Nigel Farage’s spokesman has denied fresh allegations the Reform UK leader may have broken parliamentary rules, after reports the MP failed to declare benefits provided by an ally who was once convicted of fraud in the US.

The Sunday Times says George Cottrell supplied support, external including security and social media staff who worked on Farage’s online content in the year before he was elected. It also claims Farage used a property rented by Cottrell near Buckingham Palace.

Farage is already facing a parliamentary probe over a £5m gift from a billionaire Reform UK donor which was not registered. He has argued that money was for personal security and was not political because it was received when he was not involved in politics.

His team have made a similar argument for why the “in kind” – non-cash – benefits allegedly from Cottrell were not registered.

Cottrell, 32, who admitted a count of wire fraud in the US in 2017, is a long-standing ally of Farage. He was involved with UKIP as a volunteer in the run-up to the Brexit referendum.

In 2017, Cottrell was jailed for eight months in the US after pleading guilty to a charge of wire fraud after admitting attempting to defraud criminals on the dark web by posing as a money launderer.

Farage was with him when US authorities pounced as the pair were returning to the UK from a Republican convention.

According to the Sunday Times, Cottrell is a cryptocurrency entrepreneur and is involved with offshore gambling website Tether.bet.

Farage served as Reform’s honorary president between March 2021 and June 2024. On 3 June 2024, he confirmed he was returning as party leader and standing in the general election. He became Clacton MP in July 2024.

Under parliamentary rules, new MPs must declare financial interests and “registrable benefits” received in the 12 months before their election.

The guidelines say purely personal gifts or benefits do not need to be registered.

When he became an MP, Farage registered a £9,253 trip to Belgium in April 2024 donated by Cottrell, and later added a £15,276 donation from Cottrell for a US domestic flight he provided in December 2024.

No other support from Cottrell is listed in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests., external

A spokesman for Farage said: “It comes as no surprise that the Sunday Times has chosen to publish this baseless and contrived story, covering a period of time when Nigel Farage was not even an active politician let alone an elected one, given that the newspaper backed the Labour Party at the last general election.

“Contrary to the story’s tone, no parliamentary rules have been broken.”

A source said Reform paid for Farage’s security and staff after his return to politics.

The source also denied Farage received accommodation from Cottrell – saying the MP did not stay at the London property.

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is currently investigating whether Farage broke the rules over the £5m gift from British cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne in early 2024.

Farage has said Harborne gave him the money to pay for his personal security, adding the gift was “purely private” and “wasn’t political in any sense at all”.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Nigel Farage and Reform are engulfed in a huge and growing scandal.

“These new allegations of secret payments from a wealthy convicted criminal are on top of the ongoing scandal of his secret £5m gift from a crypto billionaire.

“How much money has he been given, what did his donors get in return, and why has he tried to cover them up and avoid legitimate questions?”

The make-up brand was founded by inspiring Droylsden entrepreneur Paige Louise Williams, who forged her company from scratch and now steers what has become a multi-million turnover global brand.

The Trafford Centre store was due to open in October last year, but was hit by last minute delays.

Paige has been sharing numerous updates about the build inside the store at Trafford Palazzo in recent months, whetting the appetites of her fans. It will feature a spectacular all-pink interior with vast beauty activations, a make-up studio and even a dance studio and theatre space inside.

Shoppers are being told to expect a fully immersive “beauty playground” with a host of interactive experiences to “blur the lines between shopping and entertainment.”

For as long as I can remember I’ve battled with my weight. 

At my heaviest two years ago, I was 14st 11lb – at 5ft 4in my body mass index (BMI) was 36, meaning I was obese. And I knew it was damaging my health.

Tests showed I was prediabetic, edging towards type 2, and I hated looking in the mirror.

I had mastered the art of standing behind people in photographs, hiding behind oversized smocks and baggy jeans. 

Every Monday I’d say: ‘This week it all changes,’ vowing to start another diet. But, like clockwork, every Friday I’d be opening the prosecco, good intentions forgotten.

As a 45-year-old mother-of-one, my experience is far from unique. Between the sleepless nights, juggling a full-time career as a freelance journalist, approaching perimenopause and keeping up with a toddler, taking care of myself always came last. 

I’d been a yo-yo dieter, but after turning 40 the extra weight was ever harder to shift.

Every time I convinced myself to do something about my weight, I focused on a new diet trend. 

I’ve tried everything including the Atkins diet, Slimming World and Rosemary Conley’s Hip and Thigh Diet. I’d lose a few pounds but always found them again fairly quickly.

When I went on Mounjaro weight-loss jabs last year I lost 2st 5lb in six months, but stopped after developing inflammation in my gallbladder – a side effect of rapid weight loss.

The jabs helped me reach a weight I hadn’t seen in years. But instead of feeling healthier I felt exhausted. I had no energy, struggled to exercise and relied on vitamin B12 injections just to function.

And then, inevitably, I regained more than a stone – two-thirds of the weight I’d lost.

