World number one Scottie Scheffler ignited his bid to claim the career grand slam after a one-under round of 69 made him the main threat to US Open third-round leader Wyndham Clark.

The American is taking his first shot at trying to join the elite six-man club which Rory McIlroy was admitted to last year after winning the Masters.

For two days Scheffler went under the radar after rounds of 72 and 68 but with a number of other multiple major winners who started the day in the top 10 struggling in the toughest conditions of the week at Shinnecock Hills, the 29-year-old breezed past them and into contention.

His round, which started with back-to-back bogeys, included four birdies on the back nine – including a chip-in at the 14th and narrowly missing an eagle attempt at the 16th – and after dropping a shot at the short 17th he missed a four-footer for birdie at the last.

It moved him to within five shots of 2024 champion Clark, who was one over through 13 holes of his round and six under for the tournament when the world number one finished up.

McIlroy’s bid for a first US Open title since making his major breakthrough in 2011 collapsed after the turn after going out in a two-under 33.

Three successive birdies from the fifth moved him to within four of Clark, who was just teeing off, but he overshot the green at the difficult 10th for the second successive day for the first of five bogeys on an inward nine of 40 and a round of 73 which left him three over and his hopes in tatters.

Scheffler is hoping for a triple celebration on Sunday as it is his birthday and also Father’s Day.

“I think it’s appropriate to understand what’s at stake,” he said.

“I’ve worked really hard for a long time to have a chance to win golf tournaments and to win major championships.

“I think understanding the moment and giving it your best shot I think is all part of the process.

“I mean, I’d rather be leading but I have an opportunity to go out there and have a great round and give myself a chance to win the tournament.

“I’ll need a really nice round tomorrow if I’m going to try and catch Wyndham.”

Saltwick Bay is known by visitors for its cliffs, rocky shoreline and views across the North Sea.

The secluded cove sits beneath the clifftop path from Whitby Abbey and can also be reached via Whitby Holiday Park, although visitors are warned that the descent can be steep, muddy and slippery.

Saltwick Bay (Image: Oliver Sherratt/CAMERA CLUB)

Despite its relatively remote feel, the bay attracts walkers, photographers and geology enthusiasts throughout the year.

Saltwick Bay is particularly popular with fossil hunters thanks to its position on the Jurassic Coast.

The continually eroding cliffs make it a well-known spot for finding Lower Jurassic fossils, including ammonites, belemnites and fossilised plant remains.

Visitors also sometimes search the shoreline for pieces of Whitby Jet, the rare black fossilised gemstone strongly associated with the town nearby.

Today, the dramatic cliffs and rock platforms provide a very different kind of attraction.

At low tide, one of the bay’s most photographed sights is the rusting remains of the Admiral Van Tromp fishing trawler.

The vessel ran aground in 1976 and became embedded in the rocks, where parts of the wreck can still be seen when the tide is out.

Saltwick Bay is also linked to the SS Rohilla, a hospital ship which sank near Saltwick Nab in 1914 during the First World War.

The disaster led to a major rescue effort involving lifeboats from Whitby, Scarborough, Redcar, and Tynemouth.

The bay’s scenery is dominated by Black Nab, a craggy sea stack at the edge of the shoreline, which has become a popular subject for photographers.

Saltwick Bay (Image: Gill Davidson/CAMERA CLUB)

Many visitors describe Saltwick Bay as “wild”, “atmospheric” and “unspoilt”, praising its fossil hunting, rock pools and sense of isolation despite its closeness to Whitby.

Others say the beach is a favourite for dog walking, with year-round access and open space at low tide.

However, visitors are repeatedly warned that Saltwick Bay is not a beach to visit without planning.

The tide comes in quickly and can cut off parts of the shoreline, leaving people trapped against the cliffs.

Anyone heading down to the bay is urged to check tide times before visiting and to avoid walking close to the base of the cliffs, where rockfalls are common.

There are also no toilets, cafes, shops or facilities directly on the beach, meaning visitors should bring water, snacks and suitable footwear.

