WhatsApp users are being urged to change their settings after hackers were able to access personal data.

A flaw was discovered by Google’s Project Zero team which allowed people to send malicious files directly to phones.

The hackers were setting up fake group chats and then inviting random users to join.

If the invitation was accepted, the infected files were downloaded without anyone realising.

The files were then used maliciously to access personal data from people’s devices.

Now users have been told to disable automatic downloads to keep themselves protected.

Although WhatAspp had pushed out a fix to block new infections, it is unclear how many people were affected by the hack.

But turning off automatic downloads will prevent it happening in the future, Malwarebytes said.

This means no pictures, files, video or any other type of media will be automatically downloaded.

To turn it off, open WhatApp and tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.

Click settings, head to storage and data and click media auto-download.

Uncheck all media types, and then press OK.

What is the bug?

The bug makes people’s computers vulnerable to ‘spoofing’, which involves cyber crooks disguising their malware as an attached image file.

The documents allow the malware slip into the device, letting hackers to execute code – a script tells gadgets what to do.

The attack, called arbitrary code execution, uses a dodgy program to rip open a device’s backdoor so scammers can steal passwords, turn off security protections and even seize control of the device.

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

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Throughout the entire two-hour journey the child, aged about three, jumped up and down on his seat, climbed onto and under the table, almost knocked over the drink of a fellow passenger, looped his arms over the back of his seat disturbing the traveller sitting there, and was generally noisy and unruly.

In short, his behaviour was terrible, but, as far as we could make out, he was not told off once. The only effort the mother made to rein him in was to thrust an iPad under his nose. It kept him occupied for about ten minutes.

We pitied the very patient people sitting alongside them – a man trying to work on his laptop and a woman trying to get some sleep. Both were the height of politeness throughout constant interruptions. I would rather have sat on the floor beside the toilet. At no point did the mother, who was on her phone most of the time, apologise for her son’s behaviour.

It’s not the first time I have witnessed awful behaviour from children on public transport. I used to travel regularly on the route between Bradford and York, and dreaded the school holidays. The frequent presence of badly behaved kids made the journey torturous; I once sat opposite a child who poured his fizzy drink onto the table and proceeded to make patterns in it with his finger, and another who stuck jellied sweets all over the window. Both were accompanied by parents and neither were told off.

This is why I would happily travel in a child-free carriage – I’d even pay extra to do so if the option was there.

In France, the state-owned rail company SNCF has introduced child-free carriages on some trains, bringing both praise and criticism, with France’s children’s commissioner Sarah El-Haïry among the critics. She described the move as ‘shocking’ and insisted travelling with children is ‘a reality to be supported’.

The real issue does not, however, lie with the children themselves. It’s the adults supervising them who are at the root of their behaviour. Too often, children are left to their own devices, while the parents tap away on their mobile phones with no thought for other people.

As a parent myself, I know how hard travelling with a young child can be, but it’s easy enough to prepare for a journey, take along a couple of children’s books, a toy or two and maybe paper and crayons. Also, it takes no effort to point out things from the window.

The French child-free trains, which ban youngsters aged under 12, target business travellers. Were it introduced here I’d want it to go further and be available to everyone. The only problem would be demand. My guess is that most people want to avoid other people’s offspring on public transport, whether trains, buses or planes.

It’s the same in restaurants, cinemas and other public places. My heart sinks if I end up sitting in close proximity to young kids.

Of course it’s not only children who can cause offence on public transport. In an ideal world, there would be a train carriage for ‘quiet, respectful adults,’ who don’t conduct business with work colleagues loudly on their phone, watch violent films without headphones or spread the contents of their KFC Mighty Bucket for One across the table.

But it’s not an ideal world – far from it. Increasingly, people behave as they like and don’t seem to care how others perceive them.

When we left the train it didn’t surprise me in the slightest to see empty drink cans, sweet papers and sandwich wrappers left on the table and floor where the parent and child had been sitting.

