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Nearly 6,700 penalty notices were issued to parents in Cambridgeshire last year, down from 10,300 the previous year, bucking the national trend

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CambridgeshireLive readers have heard that the number of fines issued to parents for term time holidays fell sharply in Cambridgeshire last year, bucking the national trend of rising penalties across England.

In 2024 to 25, almost 6,700 notices were issued in the county, mainly for unauthorised family holidays. That equates to 556 fines per 10,000 pupils, a 35 percent drop from the 10,300 issued the previous year. The figure is also down from 9,500 in 2022 to 23 and lower than the 8,700 recorded in 2018 to 19 before the pandemic.

Parents in the wider Cambridgeshire council area were slightly more likely to be fined than those in Peterborough, with 560 fines per 10,000 pupils compared with 549.

Nationally, however, fines continue to climb. A record 459,000 penalty notices were issued across England in 2024 to 25, equal to more than 620 per 10,000 pupils. That compares with 116,000 in 2016 to 17, rising to 288,000 in 2018 to 19, 356,000 in 2022 to 23 and 443,000 in 2023 to 24.

The highest rates are in the North of England, where councils issued 817 fines per 10,000 pupils last year, compared with 665 in the Midlands and 550 in the South. Barnsley recorded the highest rate in the country at 1,700 per 10,000 pupils, followed by Oldham, Blackpool, Hartlepool, Leicester, Rotherham and St Helens.

Penalty notices are issued when parents fail to ensure their child attends school. In 2024 to 25 the fine was £80 if paid within 21 days, rising to £160 after that. A second notice within three years is charged at £160. Most fines, around 93 percent, are for unauthorised term time holidays.

Commenter Terry B says: “Teachers can strike or hold scheduled training days through the authority or union, and those days still affect pupils’ learning. If a teacher or student is off sick for a period, learning is disrupted too, yet pupils still manage to achieve. I understand the need in some cases, but is it really essential?

Marty S agrees: “Yet no fines are imposed on teachers when strike action forces parents to keep their children at home from school.”

Liz D asks: “Are the fines actually lower than the steep price hikes during school holidays that cash in on families? It almost feels like the school calendar creates a guaranteed stream of business.”

Amyalan1958 replies: “It’s cheaper to pay the fines than to pay peak school holiday prices; other sanctions are needed.”

Tomasz D complains: “This is a pure penalisation of parents for their parental duties. How many other countries have those fines in place? Answers anyone?”

Rhodabike thinks: “This is just another excuse for schools to extort money off parents. Our education system has numerous issues, but kids missing a few days a year for a holiday isn’t one of them.”

WelcomeToTheFuture writes: “We never did it when my kids were at school, but I can understand it makes sense, the prices go up wildly in the summer holidays so paying a fine is a drop in the ocean compared to the savings you would make for a family of 4, it could easily be thousands of pounds saved.”

Timbiscuit suggests: “Expel them. Then watch as the parents discover how difficult it is to find a placement. Going on holiday during term time is ridiculous!”

With fines falling locally but rising sharply nationwide, is the current approach to term time holidays really working? Have your say in our comments section.

According to a Canadian website on gun ownership, which obtained statistics from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or RCMP, there were 355,678 gun licences in British Columbia as of 2023, or about 6,240 gun licenses per 100,000 people. But the website cautioned that many people own guns without a licence, which is illegal.

The Ballymena woman was murdered in June 2023, and the trial into her death was planned for this month

The family of Chloe Mitchell have said the “ongoing uncertainty” on a decision regarding the trial date is “taking an unbearable toll” on them.

The Ballymena woman was murdered in June 2023 aged just 21, with her remains discovered in a flat in the James Street area eight days after she went missing.

Her family, and local political representatives in the North Antrim area, are calling for barristers to grant a derogation to allow her trial to begin despite ongoing strike action.

READ MORE: MLAs and MP make joint statement on Chloe Mitchell case as family meet Justice MinisterREAD MORE: Justice minister urges exemption for Chloe Mitchell trial amid barrister strike

They are asking the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) to grant the same dispensation in regard to their strike action in the Chloe Mitchell case as in the Natalie McNally case, to allow the trial to go ahead this month as planned.

Chloe Mitchell’s family has sent the CBA an urgent plea to allow the trial to proceed this month as normal. Her sister, Nadine, said: “This ongoing uncertainty is taking an unbearable toll on us. Every single day we wake up with knots in our stomachs, living with constant anxiety, waiting for one answer — a simple yes or no — on whether this trial will be allowed to proceed.