Tallulah Bradford died six days after being involved in a horror incident at Chalkwell Park in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Her loved ones have now paid tribute to the ‘beautiful’ 18-year-old

Tributes have been paid to a teenage girl who sadly died this week following a horror incident at a seaside park.

The incident happened in the Chalkwell Park area of Southend-On-Sea in Essex in the early hours of Saturday, June 13, where the woman suffered severe injuries and was rushed to hospital. Essex Police have said that two teenagers aged 17 and 18 have been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and they have been bailed.

The force is appealing for witnesses to come forward to help in the investigation, saying that there were a large crowd of young people in the area at the time of the incident.

The latest statement form Essex Police on the incident reads: ” “A teenager seriously injured following an incident involving a vehicle in Southend has, sadly, now died. We had been called to the Chalkwell Park area at around 12.30am on Saturday 13 June to reports a group of people to have taken unauthorised control of a small articulated loading vehicle.

“An 18 year-old woman had sustained significant injuries following an incident in the Chalkwell Park. She was taken to hospital but, sadly, has since died and officers are continuing to support her family. Our enquiries into the incident are ongoing.

“An 18 year-old man from Westcliff and a 17 year-old boy arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving remain on bail until September. We know there were a large number of young people in the area at the time, and we believe some may have witnessed what happened. We need anyone who has information and who we’ve not already spoken with to come forward.”

The force added: “You can contact us by submitting a report on our website or via our 24/7 Live Chat service at www.essex.police.uk, or by calling 101 quoting incident 39 of 13 June.”

A GoFundMe page has since been launched in her memory. The fundraiser, which set out to raise £4,500, was created to support Tallulah’s family. A family friend wrote on the page: “Full of love, laughter, and kindness, Tallulah touched the lives of everyone who knew her. She brought so much joy to her family and friends, and her memory will be cherished forever.”

It added: “Tallulah was deeply loved, and she will never be forgotten. Her beautiful spirit will continue to live on in the hearts of everyone who knew her, especially in the hearts of her mum Jayde, and her brother, Lennon and her grandparents, aunties and uncles.”

Over £18,000 has already been raised for Jayde and her family.

You can donate to the fundraiser by clicking here.

Royal Mail has launched a new campaign encouraging children aged four to 17 to send letters of support to the England and Scotland men’s World Cup football teams.

The initiative aims to inspire a new generation to rediscover the value of letter writing while wishing the national squads well during the tournament.

Alistair Cochrane, chief executive of Royal Mail, highlighted the community spirit of such events.

He stated: “Sporting moments like this bring people together across the country and we wanted to give children a simple and meaningful way to get involved. Writing a letter is a personal way to show support, and we hope this campaign encourages young people to take part while highlighting the value of sending letters.”

Children wishing to participate can send their letters to the dedicated Freepost addresses: World Class Letters Freepost England or World Class Letters Freepost Scotland.

Scotland have enjoyed mixed emotions at the World Cup so far. Steve Clarke’s team beat Haiti 1-0 in the opening match, their first win at a World Cup since 1990, giving them a strong possibility of qualifying for the last 32.

However, despite a resilient showing on Friday night against a strong Morocco side, they wound up losing 1-0, conceding the only goal of the game within the first 70 seconds.

England, considered to be one of the tournament favourites, secured an impressive 4-2 win over Croatia on Wednesday night. England were level 2-2 at half-time with their European counterparts, despite two goals from talisman Harry Kane.

England, though, showed much more dynamism and attack intent in the second half, with goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford ultimately giving Thomas Tuchel’s side the win.

The Three Lions continue their tournament on Tuesday, when they face Ghana in Boston.

The London Fire Brigade confirmed it received 19 calls reporting the blaze, prompting more than a dozen fire engines to be dispatched to the scene where crews found three people trapped

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Three people have died following a blaze that erupted in west London on Saturday night (June 20), the London Fire Brigade has confirmed.

Approximately 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines rushed to tackle the inferno on New Zealand Way, which started at around 6.52pm, after the fire brigade received 19 calls about the incident.