Police, the air ambulance and paramedics were called to Lanark Terrace on Friday, January 30 at 1.55pm.

A child was taken to the University Hospital of North Durham, but tragically was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Air ambulance, paramedics and police attended the incident (Image: PROVIDED)

Durham Police has confirmed enquiries are continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The air ambulance and North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) previously confirmed they attended the scene and transported the child to hospital.

Police previously said: “Police were called to a medical incident at an address in Ferryhill at 1.55pm today (Friday, January 30).

“Paramedics also attended, and a young child was taken to the University Hospital of North Durham.  

“Sadly, the child was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the child’s death, which is currently being treated as unexplained.”

null (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

A week on (Friday, February 6), they have confirmed enquiries into the circumstances and incident remain ongoing.

At the time, a spokesperson for the Great North Air Ambulance Service said: “We were activated at 1.54pm to reports of a medical incident in Ferryhill.

“We had a doctor and a paramedic on board our aircraft and they arrived on scene within 10 minutes.

“Our team assessed and treated the patient before the patient was transported to hospital by road.”

null (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson added: “We were called to a private address in Ferryhill, County Durham on Friday January 30 at 1.52pm.

“We dispatched two ambulance crews and were supported by our colleagues at Great North Air Ambulance Service.

“One patient was taken to University Hospital of North Durham by road.”

The popular programme returned for its 27th series on Friday night (February 6)

Gogglebox viewers all said the same thing as the Channel 4 programme returned for a new series.The stars of the beloved show, which features a host of armchair critics offering their views on the latest television offerings, have been enjoying a break.

But the programme came back for its 27th series on Friday night (February 6). The episode saw several Gogglebox favourites – such as Abbie and Georgia, Sophie and Pete, Mary and Giles and Jenny and Lee – watching programmes including The Apprentice, The Floor and Secret Genius, reports the Mirror.

They also took a look at the high-octane Motorway Cops and Hollywood star Will Smith’s show Pole to Pole, and had a peek at Olivia Attwood: Getting Filthy Rich and Bridgerton. Viewers were delighted to see it back on their screens following the break, with many posting messages about it on social media.

READ MORE: Gogglebox star flooded with support after sharing exciting baby newsREAD MORE: Beloved Gogglebox family declare ‘we’re back’ and fans are over the moon

“Yes, Friday night belly laughs are back,” one individual wrote on X, which was formerly Twitter.

“New series of Gogglebox yay,” said someone else, as another fan remarked on the platform: “It’s good to have Gogglebox back.”

Another fan commented: “It’s utterly fascinating how so many seasons in the delightful show about people just watching TV can be so ridiculously addictive and wonderfully comforting. Never fails to wildly entertain.”

Somebody else said the show was “so funny”. “All hail the terrific delight @C4Gogglebox,” said another impressed viewer. “How is it so darn therapeutic watching people just watch TV? Always the much needed light relief a s***** day requires. Bravo to all involved.”

“Who doesn’t just love a bit of the terrific delight @C4Gogglebox?” one post said. “The perfect switch your brain of TV any time of the day or night needs, always such a wildly entertaining way to spend the time. Can’t wait for more.”

“Few more delightful ways to wind down after a long week than the terrific delight,” another fan posted. “Love love love Gogglebox,” enthused one fan, while others remarked on how much it made them “giggle”.

Others shared crying with laughter emojis on social media to express their enjoyment.

One fan who was unable to watch the new series due to their location issued a plea on Instagram, stating: “We miss this show in Australia! You have many fans here and we’re bereft! (Used to be on @binge here but we haven’t had your last few seasons.”

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website

Gogglebox airs on Channel 4

Detective Mervin Wilson was left gutted on Friday night after he said goodbye to his brother

Death in Paradise newcomer Solomon (played by Daniel Ward) seemingly confirmed his departure from the BBC drama on Friday evening after pinching belongings from the Shack that belonged to his brother, Detective Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet).

