Townspeople historically claimed there was a witch among them

A South Cambridgeshire village has an unusual connection to a witch, townspeople historically claimed. Willingham is a charming village just outside the Fens which offers an array of local amenities and a pretty atmosphere – but its history is by far more intriguing.

Local legend has it that a man, named Jabez Few, was branded by townspeople as the witch of Willingham. Historically, Mr Few kept white mice, which was deemed peculiar by his fellow villagers. The ‘witch’ died in the 1920s and locals shared a strong belief that his mice were his familiar spirits.

They tried and tried to get rid of them, but the mice just would not flee. The locals reportedly resulted in eccentric measures to get rid of them – by holding them over running water.

Although this historic witchery does not paint the picture of a calming village, nowadays, it is a highly sought-after place to live. The village hosts a primary school, library, doctor’s surgery, post office and restaurants. It is also home to a historic house believed to date back to the 15th-century.

In 1933, there were reportedly still seven pubs operating before it reduced to five in 1982. Nowadays, the village has three pubs called The Porterhouse, The Duke of Wellington and The Bank.

Ideally located, Willingham offers transport links through the A14, bus services and Waterbeach railway station, less than 20-minutes away by driving. The village is neighbour to Northstowe, a planned ‘New Town’ of up to 10,000 new homes.

House prices in Willingham are cheaper than south Cambridgeshire as a whole. Willingham house prices had an overall average of £373,746 over the last year, according to Rightmove. Meanwhile, the average house price in south Cambridgeshire was £433,000 in April 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Clarkson’s Farm’s Kaleb Cooper has married his long-term partner and mother of his three children Taya Wilkinson in an idyllic ceremony in Oxfordshire. 

The farmhand, who is often referred to as ‘The Fetus’ by his acerbic boss, soared to fame on Jeremy Clarkson‘s show in 2021 and is now a beloved star of the show.

The couple, who are parents to Oscar, five, Willa, three, and Ashton, 11 months, tied the knot in the Cotswolds with Jeremy present with his girlfriend Lisa Hogan. 

Taking to Instagram to announce news of their big day, Kaleb shared a snap with his 3.2million followers alongside the caption: ‘Such an amazing day yesterday celebrating our wedding! We both had the most amazing day! Mr and Mrs cooper’.

Kaleb arrived at 500-acre Merriscourt in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, in a £250,000 McLaren supercar with son Oscar alongside.    

Taking to Instagram to announce news of their big day, Kaleb shared a snap with his 3.2million followers alongside the caption: ‘Such an amazing day yesterday celebrating our wedding! We both had the most amazing day! Mr and Mrs cooper’

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The groom posed alongside Jeremy (right) for a silly snap, shared by one of his pals

The newlyweds looked overjoyed as they hit the dancefloor 

In images obtained by The Sun, Jeremy, who provided the booze for the event from his Hawkstone brewery, could be seen arriving as he stepped out in the wake of announcing he was in remission from ‘aggressive cancer’. 

Last month, an episode of Clarkson’s Farm saw the the visibly emotional 66-year-old relay the news to his shaken co-stars Charlie Ireland and Kaleb.

He revealed on the series, filmed from late 2024 to September 2025, how he had been diagnosed in May last year, telling Kaleb that ten per cent of his prostate, ‘where the cancer is’, is ‘dead’. 

In June, Kaleb spoke exclusively to the Daily Mail about his nuptials, saying: ‘I want to say I’m really hands on but that’s a lie,’ he tells me. ‘I can’t really say that, it is Taya that has done the majority of it.’

He said: ‘It’s both of our dreams to get married. But Taya is very much like “I want it in a certain way, I want my dress to be a certain way”, which is good…

The wedding featured tractors making an arch among the greenery

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The couple are pictured in 2024

Taya and Kaleb have been together for 10 years and on Christmas Day, 2022, he got down on one knee, and in a touching social media post he confirmed: ‘She said yes!’

Last month, an episode of Clarkson’s Farm saw the the visibly emotional 66-year-old relay the news to his shaken co-stars Charlie Ireland and Kaleb

‘I think everyone should have that in their life and go, right, if you’re going to get married, it’s a very special day for everybody, family included, so therefore you’ve got to have your own say of how you want it to go.’