Speaking at the scene on New Zealand Way in White City, London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: “The fire involved a single-storey pavilion, with just over half of the structure damaged by the fire.

“Three men were rescued from the building by firefighters and treated on scene by paramedics from the London Ambulance Service. Sadly, two of the men were declared dead at the scene. The third man was taken to hospital for further treatment, but was later declared dead.”

He said the brigade received the first of 19 calls reporting the fire at 6.52pm, and crews from North Kensington, Acton, Chiswick and surrounding fire stations were dispatched to the scene, with firefighters managing to bring the blaze under control by 9.25pm, reports the Express.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade’s specialist fire investigation officers and the Metropolitan Police Service, Mr Goulbourne said.

A police appeal has been launched to help officers

A teenager has died after being stabbed in Poole, prompting a murder investigation and the arrests of four young men.

Emergency services were called to Longfleet Road at 2.13am on Friday, June 19, where an 18‑year‑old was found with a suspected stab wound and taken to hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly afterwards, according to the Mirror.

Detectives believe the victim, who was from Poole, was injured during an incident in nearby Dale Close before being driven to Longfleet Road. Four men, aged between 19 and 22, have been arrested on suspicion of murder as inquiries continue.

A 19-year-old man from Poole came forward overnight and was arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday (June 20). Two 22-year-olds, one from London and one from Bletchley in Buckinghamshire, who were initially arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, have since been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Also, a 20-year-old man from Blandford in Dorset has been arrested on suspicion of murder. All four remain in custody, police confirmed.

Two men aged 36 and 38, from Bournemouth, have been released with no further action taken after they were initially arrested on suspicion of murder.

“We are continuing our investigation into this incident and are keeping the victim’s family updated on our progress. Our thoughts are with them at this incredibly difficult time,” said Detective Superintendent Neil Third, of Dorset Police.

“Officers have concluded searches in the Dale Close area and continue to carry out searches at an address in Castleman Smith Close in Blandford in connection to the incident. We do not underestimate the concern and upset that an incident of this nature will have in the community.

“We still need help from the public and would reiterate our appeal for anyone with information – or relevant home CCTV, doorbell camera or dashcam footage – from Dale Close or Longfleet Road around the relevant time to please contact us.”

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An appeal was launched for information regarding a dark-coloured Nissan Juke seen in the area of Dale Close at the time of the incident. Still, later on Saturday night they said they had identified the vehicle’s location.

Anyone with information has been asked to contact Dorset police online or by calling 101 quoting reference number number 55260090826. Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously through independent charity Crimestoppers online or by calling 0800 555 111.

The show will run at Newcastle Theatre Royal in June next year before heading to Sunderland Empire later in the 2027 tour, giving fans on both sides of the Tyne and Wear the chance to see Broadway and the West End’s hottest musical close to home.

Hadestown North East dates and venues

The big news for local theatregoers is that Hadestown will play a week‑long engagement at Newcastle Theatre Royal from June 1–5, 2027, with evening performances and mid‑week matinees expected.

Sunderland Empire welcomes Hadestown in November, bringing the underworld to Wearside from November 9-13 of 2027.

What is Hadestown about?

Hadestown reimagines the ancient myths of Orpheus and Eurydice, and Hades and Persephone, as a gritty, Depression‑era fable about love, power and the cost of hope.

Set to a score that blends New Orleans jazz, folk, blues and contemporary musical theatre, it follows young songwriter Orpheus as he journeys to the underworld to rescue Eurydice from the factory‑like Hadestown run by Hades.

The show began life as a concept album by singer‑songwriter Anaïs Mitchell before evolving into a fully staged musical that opened on Broadway in 2019, winning eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, before transferring to the West End.

(Image: Storyhouse.)

For North East audiences, used to big touring titles, Hadestown offers something a little different: it’s sung‑through, narratively rich and politically sharp, with a distinct sound and a staging that breaks the fourth wall.

Fans of Hamilton, Les Misérables or Come From Away are likely to find plenty to love in its mix of storytelling, ensemble work and inventive choreography.