Mervin had been keen to forge a connection with his long-lost sibling, but it’s fair to say Solomon wasn’t quite what he’d anticipated. During the closing moments of the opening episode, Solomon made off with Mervin’s possessions after the detective turned down his request for cash. Yet it wasn’t long before the DI located his brother and warned that he’d have him arrested.

Following an incident where he shoved his brother into a pool, Solomon attempted to flee but confessed he was in debt to someone and had no idea how to settle it.

After returning Mervin’s belongings, Solomon made his way to the Saint Marie harbour and was preparing to board a vessel when Mervin rang him, reports the Express. “Hey, Sol,” Mervin said as Solomon waited to get on board the boat. “Look, I just got home, and I saw that you brought of my stuff back.

“Well, you know, I worked the Solomon Clarke magic,” Solomon laughed. The detective replied, “Well, I just wanted to say thank you. Did you have to give Myrtle her money back? You’re not still in debt, are you?”

“Don’t worry yourself,” Solomon replied before adding, “Got to get a boat back to Antigua, got some business over there that needs attending to.” “Of course you have,” the DI went on. “There is always something going on in Solomon land, right?

“You said it,” his brother jested as Mervin queried, “What about us now? What do we do next?”

“I don’t know, man,” Solomon confessed. “Like you said, I am trouble. A detective doesn’t need that in his life. And no disrespect to you, bro, but it’s not good to me having a police officer around, got a reputation to keep.”

He added, “Look, man, we tried this, and maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. Look after yourself.”

Death in Paradise is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**

Michele Turnbull has spoken of her terrifying experience after being raped twice by her ex-partner David Wilson in her home.

A woman has told about feeling so dirty after being brutally raped by her ex-partner that she bathed in Dettol. Michele Turnbull was left in so much pain after being attacked by David Wilson, 49, that she couldn’t walk for days.

Wilson raped the 41-year-old mother twice in her own home and ignored her desperate pleas for him to stop. She was left traumatised, scared and felt so dirty she could not initially touch her own skin.

Michele resorted to washing herself with the disinfectant in a bid to feel clean again. She found the strength to report him to the police and gave evidence against him during a trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

Wilson, of Gateshead, denied two charges of rape but was convicted by a jury. Last month, he was sentenced to 10 years behind bars.

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Recorder Mark Giuliani told him: “You decided your desires and your needs were more important than her wishes. Afterwards she felt ashamed and dirty, at one point washing herself with Dettol to feel clean again.”

Michele, who lives in Newcastle, has waived her right to anonymity to speak about the case and encourage others, who may have been through a similar experience, to contact the police.

She told Chronicle Live: “He brutally raped me to the point where I couldn’t sit down for three days. The first couple of days I couldn’t touch myself.

“I had a bath and poured a full bottle of Dettol in. It hurt but I just wanted to feel clean again. It didn’t help at all, I knew I was clean but I just felt disgusting. I could smell him on me.

“I hate him for what he’s put me through the last two years. He’s turned my life upside down. I think he’s an absolute disgrace and just a horrible animal. He’s not a man, he’s a beast.”

Michele met Wilson through a mutual friend in June 2023. She said he asked her out for three months before she agreed to go on a date with him in September that year.

They began a relationship but Michele soon tried to distance herself due to his behaviour, which she described as “obsessive”. She said: “I went to Bulgaria on holiday and he stopped in my flat.

“When I was away, he said he was missing me and sent me a picture of my pink fleece blanket rolled up on the bed with one of my bikinis on and my pair of trainers. I thought it was just a joke but when I came back a week later it was still there.

“I thought it was a bit creepy but I brushed it off. He started showering me with unwanted gifts and when I went out with my sister he turned up at the same place. I hadn’t told him where I was.

“He also went around all of my local shops and told everybody that we were together. I tried to tell him verbally to back off but he didn’t listen so I wrote him a letter saying it’s getting too much.

“He was obsessive with me, I was like a trophy. We were together six or seven weeks if that.”