At her heaviest, Lynn was 14st 11lb – at 5ft 4in her body mass index (BMI) was 36, meaning she was obese. And she knew it was damaging her health

The idea is you stay fuller for longer while also improving gut and digestive health and boosting your immune system. It sounded ideal.

It was a wake-up call. I promised myself something had to change. I needed to lose weight differently with a lifestyle I could live with.

More than anything, I wanted my energy back so I could run around after my daughter Mia, four, without feeling permanently exhausted. 

Then earlier this year a friend mentioned nutritionist Emma Bardwell and her 30g Plan.

Her evidence-based philosophy is surprisingly simple: 30g protein every meal, 30g fibre a day and 30 different varieties of plant a week.

The only problem? I don’t enjoy cooking. So would it work for me?

Week One: Breaking the snack habit

Starting weight: 90.4kg (14st 2lb)

Preparation, I quickly learn, is key. Picking out recipes from Emma’s The 30g Plan Cookbook, I add ingredients to my online shop and note, with horror, that the cost has rocketed to nearly double.

Suddenly I’m buying ingredients such as flaxseeds and edamame beans and, much to my husband’s horror, £5 vanilla bean paste. But I’m committed now.

Usually my breakfast consists of two coffees and maybe, at a push, a protein bar. But instead I’m prepping pots of Greek yogurt and ingredients such as chocolate, pistachio nuts, banana and chia seeds.

Surprisingly it only takes 20 minutes to prepare several breakfasts at once, and they taste delicious. Lunches become just as straightforward. Butter beans and feta on sourdough with cottage cheese, peas and edamame quickly becomes a favourite because it requires very little effort.

 Emma Bardwell’s evidence-based philosophy is surprisingly simple: 30g protein every meal, 30g fibre a day and 30 different varieties of plant a week.

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The 30g Plan was developed by nutritionist Emma Bardwell, pictured above, after she found her health began to suffer in midlife

But the biggest surprise is I am genuinely not hungry. Normally by 3pm I’m rummaging through the cupboards, but now I am not thinking about food at all. For someone who’s spent years battling cravings, that feels almost miraculous.

Week Two: Finding meals I actually enjoyed

Weight: 89.3kg (14st 0lb)

Stepping on the scales I’m absolutely thrilled to see I’m 2lb down despite not at all feeling like I’m dieting. The cooking is a faff but I decide on one rule – if a recipe takes more than 25 minutes, I’m not making it. Life is busy enough.

I also work out how to throw meals together myself that fit the plan. 

First, I get my head around what 30g of protein actually looks like. That’s roughly 200g of Greek yogurt, a chicken breast, a salmon fillet or 200g of tofu. 

Do you want to lose a stone in six weeks?

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Hi, I’m Emma Bardwell, a nutritionist with more than 15 years’ experience helping people improve their health and lose weight.

I’ve been there. I was overweight, unhappy with my skin and stuck in a rut. Then I changed the way I eat. You can now do the same with my tried-and-tested healthy eating plan. And for DailyMail+ subscribers, it’s completely free. 

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Click here to sign up and start your journey

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It doesn’t have to come from one food either – cottage cheese, eggs, lentils and nuts can all be combined to reach the 30g target.

Then every meal needs a source of fibre to help me reach the 30g-a-day target, such as a bowl of porridge (5g), a slice of wholemeal bread (3g), half a tin of beans or lentils (8g), a cup of raspberries (8g), a tablespoon of chia seeds (5g) or a few almonds (4g). 

Combined with a range of vegetables to hit the 30 plants-a-week goal, meals feel huge and filling.

I start working with a trainer at AdMac Fitness who encourages me to increase my daily step count and introduces weekly weigh-ins to keep me accountable. 

Seeing numbers drop is satisfying, but the energy boost is better. After months of forcing myself through the day, I am finally wanting to exercise again.

Week Three: More energy and focus

Weight: 88.4kg (13st 13lb)

Something has shifted and I’m no longer constantly thinking about my next snack.

Instead I’m focusing on what I can add to hit my targets – a scoop of cottage cheese, more chia seeds or a dollop of yogurt.

Planning what to eat, rather than worrying what I can’t have, is a much healthier mindset. I’m also more focused and my concentration has improved.

By mid-afternoon I’d normally need a nap, but that isn’t happening. And overall I feel like myself again. My husband James comments I seem particularly cheerful, and I have to agree.

I’m looking forward to reformer pilates classes and have restarted the Couch To 5k running programme, which I abandoned during Covid when I became pregnant. I’m not gliding gracefully around the park but I’m out there, which feels like progress.

In the evenings I used to be really fatigued, but now I’m putting on a wash, cooking dinner and staying on the go until 9pm.

I also notice something else surprising: my weekly food bill has started to come down.

Stocking up on store cupboard essentials is expensive, but they last for ages.

And because I’m not constantly buying convenient meals, grabbing lunch to go or topping up on snacks every few days, I’m spending less overall.

