Witton-le-Wear sits just off the A68 between Bishop Auckland and Wolsingham, one of the most quietly rewarding villages in the region, with a medieval castle, a nationally significant wildlife reserve, the Weardale Way on its doorstep, and a pub that has been welcoming walkers for generations.

The village

Witton-le-Wear sits on the north bank of the River Wear, six kilometres north-west of Bishop Auckland, and has a population of fewer than 700 people.

It was originally a farming hamlet, part of the wider Witton Castle estate that has shaped the settlement for six centuries.

The village church, St Philip and St James, has stood on the same site since Saxon times, a Grade II listed building with stained glass windows and a churchyard containing the tomb of Newby Lowson, who accompanied J.M.W. Turner on his first continental tour in 1802.

Turner sketched the view across the Wear valley from here, taking in Witton Castle and Witton Tower in the distance.

Witton Castle

The castle that gives the wider estate its name dates from the early 15th century. It was built by Sir Ralph de Eure shortly before 1410, on land that the de Eure family had held since 1318.

The family was related by descent to John Balliol, the briefly-reigning King of Scotland.

During the Civil War the castle was held by the Royalist Sir William Darcy, and the estate was confiscated before being returned after the Restoration.

Today Witton Castle is the centrepiece of a holiday and country park, and its 15th-century towers and walls remain largely intact.

Low Barns Nature Reserve

A short walk from the village, Low Barns is one of County Durham’s most important wildlife sites, a wetland reserve managed by Durham Wildlife Trust on the banks of the River Wear.

Originally farmland used for sand and gravel extraction until 1964, the site was restored into a mosaic of wet woodland, grassland, open water and reedbed habitat.

It is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with bird hides, a network of surfaced paths and a boardwalk giving access with minimal disturbance to the wildlife.

A visitor centre and coffee shop are open seven days a week from 10am to 4pm.

Entry is free, and Durham Wildlife Trust asks for a suggested £2.50 parking donation from non-members.

One visitor from Derbyshire called it “a very nice reserve to visit”, while a reviewer from Leeds described it simply as “a gem of a reserve”.

Walking

Witton-le-Wear is well placed for walkers.

The Weardale Way is a 73-mile long-distance footpath following the River Wear from its source to the coast, and it passes alongside the village, with the stretch from Bishop Auckland to Witton-le-Wear running through river woodland and across fields above the Wear.

The village also has its own Weardale Railway halt, on the heritage line running between Bishop Auckland and Stanhope.

The pub

The Victoria Inn on the main road through the village has been a regular fixture for walkers on the Weardale Way for years, described as a friendly village pub with a real fire, real ales and comfortable bedrooms.

Getting there

Witton-le-Wear is signposted from the A68 between Toft Hill and Fir Tree, and from the A689 west of Bishop Auckland.

The nearest train station is Bishop Auckland, approximately four miles away, with regular services from Durham and Newcastle.

The Weardale Railway halt at the village provides an additional connection on heritage rail days.

Megan Draper’s parents believe she ‘would still be here’ if she had had the MenB vaccine

The parents of Megan Draper, an 18-year-old student from Pontypool who died after contracting MenB, say their daughter would still be alive if they had access to the vaccine that will be rolled out in Wales this autumn.

Lee and Helen Draper have been campaigning to spread awareness after the tragedy of losing their daughter just five weeks after she started university.

Meg’s parents spoke to BBC Breakfast on Friday morning after the news that teenagers in Wales will be offered a meningitis B vaccine for the first time.

Talking of her daughter’s death Helen tearfully said: “Meg was really excited to go to university. She was going to Bournemouth to study physiotherapy.

“Five weeks into her studies she became lethargic and she contacted us to say she wasn’t feeling very well. That rang alarm bells for us because Megan was so social and outgoing. She was sporty in clubs and activities.

“The next morning she woke up and felt a lot worse. She had a rash, she had been sick and had a headache and fever, so we advised her to get medical help.”

