The Hollywood star was seen arriving at the community sports club for the event

British acting legend Hugh Grant was a surprise guest as Andy Burnham held a rally on the eve of tomorrow’s landmark by-election.

Hollywood star Mr Grant, best known for his roles in Notting Hill, Love Actually and Bridget Jones’ Diary, made an appearance at Stubshaw Cross Club in Ashton-in-Makerfield tonight (Wednesday, June 17) where Mr Burnham was addressing his supporters.

The Greater Manchester Mayor is seeking to return to return to parliament by winning the Wigan constituency in tomorrow’s vote and if he wins, has indicated he would put himself forward in an expected challenge to Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership.

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Previous incumbent Josh Simons stood down last month in order to give Mr Burnham a route back to Westminster so he could ‘drive the change our country is crying out for.’

Wearing a white shirt with rolled up sleeves and sunglasses, Mr Grant was seen arriving at the community sports club on Walter Street that has served as Mr Burnham’s base. He was later seen leaving and getting into a red car.

He is the latest celebrity to make an appearance on the campaign with comedian Steve Coogan supporting Mr Burnham on the doorstep and TV star Ant Middleton among those to support his Reform rival Rob Kenyon.

In an address to supporters posted on his campaign’s page on X, Mr Burnham said it had been ‘an incredible campaign’ and said they had a ‘big night and a big day ahead of us’ as he said he believed the by-election was about to ‘change British politics.’

“This by-election is going to put power where it should be. In the hands of people here” he said.

“A vote for me is a vote to end 40 years of trickle down economics” he continued as he said he wanted to make ‘life more affordable again’ for British people and to give them ‘breathing space in their daily lives.’

Although numerous polls have suggested Mr Burnham has a lead over Mr Kenyon, Mr Burnham described it as a ‘close situation’ and said ‘we do need people to get out and vote tomorrow.’

The Prime Minister Keir Starmer earlier today said he wants Andy Burnham to “play a big part” in the Labour Government in what appeared to be a signal he could invite him to join his Cabinet.

However a senior source told told the Manchester Evening News that he would not take a role in his government and said that Sir Keir remaining in post would give people ‘an excuse to vote against Labour’ in the Greater Manchester mayoral election which will be triggered if Mr Burnham wins.

He is the latest celebrity to make an appearance on the campaign with comedian Steve Coogan supporting Mr Burnham on the doorstep and TV star Ant Middleton among those to support his Reform rival Rob Kenyon.

In an address to supporters posted on his campaign’s page on X, Mr Burnham said it had been ‘an incredible campaign’ and said they had a ‘big night and a big day ahead of us’ as he said he believed the by-election was about to ‘change British politics.’

“This by-election is going to put power where it should be. In the hands of people here” he said.

“A vote for me is a vote to end 40 years of trickle down economics” he continued as he said he wanted to make ‘life more affordable again’ for British people and to give them ‘breathing space in their daily lives.’

Although numerous polls have suggested Mr Burnham has a lead over Mr Kenyon, Mr Burnham described it as a ‘close situation’ and said ‘we do need people to get out and vote tomorrow.’

The Prime Minister Keir Starmer earlier today said he wants Andy Burnham to “play a big part” in the Labour Government in what appeared to be a signal he could invite him to join his Cabinet.

However a senior source told told the Manchester Evening News that he would not take a role in his government and said that Sir Keir remaining in post would give people ‘an excuse to vote against Labour’ in the Greater Manchester mayoral election which will be triggered if Mr Burnham wins.

Daveigh Chase, the former child actor best known for starring in the 2002 horror film The Ring and originating the voice of Lilo Pelekai in the 2002 animated movie Lilo & Stitch, has died at the age of 35.

The actor’s death was announced by her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, who told TMZ that she died Tuesday from meningitis and an infection in her blood, which caused her to have septic issues and led to her body shutting down.

Her untimely death comes days after Hernandez had launched a GoFundMe to raise money for her treatment. “Daveigh was diagnosed with meningitis and several serious blood infections. Her condition has become critical, and the doctors have told me she may not have much time left,” the page read.

