They are the first results to be announced in the county

Results have started to come in across Cambridgeshire after yesterday’s local elections. It is only Peterborough so far that has counted their results with others set to begin today.

The majority of results across the county are due to be announced today, with counting yet to even begin. Ballot boxes will be arriving after the polls closed at 10pm last night.

Peterborough is on the unitary council model which means residents in that area has just one council whereas the rest of Cambridgeshire has two tier system that works with district and borough councils which are responsible for planning, parks, bins and other matters and the county council which looks after roads, adult and children’s social care, education and others. All of the councils work together under the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

In Peterborough, the following parties were elected:

• Independent – one elected – a loss of five
• Conservative – six elected – a gain of three
• Labour – two elected – a loss of three
• Lib Dem – three elected – no change
• Greens – two elected – a gain of one
• Reform UK – four elected – a gain of four

That makes the new make up of the council 17 independent councillors, 13 Conservative councillors, 11 Labour councillors, eight Lib Dems, six Greens, five Reform UK.

Cambridgeshire County Council had its elections last year so only residents with a lower tier council election voted yesterday. Across the country different councils hold their elections in different stages. Some have a third of councillor wards up for election, others have them all up and others have had no elections at all.

For South Cambridgeshire, Huntingdon all wards have been up for election. Southend – the other unitary authority has had a third of its councillors up for election.

East Cambridgeshire and Fenland had no elections so residents in those areas did not vote this year. Peterborough and Cambridge all had a third of councillors up for election.

To view the results so far use our widget below to see every result in every ward in Peterborough, or type in a place name or postcode to see results in other areas. The full results are also listed below the widget.

“I work as an artist, illustrator and creative projects manager, and I got into gardening in lockdown. Having two young kids I wanted to make our little garden less rubbish.

“I replaced the slippery decking with reclaimed brick paving and have gone for huge containers instead of little pots. I got more and more into plants and flowers; tulips, ox-eye daisies, cornflowers, dahlias. I am also doing a post grad in garden design.

“If I had to advise anyone about getting into gardening, I’d say just go for it, make mistakes, volunteer — you can only improve!

“My own garden is progressing slowly. It has been expensive sorting out the hard landscaping so I’m planting in stages because I don’t have lots of spare income. I also have an allotment where I want to grow food and flowers for my family.

“I love the change of the seasons, learning about what works together and the sculpture and the colours of it all. And it’s good getting a workout outdoors and doing something that doesn’t involve screens.”

@frances_glory_costelloe

Walford favourite Denise Fox, played by Diane Parish, will be diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia following a period of unexplained tiredness and resulting medical tests.

The storyline will follow her diagnosis and its impact on her and her loved ones over the coming months.

EastEnders character Denise Fox set for cancer storyline

Denise made her first appearance on the BBC soap in May 2006 and temporarily left EastEnders in early 2008 to give birth to her second child.

Parish has had two roles in EastEnders, previously playing singer Lola Christie in 1998 before playing salon manager Denise.

On the new storyline, Ben Wadey, executive producer at EastEnders, said: “It was vital to us that Denise’s storyline is portrayed with sensitivity and care, and we’re grateful to Blood Cancer UK for their advice in helping us tell this story accurately.

“As viewers follow Denise, we hope to shine a light on the realities and challenges of an acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosis and the impact it has on the person affected and those around them.”

The blood cancer storyline is being developed in partnership with the national charity Blood Cancer UK to ensure it is depicted accurately and sensitively.

Blood Cancer UK reports that more than 40,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with blood cancer each year.

Denise Fox’s character Diane Parish will be part of a new cancer storyline on EastEnders (Image: Kieron McCarron/BBC)

Helen Rowntree, chief executive of Blood Cancer UK, said: “It’s been a privilege advising the EastEnders team to ensure Denise’s storyline reflects the real experiences of people living with blood cancer and those who care for them.

“Being black and living with an aggressive blood cancer like acute myeloid leukaemia can bring additional challenges.

“We hope viewers gain a greater understanding of blood cancer’s impact, and we’re pleased this issue is being highlighted on a powerful platform, helping make a ‘hidden’ cancer more visible.”

