Residents said they heard noises coming from the van but were told it was a cat. One, called Danielle, told reporters it was ‘truly devastating’.

She said: ‘We don’t understand it. It’s horrific, there are no words.

‘I never once noticed anything, never heard anything … It feels like we’re living in a movie or a dream, and we keep thinking, “Tomorrow I’ll wake up, and maybe it’s not real.” We just can’t comprehend it.’

The victim and his relatives were not named.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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The park was once an industrial quarry used to provide chalk to colleges at the University of Cambridge

There are many beautiful and picturesque places to walk in Cambridgeshire. Cambridge itself has many itself, such as Christ’s Pieces or Midsummer Common.

However, in Cambridge there is also one unusual place to walk that feels very different to some of the other walks on offer. This is Cherry Hinton Chalk Pits, which feels like you are walking among cliffs.

The pits used to be a large industrial quarry. However, quarrying came to an end in Lime Kiln Close around 200 years ago.

When it was active, it provided hard chalk to build some of the University of Cambridge’s colleges, as well as lime for cement. Since then nature has taken over the site, with large ash trees now towering over it.

Chalk grasslands like those at Cherry Hinton Chalk Pits are rare in the UK. The nature park is also home to rare plants and wildlife.

The moon carrot grows here and only two other locations. These are Beachy Head in East Sussex and Knocking Hoe in Bedfordshire. The Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs and Northants, which oversees the pits, annually monitors the moon carrots.

Two other rare plants grow at the pits: grape hyacinth and great pignut. The pits have been named as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, due to it being home to the three rare plants.

It is made up of three pits altogether. These are Lime Kiln Close, West Pit, and East Pit. East Pit is the largest of the three, and it was worked on until the early 1980s.

If you stand within this pit, you will be surrounded by steep cliffs of chalk that glow in the late afternoon sun. In 2009, a large excavation was undertaken where a number of interesting things were discovered.

Archaeologists unearthed human remains and Roman artefacts in an Iron Age ditch. People are warned to stay away from the base of the cliffs and not to climb them as rocks could fall down.

On Friday, April 10, thousands flocked to Aintree for the Grand National Festival 2026.

Ladies Day is renowned as one of the most glamorous dates in the racing calendar for racegoers across the North West, and this year was no exception.

The outfits have become so striking that the event is now widely referred to as the “Scouse Met Gala”.

The Met Gala, by contrast, is a fundraising benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Helen described Ladies Day as one of her “favourite days of the year”, as she wowed in an elegant Karen Millen ensemble.

She wore a floor-length dress featuring a monochrome print and dramatic black draped straps.

The look was accessorised with a black Karen Millen fascinator adorned with white beading, along with a black Chanel bag costing several thousand pounds.

Helen said she received “so many compliments” on her outfit and “loved everything about the dress”.

She enjoyed the Green Room experience at the event, which, according to its website, costs approximately £810 for Ladies Day.

The package includes a private balcony overlooking the start and finish, admission to the Lord Sefton Stand, a four-course seated lunch, champagne, afternoon tea and more.

Ladies Day once again proved why it remains a standout highlight of the season.

It has been almost 400 years since Belfast’s first tavern license was granted, so we headed to investigate what has punters still coming to the same city centre spot after all this time

Depending on who you speak to, the title of ‘Belfast’s oldest pub’ is often up for debate. But when it comes to the city’s oldest tavern, there is one venue that proudly wears its history as a badge of honour.

The story of White’s Tavern, nestled in Winecellar Entry, begins in 1630 when the building that houses the popular pub was granted Belfast’s first tavern licence.

Anchoring it at the start of the city’s licensed trade, Winecellar Entry developed into a hub for wine and spirit merchants and saw the building move from a commercial warehouse into a place of social gathering.

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Almost 400 years on, Whites has become one of Belfast’s most popular nightlife complexes – with the Tavern still standing strong, White’s Garden offering a buzzy night out, the Beer Hall a go-to for live sports and NI’s first Guinness-only bar, White’s Store, offering the perfect pint.

Belfast Live headed down on a rainy Wednesday afternoon to cosy White’s Tavern to chat to General Manager Siobhan McKenna and The Clover Group’s Marketing Director Abigail Bolton about White’s role in Belfast’s hospitality history, its rapid expansion, and plans to go full circle in the future.

READ MORE: White’s Tavern submit plans to open new hotel above bar complexREAD MORE: Belfast’s favourite cosy pub as voted for by Belfast Live readers

The Clover Group took over White’s Tavern back in 2019, making its mark with a major refurbishment, which would see the venue expand into the powerhouse complex it has become today.

But centuries before they held the keys, Abigail shared how in the 1800s, it operated as a wine and spirit warehouse, a trading post for fishmonger John Walker and began its transition to public house use before becoming a fully functioning pub embedded in the city’s social life in the early 1900s.

Officially given the name White’s Taven in 1962, it’s survived the Blitz, it’s survived The Troubles, and it’s even survived a global pandemic.

“There are a few other bars that say they are the oldest bar in the city, but we are a tavern and had the first tavern license,” General Manager Siobhan explains as the buzz of an afternoon in the Tavern happens around us.

“Basically, what a tavern license meant was that they had rooms upstairs and a cellar down below or on the same level.”

If the Tavern walls could tell stories, so can Siobhan, who is White’s longest serving member of staff.