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Michele said she decided to invite Wilson around for a drink on November 18, 2023 to see how things went. She said she later went to bed and he followed her into the bedroom.

Michele said: “We hadn’t had any sexual contact for three weeks prior to the rape. He watched the telly and then turned everything off and came to bed. I was half asleep, I was just dozing off.

“He climbed into bed and started to touch me. He climbed on top of me and pinned me down.

“He took my pyjama bottoms off me while I was pinned to the bed. I was telling him ‘no’ and telling him to ‘stop’. He was like an animal.”

Michele said the following morning Wilson made himself a cup of coffee, and had one mouthful of it, before leaving her address. She lay on her sofa for two days before telling her family what had happened.

Her mother, her sister and her brother-in-law encouraged her to report Wilson to the police. She said: “They saw the state I was in. They didn’t want anyone else to have to go through this. I was concerned I might not be believed but I was determined to go and get justice.”

Michele, who had to undergo a forensic medical examination at the Angel Centre in Gateshead, received a message from Wilson two days later which said: “What did I do wrong?”

She told him that he had “forced” himself onto her and he was “like a f****** animal”. He replied saying: “I’m absolutely devastated that I’ve hurt you and went against what you said I really am so sorry xx”.

Wilson, who was on bail, denied the offences and went on trial at Newcastle Crown Court. Michele gave evidence against him from inside the courtroom.

She said: “I had to watch my video statement and be cross-examined in court by his defence. Every question he asked I answered straight back. I was honest – I had nothing to hide. It was hard, I felt like I was in a movie, but I did it.

“I was sobbing when I heard guilty. I was so overwhelmed and relieved.

“I was expecting him to get less so I was over the moon when he go 10 years. That night I slept for 15 hours. I think my body is repairing itself, I think it was needed.”

Michele, who works as an optical assistant, said the attack has had an impact her mental health. She said: “I have lost all my confidence and my self-esteem. I have tried to take my own life twice.

“At one point I couldn’t leave the house unless I was with someone and I wouldn’t go out on a night time. I’m finally able to relax, I can leave the house without being scared now.

“I’m finally able to move on and start healing. I can walk around with my head held high now. I’m like a jigsaw puzzle, I’m finding pieces of myself and putting them together again.”

Michele is hoping to encourage others, who may have been through a similar experience, to report their attacker to police. She said: “Be brave and have the courage to do it. If I can do it, you can as well.

“You will be believed. Don’t be scared, they are there to help you. I want to thank the police for everything they have done.”

Michele has also urged people to make use of Clare’s Law, which gives any member of the public the right to ask the police if their current or future partner may be a danger to them.

She added: “It’s always going to be in the back of my head, it’s never going to go away and it’s going to have a massive impact on my future relationships with men. At the moment, if any man tries to approach me I just go to bits. If I do get into a relationship in the future I will be using Clare’s Law on them.”

Clare’s Law, also known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, is named after Clare Wood. The 36-year-old, from Salford, was murdered by her ex-partner in 2009.

Anyone who wishes to use Clare’s Law can make an application through the police force’s website. National guidance states that Clare’s Law applications need to be completed in 28 days.

Northumbria Police say they take on average 11 days and if there is a serious risk from a new partner it’ll be done the same day. The number of applications received by the force has increased from 500 in 2018 to almost 4,000 last year.

Jon Ruben, 76, admitted drugging children with laced sweets as well as his wife to ensure she wouldn’t wake up during his crimes

All was not as it seemed at a wholesome summer camp which was supposed to be an opportunity for underprivileged children to have some summer fun. Instead, boys were fed laced sweets and poisoned so that the man running the camp could sexually abuse them.

Jon Ruben, 76, from Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, was believed by those around him to be a stand up member of the community, and had been running a holiday camp for kids for 27 years.

But Leicester Crown Court heard how he had been playing a sick game with the children in his care “for many years”. Whilst they were getting ready for bed, he challenged them to eat the sweets which had been laced with tranquilising drugs as “as quickly as they can”.

