The mayor has called for ‘stability’

Andy Burnham says Sir Keir Starmer still has his support, after the leader of Scottish Labour urged the Prime Minister to resign. Pressure has mounted on Sir Keir over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the United States last May, despite knowing the veteran politician’s links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Anas Sarwar, leader of Scottish Labour, became the most high profile figure from the party to call on Sir Keir to step down yesterday (February 9) – insisting the situation had become a ‘distraction’ ahead of crucial elections in May. But cabinet members gave the PM their public support in the hours that followed.

Sir Keir also vowed to continue as PM during a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party last night, in which he told MPs: “I’ve won every fight I’ve ever been in.” Greater Manchester’s mayor, who has long been considered as a candidate to replace Sir Keir as PM, saw a potential path to power blocked as he was prevented from running in the Gorton and Denton by-election.

But speaking at a Resolution Foundation event in London today (Tuesday), Mr Burnham declared his continued support for the PM. He told reporters: “Yes, he has my support. The Government has my support and they had my support when I put myself forward for the by-election.”

Mr Burnham also called for ‘stability’ as he suggested politicians should be working to ‘bring pace and focus to lowering the cost’ of living. He added: “To do that requires stability and I make my own call for that today across the Labour Party.

“Of course stability comes from greater unity and that would be helped by a more inclusive way of running the party but recent events makes that now feel possible.”

Mr Burnham was asked whether he thought it was wrong for Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to call for Sir Keir to resign, and whether he could rule himself out of any future leadership challenge.

Responding, the Greater Manchester Mayor said: “What I am calling for very clearly today is for the unity to create the stability, to give the Government the platform, to focus on all of the things that I’m talking about today.

“I think we’ve got to get away from the kind of sense that everything is a challenge. I put myself forward but I was saying to, I spoke to the Prime Minister, spoke to the Government, we need to get that strong sense of a stronger team again than there has been in recent times and that, I think, is what needs to come from this.”

He continued: “We need to sort of dial down all of this constant briefing. It’s seemingly a bit endless some of the anonymous briefings going around. I think we just need to focus on what’s in front of us.

“There’s a by-election in front of us, I’ve been playing my role in that by-election… that’s the issue in politics right in front of us – the politics of collectivism versus the politics of division

“My view is you’ve got to focus on stopping that now…. and everything else is noise in the background.”

Angeliki Stogia, Labour’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election, yesterday told the Manchester Evening News that Sir Keir’s future and the scandal surrounding Peter Mandelson ‘hasn’t come up on the doorstep’.

But the situation has dominated Westminster, with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband telling BBC Breakfast that Sir Keir had faced a ‘moment of peril’. “But, as a collective body, the Cabinet, the Labour Party looked at the alternatives of going down this road of a chaotic leadership election, trying to depose a prime minister, and they said ‘no, that’s not for us’,” he added.

This 50p coin could be sitting in your pocket and one collector has urged people to not spend this special gem. So do you have this Olympic coin in your pocket?

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Don’t spend this iconic rare coin as it’s highly desirable among collectors. It’s always crucial to check your change as just recently a 50p sold for way more than face value with 200,000 out there in circulation.

Now one coin – dubbed the ‘rarest Olympic 50p’ – could be in your possession, and it’s highly sought after by collectors across the UK. According to coin expert @CoinCollectingWizard, if you’re searching for Olympic coins, this is a “key one”. The coin was issued in 2011, ahead of the London 2012 Olympics, with 29 different designs released to commemorate the landmark sporting event.

In an Instagram post shared with his 37,200 followers, he stated: “Rarest Olympic 50p to look for.

“If you’re checking your change for Olympic coins, this is one of the key ones… The 2011 Football (Offside Rule) 50p is the rarest Olympic 50p released into circulation.”

Approximately 1,125,500 of these coins entered circulation, with typical values ranging from £8 to £15 in used condition. However, if you discover one in excellent condition, you could fetch considerably more.

The expert added: “It’s easy to spot – it’s the coin with the footballer and the offside diagram explaining the rule.

“A brilliant find in change and one every collector wants in their set. Keep checking those 50ps!”

The Royal Mint produced 29 different 50p coins in 2011 to celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic Games held the following year. Each coin in the collection showcases a different sport, with designs chosen from submissions by members of the public.