“This is not how it should be. No family, no loved ones, should have to endure such prolonged uncertainty. We are mentally drained. We are emotionally exhausted. We feel as though our lives are on hold, suspended in limbo, unable to move forward while we wait for a decision that will determine whether justice can finally begin to take its course.”

Barristers withdrew from all legal aid-funded crown court trials on January 5 in a dispute over pay, with the strike action effectively halting crown court cases involving those who require legal aid. Last month, the CBA confirmed that it would make an exception in the Natalie McNally case so that it could proceed.

Brandon John Rainey, 29, who is currently housed in HMP Maghaberry and is formerly of James Street in Ballymena, is due to stand trial for the murder of Ms Mitchell, with the trial listed to start on February 23. He has been charged with murder and attempting to prevent ‘the lawful and decent burial of a deceased body.’

Nadine said her family need justice for her sister, now almost three years on from her death. She said: “We are begging you — please make a decision. Please understand the weight of this delay and what it is doing to us.

“The waiting is not neutral; it is painful. It reopens wounds every single day. We need clarity. We need resolution. We need hope.

“Most of all, we need justice for Chloe Mitchell. She deserves her day in court. She deserves for the process to move forward. And we, as those who love her, deserve the chance to see that justice is being pursued.

“We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for fairness, for progress, for the opportunity for this trial to go ahead so that the truth can be heard. Please do not let this continue to drag on without an answer. The emotional cost is immense.

“We are tired. We are worn down. But we will continue to stand and speak for Chloe. Today, we are simply asking — please let this trial proceed. Please give us the decision we have been waiting for. Please allow justice to move forward.”

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Mikel Merino faces a race to return from injury before the end of the season when Arsenal will hope to still be battling for major silverware.

The Gunners are chasing an unprecedented quadruple this season, top of the Premier League, finishing top of the Champions League phase and already in the Carabao Cup final where they will meet Manchester City in March. They hope to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup when they take on Wigan Athletic on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta has assembled one of the strongest squads in Europe to end their long wait for major silverware but were handed a major blow in January when Merino suffered a stress fracture in his foot during the 3-2 defeat to Manchester United.

The former Real Sociedad star underwent surgery this week with Arsenal expecting him to be out for an ‘extended’ period of time.

Arsenal will hope to have a very busy month of May with the FA Cup final taking place on the 17^th. The final weekend of the Premier League season takes place a week later with the Champions League final taking place in Budapest on 30 May.

Merino has repeatedly demonstrated how important he is to Arteta’s plans with his injury prompting a late and ultimately unsuccessful search for a replacement late in the January transfer window.

Both Arteta and Merino’s father have described the injury as ‘rare’. While the exact nature of the injury has not been disclosed, Stephen Smith, CEO of Kitman Labs which specialises in injury welfare and performance analytics, suggests Arsenal will err on the side of caution when it comes to his return.

While an estimated timeline could see Merino available again for the season run-in, Arsenal will be wary of undoing the hard work done behind the scenes.

‘The foot has multiple different bones and there are some that are much easier to deal with,’ Smith told Metro. ‘There are some metatarsal stress fractures that are much easier to deal with because they have a higher blood supply than others. The fifth metatarsal or the navicular are two bones that are rare to break but when they do, because they have a poor blood supply in that area, they can take much longer.

‘On the lower end, stress fractures can be dealt with in four to eight weeks. But if you have a scenario where it is in one of these tricker areas with poor blood supply you are talking anywhere from eight to 12 or even up to 16 weeks.

‘If surgical fixation is required, you are generally talking about the higher side of two to three months and it often can be longer. It depends on the specifics of the issue. but if there is surgery, it will add to the timeline.

‘Even in those more serious scenarios, a return to play would generally be one erring on the side of caution. As soon as you go back to training you are loading again and you can go back to square one if there is a breakdown.

‘I would think at this point in the season, unless someone’s rehab goes incredibly well or there are really important games you absolutely need a player back for, they are probably going to be more conservative and ensure there is no recurrence.’

Will Merino be fit in time for Spain’s World Cup campaign?

Merino has made 33 appearances for Arsenal this season, stepping into midfield while again proving to be an effective option up front when called upon with six goals this term. He has developed into a similarly key presence in the Spanish national team, scoring eight times in 10 appearances for La Roja in 2025.