Taya and Kaleb have been together for ten years and on Christmas Day, 2022, he got down on one knee, and in a touching social media post he confirmed: ‘She said yes!’ 

Kaleb’s Clarkson’s Farm fame has proved lucrative, with the star boasting a net worth north of £1million, with his three firms registered with Companies House. 

Kaleb Cooper Productions, in particular, in which he deposits his media earnings, has seen its account swell from £242,000 in 2023 to £817,000 last year, according to its latest figures.

Away from television, Kaleb has built a business empire that takes in his farm contracting, merchandise sales including branded hoodies and tops, and a livestock firm specialising in the sale of premium beef joints.

Taya and Kaleb welcomed their second child Ashton last August 

 She is known for her incredible looks while blazing the promo trail. 

And Zendaya made no exceptions on Sunday as she wowed while plugging her new movie The Odyssey alongside co-stars Lupita Nyong’o, Anne Hathaway and Samantha Morton at the IET Building in London.

The foursome looked incredible for the event, where Zendaya, 29, whose co-star husband Tom Holland was present, sported a dramatic draped number with a coordinating head scarf. 

Lupita’s look complemented Zendaya’s, as she sported a plunging black and white number while Anne opted for a thigh-skimming white mini and knee-high boots. 

The entire cast were present at the event alongside the four actresses, including Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, Himesh Patel, director Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas 

The Christopher-fronted film is an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic the Odyssey, which sees the titular Greek King embark on a perilous journey home after the Trojan War in a bid to reunite with his beloved wife Penelope. 

Lupita Nyong’o, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya and Samantha Morton (L-R) were plugging the film

Benny Safdie, Lupita Nyong’o, John Leguizamo, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Himesh Patel, Samantha Morton, director Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas (L-R) posed at the event

Known for her ‘method dressing’ – in which Zendaya fashions her looks around the theme of her movie – she wore a pair of gold earrings from Barron London. 

She was sporting 1st millennium BC ancient disks mounted into a contemporary pair of earrings using 18k yellow gold and diamonds.

She also chose to wear an Old Mine Cut oval diamond ring set in yellow gold, as well as a selection of stacked ‘Twist’ and Marquise diamond rings set in yellow gold, all by Barron London.

Her ensemble was simple yet head-turning thanks to the bare back and headwear.

While they did not pose together, Zendaya’s husband Tom, who plays Telemachus, Odysseus’s son and the prince of Ithaca, was nearby and was seen leaving the event clutching an England football shirt ahead of the team’s pending game against Brazil.

Anne, who plays Penelope in the movie, appeared to be borrowing from the 00s, as she opted to pair the white dress with a pair of suede knee-high boots while keeping her beauty look simple. 

Despite the film being in the trusted hands of Oscar-winning director Christopher, fans haven’t quite got to grips with the casting yet.

In what has been dubbed his ‘most extreme project to date’ alongside an incredibly starry cast – the pressure for Christopher to win over critics is like no other.

The foursome looked incredible for the event, where Zendaya, 29, sported a dramatic draped number with a coordinating head scarf

She pulled all her best poses for the camera 

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Zendaya’s husband Tom, who plays Telemachus, Odysseus’s son and the prince of Ithaca, was nearby and was seen leaving the event clutching an England football shirt ahead of the team’s pending game against Brazil

Already known for his impressive art and high-budget fare, Christopher’s latest film could prove to be his most ambitious yet, with the $250million budget the most expensive of his career, his first to be shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras.

Lead stars Matt Damon and Anne have joined forces with Zendaya, Tom Holland, Lupita, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, and Travis Scott as well as Elliot Page.

Matt is starring as the titular hero Odysseus, while Devil Wears Prada icon Anne plays his devoted queen, who is forced to fend off potential suitors in her husband’s absence.

Yet the film has received heaps of attention for all the wrong reasons – sparking backlash over its ‘bizarre’ casting, being accused of fuelling ‘brutal repression’ and sending Elon Musk into meltdown.

Christopher recently defended his decision to cast Kenyan actress Nyong’o in the movie after Musk called the casting ‘historically inaccurate’.

Nyong’o, 43, is set to play Helen of Troy’s sister Clytemnestra, and was named People Magazine’s ‘Most Beautiful Woman’ in 2014 following her triumphant Best Supporting Actress Oscar win for 12 Years A Slave.