Collectors have removed an estimated 75% of these coins from circulation, making them highly desirable.

The most elusive of the entire set is the Football 50p, created by British sports journalist Neil Wolfson.

His design, which depicts a diagram illustrating the offside rule, was chosen by The Royal Mint from more than 30,000 public entries for the collection.

The obverse side displays the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley.

Discussing the coin, the @CoinCollectingWizard told us: “Out of all the 2011 Olympic 50ps, the Football Offside Rule is the one to watch as it’s the rarest of the set.

“If you ever find one in your change, don’t spend it… keep it safe, because pieces like that are the treasures collectors are always hunting.”

How to spot a rare coin:

Check for specific dates: Certain versions of a coin with particular dates may be more valuable.

Look for special designs: Scarce 50p coins such as the Kew Gardens 50p, Beatrix Potter designs or Olympic coins.

Errors: Watch for “double die” strikes, incorrect dates or missing letters.

Use apps: These can help identify a coin from a photograph and provide an estimated value.

Speak to a professional: If you believe you’ve discovered a rare coin, contact reputable websites for verification – the Coin Hunter is a good example.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed that it will not allow Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych to wear a helmet honouring those killed in the war with Russia during the skeleton competition at the Winter Olympics, while announcing he may wear a black armband as a “compromise”.

Heraskevych said in a video on social media on Monday night that he was preparing an official request to compete in the helmet, after being informed of the ban, but that has now been denied. The 27-year-old has been training in Italy while wearing headgear depicting Ukrainian athletes who have been killed since the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022.

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IOC spokesperson Mark Adams told a news conference in Milan-Cortina that Heraskevych’s helmet contravened Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter, which states that no form of demonstration or political, religious or racial issues can be raised on fields of play or podiums, and confirmed Heraskevych and his team were informed of this during an informal meeting on Monday night.

“The IOC fully understands the desire of athletes to remember friends and colleagues who have lost their lives in that conflict, and in many, many other difficult conflicts around the world,” Adams said on Tuesday.

“It’s fundamental that there are equal rights for all athletes and that the games need to be separated not just from political and religious, but from all types of interference so that all the athletes competing can concentrate on their performance.

“What we said is that this helmet contravenes the guidelines. But that being said, after the meeting, we also reiterated once again that we will in this case, as we do now more often, make an exception to the guidelines to allow him to wear a black armband during competition.”

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In his post on social media, Heraskevych said the decision to ban his helmet in competitions “breaks my heart” and said he hoped for a “fair” final decision from the IOC. He added: “The IOC is betraying those athletes who were part of the Olympic movement, not allowing them to be honoured on the sports arena where these athletes will never be able to step again.”

After the ban was confirmed, Heraskevych also told Reuters: “It’s unfair treatment. I don’t see any violation of rule 50. It is not discrimination propaganda, it is not political propaganda.”

The helmet depicts various athletes killed in the war – some of whom were Heraskevych’s friends. They include teenage weightlifter Alina Perehudova, boxer Pavlo Ischenko, ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov, actor and athlete Ivan Kononenko, diver and coach Mykyta Kozubenko, shooter Oleksiy Habarov and dancer Daria Kurdel.

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Heraskevych will return to training on Tuesday. His first day of competition is on Thursday, where he will be allowed to wear a black armband.

“I think what we’ve tried to do is to address his desires with compassion and understanding,” Adams said. “He has expressed himself on social media and in the training. We will not stop him expressing himself in press conference and in the mixed zone. We feel that this is a good compromise in the situation.”

Includes reporting from Reuters

New guidance for the PSNI on the removal of illegal flags in Northern Ireland was sparked by a number of anti-immigration hate incidents.

In January 2026, a new service instruction based on the National Decision-Making Model provides practical guidance to police officers and staff on how the PSNI should respond to, report, and investigate incidents involving displays in public places.

A spokesperson for the PSNI confirmed the development follows a number of hate incidents in 2023, when anti-immigration signage was placed in a number of towns and housing areas across Northern Ireland.

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The service instruction details that complaints to police arising from the public display of words, flags, and emblems considered by complainants to be offensive are a “near daily occurrence” in Northern Ireland, but “spike seasonally and in response to contentious events”.

The PSNI have faced criticism when it has failed to act or for not acting consistently, with the service instruction clearly setting out the organisation’s position to ensure consistency in its approach.