The symptoms of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) usually develop over a few weeks, becoming more severe as the number of immature white blood cells increases, the NHS explains.

Symptoms can include skin looking pale or “washed out”, tiredness, breathlessness, night sweats, easily bruised skin, bone and joint pain, and more.

EastEnders to mark 20th anniversary of Denise Fox

The BBC will be hosting a special night dedicated to Denise Fox on May 11 as the character marks two decades on the soap.

Airing on BBC Three, a selection of EastEnders episodes will air from 8pm to 11pm, followed by the documentary ‘Manosphere’, which Parish fronts.

The episodes will highlight some of Denise’s biggest lines, including exposing her serial killer husband, Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet) and when she became entwined with the murder of Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters).

Plus, fans will be able to rewatch the time Denise had to choose between Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara).

The BBC will air the following episodes of Denise Fox, according to Radio Times:

• 8pm – The downfall of Lucas Johnson (2010)
• 8.30pm – Denise and Ian Beale kiss (2013)
• 9pm – Keanu Taylor dies on Christmas Day (2023)
• 10pm – Denise chooses between Jack and Ravi (2025)
• 10.30pm – Joel Marshall’s behaviour takes a turn (2025)
• 11pm – EastEnders Investigates: The Manosphere (2025)

EastEnders airs on BBC One every Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm.

Who is your favourite character on EastEnders? Let us know in the comments.

He acknowledged it had been a “tough” night for Labour but said that “days like this don’t weaken my resolve to deliver the change that I promised”.

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK made gains across the country as hundreds of Labour councillors were voted out, heaping pressure on the Prime Minister.

Sir Keir faces further heavy losses as vote counting continues throughout Friday in both English local elections and contests for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd.

All the elections in England, Scotland and Wales

In Wales, Labour is expected to lose the national vote for the first time in more than a century while the SNP appears likely to remain the largest party in Scotland after 19 years in power.

Sir Keir has already faced speculation about his leadership, with the Times reporting Energy Secretary Ed Miliband had urged the Prime Minister to set out a timetable for his departure.

But Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy urged his party not to play “pass the parcel” with the leadership in response to the election results.

Labour sources pointed to poor local election results under previous prime ministers, including Sir Tony Blair who lost 1,100 councillors in 1999 but went on to win re-election in a landslide in 2001.

Meanwhile, Mr Farage hailed early results from Thursday’s local election as a sign his party was on course for victory at a general election that is still up to three years away.

A jubilant Mr Farage heralded a “historic change in British politics,” telling reporters “there is no more left-right” as his outfit was “scoring stunning percentages in traditional old Labour areas”.

(Image: Joe Giddens/PA)

The Reform leader compared the substantial gains to clearing Becher’s Brook, a famously difficult jump in the Grand National.

“If we cleared Becher’s Brook and landed well, we go on to win the Grand National.

“What is very clear to me is that our voters will stick with us now all the way through.”

With 40 of the 136 councils declaring their full results in the early hours of Friday, Reform’s gains reached 270 seats while Labour had lost more than 200.

Mr Farage’s party also took control of its first council of this set of contests, nabbing Newcastle-under-Lyme from the Conservatives.

Polling guru Sir John Curtice said the results confirmed “the fracturing of British politics”, telling the BBC that Reform was clearly ahead but still “probably not quite at 30% of the vote” while other parties were “just a little bit below 20%”.

He suggested the results may not be as bad for Labour as some had predicted, saying the party could lose less than 1,500 seats.

Mount Dukono volcano erupted in North Maluku, Indonesia, spewing ash 10km into the sky. Local police chief Erlichson Pasaribu confirmed three people have been killed and several hikers remain missing, with 15 people evacuated from the 1,335m-high mountain.

Three individuals have lost their lives after a group of hikers went missing when a volcano erupted in Indonesia earlier today. Mount Dukono blasted ash up to 10km into the atmosphere while a party of hikers were exploring the popular destination.

A total of 15 people were successfully evacuated from the 1,335m-high peak, while two porters from the hiking group remained behind to assist rescue teams in recovering the bodies of the three fatalities, according to local police chief Erlichson Pasaribu.