Having developed into such a key player for his country, the Arsenal star would have been expected to head to the World Cup this summer with Spain opening their campaign against Cape Verde on 15 June. This injury blow could leave that in doubt. But while Arsenal will be understandably cautious, Merino will have the final say.

‘Arsenal will want to be protective over him given the expectations they have for him,’ Smith said. ‘The last thing they will want is to go through the rehab process and have someone go off to the World Cup and get hurt.

‘But at the same time, they will not want to hold a player of that quality back. Spain ill have their own expectations. So it will be a shared decision but the player will decide, taking advice from all involved, both club and country. But there is still lots of  time to go. It would be a very different conversation if we were in March or April.’

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An Antiques Roadshow expert valued a Phantom of the Opera mask believed to have been worn by Michael Crawford at a staggering price

Antiques Roadshow expert, Stephen Lane, discovered a treasured theatrical artefact from a legendary West End production carrying an eye-watering valuation.

During an instalment of the popular BBC One programme’s companion series, Unseen Treasures at Shuttleworth House in Bedfordshire, expert Stephen was delighted to examine a mask apparently worn by performer Michael Crawford in the production of Phantom of the Opera.

A guest presented the famous West End piece, accompanied by a crew jacket and script, for assessment on the programme.

The guest revealed that her late husband was amongst the original company in the West End back in 1986 and he acquired Michael Crawford’s Phantom Mask following Michael’s, 84, departure from the production, preserving it throughout the years.

Specialist Stephen was captivated by the pieces, highlighting his appreciation for the deterioration visible inside the mask, stating: “So we can see that this has been used for many, many shows.”, reports the Express.

“There’s some sort of a build-up of makeup, perhaps makeup residue here. So it looks like it’s had great heavy use.”

He continued: “To go to the next level, really what I want to do is research this in further depth and see if we can find a photo, a behind-the-scenes photo or a stage show shot of Michael wearing the mask.

“Because as we look at the mask, there are a number of inherent details here and I’m just going to point to some of these. There’s some paint splashes the way that it’s been painted just along under the eye here and then there’s a little dent in the paintwork just in here as well.”

The expert explained: “So what’s really important to establish here is if this was a mask worn by Michael or by a stand-in and it really makes a difference in the value.”

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He continued: “On one hand it’s going to be an interesting thing, it’s iconic in its own right, but if it’s worn by Michael Crawford it really elevates the value.”

The specialist added: “But as it stands today, I think it’s a highly desirable and collectible artefact and I wouldn’t hesitate to put an estimate on it of about £5,000 to £10,000.”

He elaborated: “So really, really valuable. If we can do that further research, I think the likelihood is if we can match it up and that should be possible, then you’re going to double that I think £10,000 to £20,000.”

The stunned guest could only manage a breathless: “Wow!” as expert Stephen admired the piece, describing it as: “Truly beautiful.”

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Anne and Andrew Leaver want to convert the field at the rear of Hillcrest in Tockholes Road into a space for dogs to run free.

The 0.45-acre site is located within the Green Belt and the West Pennine Moors and forms part of a wider landholding under their ownership.

A supporting statement submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council with the planning application says: “Anne and Andrew Leaver are seeking permission for the change of use of part of an existing field to a dog exercise area to provide a safe and secure environment where dogs and their owners can exercise throughout the year.

“Access to outdoor space plays an important role in supporting animal welfare and enabling people to spend time with their pets in a natural setting.

“The proposed facility would allow users to enjoy the countryside in a controlled and managed way, supporting regular outdoor activity while making use of existing rural land.

“Hillcrest Cattery is located within the wider site.

“The surrounding land is predominantly agricultural, comprising open fields with established tree belts and hedgerows.

“The proposal seeks permission for: the change of use of the land into a dog exercise area; the erection of 1.8m high posts and mesh fencing; and the extension of an existing hardstanding area on the wider site to allow for the parking of one car.

“The proposed opening times are in summer weekdays 8am to 7pm, Saturdays 8am to 7pm, and Sundays 9am to 5pm, and in winter 9am to 3pm seven days a week.

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“Clients will be able to book 60-minute sessions via the online booking system.

“Clients will be required to leave the site in good time.

“This will ensure that only one client is on the site at any one time.

“Once a client selects an hourly slot, then this slot is removed from the website to ensure no further bookings can take place within the same hour.

“No commercial dog groups, or private functions, dog training days, group sessions, or competitions will be using the site at any time.

“The site will only be used by private dog owners to exercise their pet away from home.