How to book in the North East

Booking for Hadestown’s North East dates is being phased, with membership schemes and mailing‑list subscribers often getting first access before general sale.

The safest route is to check the Newcastle Theatre Royal website regularly and to register for updates, as well as keeping an eye on the official Hadestown tour page where new details are added as they’re confirmed.

Sunderland Empire tickets can be booked here: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/hadestown/sunderland-empire/.

With the show’s award‑winning track record in London and on Broadway – and this being its first UK and Ireland tour – demand for North East performances is likely to be intense.

Thousands of volunteers across England now regularly take out their own testing kits to study the levels of pollution in rivers and the sea.

With sewage spills rarely out of the news, citizen water testing has become one of the most visible responses to England’s pollution scandals.

A crisis of trust in the water companies appears to be driving the public to take water quality testing into their own hands. Thousands of people take part in the twice yearly water testing events, organised by charity Earthwatch. Spring 2025 saw the highest number of participants at more than 7,000. Other organisations also report rising numbers of people getting involved in water testing.

These people, often referred to as citizen scientists, are doing tasks as varied as surveying aquatic insects to sampling water for chemicals.

Much public attention has centred on sewage pollution in UK rivers in the past few years. Waste is regularly and legally discharged into lakes, rivers and along beaches by water companies during periods of heavy rainfall. But incidents of sewage discharges on days with no to low rainfall have also been identified, and in some cases legal action has followed. In some cases water companies have been fined millions of pounds.

The Environment Agency (EA), the main environmental regulator for the water industry, reported nearly 300,000 sewage spills across England in 2025 alone.

The consequences have affected both wildlife and people. Campaign group Surfers Against Sewage documented more than 7,000 cases of illness linked to swimming at official bathing sites over just five years. In 2025, 12 of England’s 14 inland bathing sites were rated “poor”, meaning swimmers were recommended to avoid the water because of potentially harmful bacteria. In April, the UK’s largest pollution claim began to be heard in the High Court, over allegations of chicken waste pouring into rivers along the Welsh-English border.

Public campaigning is believed to have helped trigger recent government action, with reforms expected in a planned Water Reform Bill.

Citizen sceptics

Some water companies now fund freshwater citizen science initiatives. These run across locations including the Thames Valley, south-east England and Wales. The programmes claim to enhance community awareness, empowerment and improve transparency of water companies’ management efforts.

During my PhD, I researched how one group of volunteers in Oxfordshire collected and interpreted river data. Some told me that they felt that water companies encouraged participation in citizen science, while ignoring the data.

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As one citizen scientist explained in my own ongoing preliminary research, “people keep beavering away, and eager beavers are just what the water industry wants”. In his view, citizen science risks becoming a tool for keeping volunteers busy and distracted, rather than driving accountability.

However, recent research shows water companies have historically underreported the number of sewage spills. The Consumer Council for Water, which represents customers, has reported widespread dissatisfaction with water companies. An independent water commission has also highlighted a deterioration of public confidence in the environmental regulators.

A recent Channel 4 docudrama, Dirty Business, echoes these frustrations. It follows two citizens trying to hold water companies and regulators to account.

In line with some recent academic research, the programme explores suggestions that the water industry attempts to deflect blame and distract attention from sewage pollution. In a statement addressing the allegations, the EA said: “Prosecutions are just one tool against water pollution, and we have also levied a record £8.5 million in enforcement undertakings against water companies in the last year alone.”

Public confidence

The Environment Agency also faces questions about public confidence. Research suggests that volunteers believe current regulations allow water companies to act without sufficient oversight. In this study, people felt that the EA was not fulfilling its responsibility to hold the water industry to account.

In 2024, the head of the EA, Philip Duffy, said that the organisation had buried freedom of information requests, with staff worried about revealing the embarrassing truth of water pollution. In a statement reported in the Guardian at the time, the EA said: “Philip is completely committed to the highest standards of transparency.” It added that he wanted to make more EA data readily available.