Mount Dukono has erupted almost 200 times since late March, as reported by the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia. The location is presently classified as Level Two within the agency’s three-tier volcano alert system, indicating heightened volcanic activity and the necessity for vigilance, reports the Mirror.

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The question sounds simple. The answer, once you examine the actual measurement science behind it, is more interesting than either “yes” or “no”.

The houseplant-as-air-purifier idea can be traced to a 1989 US study, conducted for Nasa as part of research into closed-loop life support systems for space stations. In sealed, controlled chambers, certain plant species reduced concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These are chemicals that easily evaporate into the air at room temperature, including some toxic ones like benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde. The science was sound. The problem is the leap from a sealed Nasa chamber to a living room. This distinction matters enormously, and it underpins almost every piece of inflated coverage about houseplants’ purifying abilities that has followed.

Most studies showing that houseplants remove pollutants share a fundamental design feature: small, sealed chambers with artificially high concentrations of pollutants introduced as a single high dose. A plant is placed inside the chamber, concentrations of pollutants are measured over time and a removal rate is calculated. This design works well for comparing plants to each other. It works poorly for predicting what happens in your home.

The critical missing variable is what building scientists call the air exchange rate. This is how quickly outdoor air naturally replaces indoor air through gaps, walls and ventilation systems. In a real building, this constant dilution is already doing the heavy lifting on pollutant concentration. When a 2019 study modelled plant performance against real-world air exchange rates, it found you would need between ten and 1,000 plants per square metre to match what a building’s passive ventilation already achieves.

So the scientifically defensible answer is: houseplants can remove some pollutants, but they are not an effective standalone air-cleaning solution for homes. That does not mean the earlier studies were “wrong”. It means their results were often overextended into everyday settings where the physics of indoor air are very different.

More recent reviews distinguish between potted plants and more engineered plant-based systems. Some botanical biofilters, which force air through plant-root substrates with fans, may have useful air-cleaning potential, but that is a different technology from keeping a few decorative plants on a windowsill.

Another reason the claim is often overstated is that real indoor environments are not static. Pollutants are not usually released once and then left to decline in a sealed space, as happens in many chamber experiments. In homes, emissions may be continuous or intermittent, from cooking, cleaning, furnishings, consumer products, heating and traffic pollution wafting in from outside. Temperature, humidity, the number of people at home and ventilation also change throughout the day. All of these factors affect how pollutants are emitted, diluted or deposited indoors. This makes real exposure conditions far more complex than the controlled conditions under which many plant studies are carried out.

For these reasons, the most credible public health advice remains straightforward.

First, reduce or remove the pollution source. This may involve stopping the use of products that emit fumes, such as aerosol sprays or strong chemical cleaners, and repairing building defects such as damp or leaks that promote mould growth.

Then, improve ventilation and use effective filtration. Ventilation can be improved by, for example, opening windows and doors and using kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans that vent outdoors. You can also increase the supply of outdoor air through combined heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, which can be great for filtering air.

Portable air cleaners with high-efficiency particulate air (Hepa) filtration can help reduce airborne particles, while ventilation, such as opening windows or using exhaust fans, helps dilute indoor pollutants when outdoor air quality is acceptable. Air cleaners vary in quality, though. For everyday use, look for a model that is the right size for the room and clearly states that it uses a True Hepa filter, which means it is designed to capture at least 99.97% of very small particles.

It is also helpful if the unit has an AHAM Verifide label, which means its clean air delivery rate (CADR) has been independently tested. As a simple guide, the higher the CADR, the faster the cleaner can remove particles from the air, and the packaging will usually say what room size the unit is suitable for. Most air cleaners are designed mainly for particles such as dust, pollen, pet dander and smoke.

If you also want help with gases or odours, such as VOCs, look for a model that includes an activated carbon filter, because Hepa filters alone are mainly for particles. Packaging will usually indicate whether a unit is intended for particles, gases or both, but no air cleaner removes all pollutants.

It is also worth remembering that plants themselves require care. Overwatering and poorly maintained pots can contribute to moisture problems or microbial growth indoors. In that sense, even the benefits of indoor greenery depend on how they are managed.

Does that mean houseplants are useless indoors? Not at all. Even if their direct air-cleaning effect is modest in real homes, plants may still offer benefits. Scientific studies suggest they can improve perceived comfort and psychological wellbeing, and in some cases slightly influence humidity or the indoor microenvironment.