In October 2025 the 18-year-old contacted 111 and was turned away twice from A&E so her parents drove to Bournemouth to bring her home to south Wales. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here

“On the journey home we were taking her back home to Wales and she deteriorated and ended up having catastrophic brain damage from MenB,” Helen continued.

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The new vaccine initiative was launched by the Welsh Government on Friday as a precautionary step following the MenB outbreak in Kent that resulted in the death of two students in March this year.

The vaccination programme will operate from July through to December 2026 and will be accessible to all those currently aged 17-18 years (born between September 1, 2007, and August 31, 2008) as well as anyone aged 18-25 who will be starting higher education or residential further education including international students.

Like many parents Lee and Helen say they did not know anything about MenB and thought Megan’s vaccinations in school covered all strains of the virus.

Lee said: “What we realised after Megan had contracted MenB was that the vaccine only covered other strains.

“We were completely unaware about MenB and we were completely unaware that there was actually a vaccine for MenB and that would have been available to us privately at the time.”

Since the death of their daughter the Drapers wanted to spread awareness about the MenB vaccine that is available privately in Wales as they said if they were aware beforehand they “would have 100% made sure” that Megan had it.

The couple are are backing the government’s initiative of the rollout of the vaccination.

They said: “People have been reaching out to use after our tragedy and they’re desperate, they want it to protect their children, and if we had access to this then Meg would still be here so we would really like to advise everybody to take up this opportunity.”

Former England defender Micah Richards has spoken about his plans to jet back and forwards during the World Cup this summer as he juggles broadcasting commitments

Micah Richards has revealed his hectic World Cup plans after making a 3,345-mile trip from New York to Salford for BBC One’s coverage of Canada against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Richards’ face has been emblazoned upon the big screens in New York’s Times Square as part of Netflix’s The Rest is Football Podcast which is being streamed live from the US. But Richards confirmed that he will be making trips from New York to the UK every “few days” as part of his World Cup schedule.

As the ex-Manchester City and Aston Villa defender got comfortable alongside pundits Wayne Rooney and Olivier Giroud, the 13-times capped England defender joked he could see co-host Gary Lineker in the swanky backdrop in the TV studio.

Presenter Gabby Logan said: “We know you’ve been out in New York but you don’t need to acclimatise because I’m bringing New York to you! (pointing at the BBC World Cup backdrop in Salford).

Richards then quipped: “This is amazing. If you look over there you can see Gary Lineker.”

After being asked how it has felt to be in the Big Apple before making a the jaunt back to the UK, Richards spoke about the joy on the streets of New York City after the Knicks took a 3-1 series lead in the NBA Finals against San Antonio Spurs, after Alan Shearer confirmed he’d watched the game in a bar last night.

Recalling the tale to Logan, Richards said: “It felt great, more importantly, it’s been about the Knicks because they haven’t won it (NBA play-offs) for years.

“We won’t feel it until America play (their first World Cup games) but out there it was buzzing.” But I’m absolutely buzzing – thanks for the call-up.”

Richards will now make the return journey to Manhattan after his BBC duties to rejoin Lineker and Shearer in their podcast studio overlooking Times Square. Speaking earlier, Shearer had said: “You could still hear the horns this morning after the New York Knicks win.

“I was lucky enough to be in a bar that was rammed and off the charts with people going mad. I watched the first two quarters and got out before the chaos started and on my way back to the hotel this place was rocking people beeping horns and going crazy.

“New York is alive and kicking as are the New York Knicks.”

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FBI agents have searched the office of an Ohio group that supports voter registration efforts, seizing documents and computer files, a board member of the organization said Friday.

It’s the latest action by the Trump administration connected to voting or election operations in the states, and it comes in a state that is expected to have hotly contested races this fall for governor and U.S. Senate.