“After a difficult childhood and a painful falling out with her family, Daveigh was bullied and struggled to find safety and happiness in downtown LA. When we met, I promised to protect her and give her the love and comfort she deserved. Together, we found moments of happiness and hope.”

Born July 24, 1990, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Chase was raised in Albany, Oregon. She first began acting at seven, landing roles in commercials and on stage. She was eight when she made her on-screen debut in a 1998 episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

She later went on to star in single episodes of Charmed, The Practice and ER, before appearing in 2001’s Jake Gyllenhaal-led Donnie Darko. The following year, she voiced Lilo in Disney’s 2002 animated family movie, Lilo & Stitch, as well as its subsequent spin-off films and Walt Disney’s two-season TV adaptation, Lilo & Stitch: The Series.

That same year, she played the evil Samara Morgan in Gore Verbinski’s critically acclaimed horror flick The Ring, alongside Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson.

Her final acting credit was 2016’s thriller American Romance. She stepped away from acting following a string of personal and legal issues.

In 2018, Chase was arrested and charged with drug possession.

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Strachan Travel Ltd, based in Lancashire, entered voluntary liquidation after resolutions for winding up were recorded on June 11, with liquidators appointed on June 16, bringing an end to decades of business.

The company was incorporated in 1983 under the name Quintglobe Ltd and had earned a loyal following, reflected in its five-star Google reviews.

One customer said: “Great staff. Good place to book a holiday – they care and give you the personal treatment. Make you feel important to them. Brilliant!”

What happens when a company goes into Liquidation?

Another reviewer said: “I wouldn’t go anywhere else.

“They do everything for you.”

A third said: “Very friendly people who try to get the best deal for you.

“Used them several times for cheap to very expensive holidays.”

A notice published in The Gazette confirmed the appointment of joint liquidators Francesca Vivace and Richard Ian Williamson of Campbell, Crossley & Davis.

The notice stated: “That the Company be wound up voluntarily and that Francesca Vivace (IP No. 32370) and Richard Ian Williamson (IP No. 8013) both of Campbell, Crossley & Davis, Ground Floor, Seneca House, Links Point, Amy Johnson Way, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY4 2FF be appointed as Joint Liquidators for the purposes of such voluntary winding up.”

Strachan Travel’s website and Facebook page no longer appear to be active, and business hours listed on Google now show as permanently closed.

The closure marks the end of a long-standing business that had served generations of holidaymakers across Lancashire and beyond.

Jagtar Singh Johal’s family say they have been unable to speak to him since he was transferred to Delhi’s notorious Tihar Jail.

The family of a Scot detained in India for more than eight years have revealed they have not spoken to him for seven months as politicians pile pressure on the UK Government to bring him home.

Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, has now spent 3,146 days behind bars since he was arrested while on honeymoon in Punjab in 2017. His brother Gurpreet says the family’s phone calls were cut off after Johal was transferred to Delhi’s notorious Tihar Jail last year.

The family’s latest ordeal comes as more than 50 MPs and peers wrote to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Thursday urging her to do “everything in your power” to bring Johal home, following a fresh intervention by ten United Nations experts who described his continued detention as a “profound miscarriage of justice”.

Responding to the intervention, Jagtar’s brother Gurpreet Singh Johal spoke of the personal toll the ordeal continues to have on the family. “It can get very lonely, campaigning for my brother to be set free,” he said.

“Since Jagtar was moved to Tihar jail last year, they stopped our phone calls – it’s been seven months since I had a call with him. Video calls were stopped long before that.

“Try to imagine how that feels, not being able to even talk to your brother, knowing he’s unfairly locked up.”

The cross-party letter follows a fresh intervention by ten United Nations Special Rapporteurs and independent experts, who have called on Indian authorities to drop all remaining charges against Johal and release him without delay.

In the letter to Cooper, parliamentarians said the latest UN findings highlighted the “egregious nature” of Johal’s continued imprisonment.

They wrote: “Jagtar has now spent 3,146 days in arbitrary detention, during which he has endured torture, severe abuse of his rights, and the continuing trauma of prolonged uncertainty.