Lynn’s breakfasts included pots of Greek yogurt and ingredients such as chocolate, pistachio nuts, banana and chia seeds – which take only takes minutes to prepare

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Lunches were just as straightforward. Butter beans and feta on sourdough with cottage cheese, peas and edamame became Lynn’s favourite, because it requires very little effort

Week Four: Better digestion

Weight: 87.6kg (13st 11lb)

Twice  a week I spend 20 minutes preparing breakfasts and lunches, and Emma’s dinner recipes mean there are usually leftovers too.

It saves both time and money, but more importantly it stops me reaching for convenient food simply because I’m busy.

I still snack, but it’s more mindful. Instead of demolishing half a packet of sweets I grab grapes, a banana or some Greek yogurt, which is a huge achievement.

And I’ve started looking at vegetables differently. Instead of treating them as an optional side, I make them the foundation of almost every meal. 

Tomatoes and spinach with an omelette at breakfast; peppers, cucumber and edamame at lunch; roasted broccoli, or courgettes with dinner. They count towards my 30 plants a week, add fibre and bulk out meals. I’m also less bloated and my digestion has improved – everything has become very regular.

I also start noticing I’m physically stronger during workouts.

The real test comes when I go to watch Take That perform and climb what feels like a million stairs to reach my seat. Normally I’d be puffing halfway up. Instead, I make it to the top thinking, ‘Actually, that wasn’t too bad.’ Little victories like that mean far more than another pound disappearing.

Week Five: Lighter and happier

Weight: 86.8kg (13st 9lb)

The weight is coming off steadily and my dresses feel looser.

The slower approach feels healthier than the rapid weight loss I had on Mounjaro.

My mood is improving and I’m less snappy as I’m sleeping better too. I always struggled to drop off at night, sometimes tossing and turning for hours. But I’m falling asleep more easily, which means mornings feel more positive.

Everything definitely feels like less of a struggle and I’m feeling genuinely relaxed about food.

I’m not panicking about going out for dinner, although I am making good choices. Rather than just going for a salad, I choose something that contains protein and fibre and will fill me up: a chicken dish or risotto that ticks boxes and won’t leave me hungry.

The 30g Plan Cookbook by Emma Bardwell (Vermillion, £20.00) Photography by Kate Whitaker 

I want this to be real life, not another plan I abandon.

One meal never ruins your progress. I’ve spent years believing I either have to be perfect or I’ve failed completely. 

Finally, I realise it’s about what you do most of the time. For the first time in years, I feel like I’m learning habits I can actually stick to.

Week Six: More than just weight loss

Final weight: 85kg (13st 5lb)

By the end of six weeks I’ve lost 12lb. But what I’m proudest of is how I feel. I have more energy. I’m sleeping better. Exercise no longer feels like punishment.

Of course, I’d like to lose another 3st ideally. I’ve got a trip to Ibiza booked later this year and would love to feel more confident in a swimsuit. I’m still a size 18 and would like to be a 14.

I want to look in the mirror and smile instead of spotting everything I’d change. More importantly, I want Mia to grow up seeing a mum who’s healthy, active and full of energy.

Will I stay on the plan itself? Probably not strictly. But I feel comfortable knowing I can adapt my own meals using Emma’s basic tips. I’ll stick with yogurt for breakfast, edamame and cottage cheese for lunch, and cook the occasional meal from her book in the evenings.

I can simplify it because I understand what works and how to apply that. Six weeks ago, I thought I was starting another diet. Instead, I realise I have finally changed my relationship with food.

I’ve found a way of eating that fits around real life, keeps me full, fuels my workouts and doesn’t leave me feeling deprived.

After years of chasing quick fixes, that’s something I never thought I’d say. And it feels like the biggest achievement of all.

The Government will leave ‘no stone unturned’ in efforts to deport evil grooming gang ringleader Shabir Ahmed, as ministers eye up a suite of sanctions for Pakistan if they refuse to accept his return.

Rochdale gang leader Ahmed, 73, has been stripped of his British citizenship leaving him with only Pakistani nationality.

However, he cannot be deported due to a 1971 law that forbids the removal of a small group of Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK more than 50 years ago, something Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is determined to change.

He settled here in 1967 as a 14-year-old, making him ineligible for deportation under the existing rules. 

Reports have also suggested Pakistan might not accept Ahmed because he had previously renounced his citizenship. 

Ahmed was released from HMP Leeds on Thursday after serving just 14 years of the 22-year sentence handed to him in 2012 for the crime of 30 child rape offences.

Health Secretary James Murray told Sky News‘ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: ‘I want this man out of the country, I think we all do.’

He added: ‘I know that this is a job for the Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary to work out the exact way of getting him deported. I’m not going to step on their toes by suggesting exactly how they should do that.

‘But I don’t think they would object to me saying that as a government we should leave no stone unturned.’