17 years of service make her an integral part of the bar’s story. She said: “I started as a glass collector and bar-back – my aunt was the manager at the time, and my sister was actually the chef too, so that’s how I started here.

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“I then just worked my way up, so at 17 I started to waitress and then at 18, I could start on the bar and then stumbled into management after that.

“The Tavern is still, and will always be, my favourite part – it has that cosy, home vibe, but also you get to meet different people every day when you are in it.

“I think the Tavern is the reason I’ve stayed so long. There is never a dull day.”

In 2021, she took up her position of General Manager of White’s and has been at the helm as White’s Beer Hall and White’s Store were added to the White’s offering.

For those unfamiliar with how White’s has grown since The Clover Group stepped in, Abigail shared how it has evolved from a landmark venue into an unstoppable complex.

“The Garden came from Covid – we wanted to open something that was open-air,” she explained.

“At that point, there was no retractable roof or anything, but we wanted it to focus on seasonality and offer something a bit different from the Tavern.

“You have your small plates, cocktails, alfresco dining, and then we were able to move that along with the roof covering. It’s great because we have a mixture between live music and DJs so there’s a bit of everything.”

Next came the Beer Hall in 2022, the venue that “merged things together”, giving a happy medium between the Tavern and the Garden – keeping with the traditional pub feel but adding a modern twist.

They could never have expected that what once was a store room space would become one of White’s most unique selling points – the first Guinness-only bar on the island of Ireland.

Abigail continued: “Sitting outside on the barrels or at the open window and just calling in for a pint of Guinness is what was imagined.

“We wanted people working in it to have a personality so that you can call in and chat to the person behind the bar – a more old school kind of vibe.”

With the growing offering comes a growing customer base, something that Siobhan has welcomed with open arms.

“Why we are so popular at the minute is we have something for everyone under the one roof – you can have a full night out with live music, sport or trad sessions or a quiet pint in the Tavern or Store.

“It is great because, whenever I started, it was always more of a tourist bar or you’d get people in at lunch from the offices around but we would have died early on. We would have closed at 8pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Now that White’s has been put on the map, we’re open right through and more people are finding out about us and popping in – you’re still getting our regulars and the older crowd, but younger ones are also coming in, and there is somewhere for everyone here.”

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As for the future? If plans are approved, then White’s will really be going full circle and returning to its real tavern status with the addition of rooms above the existing complex.

It will see the refurbishment of the existing vacant floors above the bars, transforming them into 36 bedrooms in a style that complements White’s history.

The new hotel will see a further investment of £2m, following The Clover Group’s acquisition of the building in 2024 for £5m.

Last year, when announcing the plans, Mark Beirne, Director of the Clover Group, said: “While the concept for the hotel is yet to be announced, each room will have a story to tell, strengthening the link to the rich history and heritage of the Tavern.

“We are excited about the new project, not only as it will add a new holistic dimension to our strong offering at White’s but also because of the value it will add to Belfast as a dynamic and fun location for both local people and international visitors.”

Abigail gave an update, adding: “We are just making sure everything’s right and just the way we want it. It’s a fantastic-looking building, and if you go upstairs, the views you get across the city are lovely.

“It’s going to have a wee bit of personality in each room.”

On what makes White’s magic, almost 400 years since the building began its journey to the bustling venue it is now, Siobhan said, while it “feels like home” to her, it is a place for everyone and anyone wanting a great night’s craic in Belfast.

“Our staff love to chat, and that’s what people want from a place like White’s – they want you to have a conversation, they want to hear about the history and a welcoming atmosphere.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter

A mum traded her ‘trackies and trainers’ for gowns and swimsuits to be crowned Mrs Galaxy UK. Gemma Pritchard, 45, from Llanrug, Gwynedd, is a martial arts instructor who is more commonly found on the training mats.

She holds a 5th degree Black Belt in Karate and Kickboxing, along with a Blue Belt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu, and works full-time as a martial arts instructor at her own academy. Her familiarity with beauty pageants stems from her daughters Erin and Efa-Hâf.

However, she chose to push herself out of her comfort zone and enter Mrs Galaxy UK. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here

The bold move paid dividends as she triumphed over competitors from across Britain to be crowned Mrs Galaxy UK. Gemma and the remaining UK Galaxy Queens will be flying to the USA to take part in the Galaxy International Pageant.

Gemma said: “After 11 years as a dedicated pageant mum, I stepped into the spotlight myself.”, reports North Wales Live.

“In the competition I had an interview, provided a portfolio of the community work I have done and it also included a stage competition of three rounds, fashion wear, swimwear and evening wear.”

She added: “I have been a pageant mum for 11 years where both my daughters have also previously been Galaxy Queens so I decided to follow in their footsteps. It’s usually the other way round!.

“My daughter Efa-Hâf was Junior Miss Galaxy 2023 and my eldest daughter Erin Pritchard was Teen Galaxy 2025.

“I am a martial artist by day, so at 45 I decided to step out of my comfort zone and do something different.

“Taking part was really empowering, doing something totally different to my every day, I was nervous but thought ‘I’m here, lets go for it’.

“Winning was a shock, and even more so when I won all the scoring rounds too, so I felt overwhelmed but extremely proud, I just kept looking at my daughters who I think were just as shocked as me.

“Being on stage all glammed up in elegant wear was nice as it’s completely different to my everyday life on the martial arts mats where I’m in my trackies and trainers, no makeup and hair tied back.

“It’s most definitely built my confidence.”

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