In January 2026, the Office for Environmental Protection, a public watchdog on environmental protection, also found possible failures by the EA to comply with water quality laws.

My participants felt that the agency shouldn’t ignore their data in monitoring water quality.

Concerns about data bias and reliability are often cited as reasons to limit the use of volunteer data to support regulatory responses to pollution incidents.

These concerns are not unreasonable. Citizen science data can indeed vary in quality, depending on training and sampling practices. Ensuring consistency across the sheer number of volunteer groups is also a challenge.

Using citizen science

Nevertheless, research now suggests volunteers can produce reliable data suitable for official monitoring. The debate is gradually shifting to how regulators can include it in decision-making. For example, a national programme has already developed a shared framework on how to use data collected by citizens.

In the meantime, groups such as environmental charity Earthwatch and Surfers Against Sewage design and publish their own online maps and dashboards. These make thousands of historic data points publicly available.

As summer arrives and 13 new bathing sites open, pressure is again mounting on water companies and regulators to clean up England’s rivers and beaches. The citizen water sample collectors will be on standby.

A “deeply caring” young man has died following a crash. Callum Hanson, 22, died in hospital on Wednesday, June 17 following the collision on the A4075 near Cross Hands, Pembrokeshire.

Callum’s family have paid tribute to him through a statement released through Dyfed-Powys Police. They described Callum, from Haverfordwest, as a kind and loving person.

The statement reads: “Callum’s family wish to remember him as the kind, loving person he was, who lived his life to the fullest, despite his own personal challenges.

“He was a deeply caring person and spent the last month looking after his grandad, who sadly, also recently passed away. Callum has a passion for gaming and motorbikes and was training to be a mechanic in college.

“Callum will be remembered by his mum Joanne, dad Carl, sister Kacey, nan Heather, girlfriend Emily, and his wider family and friends. The family now ask for privacy during this difficult time.”

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police continue to appeal for anyone who was travelling on the A4075 between Canaston Bridge and Yerbeston around 6.15pm on Wednesday, June 17 to get in touch.

It also has a name that catches almost every visitor out on their first visit.

How to pronounce it

The correct pronunciation is Boomer.

Not Bowl-mer. Not Bool-mer.

Boomer, like the word some young people would use to describe someone born after the Second World War.

Why does it sound like that?

The answer lies in the village’s age.

The name Boulmer is recorded in earlier documents as Bulemer, and derives from the Old English bulan-mere, meaning “bull’s mere” – a mere, or pool, frequented by bulls.

Over centuries of use in the Northumberland dialect, the spelling calcified while the spoken form kept moving, until the gap between the two became impossible to guess from the page alone.

There is a second theory.

The RNLI’s own archive, recording the lifeboating families of Boulmer, notes that the origin of the name “is given as Bull’s Mere or Bow Mere, the second being more probably right, from the shape of the water in the haven, enclosed by reefs of rock in the shape of a bow.”

The haven itself was known locally as the Mer-Mouth, pronounced “Marmoothe.”

A third possibility comes from even earlier.

The North Cottage Boulmer website notes that the village’s name may have its first roots in ancient Gaelic, in the words Búir na mara, meaning “roar of the sea.”

Whether the Gaelic, the Old English or the bow-shaped haven is the true origin is a question scholars have not fully settled, but the pronunciation has been fixed for as long as anyone can remember: it is Boomer.

The village itself

Boulmer sits on the Northumberland Coast National Landscape three miles north of Alnmouth, accessed along a narrow road through the dunes.

It is one of the last genuinely working fishing villages on the Northumberland coast, and the pub, The Fishing Boat Inn, sits steps from the shore. RAF Boulmer — also officially pronounced “RAF Boomer” — occupies the land behind the village and is home to the Air Command and Control Force.

One English-learning visitor who walked the coastal path from Alnmouth wrote drily online in response to place names with strange pronounciations, saying: “Boulmer, pronounced Boomer for some reason.

“How people ever learn English I’ll never know. It’s hard enough coping with the various accents without pronouncing things differently to how they look.”

They are not wrong. But now you know.