The other eight members of a Rochdale grooming gang who were convicted in 2012 of  offences including rape, trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children

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Health Secretary James Murray (left) and Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick (right) spoke to Sky News about the efforts to deport Ahmed

Asked if that could mean threatening to withhold aid money from Pakistan or blocking remittances being sent by Pakistanis in the UK back to their home country, Mr Murray said: ‘I’m not going to speculate on exactly what mechanisms the Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary might use.

‘That is their responsibility to think through the best way of getting the outcome we all want, which is this man to be out of our country.’

Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said the UK should be pausing aid and visas to Pakistan and ‘putting maximum pressure on the Pakistani government’ in order to deport grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed.

The Newark MP told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: ‘You’ve got to use all the levers of the British state to get these despicable people out of the country.

‘And I’m afraid to say successive governments, Conservative and Labour, have just been too weak.

‘We are not a weak country. We do have ways of doing this – we’re giving around 80 million quid every year in aid to Pakistan. The Home Office issues tens of thousands of visas to Pakistanis.

‘We should be pausing the aid, pausing the visas, putting maximum pressure on the Pakistani government to take this man back.’

The Conservatives have said they will attempt to amend the Government’s Immigration and Asylum Bill “to close the loophole” preventing Ahmed’s deportation. 

On Friday afternoon, Whitehall sources said all options for ensuring the deportation of the newly-freed Rochdale man are on the table, including visa sanctions, financial sanctions, or withholding foreign aid.

A Whitehall source told The Times: ‘Nobody’s in any doubt that we can change the law — the 1971 Immigration Act is a problem and we’re looking at what the art of the possible is and I’m sure there’s some form of way to make that work.

‘But the most important part of this is the diplomatic side of things. If that doesn’t get anywhere then we’re completely stuck in terms of being able to deport him.

‘It’s our relations with the Pakistani government where we’re going to come unstuck. It doesn’t feel hugely likely given they’ve dug their heels in on previous cases.’

A source added that it’s ‘technically true’ that visa sanctions are among the options being considered, but these are viewed as a last-resort option.

Any sanctions-based reprisals for the South Asian country would have to be led by the Foreign Office, not the Home Office.

Andy Burnham received criticism earlier this week when he publicly called on the Home and Foreign Secretaries to ‘review all possible options’, adding ‘they should consider nothing is off the table’.

Ahmed cannot be deported due to a 1971 law that forbids the removal of a small group of Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK more than 50 years ago, something Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood (pictured) is determined to change 

Police launched their first investigation into child grooming in Rochdale in 2007

One Foreign Office insider warned that Mr Burnham’s public demand that anything be done to secure Mr Ahmed will result in Britain paying a ‘high price’ to ensure the outcome.

They said Pakistan are ‘very smart operators’ who will now hold all the cards in the negotiations.

On Friday, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage set up the deportation of ‘monster’ Ahmed as Mr Burnham’s first crucial task in office to prove to wavering voters he can address their migration concerns.

He said: ‘Ahmed is not British. He’s a Pakistani national. He must be deported. But Labour say he can’t be.

‘Reform would repeal Section 7 of the Immigration Act 1971 so foreign rape gang perpetrators can be deported. And we would suspend ALL visas for Pakistanis until they agree to take back Shabir Ahmed.

‘No visit, study, work, or family visas. None. Each year, we grant around 175,000 visas to Pakistani nationals – including to some very powerful ones keen on spending time in London.

‘Their Government would agree to take back Ahmed within hours of us doing this. As with so many of the problems we face, deporting Shabir Ahmed is really about political will.

‘Andy Burnham says all options are on the table, will he act?’

A No. 10 spokesman said at the time: ‘We have raised this issue with our counterparts in Islamabad and we are committed to doing everything possible to deport foreign national offenders, and we’re clear that they should have no place in this country.’

This week, the Daily Mail revealed that Ahmed was refused parole just four years ago as he was deemed too dangerous.

The damning assessment was made by the Parole Board in 2022 when the former taxi driver – who forced his victims to call him ‘Daddy’ – made an unsuccessful attempt at being released early.

It followed Ahmed punching a fellow inmate in the face for saying ‘terrorists should be eradicated’ and then repeatedly stamped on his head.

The shocking outburst at maximum security Wakefield Prison – known as Monster Mansion for housing some of Britain’s most dangerous prisoners – was sparked by a deadly wave of terror attacks which struck Brussels, killing 32 people and injuring more than 300.

Andy Burnham (pictured) received criticism earlier this week when he publicly called on the Home and Foreign Secretaries to ‘review all possible options’, adding ‘they should consider nothing is off the table’

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After threatening to kill James Palmer ‘if you slag off Muslims again’, the convicted paedophile attacked the 71-year-old, sending his false teeth flying, a court later heard.

Ahmed was convicted of causing actual bodily harm over the 2016 prison attack and given an extra 12-month sentence, to run concurrently.