Federal agents showed up at the Cleveland office of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative on Thursday and spent hours questioning staff, said Prentiss Haney, a board member of the grassroots organization. The organization was founded in 2007 and describes its mission as fighting for criminal justice reform, racial justice and an expansion of voting rights.

Federal agents also went to the homes of people who have worked with the organization, seeking interviews and information about alleged voter fraud, Haney said. He accused the agents of “intimidation tactics and harassment” and expressed concern that the investigation was designed to sow doubt in the coming elections.

The focus of the probe was unclear, but a person familiar with the matter said Friday that investigators were examining potential fraud violations. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The Justice Department declined to comment on Friday, and a spokesperson for the FBI in Cleveland did not respond to messages seeking comment.

To obtain a search warrant, federal authorities must convince a judge that probable cause of criminal activity exists. Though the information authorities presented was not immediately released, Democrats expressed skepticism about the basis of a search that unfolded against persistent concerns of a politicized FBI and Justice Department.

The party’s nominees for the state’s top races issued statements Friday saying they were troubled by the FBI raid.

“Any attempts by federal law enforcement to intimidate eligible Ohioans from registering to vote are unacceptable,” said Dr. Amy Acton, the state’s former public health director, who won the state’s Democratic primary for governor and is challenging Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.

Democrat Sherrod Brown, who is challenging Republican Sen. Jon Husted in the fall, called on the FBI to make public “any and all activities around these raids.”

He added, “Any attempt to intimidate Ohio voters is wrong, and will not work.”

Republicans have held the state’s top elected seat for 20 years and hold both U.S. Senate seats but are concerned that Democratic momentum in this year’s midterms could make them vulnerable.

The Justice Department during President Donald Trump’s second term has launched several legal actions or investigations related to voting or state election operations.

The FBI has seized ballots and other records from the 2020 election for Georgia’s Fulton County and Arizona’s Maricopa County and from the 2024 election in Michigan’s Wayne County. It also has been questioning election workers in Wisconsin’s Milwaukee County. All four are in presidential battleground states.

The Justice Department has sued at least 30 states and the District of Columbia after they refused to hand over detailed voter data that includes dates of birth and partial Social Security numbers. It has said in court filings that it wants the information so it can run it through a Department of Homeland Security program that checks U.S. citizenship, although the program’s accuracy has been questioned. The Justice Department has so far been on a losing streak in its lawsuits seeking to extract the data from the holdout states.

Early in his second term, Trump, a Republican, also ordered the Justice Department to investigate ActBlue, the top fundraising platform for the Democratic Party.

Allegations of fraud in voter registration efforts are typically investigated by states and usually involve people working for groups that pay for sign-ups. Earlier this year, California officials opened an investigation into whether signature-gatherers were offering to pay people for signing a ballot petition. In 2025, Pennsylvania officials brought criminal charges against seven people for submitting fraudulent voter registration forms.

___

Lauer reported from Philadelphia, and Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed from Washington.

A new exhibition at the Opera Gallery London, is offering two very different – yet curiously complimentary – sets of artistic responses to nature. It highlights the work of Dutch sculptor Pieter Obels and French-Chinese painter Feng Xiao-Min.

This is Obels’s first major London exhibition for ten years. Born in 1968 and now based in Tilburg in his native Netherlands, Obels is a sculptor who works primarily with the kind of complex Corten steel structures on display here.

He welds sheets of steel into flowing curves to form one continuous and sinuous series of interweaving loops. These often rest, seemingly defying gravity, on a single fixed point. Yet most of them can be rotated by hand, allowing viewers to engage with the art.

The fascination in these sculptures lies in the invitation to trace their delicate patterns with eye and hand. They writhe like the tendrils of climbing plants. This effect is reinforced by Obels’ deliberate weathering of their surfaces into a rusty earthen brown that almost gives them the appearance of being covered by lichen.