Keep houseplants because you enjoy them, because they make indoor spaces more attractive and calming. They can make homes feel more pleasant, and that is a value in itself. But they should not be presented as a practical solution to serious indoor air problems.

There were 20 of town hall’s 60 seats up for grabs with Reform UK winning the most on the night with nine.

The Greens won three while the Conservatives also won three, with Labour winning two, the Horwich and Blackrod First Independents two and the Liberal Democrats one.

Overall this left Labour with the most seats with 20, but 10 off what they need for a majority.

The Conservatives were left in second place with 11 seats and Reform UK on third with 10 and the five Liberal Democrat with five.

When counting was done there were also four Greens, four Horwich and Blackrod First Independents, three Farnworth and Kearsley First Councillors and three independents.

Results across 20 seats were counted (Image: Phil Taylor)

The results in full –

Astley Bridge

Ryan Bailey – Reform UK – 1635

Sarita Chohan – Liberal Democrats – 106

Peter Brett Hopkinson – Independent – 53

Lee Thorne – Green Party – 1147

John Walsh – Conservative Party – 1248

Phil Warren – Labour Party – 807

Bradshaw

Jennifer Entwistle – Green Party -423

Peter Dennis Firth – Labour & Co-Operative Party – 745

Sandra Harris – Reform UK – 1712

Christine Anne Strawbridge – Liberal Democrats – 130

Les Webb – Conservative Party – 1801

Breightmet

Gillian Fernley – Green Party – 413

Derek John Gradwell – Liberal Democrats – 80

Wendy Ann Hopkinson – Independent – 33

Kate Elizabeth Taylor – Labour & Co-Operative Party – 605

Mike Tucker – Reform UK – 1890

Adele Kay Warren – Conservative Party – 974

Bromley Cross

Joe Burton – Green Party – 718

Charlotte Anne Cadden – Conservative Party – 1794

Jayden Cain – Reform UK – 1669

Bill Lovat – Labour Party – 596

Jim Priest – Liberal Democrats – 164

Farnworth North

Nadeem Ayub – Labour Party – 1131

Sandra Baker – Farnworth & Kearsley First Party – 642

Ryan Cain – Conservative Party – 103

Rees Gibbon – Reform UK – 1109

Philip Kochitty – Green Party – 648

Champak Mistry – Independent – 235

Andrew John Tonge – Liberal Democrats – 35

Farnworth South

Kubbar Alom – The Conservative Party Candidate – 59

Wesley McArdle – Labour Party – 343

Julie Pattison – Reform UK – 1220

Paul Sanders – Farnworth & Kearsley First Party – 950

Jennifer Louise Tonge – Liberal Democrats – 40

David Wright – Green Party – 338

Great Lever

Mahboob Alom – Green Party – 1239

Yusuf Butt – Conservative Party – 159

Rishikesh Ratilal Chohan – Liberal Democrats – 116

Gus Heyes – Reform UK – 755

Mohammed Iqbal – Labour Party – 1918

Halliwell

Philip Booth – Reform UK – 744

Elizabeth Anne Elliott – Conservative Party – 136

Baggy Khan – Green Party – 1752

Safwaan Patel – Labour Party – 1444

Caroline Anne Turner-Preece – Liberal Democrats – 115

Heaton, Lostock and Chew Moor

Hetan Ajwani – Reform UK – 1374

Anne Barbara Galloway – Conservative Party – 2112

Paul Martin – Liberal Democrats – 299

Salim Qureshi – Labour Party – 1065

Alexander James Rostron – Green Party – 760

Horwich North

Helena Carman – Green Party – 585

Graham Dawson – Labour Party – 536

Andrea Jane Finney – Horwich and Blackrod First Independents – 1905

Carol Forshaw – Conservative Party – 257

Stephen Martindale – Reform UK – 1243

Charlotte Chloe Minnie Moncado-Sears – Independent – 252

Scott Turner-Preece – Liberal Democrats – 74

Horwich South and Blackrod

Joshua Johnathan Callum Cook – Labour Party – 378

Michael Jarvis – Green Party – 375

Matthew Kyle – Reform UK – 1060

Antony Moncado-Sears – Independent – 49

Paul Norris – Conservative Party – 293

John William Strawbridge – Liberal Democrats – 79

Peter Wright – Horwich & Blackrod First Independents – 1775