A summary of Ahmed’s 2022 parole rejection reveals that his probation officer ‘advised that release to the community at this stage could not be safe as Mr Ahmed had not sufficiently reduced his risks’.

After considering all the evidence, the panel concluded that Ahmed was ‘appropriately located in custody where outstanding levels of risk could be contained or addressed’.

It also states that at the time he was preying on young girls, Ahmed had a ‘belief that it was acceptable to sexually abuse underage victims’.

As the news of the paedophile’s release from prison was released to the public, one of the survivors of the grooming in Rochdale described her fear at the idea of him prowling the streets, and her disbelief at the system’s failure to get rid of him as promised.

It has emerged that she previously ran into another of her abusers at a supermarket, having not known he had been released from prison.

The victim, known as Ruby (not her real name), told BBC Newsnight: ‘I was 12 years old when this started and still getting failed.

‘There are broken victims because of a broken system. I am scared for my safety and my children’s safety.

‘The main ringleader, who is well known in Rochdale, Oldham and Middleton, is being released from prison.

‘Even if he is not in those areas, he still knows people and could contact them, which makes me feel unsafe.’

Ruby questioned why the country was still blindly following legislation set 55 years ago.

She said: ‘At the end of the trial, we were told they would all be deported once released, but not one of them has been deported.

‘We need these laws to be updated.

‘Laws need to change, and victims need to be heard.’

Ahmed was one of nine men convicted of sexual offences against multiple children, who they groomed at two takeaway restaurants in Rochdale. Prosecutors identified him as one of the ringleaders.

A court heard that Ahmed had abused one girl for more than a decade, using her as a ‘possession’ for sexual gratification.

Victims learned that his conditions of release will include an exclusion zone covering the entire borough of Rochdale until June 10, 2034.

He will also be required to live in supervised accommodation under the watch of 24-hour staff.

Two other jailed Rochdale abusers, Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, have already been released but also cannot be deported for the same reason.

Manchester United are eyeing a swoop for Aurelien Tchouameni at Real Madrid, though could alternatively pursue any of Scott, Felix Nmecha, Ayyoub Bouaddi or Sander Berge as they also continue talks with West Ham over Crysencio Summerville. Chelsea are planning a new bid for Pep Chavarria and are also being linked with Tchouameni having ended their chase for Granit Xhaka, with Tyrique George about to join Everton permanently and Trevoh Chalobah also on the way out soon.

The world-renowned city was one of 19 to be included in the list

A Cambridgeshire city has been hailed as one of the “world’s most beautiful cities” in a lifestyle magazine. The city was one of 19 to be included in a list that was compiled by Time Out.

The guide, published at the end of June, asked 24,000 city slickers if they’d describe their city as beautiful. The magazine scored Cambridge 60 percent for beauty.

The list included a range of different places including Cape Town, Sydney and Chicago. Cambridge, Edinburgh and Bath were the only three places in the UK to be included.

Cambridge is a world-renowned city celebrated for its legendary university, intriguing architecture and its science-leading history. The River Cam is also a crowd-pleaser. Not only does it offer an eye-capturing backdrop for picnics and Instagram-worthy pictures, it also accommodates locals who seek to experience punting. Punting is a quintessential British pastime that involves propelling a flat-bottomed boat (a punt) along a shallow river using a long wooden pole.

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Another classic city feature which locals either love or hate is the hustle and bustle, and the swarm of people around you. It can be fulfilling to see the world moving so quickly around you and seeing tourists stop to take pictures of important monuments but it can also be difficult to find a place to slow down, and think.

But, that’s all part of the city fun, and Cambridge offers an incredible setting to experience it in. It offers endless shops, restaurants and bars, lush parklands, a range of museums to complement its academic background and of course, the vibrant city of cyclists.

Cambridge offers an immense amount of fun, things to explore and history to learn about, especially for tourists. However, it can be on the pricey side as a place to live.

Over the last year, house prices in Cambridge had an overall average of £579,933, according to Rightmove. Semi-detached properties reached a whooping average of £655,567.

You can view the full list on Time Out here.

By CHARLOTTE DALY, MULTIMEDIA CONTENT REPORTER

Published: 08:44 BST, 5 July 2026 | Updated: 11:01 BST, 5 July 2026

England‘s security team have insisted Mexican fans’ attempts to disturb the Three Lions’ sleep ahead of their World Cup last-16 showdown have had little to no impact on the squad.

Hundreds of supporters gathered outside England’s team hotel on the eve of Monday’s clash at the Azteca Stadium in a bid to create a hostile atmosphere, chanting, singing and revving engines in scenes designed to unsettle Thomas Tuchel‘s players.

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But an England security official dismissed suggestions the squad’s preparations had been disrupted when speaking to Daily Mail Sport outside the hotel at midnight.

Instead, he insisted the players found the whole spectacle amusing rather than intimidating and suggested they were well used to it.

By Saturday evening, barriers surrounded the hotel perimeter while security personnel lined the railings keeping watch over the growing crowds outside.

