Tottenham Hotspur has issued a strong condemnation of the “vile, dehumanising racism” aimed at defender Kevin Danso, which followed Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Brighton.

The abuse surfaced after Danso was implicated in the concession of Georginio Rutter’s stoppage-time equaliser, a result that left Spurs languishing in the Premier League relegation zone.

The club has confirmed that it has reported the racist abuse, received via social media, to the police.

In a statement, Tottenham said that the incidents occurred during the Premier League’s dedicated “No Room For Racism” weekend.

“Since yesterday’s fixture against Brighton… Kevin Danso has been, and continues to be, subject to significant and abhorrent racist abuse on social media,” the club said.

They labelled such behaviour as “without doubt a criminal offence” and said that it “will not be tolerated”.

Tottenham are pursuing “immediate action”, reporting all identified content to the Metropolitan Police, as well as to the appropriate authorities in the countries where perpetrators reside, and to the relevant social media platforms.

The club have pledged to “push for the strongest possible action against each and every person we identify”.

They also affirmed their “complete and unconditional support” for Danso, stating: “No one at this club will ever stand alone in the face of this.

“Nothing about form or league position can ever excuse or explain racist abuse. There is no connection between performance on the pitch and the right to target a player with discrimination. Criticism of performances is part of the game. Racism is not.”

In February, an “appalling weekend” rocked English football after four players were subjected to racist abuse on their social media accounts following recent matches.

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana and Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri both shared images of racist messages they privately received on Instagram after their teams’ 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Tolu Arokodare also displayed racially aggravated messages sent to him on Instagram following a 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace, a game in which he had a penalty saved.

And last week, Sunderland condemned racist abuse directed towards Brian Brobbey on social media and offered the striker their full support.

The club said Brobbey was targeted online after the Black Cats’ 1-0 win over Tottenham in the Premier League.

Spring is a season of transition, as lingering winter influences are gradually replaced by increasing warmth.

The days get longer, the sun is higher in the sky with plants responding to this increased sunlight and rise in temperatures.

Snowdrops and daffodils give way to tulips and bluebells, and the speed and intensity of spring’s blooms are highly influenced by the weather.

This year much of the UK started spring with plenty of moisture in the soil after a wetter than average winter. Met Office figures show that March delivered some notably warm weather for England and Wales in particular, alongside plenty of sunshine.

Will we ever see Steph Miligan again in Emmerdale?

Maybe, but chances are she’ll have a different face, as Georgia Jay has reportedly left the ITV soap during her maternity leave and has no plans to return.

While her departure was initially believed to be temporary, it’s since become a permanent one, as Georgia has quit the show to focus on motherhood.

Fans had previously expressed their excitement when Georgia took to Instagram, sharing an image taken on the Emmerdale set, and those hoping for a Steph return were later sent into another tizzy when Georgia shared a picture of a trip to the hairdressers, with a blurred-out script set out in front of her.

Steph’s time in Emmerdale

Steph’s tenure in the Yorkshire Dales was marked by two big plots: her relationship with Ross Barton (Mike Parr) and the discovery that that her beloved grandfather Anthony Fox (Nicholas Day) was actually her biological father and not Caleb Miligan (William Ash), after he abused her mum,

Ross and Steph had formed quite a bond after getting together initially through a combination of lust and Steph wanting to wind her parents up. The relationship evolved into one of genuine affection on both sides, but it was completely upended when she discovered the truth of her parentage.

In the aftermath of discovering Anthony’s abuse and that he’d been killed by her mum, Steph became fixated on her resemblance to him and was so desperate she even tried to have surgery to alter her appearance. Ross wanted to support her through this hard time, but she pushed him away, though she did begin going to therapy to try to help her move on. 

Steph and Ross later reunited, with his brother, Lewis Barton (Bradley Riches), playing cupid for them, though their reunion hinged on Ross’ declaration that there hadn’t been anyone else in his life since he and Steph broke up.

The biggest problem being that their was, as he’d had a fling with Manpreet Sharma (Rebecca Sarker) who unknowingly revealed all to Lewis and Ruby, meaning it was only a matter of time before word got back to Steph.

Poor Steph, who had worked hard to tell herself that she could trust Ross again, was devastated shoved him straight in the bin. Reeling and wounded, Steph told her parents that she’d booked a yoga retreat in Rome, needing to get away from the village for a while. Though Ross tried to get her to change her mind, Steph made it clear she didn’t want to be anywhere near him.

Advertisement

Don’t miss a Soaps scoop! Add us as a Preferred Source

As a loyal Metro Soaps reader, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for stories. We have all the latest soaps news, spoilers, videos, and interviews, with a vibrant community of highly engaged readers.

Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.

Add us as a Preferred Source

Advertisement

Georgia takes maternity leave

Steph’s exit was written to facilitate Georgia Jay’s maternity leave, following the announcement she was expecting her first baby. Announcing her pregnancy on Instagram, Georgia wrote: ‘As you’ve probably guessed, I’ve got some news to share! I know some of you have been wondering if you’ve been seeing a little bump on screen lately… well, it’s not your imagination…I’m having a baby!’.