Hulton

Derek Bullock – Reform UK – 1939

Alan Johnson – Green Party – 947

Linda Christine Maher – Liberal Democrats – 160

Shafi Patel – Conservative Party – 470

Emma Julia Schofield – Labour Party – 979

Kearsley

George Butler – Labour & Co-Operative Party – 255

David Charles Tyas Cooper – Liberal Democrats – 49

Roger Pedley – Reform UK – 1561

Tony Brendon Sandy Peers – Green Party – 176

Glenys Ratcliffe – The Conservative Party Candidate – 103

Jack Tebay – Advance UK – 71

Tracey Wilkinson – Farnworth & Kearsley First Party – 1153

Little Lever and Darcy Lever

Fin Cozens-Stott – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition – 40

Ben William Dolata – Green Party – 345

Rach Gilmour – Labour Party – 680

Susan Mary Martin – Liberal Democrats – 143

David Michael Meehan – The Conservative Party Candidate – 924

Derek Wunderley – Reform UK – 2040

Queen Park and Central

Zan Arif – Green Party – 1090

Richard Elliott – Conservative Party – 206

Rebekah Susan Mary Fairhurst – Liberal Democrats – 116

Richard Silvester – Labour & Co-Operative Party – 1044

Nimesh Vara – Reform UK – 609

Rumworth

Sajid Ali – Labour Party – 1659

Ismail Ibrahim – Green Party – 2346

Ghansham Hirji Patel – Reform UK – 463

Shahjahan Shah – Conservative Party – 119

Gillian Elizabeth Wroe – Liberal Democrats – 137

Smithills

Elora Hunt – Green Party – 563

Raymond Ndokwo – Conservative Party – 184

Liam O’Callaghan – Labour Party – 533

Sue Priest – Liberal Democrats – 1713

Simon Roscoe – Reform UK – 1565

Tonge with the Haulgh

Hafiz Tahir-Mahmood Butt – Conservative Party – 251

Rebecca Forrest – Liberal Democrats – 166

Trevor Jones – Reform UK – 2089

Nick Peel – Labour & Co-Operative Party – 1329

Gaynor Margaret Richards – Green Party – 600

Westhoughton North and Hunger Hill

David Lewis – Reform UK – 1781

Neil Maher – Liberal Democrats – 1071

Paul Leslie Saunders – Labour Party – 403

Martin Tighe – Conservative Party – 964

Louise Warburton – Green Party – 439

Westhoughton South

Richard Adam Bates – Independent – 57

Glen Clarke – Reform UK – 1644

Colin Higson – Conservative Party – 276

Simon Penhallow – Green Party – 306

Christina Ruth Saunders – Labour Party – 455

Jack Speight – Westhoughton First Independents – 100

David Arthur Wilkinson – Liberal Democrats – 1550

Nathan Emerson, chief executive officer of property professionals’ body Propertymark, said: “The rate of inflation remains a key concern for many people, especially as there is widespread speculation that the Bank of England may potentially need to implement measured base rate increases over the coming months to best regulate potential future financial instability.

A proposal has been lodged with Darlington Borough Council to turn the first floor of 31 Tubwell Row into a one-bedroom flat, above what used to be Queen Nails next to the Cornmill Centre.

The scheme would see space previously used for business purposes converted into a single home. The applicant says all rooms will have natural light and meet building standards, with access from Tubwell Row.

The property has been in commercial use for at least two years and is not affected by planning restrictions that would prevent the change. The building is not listed.

The applicant says there are no known risks from flooding or land contamination.

A noise report, based on a previous scheme at the site, found traffic, buses and pedestrians to be the main sources of noise at the front of the building, with quieter conditions at the rear.

It recommends soundproof glazing and ventilation for front-facing rooms, while standard measures would be suitable at the back. The report concludes noise should not prevent approval.

No external changes are planned and no other properties would be affected.

The application is awaiting a decision from Darlington Borough Council.