Riot police and local authorities eventually intervened, moving around 200 fans approximately 300 metres away from the hotel entrance, allowing the area to calm considerably.

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Police were on guard to protect the England team hotel from disruption from Mexico fans

The police presence was high after Mexico’s previous opponents Ecuador had complained fans had tried to disrupt their team with fireworks on the eve of their match

A Mexico fan with a drum is ordered by police to move away from the England hotel

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The England security official, who spent the evening monitoring the situation from outside the hotel, said the noise could initially be heard from inside the building but stressed it was never particularly loud or problematic.

Once the supporters had been pushed further down the street, he said the players could no longer hear the commotion from their rooms.

The official praised the efforts of the Mexican authorities, saying the government, local police and security services had been ‘incredibly helpful’ throughout England’s stay and had gone out of their way to ensure the team’s preparations remained unaffected.

He also insisted the players’ mentality had not changed despite the attempts to create an intimidating atmosphere.

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‘They’re used to playing for Real Madrid, Barcelona and the biggest Premier League clubs,’ he said. ‘This isn’t their first experience of something like this.’

He added that some players regularly experience more hostile atmospheres in domestic football, joking that ‘sometimes the atmosphere at Everton is worse.’

According to the security official, England’s experienced squad have taken everything in their stride and, if anything, the reception has only sharpened their focus ahead of the knockout tie, which takes place at 1am on Monday UK time.

An England security official praised the efforts of the Mexican authorities, saying the government, local police and security services had been ‘incredibly helpful’

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Once supporters were ushered away down the street, England players were no longer hear the commotion from their rooms

The official played down reports surrounding England’s arrival at the hotel earlier this week, insisting the process had been ‘very smooth’ and ‘nothing of note’ happened

The official also played down reports surrounding England’s arrival at the hotel earlier this week, which attracted large crowds of supporters and widespread attention on social media.

He described the team’s arrival as ‘very smooth’ and said there was ‘nothing of note’ from the perspective of those responsible for security as it was all a bit of ‘fun’.

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He added that members of England’s travelling party were surprised by the scale of the media coverage afterwards because they did not view the scenes as anything out of the ordinary.

Despite the noisy scenes outside on Saturday night, England remain confident their preparations have not been compromised as they look to book their place in the World Cup quarter-finals at the Azteca on Monday.

How much is David Beckham set to pocket from his World Cup brand deals? Take on our quiz in our newsletter HERE 

Lena Dunham had visibly trimmed down in new photos of the designer clothes she wore to Taylor Swift‘s wedding functions at Madison Square Garden.

The Girls creator, 40, was in attendance both at the intimate rehearsal dinner for 100 on Thursday and at the 1,000-strong ceremony and reception Friday night.

Dunham, a longtime friend of the bride, delivered a raunchy speech at the first event that left some of the guests in shock, as exclusively revealed by the Daily Mail.

She then joined a cavalcade of stars including Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid, as well as Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez, Tom Hanks, Beyonce, Hugh Grant and more to see Swift exchange vows with NFL star Travis Kelce on Friday.

Now her stylist Talia Cassel has fired up her Instagram page to unveil the ensembles she curated for Dunham to wear to the events.

In both of the custom outfits – one by Christian Cowan and one by Amber Doyle – Dunham’s reduced frame was impossible to miss.

The Daily Mail has contacted Dunham’s representatives for comment.

Amber Doyle had produced a lime green skirt suit that shimmered under the lights, cut off at the knee and teamed with matching shoes thrifted from The RealReal

Meanwhile the Christian Cowan look included a magenta top with flared robe-like cuffs, garnished with a massive floral brooch done in tulle

Cowan’s more formal creation was presumably the one Dunham wore for Friday night’s ceremony, which was officiated by Adam Sandler and featured performances by Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks and Swift herself.

The newlyweds, who had their respective brothers Austin Swift and Jason Kelce as Man of Honor and Best Man, were dressed in Christian Dior Haute Couture.

For what may have been Dunham’s rehearsal dinner outfit, Amber Doyle had produced a lime green skirt suit that shimmered under the lights, cut off at the knee and teamed with matching shoes thrifted from The RealReal.

Meanwhile the Christian Cowan look included a magenta top with flared robe-like cuffs, garnished with a massive floral brooch done in tulle.

Dunham’s figure was cinched in by a slimming black floor-length skirt that featured a waistline designed to slightly resemble a cummerbund.

Last year at the height of the Ozempic era, she bewailed the decline of the body positivity movement, which she said was ‘here, and then it was gone,’ via Variety.

‘I obviously am not critical of anybody’s choice, whether it’s to use Ozempic – people should be allowed to have whatever body they feel comfortable in,’ she said.

‘But we cannot pretend that the bodies people want aren’t influenced, and we can’t claim it’s always for health reasons and not for aesthetic reasons.’