The document explains: “When the display of any material constitutes an offence the PSNI has an obligation to act, in particular where the continued display of the material is or will cause harm.”

Chief Superintendent Gillian Kearney said: “As a police service, we are dedicated to safeguarding people and property while taking action against any offenders of hate crime incidents.

“There has always been guidance available to our officers on the steps that can legally be taken in regard to complaints on public displays. This has now been developed into a service instruction which outlines clearly when to act and how to respond.

“The primary responsibility for removing material remains with the material’s owner, or the owner of the street furniture or property where it’s displayed. However, where any offences have been committed, the circumstances will be investigated within statutory functions, and in accordance with law and Human Rights obligations.

“Our officers, who are well supported by this information, will engage and work with local community representatives and partner agencies in relation to any complaints about displays in public spaces.”

When a display is reported, police make a number of enquiries to see “whether there is reasonable suspicion an offence has occurred.” These include the content of the material, the location of the material and the owner of the property to which it is affixed, the context of the area in which it is visible, the existence of complaints about its presence, any ongoing issues in Northern Ireland (protests/unrest), or any legal advice obtained from PSNI Legal Services.

Expanding on this, the document adds: “There are a number of Public Authorities that have obligations in relation to the display of material and are conferred statutory powers that extend to the power to lawfully remove. For example the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), as the owner of much of the street furniture, plays a critical role in addressing issues related to the display of material on their furniture.

“Engagement with the DfI is important to ensure any early actions can be considered by them (with PSNI assistance as required) following appropriate assessment to ensure all public authorities are European Court of Human rights (ECHR) compliant and any action taken is lawful, proportionate and respectful of community relations.”

A Department for Infrastructure spokesperson said: “The problem of illegally erected flags is totally unacceptable. The Department welcomes this announcement from the PSNI and will continue to engage with them.”

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

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Comparing social media platforms to casinos and addictive drugs, lawyer Mark Lanier delivered opening statements Monday in a landmark trial in Los Angeles that seeks to hold Instagram owner Meta and Google’s YouTube responsible for harms to children who use their products.

Instagram’s parent company Meta and Google’s YouTube face claims that their platforms addict children through deliberate design choices that keep kids glued to their screens. TikTok and Snap, which were originally named in the lawsuit, settled for undisclosed sums.

Jurors got their first glimpse into what will be a lengthy trial characterized by dueling narratives from the plaintiffs and the two remaining defendants.

Meta lawyer Paul Schmidt spoke of the disagreement within the scientific community over social media addiction, with some researchers believing it doesn’t exist, or that addiction is not the most appropriate way to describe heavy social media use.

Lawyers representing YouTube will begin their opening statement on Tuesday.

‘Addicting the brains of children’

Lanier, the plaintiff’s lawyer, delivered lively first remarks where he said the case will be as “easy as ABC” — which stands for “addicting the brains of children.” He said Meta and Google, “two of the richest corporations in history,” have “engineered addiction in children’s brains.”

He presented jurors with a slew of internal emails, documents and studies conducted by Meta and YouTube, as well as YouTube’s parent company, Google. He emphasized the findings of a study Meta conducted called “Project Myst” in which they surveyed 1,000 teens and their parents about their social media use. The two major findings, Lanier said, were that Meta knew children who experienced “adverse events” like trauma and stress were particularly vulnerable for addiction; and that parental supervision and controls made little impact.

He also highlighted internal Google documents that likened some company products to a casino, and internal communication between Meta employees in which one person said Instagram is “like a drug” and they are “basically pushers.”

At the core of the Los Angeles case is a 20-year-old identified only by the initials “KGM,” whose case could determine how thousands of other, similar lawsuits against social media companies will play out. She and two other plaintiffs have been selected for bellwether trials — essentially test cases for both sides to see how their arguments play out before a jury.

Plaintiff grew up using YouTube, Instagram

KGM made a brief appearance after a break during Lanier’s statement and she will return to testify later in the trial. Lanier spent time describing KGM’s childhood, focusing particularly on what her personality was like before she began using social media. She started using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at age 9, Lanier said. Before she graduated elementary school, she had posted 284 videos on YouTube.

The outcome of the trial could have profound effects on the companies’ businesses and how they will handle children using their platforms.