“The intervention of senior UN experts makes clear that his continued imprisonment is unlawful, intolerable, and a profound miscarriage of justice.”

The UN experts said there was “no rationale” for Johal’s continued detention and warned that more than eight years in prison without a foreseeable end to proceedings amounted to “unlawful suffering”.

“Eight and a half years of arbitrary detention without a clear path to trial is not justice, it is unlawful suffering,” they said. “The prolonged uncertainty alone is a form of psychological torture.”

Johal was acquitted in one case in March 2025 after a court in Punjab rejected allegations against him. However, he remains imprisoned while facing a number of federal prosecutions that campaigners say are effectively duplicate cases.

The experts also raised concerns about “double jeopardy, the presumption of innocence, the misuse of counter-terrorism laws, and the integrity of the proceedings”, and called on the Indian government to release him immediately.

Signatories to the letter noted that Prime Minister Keir Starmer had previously recognised Johal’s detention as arbitrary and twice called for his release while leader of the opposition.

“As leader of the opposition, the Prime Minister rightly recognised Jagtar’s detention as arbitrary and twice called for his release. It has never been more vital to deliver this,” they wrote.

The letter was signed by MPs and peers from Labour, the Conservatives, the SNP, Liberal Democrats, Greens and independent benches, including Dumbarton MP Douglas McAllister.

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Gurpreet said the MPs’ letter was a reminder both to ministers and the family that public support for Jagtar’s release remains strong.

“Stuff like this letter makes a difference. It reminds the Government that they’re on notice. And it reminds the family that people care – not just the MPs that signed but the thousands of voters who wrote to them.

“My message to the community is that we won’t rest until Jagtar is home.”

The Foreign Secretary raised Johal’s case during recent meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

The Record has contacted the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office for comment.

Second Rothesay Test, The Kia Oval (day one of five)

New Zealand 291-7: Blundell 51, Phillips 49*; Bethell 2-8, Baker 2-63

England: Yet to bat

England won the toss

Scorecard

England attempted to move on from the Ben Stokes controversy with a solid opening day of the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval.

Captain Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson are unavailable pending an investigation into an incident in a London nightclub following England’s win in the first Test.

Without them, an England team captained by Joe Root, with five changes from the first Test and including three debutants, worked hard to leave New Zealand 291-7 at the close on a true batting surface.

The efforts justified Root’s decision to field first on a damp, humid morning. Sonny Baker, one of the trio of new caps, picked up 2-63 and Jofra Archer was unlucky to claim only one wicket – he bowled a rapid and exhilarating spell late in the day.

Glenn Phillips was the unfortunate recipient of Archer’s thunderbolts, somehow surviving to reach 49 not out. At the other end, Jacob Bethell burgled two wickets with his left-arm spin.

Daryl Mitchell, who was dropped on two, made 44 and Tom Blundell 51, but a number of the tourists’ top order were guilty of wasting good starts.

Ashley Crowder, 36, denied murdering 37-year-old Graham Cox after repeatedly stealing his money to buy drugs and keeping his trapped in his flat.

But this week a jury convicted him of the crime with a string of other offences, leaving Crowder facing a life sentence.

Opening the case at the start of the trial, Mukul Chawla KC, prosecuting, said: “The murder occurred in the days before Graham Cox’s body was discovered on the evening of March 5.

“He had been beaten and there were fractures of the laryngeal cartilages in the neck.”

The trial took place at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Phil Taylor)

Mr Chawla said it had not been possible to establish the exact time of Mr Cox’s death but that it had happened at some point before March 5, 2024.

Mr Chawla told the jury that Mr Cox had been “extremely vulnerable”, because of his long-term drug use and from strokes he suffered in 2023.

He told jurors that Crowder had access to Mr Cox’s bank cards and phone and so was able to take money from him in the period leading up to the 37-year-old’s death.

Mr Chawla said: “The thefts alleged are that this defendant stole money from Mr Cox.