Dunham, a longtime friend of the bride, delivered a raunchy speech at the first event that left some of the guests ‘gasping’; the pair are pictured at the 2015 Golden Globes

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She then joined a cavalcade of stars to see Swift marry NFL star Travis Kelce on Friday; the pair are pictured as the groom’s team the Kansas City Chiefs won the 2024 Super Bowl

Her fluctuating size has been a lightning rod of public conversation ever since she shot to fame in 2012 on her self-created series Girls, featuring numerous sex scenes in which Dunham exposed her physique on camera. 

She attributed her weight gain in recent years both to sobriety and to her raft of medical issues, including endometriosis that led in 2017 to a total hysterectomy with ovarian removal, which in turn resulted in early menopause.

In 2019, she raved on Instagram that she was ‘the happiest I’ve ever been,’ having allowed herself to relax and ‘weigh the most I ever have.’

She has been married since late 2021 to the musician Luis Felber, whom she first met on a blind date near the beginning of that year.

Swift’s wedding presented the risk Dunham might have an awkward run-in with her ex Jack Antonoff, a longstanding friend and co-writer of the bride.

The discomfiture of the potential encounter might have been amplified by the fact Dunham had just presented a scathing account of their romance in her new memoir Famesick, which soared to the top of the New York Times bestseller list.

Rachael Norton-Voysey, 33, from Erdington, Birmingham, was stopped from boarding her Ryanair flight from Birmingham Airport to Lanzarote on June 4 because of a small 1.5cm rip in her passport.

She described the experience as “gutting,” stating the damage did not affect any of the passport’s details or photograph.

Ms Norton-Voysey said: “It was gutting for us both.

Holidaymaker’s passport warning as Ryanair refuse flight over ‘tiny’ rip (Image: Kennedy News and Media)

“We got to the gate and handed in my passport at that point to get onto the plane and he said it was ripped and they wouldn’t let us through.

“It was horrible.

“That feeling where your stomach just drops knowing we wouldn’t be going on holiday at that point.

“There’s no arguing with them once they do that.”

Despite the fact her friend could have boarded the flight alone, she chose not to travel without Ms Norton-Voysey, and the pair instead returned home together.

Ms Norton-Voysey said: “We had to sit there and wait for them to finish boarding and then they escorted us out.

“We had to watch everyone get onto the flight.

“I was completely shocked as I’ve travelled on [this passport] for ages.

“It’s a tiny rip really.

“It’s not on any of the details and it doesn’t obscure anything.”

The rip was along the right side of the photo page, but did not pass through any personal information.

She said: “I understand where they’re coming from but it is really petty in my opinion.

“Even when they took us back through immigration to the airport, even the immigration [staff member] said it was harsh.”

According to the UK government, passports with rips or tears are considered “damaged” and should be replaced, as they may not be accepted by airlines or border control.

The UK Government website warns: “If your passport is damaged you must replace it.

“You may not be able to travel with it.”

A Ryanair spokesperson said: “This passenger was correctly refused travel from Birmingham to Lanzarote (4 Jun) as her passport was damaged and therefore not valid for travel.”

Ms Norton-Voysey said she has used the same passport for previous trips without issue and believes the damage may have occurred during a past holiday.

She said: “I’ve had the passport for eight years and don’t know when the rip happened.

“I think it might’ve happened when I was abroad before, hence why I just never thought of it because I managed to get home fine and I didn’t think about it until I went abroad again.

“I should’ve thought about it but I never did.”

The 33-year-old hopes her story serves as a warning to other travellers about the importance of checking their travel documents well in advance.

She said: “When I get my new passport I’m going to be locking it away and getting one of those new passport holders.

“Everyone should get a passport holder.

“Check your passport well before you’re going to travel, put it in a case and get travel insurance because we also didn’t have travel insurance which could’ve saved us a bit.

“Everyone should check their passports because it might be fine nine times out of 10 but that one time might ruin a holiday.”

Despite the disappointment, Ms Norton-Voysey and her friend are hoping to finally fly to Lanzarote in September after they managed to rearrange their AirBnB stay.

She has since filed a complaint with Ryanair, describing the refusal as “a little bit mean” and calling for greater consistency in how damaged passports are assessed.

Her experience is a reminder to travellers to carefully inspect their passports before travel, as even minor damage can lead to denied boarding and ruined plans.

I’m not sure how often John Major visited Wigan or Leigh or the other parts of Andy Burnham’s new Makerfield constituency during his time as Prime Minister. But from the sound of it, he doesn’t exactly think much of the place. ‘He [Burnham] suggested in a speech the other day, in a rather curious phrase, that if things didn’t meet the “Makerfield Test” they wouldn’t happen,’ Sir John icily observed in an interview last week.

‘Well, I’m not sure how widely he spreads that, but if he really thinks he’s going to put his discussions with Mr Xi or Mr Trump through Makerfield before he goes to meet them – in terms of discovering whether they satisfy the good citizens of that constituency – he’s going to find himself in grave trouble.’