He used his “cloak of Christianity” to poison the boys in order to sexually abuse them. Prosecutors said the sick retired vet had “honed” his poisoning skill “over many years” and that his horrifying abuse was “premeditated and planned”, reports the Mirror.

Today, Ruben was sentenced for his crimes. In his sentencing remarks, the Judge said Ruben had posed a “life-threatening risk” to the young boys when he poisoned them with sedatives to “gain sexual arousal, initially from their naked bodies, and also in order to sexually assault at least some of those boys”.

Ruben was sentenced to 23 years and 10 months for his crimes at the summer camps. Some families of the child victims gave heartbreaking impact statements about the devastation caused by the pensioner’s reign of terror – others were so “distraught” at the sickening detail in the sentencing hearing they had to leave the room.

Ruben’s crimes were exposed last year when emergency services were called to Stathern Lodge, a youth centre near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. He had been running a summer camp there when eight children – aged between eight and 11 years old – and one adult had become unwell.

They had reported feeling “drowsy and sick” and all of them were taken to hospital. One boy was found “slumped over the dining room table” at the lodge, the court heard.

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The youngster explaining he had won the “sweet game” but was so disoriented he had to hold on to the wall to stay upright. He later tested positive for liquid Xanax.

One mother told the court in a victim impact statement that “The scene at the hall was like chaos – it was like a Die Hard movie. This was all caused by the selfish actions of one man.”

She added that her son now struggles to be left alone at night, because he is too afraid.

Another parent described the “nightmare” experience. They said: “The kids were kept from us initially, but we could hear them screaming to us that Jon had been arrested, and we also learned he drugged the children with sweets. We didn’t know what to think – the whole experience was so frightening. The following weeks and months were a nightmare.”

The court heard that the day after being poisoned the boys were “tired and floppy and seeming to be drunk” and that searches found a “chocolate poisoning chart” that the prosecutor said Ruben used to determine how much sedation to give the boys.

June Grant, 83, a former bookings secretary at the hall, previously said: “There were so many sirens. You could hear the ambulances and police cars whizzing around the village. It was scary but such good news that the children are OK.”

Ruben was arrested at a nearby pub where he was found by police accompanied by some of the kids. Toxicology reports found liquid Xanax present in samples from children at the camp, as well as within sweets which had been provided to the children. Incisions marks were also seen on the sweets themselves.

Ruben’s stepson was the one who initially became suspicious of the pensioner. He told his partner about his concerns before taking matters into his own hands and searching Ruben’s belongings.

That was where he found Vaseline, syringes and baby oil and quickly called the police.

After his crimes were uncovered, indecent material was found on his devices. 50 Category A – the most serious kind – indecent videos of children were discovered, alongside 22 Category B videos, and seven Category C videos.

At Leicester Crown Court, the pensioner pleaded guilty to 18 charges. They included one count of sexual assault of a child under 13 and another of assault of a child under 13 by penetration.

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The paedophile also pleaded guilty to drugging his own wife, Susan. He admitted to the police that he administered the drugs to her so she would stay asleep whilst he sexually assaulted children at the summer camp.

Prosecutor Mary Prior KC said at the sentencing hearing: “In order to allow for his wife Susan, who was a light sleeper, to ensure she didn’t notice his absence in the night. He put sedatives in her tea.

“She reported feeling groggy with a bitter, metallic taste when she woke up. The purpose of the sedation was to ensure all of the boys were heavily asleep so the defendant could undress them, and choose who to sexually abuse.”

Susan spoke at the sentencing hearing, telling the court that her “life has been turned upside down,” and that, “I have now found out I have no idea who Jon Ruben is.”

She also told the court that the sick pensioner had told police issues with their sex life had contributed to his evil offences and that he believes himself to be “untouchable”. Susan lamented that the summer camp which was supposed to bring “moments of happiness” to underprivileged youngsters had been used by Jon to perpetuate the “most awful crimes”.

