The RSPCA has launched an appeal to raise money to treat 12 of the “adorable” dogs which are being looked after at the charity’s branch in Landing Lane, York.

They were found locked in kennels at a property in Whitby last month after the RSPCA said it was called to the home by police.

One of the 14 dogs was cared for by a veterinary nurse but has since died. Another dog is being cared for by another RSPCA branch.

Fleet before and after being treated by the RSPCA (Image: RSPCA)

Four of the dogs – including a Cocker Spaniel mum and son, Shelties, Collies, a lurcher and a Labrador cross – had to be hospitalised overnight and needed intravenous fluids for 24 hours.

Several of the dogs were also “severely matted in faeces and urine and had to be clipped”, the RSPCA said.

Seventeen birds – a mix of finches, parrots and budgerigars – were also found at the house where conditions were described by rescuers as “extremely challenging”.

The birds are now being looked after at a private boarding facility on behalf of the RSPCA where they are doing well, the charity said.

Patch who was rescued from the Whitby home (Image: RSPCA)

Jerry who was rescued from the Whitby home (Image: RSPCA)

RSPCA animal rescue officer Mollie Masters, one of four officers from the charity who spent hours on the scene, said: “The dogs were found in the house and in various kennels and crates outside.

“The conditions on site were squalid and extremely challenging and many of the dogs were understandably nervous, so we had to work slowly and patiently with them.

“It was a very sad set of circumstances but we’re really pleased we’ve been able to help these animals and the team at York are doing a fantastic job getting the dogs back to good health so they can go on to find loving new homes.”

She said it was an “upsetting incident for us to deal with”, adding: “I’d like to thank the police and the vet who assisted us.”

Snowy who was rescued from the Whitby home (Image: RSPCA)

Jock who was rescued from the Whitby home (Image: RSPCA)

Animal welfare supervisor Marie Sandall, from the RSPCA’s York Branch, said the animals are “very special dogs who have stolen our hearts already”.

“They are all making great progress and putting on weight nicely. Initially they were placed on five tiny meals a day and to see them gobble their food in seconds broke our hearts.

“There are a couple of older ones who, despite everything, are also doing well, and we’re hopeful we’ll be able to put them up for adoption very soon.

“They were all very thin, matted and covered in faeces and urine and had to have a lot of veterinary treatment, including blood tests and dental work. Some of them will also need to be neutered prior to being rehomed.”

Paul who was rescued from the Whitby home (Image: RSPCA)

Marie said that as a self-funded charity, the costs of caring for the dogs are “beginning to mount up for us”.

“We’re appealing to our supporters, who are always so wonderful in these situations, to donate to our fundraising appeal to help us cover the significant veterinary costs and the dogs’ ongoing care.

“They are all absolutely adorable and we can honestly not believe how loving they are considering what they have been through. 

“One thing is certain, they can now look forward to a brighter future and we can’t wait to see them in their new homes.” 

To donate to the appeal, visit the Friends of RSPCA York Animals Home Facebook page.

Saudi boxing chief Turki Al-Sheikh had said Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua would only end their decade-long rivalry if a strange condition was met for the event

Pop star Dua Lipa has turned down the opportunity to perform ahead of Anthony Joshua’s highly anticipated clash with Tyson Fury.

Saudi boxing chief Turki Al-Sheikh had claimed that Fury and Joshua would only end their decade-long rivalry if the singer took to the stage before the pair made their ring walks.

However, according to the BBC, Lipa declined when approached about the opportunity. A venue for the showdown is yet to be confirmed, though Wembley remains the overwhelming favourite to host the contest.

Fury, meanwhile, has instructed his team to arrange a further warm-up fight before he squares off against Joshua.

Fury ended a 16-month absence from the sport earlier this month, edging past Arslanbek Makhmudov on points at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before exchanging verbal volleys with a ringside Joshua.

The encounter stoked excitement ahead of a long-awaited domestic showdown that has been years in the making, and this week Joshua finally put pen to paper on a contract to face Fury.

However, a fresh obstacle has emerged. Joshua was already scheduled for a tune-up contest on July 25 against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga – a bout that Queensberry promoter Frank Warren suggested could “kill” any potential meeting with Fury later in 2026 should an upset occur.

However, Warren has confirmed that Fury also intends to return to the ring before facing Joshua — a development which raises further doubts over the bout and heightens the risk of injury for either British heavyweight.

“I think he will probably want to be doing something in between, let’s see,” Warren said.

“AJ has got his fight. Tyson, I’m quite sure, will have a fight in between. That’s what he’s asking for and we’ll see where we go from there.”

Warren had previously told the BBC: “If he loses to this guy, it kills the fight.”

When pressed on Wembley as a potential venue, Warren added: “That’s where everybody would like to see the fight.

“It’s the national stadium – that is where it belongs. We’ve had some great nights there in the past and that makes a lot of sense.”

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Havertz has said that this season is not what he “expected it to be” and has been “stop and start”.

The 26-year-old also said earlier this campaign that it was a new experience going through a major injury and he “hasn’t really faced a challenge like this before”.