Lanier said the companies’ lawyers will “try to blame the little girl and her parents for the trap they built,” referencing the plaintiff. She was a minor when she said she became addicted to social media, which she claims had a detrimental impact on her mental health.

Lanier said that despite the public position of Meta and YouTube being that they work to protect children, their internal documents show an entirely different position, with explicit references to young children being listed as their target audiences.

The attorney also drew comparisons between the social media companies and tobacco firms, citing internal communication between Meta employees who were concerned about the company’s lack of proactive action about the potential harm their platforms can have on children and teens.

“For a teenager, social validation is survival,” Lanier said. The defendants “engineered a feature that caters to a minor’s craving for social validation,” he added, speaking about “like” buttons and similar features.

Meta pushes back

In his opening statement representing Meta, Schmidt said the core question in the case is whether the platforms were a substantial factor in KGM’s mental health struggles. He spent much of his time going through the plaintiff’s health records, emphasizing that she had experienced many difficult circumstances in her childhood, including emotional abuse, body image issues and bullying.

Schmidt presented a clip from a video deposition from one of KGM‘s mental health providers, Dr. Thomas Suberman, who said social media was “not the through-line of what I recall being her main issues,” adding that her struggles seemed to largely stem from interpersonal conflicts and relationships. He painted a picture — with KGM’s own text messages and testimony pointing to a volatile home life — of a particularly troubled relationship with her mother.

Schmidt acknowledged that many mental health professionals do believe social media addiction can exist, but said three of KGM’s providers — all of whom believe in the form of addiction — have never diagnosed her with it, or treated her for it.

Schmidt emphasized to the jurors that the case is not about whether social media is a good thing or whether teens spend too much time on their phones or whether the jurors like or dislike Meta, but whether social media was a substantial factor in KGM’s mental health struggles.

A reckoning for social media and youth harms

A slew of trials beginning this year seek to hold social media companies responsible for harming children’s mental well-being. Executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, are expected to testify at the Los Angeles trial, which will last six to eight weeks. Experts have drawn similarities to the Big Tobacco trials that led to a 1998 settlement requiring cigarette companies to pay billions in health care costs and restrict marketing targeting minors.

A separate trial in New Mexico, meanwhile, also kicked off with opening statements on Monday. In that trial, Meta is accused of failing to protect young users from sexual exploitation, following an undercover online investigation. Attorney General Raúl Torrez in late 2023 sued Meta and Zuckerberg, who was later dropped from the suit.

A federal bellwether trial beginning in June in Oakland, California, will be the first to represent school districts that have sued social media platforms over harms to children.

In addition, more than 40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against Meta, claiming it is harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. The majority of cases filed their lawsuits in federal court, but some sued in their respective states.

TikTok also faces similar lawsuits in more than a dozen states.

—

Ortutay reported from Oakland, California. Associated Press Writer Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico, contributed to this story.

There are plenty of incredible restaurants in Cambridgeshire that deserve a bit more praise.

The Michelin Guide has just announced the new restaurants that have been awarded Michelin Stars for 2026. Two restaurants in Cambridgeshire that were awarded Michelin Stars in the past have managed to hold onto the coveted award.

Midsummer House, which has two stars, and Restaurant Twenty Two, which has one star, have both been able to maintain the high standards of food and service to keep their stars. Both restaurants can be found in Cambridge, offering impressive set menus for those wanting to celebrate a special occasion.

Even though Cambridgeshire only has two food spots recognised by the guide, the county has plenty of places that are still worth visiting for a meal out with friends and family. CambridgeshireLive wants its readers to share their favourite restaurants in Cambridgeshire.

If there is a restaurant that you love because of its service or unique dishes, we want you to nominate them using our survey. A restaurant might stand out to you thanks to its beautiful interior design or high-quality food.

If there is a restaurant that you believe deserves more attention or even a Michelin Star, you can nominate them using our survey below. If the survey does not appear for you, you can open it in a new tab.

During five years as defensive co-ordinator of the London Warriors, Durde was able to earn coaching internships with the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons, before the latter made him Britain’s first full-time NFL coach in 2018.

He progressed through roles with Atlanta and Dallas before Seattle’s new head coach Mike Macdonald made Durde his defensive co-ordinator in 2024.

‘AD’, as he is known at the Seahawks, has since helped create a defence he describes as “fast, physical, ball-hungry, and they work as a collective”.