Similar criticism – and condescension – has greeted Burnham’s proposal for the establishment of a No10 North. One prominent commentator claimed the plan was actually hatched because ‘Andy’s missus wasn’t keen on moving to London, so he’s basically arranged to work from home, as every civil servant does’.

Former Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill warned the scheme risked becoming nothing more than a ‘Manc-a-Lago’ gimmick – a reference to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago retreat.

We are still almost three weeks away from Andy Burnham setting foot inside Downing Street. But elements of the Westminster establishment have already made up their minds. This ignorant oik shouldn’t be allowed to get his grubby Northern mitts anywhere near the seals of office.

‘We knew we’d face attacks right from the beginning,’ one Burnham ally observed, ‘and that’s OK. That’s the game. But I’ve got to be honest, the nature of the criticism has surprised me.

‘There’s a real class snobbery at the heart of it. It’s like, “Who does this guy think he is? He’s from Manchester and thinks he knows how to run a government?”’

Based on snobbery or not, there has certainly been a surreal hypocrisy surrounding much of the reaction to Burnham’s modest proposal to transfer some of the functions of the Prime Minister’s office out of London, and to spend a couple of days a week beyond the capital.

‘If he really thinks he’s going to put his discussions with Mr Xi or Mr Trump through Makerfield before he goes to meet them… he’s going to find himself in grave trouble,’ Sir John Major said

For years, the cry has been for politicians of all persuasions to ‘get out of their Westminster bubble and start to listen to real people’. Now that has become, ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing! Get back to SW1 and don’t you dare try to set foot outside!’

To John Major, and a fair few of his contemporaries, the idea of a Prime Minister taking into account the views of the ordinary voters of places like Makerfield – especially on an issue as rarefied as foreign affairs – is clearly anathema.

Though if Major had paid a little more attention to their opinions it might have spared him from the Maastricht debacle, which ended up fracturing his party, destroying his government and handing Tony Blair a decade in power. Similarly, if Blair had bothered to consult the British people, he may have managed to avoid the catastrophe of Iraq.

Either way, the Missionary Model of politics – in which Britain’s rulers decided what they feel is in the interests of their people, and dispense wisdom and laws on that basis with scant regard for their actual views – is what has led to our current political fracture. And it’s an error Andy Burnham is determined not to repeat.

‘People may not like it but this is Andy’s vision,’ one adviser told me. ‘He’s not going to back away from his commitment to ensuring power is finally transferred to those parts of the country that have never held it. The reality is Westminster has left a lot of places behind. And he’s going to keep reminding people of that.’

There are legitimate criticisms to be levelled at Burnham’s devolution proposals. One of which is that they are not entirely new. ‘When he was Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak spent almost every Friday working up at the new Treasury office in Darlington,’ a former Cabinet minister revealed to me. ‘The problem was he couldn’t really talk about it for security reasons.

Suddenly our national discourse is being deluged with references to Coronation Street. Our next Prime Minister is, apparently, fond of using phrases such as ‘eck as like!’ and ‘ooop North’

‘Burnham’s going to have the same problem. It sounds great when you announce it but in reality it’s hard to get people to focus on.’

A former Downing Street adviser questioned how the fragmentation of No10 would operate in practice.

‘The reality is that whatever you think you’re going to be spending the day working on when you start at seven in the morning, by noon you’ll be dealing with something completely different. I’m not sure they’ve properly thought this through.’

Nor are the concerns restricted to Burnham’s political opponents. Mutterings of disquiet from Labour MPs defending seats outside of the King of the North’s former fiefdom are starting to grow louder.

Last week Gillingham and Rainham MP Naushabah Khan spoke for a number of her Southern colleagues when she said: ‘I’d be really keen to see how Andy, in the next few weeks, sets out his stall for the wider country.’

Asked if he was too heavily focused on the North, she replied: ‘It’s certainly something that’s said about him, isn’t it?’

But the reality is that much, if not most, of the initial criticism has been underpinned by thinly veiled arrogance and pomposity.

Burnham’s proposal to try to incrementally recalibrate the balance of power between North and South has generated a backlash that goes beyond the political. Suddenly our national discourse is being deluged with references to Coronation Street, stout and Vera Duckworth. Our next Prime Minister is, apparently, fond of using phrases such as ‘eck as like!’ and ‘ooop North’.

All of which is instructive. It is not yet clear whether Andy Burnham genuinely has what it takes to reconfigure Britain’s crumbling, dysfunctional structures of governance.

But one thing is already certain. The traditional gatekeepers of those structures are not planning to relinquish them without a fight. And over their dead bodies will they let them fall to someone who was born in Aintree, grew up in Warrington and represents the ‘good citizens’ of Makerfield.

I don’t know how Prime Minister Burnham will perform when he first sits down opposite Xi or Trump or Putin. But if he actually takes a moment to consider the hopes, fears and wishes of the British people when he does, then that would already represent an improvement on John Major and some of his other elitist and out-of-touch predecessors.