She added: ‘We’ve never been so excited and a little nervous all at once. Thank you for all the love and support.’

Would you be up for a Steph recast?

Sign up to The Soaps Newsletter – Weekly. An unmissable selection of exclusive spoilers and interviews, handpicked by our Soaps Editor.

Advertisement

Georgia has no plans to return

A source told The Sun this week that: ‘Georgia loved her time at Emmerdale but she has no plans to return now. 

‘She’s loving being a mum, and that’s her focus for now. Obviously, she’s open to opportunities but returning to a full-on soap schedule full-time is just not something she can do at the moment.’

While this doesn’t mean the end of Steph, with Soapworld being one of frequent recasts, it does seem to draw a line under Georgia’s time with the show, and should Steph re-emerge in the Dales, she could look entirely different.

MORE: The two worst possible people are left to deliver trapped Charity’s baby in Emmerdale

MORE: All Emmerdale spoilers for next week as beloved legend faces a gruesome death

Advertisement

MORE: ‘Are you kidding!?’ Emmerdale’s Emma Atkins firmly rules out major plot twist theory

Comments


Add as preferred source

The Soaps Newsletter – Weekly

Sign up for exclusive spoilers and interviews, handpicked by our Soaps Editor.

Advertisement

Wales head coach Steve Tandy is now sweating on a trio of players for this summer’s schedule

Wales fly-half Jarrod Evans was taken off the pitch in agony on Saturday during Harlequins’ defeat to Bath.

Just before the midway point of the second half the former Cardiff No10 suffered a painful shoulder injury which required immediate medical attention.

Evans sustained the injury while attempting a tackle on Bath’s Josh Bayliss, who ultimately went over to score. His arm was placed in a makeshift sling by club staff, using his shirt for support.

Evans was one of three players who were forced off the field during the match at The Rec, with Cadan Murley and Nick David also unable to continue.

JOIN OUR WALES RUGBY FACEBOOK PAGE Latest news, analysis and much more

“Poor Quins, poor Jarrod Evans, it’s horrible, this,” said David Flatman on TNT Sports commentary.

Quins came into this fixture with 27 players unavailable through injury and events in the West Country will only compound the issues for head coach Jason Gilmore.

He won’t be the only one concerned about Evans’ injury, with Wales head coach Steve Tandy likely to be keeping close tabs on his prognosis.

Tandy is already sweating on the fitness of fellow fly-half Sam Costelow, who has undergone surgery and faces a race to be fit for Wales’ Nations Championship campaign against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa this summer.

Tandy was in attendance to watch Cardiff pip Scarlets to the post in the Welsh derby at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday night and he saw Mason Grady leave the field with a grim injury, to give him a trio of concerns.

The Wales wing/centre was forced off with a bone sticking out of his hand to extend the powerful utility’s man run of bad luck when it comes to injuries.

“He’s picked up a fracture in his thumb,” said Cardiff head coach Corniel van Zyl.

“It’s not great.

“It’s a pity because I thought he was going to score that try but he had broken his hand.”

British passport holders heading to Greece this summer are now exempt from new EU biometric requirements.

All travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries are required to be photographed and fingerprinted at EU airports and border points under the new entry and exit system (EES), which was fully operational as of April 10.

Holidaymakers were warned of airport delays of up to four hours because of the EU’s new biometric entry and exit checks, but now, Greece is removing the requirement for UK citizens.

Eleni Skarveli, Director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation in the UK, said the move would ‘ensure a smoother and more efficient arrival experience in Greece’ and slash waiting times.

Given that thousands of UK travellers arrive daily on islands such as Corfu, Crete and Rhodes, the move has been welcomed, and some believe other Mediterranean countries could follow suit, to avoid chaos.

Even as Greece drops the requirement, other countries could still see heavy delays for travellers.

Luke Petherbridge, director of public affairs at Abta, the travel agent and tour operator association, said: ‘What we have said to customers is that, because of the checks, you might need to prepare for delays with extra water and snacks.’

Travellers already reported queues of up to two hours at passport control since EES started rolling out in some European countries late last year.

But airline groups have warned that these waits could double to four hours as holiday traffic increases into the peak summer season.

There are also concerns over IT glitches (remember the Crowdstrike outage), strikes and staff shortages during holiday periods.

What is the entry and exit EES system?

The entry and exit system is a digital system that replaces physical passport stamps at border points across the European Union.

People with passports from non-EU countries, including the UK, are required to use the system once it launches.

Most travellers from outside the EU, known as third-country nationals, will be required to register their passport details and biometric data when crossing into an EU country for the first time.

Biometric data includes fingerprints and facial pictures. Borders are likely to be kitted with self-service kiosks where passengers can input this information.