Obels’ sculptures spill out over into outside space in the Medici Gardens at the rear of the gallery. The monumental piece placed there acts as a visual confirmation of how stunningly Obels’ work integrates itself into natural settings. Meanwhile, its title – I Know the End, Let’s Dance (2024) – tells us about Obels’ intuitive practice. As he told me on opening night: “The less I think about the sculpture, the better it is.”

Feng Xiao-Min

In dialogue with Obels’ work, the walls of the gallery carry the mist-laden compositions of Feng Xiao-Min. This is the first major London exhibition of this Chinese-French artist, who was born in Shanghai in 1959 but has lived and worked in Fontainebleau in France for 35 years. It is good to see this intriguing body of work, which draws on both western and Chinese artistic traditions, in this setting.

Feng deliberately leaves his paintings untitled to avoid giving them any specificity. As with Obels, they are organic responses to his feelings and engagement with nature at the time of composition. This shapes the palette used in the individual pieces. Some he described to me as expressing chaleur (warmth), while others are cooler and achieve their effect through subtle layering of pigments and tonal shifts across the canvas.

The result is a series of dreamlike landscapes that defy traditional approaches to perspective. There is no central point. Instead, Feng seems to start his compositions with three to four short lines in white, red or black grouped around the middle, lower-part of the canvas. Around these focal moments in the narrative of each work, the eye tracks across, picking out hints of structure, wisps of weather and intimations of landscape.

Feng’s early training in calligraphy is readily identifiable in his practice, influenced by, among others, the dynamic art of the Qing dynasty painter Shi Tao and his efforts in his works to use the past to open up the present.

The lines that punctuate Feng’s paintings are like calligraphic marks, while the swirl of interblending tones are redolent of J.M.W. Turner’s more abstract works. This provides a compelling amalgam of Chinese and western approaches to the depiction of nature in paintings whose depth rewards the viewer’s gaze.

Feng’s works speak of how landscapes make us feel. The physicality of Obels’ works provides a more sensory engagement with nature. Obels grew up on a farm, which gave him a sense of the human relationship with nature that defines his work. City-born Feng’s ethereal visions encourage us to appreciate nature in a more imaginative way. Like Obels’ structures, these two approaches are harmonically in balance in this exhibition.

Pieter Obels | Feng Xiao-Min is at the Opera Gallery London until July 5 2026

Nearly two-thirds (61%) of British retail investors received a full allocation of shares, with those applying for up to 2,700 dollars’ worth (£2,013) getting the full amount, while those applying for more than this saw allocations scaled back, with a maximum allowed at 1,000 shares each.

Human babies are born more dependent on their caregivers than most other mammals. They need close contact with an adult for feeding, comfort, warmth and protection. Parents and caregivers around the world have carried their babies for thousands of years using slings and carriers.

Today, many babies spend some of their daytime sleep in a sling or carrier. In a recent UK survey that my colleagues and I conducted, 96% of the 1,470 parents and carers of babies under one who responded said they had used one, often to soothe their baby or remain mobile while keeping them close.

Slings and carriers can be useful, but babies need to be positioned carefully, particularly when they are very young or are being fed. In a systematic review, my colleagues and I found reports of infrequent accidental deaths and injuries associated with poorly fitted or incorrectly positioned carriers.

Following the death of a seven-week-old baby who was being breastfed hands-free in a carrier while his mother moved around her home, a coroner warned that parents were not being given enough information about how to position young babies safely and called for consideration of industry standards. The Lullaby Trust, a baby-safety charity, has also published advice urging parents not to feed babies hands-free in slings or carriers.

At the Durham Infancy and Sleep Centre, my colleagues and I study infant sleep and sleep safety. We take an anthropological approach, considering both babies’ physical needs and the cultural expectations placed on parents. This helps us develop evidence-based guidance for families, health professionals and policymakers.

To understand both the benefits and risks of babywearing, we first carried out a systematic review. A systematic review is a method of bringing together and evaluating the available research on a particular topic. We found evidence that using slings and carriers can benefit babies and caregivers. Reported benefits included supporting breastfeeding, promoting infant development, strengthening parent-infant bonding and improving parental mental health and wellbeing.