Officers on Barton Walk (Image: Newsquest)

“Not in the usual way perhaps by picking his pocket or by taking his wallet but, by forcing Mr Cox to pass all the money that he received as benefits from the Department of Work and Pensions to the defendant when Mr Cox was, as you will see, in desperate need of it.”

Crowder, of Barton Walk, Farnworth, had denied all the charges put to him.

Richard Pratt KC, defending, told the jury that far from being his killer, Crowder had been the “only person” to put a roof over Mr Cox’s head.

Police on the scene on Barton Walk (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Pratt told the court the prosecution had failed to “shut down” the chance that someone else could have killed Mr Cox.

He reminded the jury of Mr Crowder’s police interview where he claimed that around 50 people had made use of his flat.

Mr Pratt said: “Could some person unknown or unidentified have caused the death of Graham Cox?”

But on Wednesday June 17 the jury convicted Crowder of murder, assault and four counts of theft.

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton Judge Nicholas Clarke KC remanded Crowder into custody and ordered that he be brought back to court to be sentenced on Wednesday July 29.

Conservative councillor Liam Bones was issued three court summonses between May 2023 and May 2024 in relation to council tax arrears of up to £1,452.

Coun Bones, the Tories’ former leader in North Tyneside and their candidate in 2025’s mayoral election, said that he was in financial hardship and between jobs at the time.

North Tyneside Conservative councillor Liam Bones. (Image: Liam Bones)

It has also been confirmed that Labour councillor Rebecca O’Keefe was issued a court summons by North Tyneside Council shortly after she was elected in May 2022, and was asked to pay £1,336.24.

The local authority confirmed that both matters had since been either “settled in full or a payment plan has been put in place”.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed last year how a number of councillors across the region had been summonsed to court because of unpaid council tax bills between 2022 and 2025.

While North Tyneside Council confirmed at the time that it had taken three of its own representatives to court, it declined to name them – arguing that it had chosen to withhold the names of the politicians concerned under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, which protects personal data from being disclosed.

But, following an appeal made by North Tyneside resident Charlie Keville, the Information Commissioner ordered the council to name two of the three.

Coun Bones, who as been a councillor since 2021, was served three summons in a 12-month period for the amounts of £598, £1,452, and £600.39.

The Preston with Preston Grange ward representative told the Local Democracy Reporting Service on Tuesday: “At the time I was experiencing financial hardship and between jobs, which led to a missed council tax payment.

“This is a historic matter, all arrears were settled at the time, and I continued to be able to vote at all council meetings. 

“It is unreasonable that missing a single monthly instalment can result in the council demanding an entire year’s council tax, as expecting people who are already struggling financially to pay an even larger amount immediately is unlikely to help them get back on track.

“This is an issue I will continue to raise at the council.”

Coun O’Keefe, who represents Chirton and Percy Main, was sent her summons on May 26, 2022.

She said: “Before becoming an elected councillor, I fell into arrears with my council tax and defaulted on the agreed payment schedule.

North Tyneside Labour councillor Rebecca O’Keefe. (Image: North Tyneside Council)

“I made arrangements to resolve the matter and ensure that all outstanding amounts were paid in full.

“I am not seeking to justify the circumstances that led to this situation. Like many people, I have faced periods of financial difficulty and challenges that I did not foresee. I am human, and at times I have struggled, as many residents across our borough have.”

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said that a third councillor, who was sent a summons in November 2023 over an unpaid £91.10 should not be named as there was “insufficient legitimate interest to outweigh the harm and distress” that disclosing their identity would cause.

However, the regulator found that the council had been “unable to provide any compelling arguments” to justify withholding the other two names, adding that their circumstances were “reasonably common and could be experienced by many people”.

A legal ruling from the Upper Tribunal in 2016 concluded that there was a “compelling legitimate interest in the public knowing whether a particular councillor has failed to pay the council tax, at least in circumstances where they have remained in default for over two months” and that the public interest in knowing the information was “central to the proper functioning and transparency of the democratic process”.

That judgement stated that there may be “exceptional” personal circumstances to justify a councillor’s identity being withheld, but that the public interest outweighs this in most cases.