“AD is an absolute game-changer for us,” said Macdonald on Monday. “It’s not just an incredible story that got him to this point, it’s him as a football mind, a football coach.

“He’s someone that has really brought us together, and the way that our defence plays inspired football is a great tribute to how AD operates, and what he brings to our football team and our organisation. I’m really happy for AD.

“He’s just an absolute beast and he’s so much fun to work with. He’s right there alongside, building this whole thing. It’s been a special journey.”

The Seahawks dominated the New England Patriots to win 29-13 on Sunday, but Durde has not just become a Super Bowl champion, he has helped forge a defence that will go down in NFL folklore.

Seattle’s defence has been dubbed ‘the Dark Side’ and produced a performance long-time NFL analyst Cris Collinsworth said was “as good as I have ever seen”.

“That’s pretty cool,” said Durde. “But we have to give credit to the players. They made a commitment, they wanted to be the best in the world, and we got the outcome we wanted.”

Eni Aluko and Simon Jordan were caught in a heated row during talkSPORT’s advert break after he told her on air that her ‘entitlement would re-sink the Titanic’.

Aluko was a guest on the ‘White & Jordan’ show on Tuesday morning to talk about her recent criticism of Ian Wright’s prominent role in women’s football and her unhappiness with ITV’s decision to not select her as a pundit for the Euro 2025 final last summer.

During the interview, Jordan took exception to Aluko’s view on why she was overlooked by ITV with a scathing attack on her personality.

‘As far as expertise are concerned, when I listen to her as a pundit, the times I’ve listened to her, I don’t think that she is particularly enlightening, or illuminating, or engaging or charismatic, or sometimes comes across particularly likeable, but that’s my view and some people have the same view about me,’ Jordan told Aluko.

‘And my view of punditry is, when I listen to a pundit, whoever that pundit might be, whether it’s male, female, black, white, yellow, green, it’s, ‘do I learn something, do they engage me, and do they merit my attention?’.’

Aluko replied: ‘It’s an opinion which we are all entitled to. Everybody has them, I’m not going to listen to a mob on X who have never, ever put themselves in any situation to do anything close to what I’ve done in my career. I listen to the professionals, I listen to the people who have hired me for the last 11 years around the world, the biggest broadcasters in the world, by default if I’m working with the people who are considered the brilliant broadcasters, then if I’m in the same team as them, next to them, then by default I’m also considered a brilliant broadcaster.

‘So I take everything you’re saying, but the reality is I’ve been good enough for 11 years. As I said, I’m the person who would go and seek out feedback for someone to go, ‘I think you’re struggling’, it’s never happened.’

Jordan then said: ‘See, the language that you use, Eni, is steeped in a sense of entitlement. I mean, the sheer weight of the entitlement that you seem to believe you have would re-sink the Titanic.

‘I think you’ve been quite fortuitous. I think because of initiatives like DEI [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion], they’ve allowed people to be put into positions in the men’s game that I don’t think they’ve merited, and they now seeds an attitude that you become a stalwart in the women’s game.

‘I listened to your observations about Ian, and Ian Wright is in the Ian Wright business, always has been, I’ve known Ian for 25 years and I have my own views on him, Ian is not in any shape or form obligated to provide any support structure for you or to give you a sense of entitlement.

‘Your position now as a broadcaster will be determined by the value of you. And he fact people aren’t potentially booking you now should give you pause for thought about why they might not be.’

Aluko replied: ‘Hold on, the reason people aren’t booking me is because I’ve taken myself out of the firing line. My last conversation with ITV was I’m taking a break from broadcasting.’

After talkSPORT cut from the first advert break back to the studio, the pair could be seen having an argument with Jordan forcefully gesticulating towards Aluko.

Jordan then stayed silent for the next eight-minute segment of the interview and was not asked any questions by the show’s host Jim White.

Aluko was later asked by White about people accusing her of being a ‘DEI hire’.

She replied: ‘I think it’s racist. I think it’s extremely racist to reduce someone to the colour of their skin without an assessment of all of the qualifications that get them the job.

‘It’s been considered racist by a criminal court to say that, by the way. You’ve got to be very careful to say that to a black person who can reel off a bunch of qualifications to do any job.

‘Listen, I’ve not done any job on the basis of my identity, I’ve always been the person who can back it up.’