The review also examined the risks associated with sling and carrier use. Overall, deaths associated with slings and carriers were infrequent. When deaths did occur, the most common cause was asphyxia, which means a baby is unable to get enough oxygen.

Young babies, especially those under four months of age, are particularly vulnerable because their neck muscles are still developing and may not be strong enough to support their relatively large heads. If a baby’s head and neck are not properly supported, or if they are positioned unsafely, their chin can fall onto their chest and restrict their airway, making it harder to breathe. This is known as positional asphyxia.

The review also found that injuries were most commonly linked to falls, either because a baby fell from a sling or carrier or because the caregiver carrying them fell. Both deaths and injuries were often associated with slings or carriers that were poorly fitted or used incorrectly. This suggests that clearer guidance on safe use could help to prevent some of these incidents.

To understand what parents know about sling safety, we also conducted a survey of UK caregivers. We found that parents use slings and carriers for a wide range of reasons, including making it easier to get around, strengthening bonds with their baby and helping to soothe or settle them. Most parents began using a sling during the early months of infancy and many had already decided to do so while pregnant.

Despite this, many parents reported receiving little or no information about safe sling use from manufacturers or retailers when purchasing a sling or carrier. We also found that many were unaware of the specialist support available across the UK. This includes sling libraries, community services where parents can borrow different types of slings and carriers, receive personalised fitting advice and learn how to use them safely.

A quarter of the parents surveyed were not aware of existing UK guidance on sling safety. Another quarter felt that the guidance they had seen did not provide enough information. These findings highlight both the important role that slings and carriers play in infant care and the need for clearer, more accessible safety information for families.

Our research shows that slings and carriers can offer benefits for babies and caregivers. It also found that deaths and injuries associated with sling use are infrequent and are often linked to poor fit or unsafe positioning. Although these incidents are uncommon, their consequences can be devastating. Parents need clear, practical information about safe use.

With slings and carriers widely used in the UK, there is a strong case for a national, evidence-based campaign on sling safety. Parents should receive clear guidance at the point of purchase, including information about how to position babies safely, how to recognise and prevent positional asphyxia and why it is important to keep babies under close observation while they are in a sling or carrier.

Guidance should also direct families to specialist sources of support so that they can use slings and carriers safely and confidently while enjoying the benefits they offer.

It appears to be getting deeper, according to residents.

Residents in Worsley ‘celebrated the birthday’ of a sink hole on their street after waiting more than a year for it to be fixed.

Neighbours on Dunmail Close and Semington View say they’ve been ‘passed from pillar to post as no one wants to take accountability’ for the approximately one foot deep road hazard. The hole first appeared in March last year, after a sewage system under the road collapsed.

While the council have put up warning signs around the cavity, it says the internal repairs are not the council’s responsibility. However, United Utilities, which tends to manage to sewage system in the area, claims that due to uncompleted paperwork, the sewage system was never adopted by the water company, and is technically the responsibility of Bloor Homes. The housing firm first constructed the housing estate just less than ten years ago.

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Bloor Homes did not respond to a request for comment.

In the meantime, residents say they’ve been left with a ‘very worrying’ problem.

“It seems to be getting deeper,” one neighbour, who didn’t wish to be named, said. “I’m quite concerned because there are a lot of kids in this area, and you have a lot of cars driving past the sink hole to get to the cul-de-sac at the end of Semington View. We’ve also been told the sewers are about five metres below ground… It feels like it’s only a matter of time before something bad happens.”

Another resident, who also did not wish to be named, but lives very close to the hole on the cul-de-sac, added: “No one wants to take responsibility. It’s been there so long, we literally celebrated a birthday for it a couple months ago. The council at one stage even suggested the residents on the cul-de-sac foot the bill for the repairs – but it’s not like we had any role in building it ten years ago. It seems very unfair.”