He looked disappointed by the latest setback when he was taken off after just 34 minutes of Saturday’s 1-0 win against Newcastle United.

The Gunners have been criticised for their attacking play this season and their reliance on set-piece goals.

Havertz is one of Arteta’s favourite players on and off the pitch and they have missed his ability to link play.

Since his return he has played as both a midfielder and a forward, and Arteta has missed having that versatility when Arsenal are trying to break sides down.

Havertz has three goals and one assist in five Champions League games this season and scored the winner in Arsenal‘s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Sporting.

He has only started one game in Europe though, against Kairat Almaty in January, but came off at half-time as he built up match fitness.

Despite his availability issues, Havertz has five goals and four assists in 20 appearances, giving him a goal involvement of nearly one every two games which highlights how Arsenal miss him when unavailable.

But they have not been able to call on him nearly enough and Havertz has been restricted to just six starts in the Premier League.

As the season has progressed, there have been doubts about whether Gyokeres is the right fit for Arsenal, particularly against elite opposition.

When Havertz was fit, he started and scored against Manchester City, with Gyokeres on the bench in what was a glimpse at what would likely have been Arteta’s strategy for big games if the German was fit more often.

Havertz scored by pressing City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, and without his work-rate and intelligence for large parts of this season, the Arsenal attack has looked clunky at times.

Whilst there will be ramifications across the board, inflation will be “likely to be largest for food prices”.

They were the words of the Bank of England’s governor on Thursday while warning over the risks posed to the UK economy by the surge in global energy costs.

Fish and chips taste better by the seaside right? pic.twitter.com/G1KeBqCylJ

— Jon Coupland (@joncoupland) April 25, 2026

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When will we see the rise in cost?

A leading figure in the potato industry told Sky News we won’t see the worst until next year.

Scott Walker, the chief executive of GB Potatoes, said the way the industry works means the impact of war-linked costs will be delayed, with “inevitable” increases in 2027.

Walker explained that the vast majority of UK potato producers work to annual growing contracts with their customers.

This gives both growers and the likes of wholesalers and supermarkets “insurance” – a certainty over incomes and prices ahead.

“At this moment in time, people shouldn’t be paying any more,” he said.

Fertiliser, for example, was already bought for the current growing year ahead of the outbreak of the war, but Mr Walker said the outlook was bleaker.

For fish, the situation was similar.

Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Fryers, told the BBC that part of the reason the price of cod had gone up by so much was the “significant reduction” in cod availability due to restrictions on fishing.

There is now “only a quarter of the cod available globally that there was six years ago [so] everybody’s fighting for the same fish,” he said.

“Down the line prices will have to rise because we have a lot of costs coming,” he warned.

While growers could attempt to claim “exceptional” costs from their customers in a bid to restore some health to margins this year, Mr Walker warned the 2027 contracts would have to reflect a doubling of red diesel and some fertiliser prices.

“Sadly, rising prices are inevitable… Everyone faces rising prices: the cost of collection, living wage, (the) price of electricity for wholesalers.

“There’s a lot of cost in the system.”

What’s your go to chippy order? Let us know in the comments

Preston Davey, 13 months old, died in Blackpool in July 2023 after suffering more than 40 internal and external injuries, a trial jury has heard

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A man accused of murdering his adopted son made jokes about ‘strangling him’ just a fortnight before his death, a court has heard.

Preston Davey was rushed to A&E at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in cardiac and respiratory arrest on July 27, 2023. Medical staff attempted to save the 13-month-old but he was declared dead at 7.25pm.

A post mortem examination revealed he had sustained more than 40 distinct internal and external injuries and his airways had been blocked, jurors were told. Prosecutors claim he was sexually assaulted on the day of his death, reports Lancs Live.

Preston had been under the care of Jamie Varley, 37, and John McGowan-Fazackerley, 32, since April 2023 – with medical assessments indicating he was ‘fit and healthy’ when placed with them, the court heard. He was admitted to hospital on three different occasions prior to his death, the jury was told.

Jurors at Preston Crown Court were shown text messages sent from Mr Varley’s mobile to Mr McGowan-Fazackerley’s device on July 10, 2023.

The court heard they read: “Your son’s in hospital. I strangled him. Jokes. Just give me a call when done.”

The next day Preston was admitted to hospital with an arm injury requiring a plaster cast, the court was told. The prosecution claims this was a non-accidental injury and constitutes a charge of GBH against Mr Varley.

Earlier in the trial, Peter Wright KC informed jurors that Preston had endured physical, psychological and sexual abuse throughout his time in the care of Mr Varley, a teacher, and Mr McGowan-Fazackerley, a salesman. On Friday (May 1), the jury was shown footage of Preston being spun in a children’s saucer toy at a playground on July 19, 2023

Some clips showed him spinning slowly, though one appeared ‘quite fast’, Mr Wright KC said. One clip showed Preston ‘readjusting his focus’ after being spun around.