Aluko also accused Laura Woods of ‘gaslighting’ her after the ITV host described Aluko’s suggestion that women’s football should only hire female broadcasters as ‘one of the most damaging phrases I’ve heard’.

When asked about Woods’ comments, Aluko replied: ‘I respect Laura’s opinion and always have done. I think it’s helpful for her to outline a lot of the attributes that go into a brilliant pundit.

‘Caps is part of that, as I explained, it’s not the decider, but it’s an objective way to say this person has enough experience to talk about this specific game.

‘Now, it’s interesting because Laura is one of the people I would consistently go to, we got on like a house on fire, I’d got to her and say: ‘How do you think it went? What do you think?’.

‘Laura consistently – and I had to look at the messages again and go hold on, I feel a bit gaslit here, said to me, ‘I think you’re a brilliant broadcaster, I think you’re a brilliant pundit’.

‘So, I think there’s a little bit of serving an argument at this point, which I respect, she doesn’t agree and that’s fine, but I think there’s an insinuation in there, that you don’t meet the standard.

‘Again, I’ve worked too hard for people to conclude that because you’re not seeing me on screen, I’m not good enough, that’s not true.’

When asked by White about her use of the phrase ‘gaslit’, Aluko replied: ‘Well, not gaslit, I don’t want to say that because she has a view and I appreciate her view.

‘She mentioned about little boys being important as well, I agree, but when I see little boys coming to the games now, they’ve got women on their shirts, they don’t have men pundit names on their shirts.’

When asked again about her feeling of being gaslit, Aluko added: ‘Well to the extent that I feel there’s an potential insinuation there, that if you’re sitting in the stands and not on screen then you don’t meet all of these things that make a brilliant broadcaster.

‘But as I said privately, she’s told me many times, and reassured me many times, that she thinks I’m a brilliant broadcaster, which I will forever appreciate from Laura.’

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HomeAid has supported AHA with items for their Home Starter Packs. These packs are handed out to new tenants in need, to get them started in their new home.

Almond Housing Association (AHA) has welcomed HomeAid West Lothian into their building, as they open a new furniture and thrift store in Craigshill.

Over the past few years, AHA and HomeAid have worked together on a variety of initiatives, including supporting tenants with household essentials. Getting the keys to a new property is often an exciting time but furnishing the home comes at an additional cost.

HomeAid has supported AHA with items for their Home Starter Packs. These packs are handed out to new tenants in need, to get them started in their new home.

Items such as duvets, duvet covers and curtains have been provided through this partnership.

READ MORE: West Lothian will join pilot scheme offering weight loss jabs free of charge to patients

The new store in Craigshill offers a variety of second-hand furniture and white goods, as well as thrift shop items. This will give residents an opportunity to purchase high quality goods at reasonable prices.

John Davidson, AHA Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to have the HomeAid team in the building. We have been working on this project behind the scenes for a few years and it’s great to see it come to life.

“Having relocated our team to the first floor of the building after Covid, we were keen to utilise the vacant space on the ground floor for the benefit of the community.

“The opening of the HomeAid store is positive and builds on the previous changes made to our reception area, now known as The Big Living Room, which is open to local groups and hosts ongoing events and classes.”

As well as providing high quality products, HomeAid is also helping to reduce waste by repurposing furniture from AHA’s void properties.

READ MORE: ‘Sausage thief’ caught on CCTV in brazen Scots corner shop incident

Willie Dunn, HomeAid Chief Executive added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Almond Housing on our new store in Craigshill.

“We have a range of preloved clothes and furniture at affordable prices for everyone in West Lothian.

“We also offer a layaway scheme that allows customers to pay for larger items over a period of time, interest free and at no extra cost. This is a free service open to all.”

READ MORE: Major West Lothian road to get new cycle path through town centre

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Nathan Owens was last night charged with murder after the death of 19-year-old Carla, a second-year student, last Thursday (February 5). 

Officers were called to a student accommodation on Victoria Street following the sudden death and found Carla’s body inside the address. 

Owens, 34, of Hopps Street, was arrested by Lancashire Police last Friday before being charged and remanded in custody to appear before Preston Magistrates’ Court today.

“Our thoughts remain with her loved ones at this time”, the force said.

As part of the probe, police have been carrying out door-to-door enquiries and conducting searches in the area, using police dogs and a drone.