Local MP Yasmin Qureshi has also become involved in the issue, stating: “Residents on Dunmail Close, Semington View and the surrounding streets are right to be angry. This sinkhole has blighted their lives for over a year, with no resolution in sight and no organisation willing to take responsibility for fixing it.”

The MP has demanded a meeting between Bloor Homes, Salford City Council and United Utilities to a come up with a ‘clear timescale for fixing this issue at no cost to residents’.

“So far, only United Utilities have responded, and they insist it is not their responsibility as the sewers remain unadopted.

“This is not just about who is liable. It is a matter of public safety. The sinkhole sits on a bend in a public road, with reported near misses involving vehicles and ongoing risk to pedestrians, and residents have told me their fences have been struck multiple times.

“I am urging all four parties to come together and resolve this now, before further damage is caused or someone is seriously hurt.”

A spokesperson for Salford City Council say they have taken steps to secure the area, adding: “Investigations established that the underlying problem relates to a collapsed sewer serving a small number of properties. The Council does not own or maintain private sewer infrastructure and officers have continued to support affected residents, actively engaging with United Utilities, the developer and other relevant parties to secure a permanent solution.

“Public safety remains our priority, and we continue to monitor the location to ensure any immediate risks are managed.”

A United Utilities spokesperson said: “The impacted sewer line on this estate remains under private ownership and is not part of our network.

“We have offered our support to residents on the next steps available to them.”

Former professional footballer Jill Scott speaks openly about her personal woes while going through the four day challenges for Sports Relief

Former England footballer Jill Scott has become one of the nation’s sweethearts due to her steely determination on the pitch. But it seems every great athlete has their breaking point as the TV personality, 39, candidly admitted she nearly gave up her Sport Relief challenge this week.

Speaking exclusively to the Mirror she said, “I didn’t think I would be able to do the hills.”

At the time of speaking to us, Jill had just completed four days and 359 miles and over 20 hours riding a bike to end up at the Stadium of Light, which is in Sunderland, her hometown.

“I didn’t think I would be able to do the hills when we were going through the Yorkshire Dales, It was literally so tough at the end, I did think if one more hill appeared, I might have to get off the bike and give up.

She added: “They didn’t defeat me, I got through. And I must say, in that moment, Mark, who’s been my cycling guide, definitely did get me through. So thank you, Mark.”

But it seems as though apart from her loyal fans, friends and family, Jill was spurred on by one famous face – Ronan Keating.

She continued: “You know, the support’s been amazing, from messages to people on the street. Honestly, I think it’s going to hit me once this challenge is over, because I feel like in my head it’s just to get this challenge finished.

“So I think that’s an athlete mindset sometimes. But seeing Ronan Keating today, that actually did make me smile a lot. I’m gutted that I missed their concert at the weekend because I was training for this, and I told them they’ve got to do another one just so I can come. But what a guy.”

Jill started to play for England in 2006 and fast became a household name. When asked about her ideal celebrity squad she said: “Oh, that’s a really tough one. Just everybody that sent messages. I’ve had messages from the guys on the Overlap podcast, from Kaz Carney, Nasee Adam, Carly Telford joined us, all my mates, my ex- teammates. There would be too many to make a squad.”

And while Jill has been praised along the way and has tried to make it seem as though she is surviving well, she revealed she did have to endure a few injuries.

“Well, two blisters have just popped on my toes, so there’s a little bit of gory detail. Yeah, it has been really challenging. My knee’s been causing us a lot of pain, so there’s been a lot of moments of getting strapped up.

“I don’t think people see, when you’re arriving at the pit stops, it’s half 11 at night and you’re getting physio till half one, two in the morning. You have four hours’ sleep and then you’re up again to do a marathon or a 30-mile run.”

She concluded: “But I knew it was going to be a challenge. It’s a sport belief, for one of me, it’s as much money as possible, so it’s got to be tough, doesn’t it?”

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