“The proposed dog exercise area is well screened by existing mature trees and vegetation.

“The proposal would be largely hidden within the landscape and would not appear visually prominent within the wider Green Belt.

“The purpose of the Green Belt exception for outdoor recreation is to enable greater access to the countryside and to support recreational and health-related activities.”

Cardiff are lining up a move for the Wales forward

Cardiff are closing in on the signing of Wales forward Christ Tshiunza from Exeter Chiefs, WalesOnline has learnt.

The 24-year-old’s Exeter contract expires at the end of the season and there has been a lot of interest in acquiring his services from Cardiff and clubs in England.

Tshiunza, who can play lock and backrow, has seen his Wales career stall in recent times due to injury and is currently sidelined with a broken foot.

The 6ft 6in forward is a big target for Cardiff and while a deal has not yet been completed WalesOnline understands the capital city club are the favourites to land his signature.

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Tshiunza attended Whitchurch High School in Cardiff, the same establishment as Sam Warburton and Gareth Bale, before deciding to join the Exeter Chiefs academy.

A move back to Cardiff would put the athletic forward in a strong position to fight for a place in Wales’ Rugby World Cup squad.

Cardiff are currently up for sale with the WRU locked into a 60-day period of exclusivity with Ospreys owners Y11 Sports & Media who are the governing bodies preferred buyer of the famous Welsh club.

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Despite the WRU’s plan to cut down to three professional clubs there will be at least four Welsh sides competing in the United Rugby Championship next season.

All four sides know roughly what their playing budgets are for next season and are contracting players.

If Cardiff were to complete a deal to sign Tshiunza his athleticism and lineout prowess would suit the Arms Park outfit’s brand of rugby.

Cardiff have also lost the versatile Ben Donnell who has signed for Ulster so Tshiunza would fit the bill as a replacement for him.

A potential second-row partnership of Teddy Williams and Tshiunza would also be appealing, with former England international Josh McNally also in the mix.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are flirting with a record Wednesday following an encouraging report that said the nation’s unemployment rate unexpectedly improved last month.

The S&P 500 rose 0.5% and is sitting just below its all-time high set late last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 222 points, or 0.4%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% higher.

Treasury yields also climbed in the bond market immediately after the Labor Department said U.S. employers added 130,000 jobs to their payrolls last month, more than the 75,000 that economists expected. That helped calm worries that had heightened a day earlier, when a discouraging report suggested spending by U.S. households, the main engine of the economy, may be stalling.

To be sure, all is still not perfectly clear for the U.S. economy. Wednesday’s report included major revisions, which said employers added just 181,000 jobs for all of last year, less than a third of the previously reported 584,000. That’s the weakest showing for a year since 2020, when COVID-19 shut down the economy.

“We all knew there would be downward revisions, but these were better than expected,” Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist at Annex Wealth Management, said of the markdowns for 2025.

Stocks in the energy and industrial industries jumped to the biggest gains in the S&P 500. Their profits tend to be closely tied to the health of the economy. Caterpillar rose 3.9%, and Exxon Mobil climbed 2.4%.

That helped offset a drop for Moderna, which fell 10.5% after saying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is refusing to consider its application for a new flu vaccine made with Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology. It’s the latest sign of the FDA’s heightened scrutiny of vaccines under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Robinhood Markets fell 11% even though the trading and investment app reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its revenue fell short of forecasts, and analysts highlighted Robinhood’s forecast for expenses in 2026, along with concerns about how long a slowdown in crypto trading will last.

Kraft Heinz sank 4.1% despite reporting better results for the latest quater than analysts expected. CEO Steve Cahillane said he’s pausing the company’s planned split into two businesses as he tries to return it to profitable growth. He also announced a $600 million investment across marketing, sales and research and development.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.17% from 4.16% late Tuesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for moves by the Federal Reserve, jumped more. It climbed to 3.51% from 3.45%.

The stronger-than-expected jobs data pushed traders to pare back their bets on how many cuts to interest rates the Fed will make this year, though most are still betting on at least two according to data from CME Group.

The Fed has put its cuts to interest rates on hold, and a further weakening of the job market could have pushed it to resume cuts more quickly. Lower rates can give the economy a boost, though they can also worsen inflation. The next monthly update on inflation at the U.S. consumer level is arriving on Friday.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Asia and Europe.

South Korea’s Kospi rose 1%, and the United Kingdom’s FTSE 100 gained 0.9% for two of the bigger moves.

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AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.