This data, as well as the entry and exit details, will be stored for subsequent visits.

Future visits will only require a verification of the biometric data, which can speed up the process.

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

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: Man forced to pay £357 after ‘disgraceful’ delays at London Stansted left passengers stranded

MORE: Spanish airport to close for a month impacting 265,000 passengers

MORE: ‘Grimy’ seaside now one of the UK’s best attractions after £1,800,000,000 refurb

The road has since reopened to traffic

One person has been taken to hospital after a serious collision in North Belfast. Emergency services were called to the scene on the Crumlin Road shortly before 6pm on Saturday, April 18.

It followed a one vehicle crash in the area. Traffic on the road was being diverted at the junction of the Crumlin Road and Upper Hightown Road, with the road reopening on Sunday morning.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service confirmed one person was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital after initial treatment at the scene.

READ MORE: Coastguard rescue ‘lost and disorientated’ casualty from cliff at Giant’s CausewayREAD MORE: Man arrested on suspicion of drink driving in Co Tyrone after ‘total destruction’ of car

A spokesperson for the NIAS said: “The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call at 17:59 following reports of a RTC on the Crumlin Road, Belfast.

“NIAS despatched one Emergency Crew and 2 HART responses to the scene. The HEMS team was also tasked to the incident, responding in response car.

“Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene, one patient was taken to RVH.”

In a statement on Sunday morning, a PSNI spokesperson said: “The Crumlin Road in North Belfast, which was closed yesterday evening following a one vehicle road traffic collision in the area, has now re-opened.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter.

An investigation has been launched after Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow was allegedly ‘firebombed’ on Saturday

Police have launched an investigation after a synagogue was allegedly “firebombed” last night.

Multiple arson or attempted arson attacks have been reported on Jewish property in north-west London in the past month.

The incident at Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow on Saturday night caused minor smoke damage to an internal room but no injuries or significant structural damage, the Community Security Trust (CST) said.

The building is close to a school and children’s playground, and police were seen searching a black SUV nearby on Sunday morning.

A large cordon is in place and a forensics officer, fire investigation dogs and several plainclothes officers were working at the scene. One marked and five unmarked police cars were outside the place of worship.

READ MORE: Dead bodies of at least 50 babies found dumped in Trinidad and Tobago graveyardREAD MORE: Carnival Splendor cruise passenger ‘jumps overboard’ hours after another tragedy

A spokesperson for the CST, the charity which monitors antisemitism and provides protection for Jewish communities in the UK, said: “We are aware of another attempted arson, this time targeting a synagogue in north London, following similar recent incidents targeting the Jewish community in Finchley, Golders Green and Hendon.

“We want to thank the Met Police and London Fire Brigade for responding quickly and for all they are doing to protect the Jewish community during this unprecedented period.

“We are supporting the affected location and are working closely with the police as they investigate and seek to identify those responsible.”

A Campaign Against Antisemitism spokesperson said: “Last night, another Jewish synagogue in London was firebombed, this time in Kenton. Thankfully, the damage was limited.” They added that this “is now terrifyingly becoming a spate of daily arson attacks on the Jewish community”.

A spokesperson for the CST, the charity which monitors antisemitism and provides protection for Jewish communities in the UK, said: “We are aware of another attempted arson, this time targeting a synagogue in north London, following similar recent incidents targeting the Jewish community in Finchley, Golders Green and Hendon.

The pub has ‘amazing views’ from its garden, according to previous customers

Home to two churches in one churchyard and a “cracking little pub” with “amazing views from the garden”, one Cambridgeshire village marries history with a modern feel. Swaffham Prior is a quaint village in East Cambridgeshire, around five miles from Newmarket.

The village is dominated by its twin churches within one graveyard – Church of St Mary and the Church of St Cyriac and St Julitta – which have served the parish since at least the 12th century.

St Mary’s Church is still a working church, but St Cyria & St Julitta offers its own unique charm. It has a 15th century octagonal bell tower and a ring of six bells.

Swaffham Prior is mentioned in the Domesday Book and features stunning houses dating back several centuries. It is also home to a local primary school and a pub called The Red Lion.

The quintessential English pub offers a selection of ales, fine wines, and home cooked food. Described by customers as a “cracking little pub” with “amazing views from the garden”, it appears to be loved by locals and visitors.

One guest wrote: “Cracking little pub. Good pints, proper food, friendly faces behind the bar. Feels like the heart of the village. Great if you want a relaxed drink or a decent feed.”

Another commented: “A true hidden gem in the heart of Swaffham Prior.” They continued: “From the moment you walk in, you’re welcomed with genuine warmth by both the staff and locals. It’s got that rare blend of cozy charm and character, with a roaring fire in the winter and a lovely garden for summer evenings.”

Swaffham Prior Primary School is a co-educational Church of England school, located in the central area of the village. The school describes it as a place where “learning and values are not just sown in lessons but in the whole experience of living and growing together”.