Any councillor who has unpaid council tax arrears of two months or more is legally barred from voting on the authority’s annual budget.

North Tyneside Council said that no councillors with this level of arrears participated in its budget votes during the years in question and the “necessary checks were undertaken”.

Stephen Ballantyne, North Tyneside Council’s interim director of resources, added: “The council originally withheld the information after carefully considering the data protection rights and personal circumstances of the individuals involved, in line with section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act.

“The ICO has now determined that, for two of the councillors, the balance of public interest favours disclosure.”

“This decision relates solely to the application of FOI legislation.

“It was not a political decision, and the council will continue to apply the law consistently and transparently in all future cases.

“Further, it can be confirmed that where summons have been issued, the amounts have either been settled in full or a payment plan has been put in place.” 

Twenty-four people have denied obstructing officers during raids at the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Crewe amid a probe into alleged sexual abuse, forced marriage and modern slavery

People living at a religious community in Crewe have denied obstructing police officers during raids carried out as part of an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse, forced marriage and modern slavery.

More than 500 officers took part in search warrants at three addresses linked to the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in the Cheshire town on April 29.

On Wednesday, 24 people appeared at South Cheshire Magistrates’ Court charged with public order offences, alleged to have taken place during the raids.

Annika Livermore, prosecuting, told the court residents obstructed officers from getting into rooms at Webb House, the group’s headquarters, with some linking arms to try to stop them getting past.

She said defendant Dareem Charles was alleged to have kicked at police shields and thrown items, while Marc Ferreira was alleged to have grabbed an officer while he was making an arrest.

The oldest defendant, Ramazan Demirovic, 59, was seen pushing past officers and wedging himself against a doorframe, Ms Livermore said. She added: “The defendant was then seen to lash out with his arms and push an officer to the face.”

Laure Delogne, who spoke through a French interpreter, was accused of hiding in a bush when police entered the site, the court heard.

The defendants, aged between 18 and 59, were brought into court individually, with the hearings listed to go on until the afternoon. All have addresses in Crewe apart from Hatem Sider, who told the court his address was in London. Many wore black clothing and some wore black beanie hats.

Cheshire Police said the defendants were of nationalities including British, French, Belgian, Iranian, Egyptian and American.

Outside the court building, a handful of protesters gathered, filming defendants on their phones as they arrived.

District Judge Ian Barnes granted the defendants unconditional bail until their trials, listed for dates in April next year at South Cheshire Magistrates’ Court.

Case management hearings were scheduled for September 29.

The following pleas were entered:

• Jahmeel Musa, 33, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Onur Aydin, 36, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable..
• Myrah Hashem, 27, pleaded not guilty to failing to comply with a section 35 direction.
• Dareem Charles, 36, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Hussein Khadum, 18, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Marc Ferreira, 38, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Gustavio Ruiz-Quinteros, 34, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Laure Delogne, 31, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Sarah Batul, 33, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Ramazan Demirovic, 59, pleaded not guilty to assaulting a constable.
• Rad El-Kanami, 47, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Soufiane Ben Abdeslam, 32, pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer and obstructing a constable.
• Diniy Sisyam, 20, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Maryham Marfoug, 32, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Hatem Sider, 42, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Ahmed Elhaouss, 21, pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer.
• Mohammed Hiary, 32, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Tahani Hashem, 27, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Aun Haideer, 26, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Taymour Elalfy, 37, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Mammadagha Abdullayer, 35, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Raimah Batul, 18, pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer.
• Alireza Khatib Haghighi, 40, pleaded not guilty to obstructing a constable.
• Mohamed Ayob, 38, pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer.

The case of Hamidreza Saghari, 39, who had been charged with obstructing a constable, was discontinued by the prosecution.

Twelve people arrested as part of the investigation into alleged sexual abuse were later released on conditional bail.

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is a sect that blends tenets of Shia Islam with conspiracy theories about the Illuminati and aliens controlling US presidents. Mainstream Muslim groups have long distanced themselves from the group.

The community is based at Webb House, a former orphanage where around 150 people are understood to be living. The site was returned to residents after police concluded their searches in early May.