Susan said: “He painted himself as a Christian man and a pillar of the community. He is in fact a sadistic, monstrous paedophile.”

Ruben pulled the wool over people’s eyes for many years and, in 2015, was nominated for a community award for his work with young people. However, the court heard that a journal was found that indicated he had sick fantasies for a long time.

At the sentencing hearing, the court heard that he had targeted “vulnerable” boys “due to their underprivileged background”. The prosecutor also told the court: “The deprivation from many for these families was more than financial. Many were struggling to keep down jobs and relied on the church for afterschool clubs.”

The woman who nominated him for the Supporting Young People gong was quoted in a local newspaper singing his praises, and saying Ruben went above and beyond to give children a “great start in life” and that kids loved him – comments that now take on a whole new meaning.

“I used to volunteer with Jon and he works so hard for the benefit of so many young people. He wants young people to have a great start in life and he is such a lovely man too. He makes a genuine difference,” the woman was quoted as saying.

“Children find him funny and have a fun time with him, but they respect him too. He works tirelessly.”

Ruben’s responded to the nomination by saying: “I am shocked and pleased at the same time – I genuinely did not see this coming. We just like to give children good things to do.”

One boy, the court heard in a victim impact statement given by his father, was so shocked by Ruben’s abuse he asked if the youth worker had been “set up” and that the child had been inspired to be a youth worker himself by Ruben. “My boy is very confused about what has happened and struggling to process that Jon Ruben isn’t the person he thought he was,” the father said, “He was promised he would be a youth leader, and he was so excited he had been acknowledged by [Ruben]. Our family changed forever from that moment on.”

The father said after the pensioner’s arrest his son asked “What if somebody set him up and put the sweets in his bag? How could he do things like that – he is a man of God?”

The court heard a parent say in an impact statement that their son had begun self-harming and had become a shell of himself since the assault. “[My son] shut down and started self-harming, pulling and twisting his hair out,” a mother told the hearing. “[He] was previously a confident, independent boy who now needs constant distraction and reassurance, and has got to the point where he doesn’t leave our sides.

“When (my son) is at home, but in a room on his own, he barricades himself in to feel safe when we are out. He has lost his innocence. He doesn’t trust anyone and this affects every part of his daily life.”

Ruben apologised repeatedly after the victim impact statements were read out, holding his head in his hands as they spoke and sobbing.

Thomas Schofield KC acting for Ruben told the court the pensioner is the “epitome of remorse” rejecting that he had used his Christianity as a cover. Schofield also told the hearing that Ruben had been abused as a child and that “He embraces the need for punishment. He described himself to me as a monster and evil.” The barrister also told the court that Ruben has a personality disorder, autistic spectrum disorder, or ADHD or a “combination of all of them”.

In his sentencing remarks Judge Timothy Spencer KC said that Ruben had used Christianity to “get close to boys” and “exploited” his status as youth worker and community figure, adding he “grossly betrayed the trust that came with it.”

The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, Paul Williams, said previously about the case: ” I am profoundly shocked by the terrible abuse of children admitted by Jon Ruben. First and foremost, our thoughts are with the children and families affected by these appalling crimes. The abuse of trust and harm to the vulnerable is horrific in any setting, but it is especially shocking when it happens in a context that should have been safe and nurturing.

“Jon Ruben was a member of the PCC at St Peter’s Ruddington and also a volunteer working with young people in the church. Safeguarding of children and young people are our highest priority across all our churches.”

Lockyer said: “I was just one of the more than 30,000 people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest every year in the UK. I am lucky to be alive today, but the reality is that less than 1 in 10 people usually survive, which is why it’s vital that we continue to raise awareness.

As soon as you drive over the top of the Peak District and down into Sheffield you can see the light pollution – and it’s horrible, said a participant in a research project into darkness and light pollution.