In another, Mr Varley can be heard saying ‘Elijah, Elijah’, before using his thumb to lift the baby’s eyelid, jurors were told. The clips were shared with Mr McGowan-Fazackerley and Mr Varley’s mother, with Dead or Alive’s ‘You Spin Me Round’ and Kylie’s ‘Spinning Around’ edited into the footage, the jury heard.

One clip, the court was told, was also forwarded to a friend of Mr Varley’s, who responded: “I would have thrown up if that was me.”

The jury was further shown photographs of Preston slumped over the bars of his cot on the day both men are alleged to have sexually assaulted him. Images taken during a forensic examination of the cot, which appeared to show staining, were also presented to jurors.

An additional video of Preston, alone in a bath, was retrieved from Mr Varley’s phone, the court heard. Preston appeared to be unsupervised for 14 minutes in the footage, which was subsequently deleted later that same day, it was stated.

The jury was shown records from a telephone consultation with Preston’s GP on July 26, the day before he died. Mr Varley had reported that Preston had a watery eye which he kept rubbing, but the doctor found no evidence of infection, the jury heard.

The GP advised that the condition be monitored and that he be contacted again should any redness or stickiness develop, the court was told.

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The very next day, Preston was rushed to hospital having collapsed, after having been left alone at home with Mr Varley, the court heard. He later died as a result of his injuries, the jury was told.

Mr Varley faces charges of murder, manslaughter, sexual assault, GBH, child cruelty, making indecent images and distributing an indecent image. Mr McGowan-Fazackerley is charged with causing and allowing the death of a child, two counts of cruelty to a person under 16 and sexual assault of a male child under 13.

Both men, of Staining Avenue, Blackpool, deny all the allegations.

The Miami Grand Prix faces potential disruption from severe weather

The FIA has said it is “closely monitoring” the Miami Grand Prix amid speculation that it could be rescheduled owing to thunderstorms. While conditions are expected to remain dry for much of the weekend, the latest forecasts for Sunday indicate heavy thunderstorms sweeping through the race area.

The GP is due to get underway at 4pm local time (9pm BST), though this could be brought forward because of a lightning risk. An FIA spokesperson said: “We are closely monitoring the weather forecast for this weekend.

“Having faced a similar situation last year in Miami with threats of thunderstorms, we have a contingency plan in place and will activate it if needed to minimise disruption to the on-track programme.”

The Miami GP is set to be the first race back on the F1 calendar following a five-week break. This is down to the cancellation of races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, amid continuing conflicts across the region.

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READ MORE: Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri agree on brash warning over F1 rule changesREAD MORE: Miami Grand Prix weather warning set to cause F1 chaos

Despite mounting concerns over the race being rescheduled or called off entirely, Express F1 reporter Daniel Moxon suggests the FIA are not as troubled as some might believe. He said: “The FIA isn’t as worried about the threat of thunderstorms tomorrow as some headlines have made out.

“There’s been some talk online that Sunday’s race might get cancelled because of the chunk of angry tropical weather heading towards Florida. In reality, there are already contingency plans in place depending on what the forecast looks like on Sunday morning.”

“That includes potentially bringing the start time forward, like they did at the 2024 Brazil race. And if lightning does strike during the Grand Prix, bosses are confident that they can pause the race with a red flag rather than abandon it altogether.”

“As for now, it’s bright, sunny and hot in Miami currently with shelter from the sun more on people’s minds than anything else.”

According to the latest reports, the Grand Prix is still on track to take place at the Miami International Autodrome this weekend.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of Formula 1.

Sky broadcasts every practice, qualifier and race throughout the season, as well as exclusive coverage of the Premier League, EFL, darts and golf.

Spark in Piccadilly will be celebrating eight years at its current site with a special celebration on Monday, 4 May, offering free cake, cocktails, and more in a full day of events.

The venue, which first opened in 2018, has grown into a hub for food, drink, retail, art, and community activity, attracting more than 430,000 visitors each year with 17 businesses currently running under its roof.  

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It first opened in 2018 on a temporary basis and its stay was last extended by five years last October, meaning it will remain in Piccadilly until 2030, ahead of a planned move to York Central.

Sam Leach, co-founder of SPARK, said that it was “brilliant” to celebrate the venue’s eighth birthday.

He said: “We are lucky to have such a brilliant team, a committed and ambitious group of traders and also have the fortune of working with so many community groups that bring such vibrancy, vitality and impact to Piccadilly, to York, and beyond.”

Monday’s birthday celebrations are set to begin from 8am and take place until late, with celebrations to include 80 free cupcakes from Crumbs Cupcakery, £8 cocktails all day, a complimentary photobooth, and a charity quiz night.

From 12pm to 9pm, eight guests each hour will receive a surprise drink token.

A special edition zine reflecting on eight years of SPARK’s journey, featuring stories from traders and the community, will also be available.

The birthday edition of Quingo, the venue’s popular quiz-bingo night, will begin at 6pm and raise funds for the Merchant Taylors’ Community Grant Fund.

For more, visit www.sparkyork.org or check their instagram page @sparkyork