In the last 100 years, the places where people can experience darkness have reduced dramatically. Now only 10% of the people living in the western hemisphere experience places with dark skies, where there is no artificial light. And the starry skies they can see are limited by artificial light. The number of stars that people can see from most of the western hemisphere is getting fewer and fewer.

Researchers trying to find out about public attitudes to darkness attended events over three days in the North York Moors National Park. Here, in one of the UK’s seven dark sky reserves (where light pollution is limited), the researchers explored how immersive and fun experiences, such as guided night walks and stargazing and silent discos, reshaped public perceptions of natural darkness and sparked ideas of what they might change in their lives.

Working with a professional film-maker, the research team recorded how people responded to taking part in events in darkness. Participants in the research included five tourism businesses, two representatives from the park and 94 visitors.

Darkness disappears

Light pollution is increasing globally by approximately 10% per year (estimated by measuring how many stars can be seen in the sky at night), diminishing night skies and disrupting ecosystems.

But increasing awareness of light pollution has led to an increase in national parks hosting events to explore this issue, according to my recent study.

The study’s findings indicated that participants in the North York Moors Dark Sky Festival events not only started to feel more comfortable in natural darkness but also talked about changing their own lifestyle, including using low-impact lighting in their homes, asking neighbours to switch off lights in their gardens at night, and monitoring neighbourhood light levels.

The research team used filming and walking with visitors to capture not just what people said, but what they did in darkness. During guided walks, participants experimented with moving without head‑torches, cultivating night vision, and tuning into sound, smell and learning how to find their way around without artificial light.

Walking in silence helped visitors build a deeper connection with the nocturnal environment. One visitor said that being in the dark just for that moment of peace, and just to listen and tune in to the environment was a privilege and something to conserve.

One said: “I remember as a child I’d see similar stuff from a city [and that] sort of thing, and now we’re doing whatever we can do to save things like this.”

Visitors reported leaving with new skills, greater awareness and commitment, such as putting their lights at home on timers, and working on bat protection projects. These actions demonstrate that this kind of experience in nocturnal environments can change behaviour far beyond festivals.

Dark Sky activists, such as those in the North York Moors National Park, have learned that the public connect with the issues around light pollution and become more engaged if the activities are fun.

Shared experiences help people understand complex messages about climate, biodiversity, and responsible lighting, and help people feel more confident about walking in the dark. Several participants commented that walking without light was good and wasn’t as bad as they thought. Another said: “I find walking at night with a full moon is really quite a magical experience.”

By the end of the walk, some visitors (when on relatively easy ground) were happy to switch head torches off and enjoy feeling immersed within the nocturnal landscape.

Dark‑sky festivals show how joy and fun can build public awareness and an understanding of why darkness matters.

However, limited public transport to rural night events as well as safety concerns about walking in darkness, and the cost of festivals all restrict participation.

Why light is a problem

Research shows that artificial light at night disrupts circadian rhythms, impairs some species ability to find their way around and is a cause of declining populations of insects, bats and other nocturnal fauna.

There is also evidence that outdoor lighting generates needless emissions and ecological harm that is intensifying at an alarming rate.

To rethink this shift, the study argues that darkness could be considered a shared environmental “good”, requiring collective care to prevent overuse, damage and pollution.

Small changes in lighting shielding (which controls the spread of light), warmer coloured lights, and half lighting (switching street lighting off at midnight) can be significant and less damaging to animal life.

The national park’s next major step has been to establish a Northern England Dark-Sky Alliance to halt the growth of light pollution outside the park boundaries, particularly along the A1 road in northern England, which would help restore natural darkness for nocturnal migratory species, such as birds like Nightjars.

If we can make living with more darkness in our streets, and in our leisure time, feel more normal and more comfortable, then nighttime becomes not something that needs to be fixed, but a shared commons to be restored.

Jenny Hall is a speaker at an upcoming discussion on Cities Under Stars: Tackling Light Pollution in Cities, in conjunction with The Conversation, as part of this year’s Dark Skies Festival. Find out more, and come along.