After recently tying the knot to Tom Holland, she gave a nod to bridal style

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The leading ladies looked sensational 

Nolan defended his castings, saying: ‘Hopefully they’ll enjoy the film, even if they don’t agree with everything. The oldest depictions of Homeric characters tend to be depicted in the manner of people living in Homer’s time…

‘So there’s a pretty strong case there for portraying things that way because that’s the way the first audience received the story.’

Musk was called out for his remarks about the casting in January by The View host Sunny Hostin. She said: ‘Anyone can portray a fictional character. It doesn’t have to be a white person that plays this part.’

She added: ‘I think we have to call a thing a thing when we’re talking about someone like Elon Musk… We know what this is. He is a white supremacist. In my view, he is a racist.’

Emmy-winner Alec Baldwin has since weighed in on Musk’s anti-woke campaign against Nolan’s movie. 

In a public display of support for Nyong’o and Nolan, Baldwin wrote on Instagram: ‘Dear Elon… but she IS the most beautiful woman in the world…Alec’.

They were also hoined by Robert Pattinson and Himesh Patel 

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The crash happened just before 10.20pm on Saturday, July 4, where Derby Street becomes St Helens Road in Daubhill.

Emergency services were called to the scene with an area between Willows Lane and Florence Street taped off. Police have now confirmed that the rider is in a “critical condition”.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “At around 10.18pm yesterday evening, July 4, officers responded to reports of a collision involving an off-road bike and a stationary car on St Helens Road, Bolton.

“Officers were already in the area at the time of the collision and were quickly on scene to provide assistance and first aid to the injured party.

Police were on the scene (Image: Public)

“The rider suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.

“Two men were arrested at the scene on suspicion of obstructing police while officers attempted to assist the injured male.”

Residents around the Derby Street and St Helens Road area reported seeing police officers on the scene and groups of people gathered around late on Saturday night.

The crash happened on Saturday night (Image: Public)

One person reported seeing “police cars and the road was blocked” at around 11pm, while another described the aftermath as a “really bad accident”.

The scene was cleared later into the night and, as of Sunday morning, traffic was understood to be able to pass through Derby Street and St Helens Road as normal.

Cllr Ayyub Patel, of Rumworth, said: “Road safety is one of the top priorities that residents raise with me and this is another example of just how important it is to make sure our roads are kept safe.

“I’ll be continuing to work with the police and council on this to make sure that residents’ concerns are heard, that the appropriate measures are in place, and that we continue to do everything we can to make our roads safe.”

Cllr Patel encouraged members of the community to avoid sharing any unverified information or AI-generated videos that may have been circulating online.

He said the CCTV footage confirmed that what these AI videos have claimed to show is not accurate.

Cllr Patel said: “There is no wider risk to the community and the police presence in the area is simply part of the investigation.”

Anyone with any further information or concerns can call police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

Alternatively, members of the public can call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police put a large cordon in place as paramedics and the Great North Air Ambulance Service attended the incident at the Benton Road and Goathland Avenue junction in North Tyneside, near Four Lane Ends.

One patient was taken to the RVI in Newcastle by road for further treatment.

Police remain at the scene with a large taped cordon in place (Image: PROVIDED)

A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said they requested support from colleagues at the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) who flew in.

Pictures show a large police cordon has been erected at the scene taping off the whole junction.

Heavy traffic is building in surrounding areas as traffic management is in place.

Police remain at the scene with a large taped cordon in place (Image: NE TRAFFIC CAMERAS)

A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We received a call at 9.26am on Sunday 5 July to reports of a road traffic incident on the junction of Benton Road and Goathland Avenue in Newcastle.

“We dispatched an ambulance crew and specialist paramedic to the scene, and requested support from our colleagues at the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) who attended by air.

“One patient was taken to the RVI by road for further treatment.”

The Northern Echo has contacted Northumbria Police and GNAAS for a statement on the incident.

By CIARA FARMER, ASSISTANT SHOWBUSINESS EDITOR

Published: 12:11 BST, 5 July 2026 | Updated: 12:44 BST, 5 July 2026

She is known for keeping a low-profile. 

Yet Adele broke cover on Sunday afternoon to attend the British Grand Prix at Silverstone alongside a slew of stars. 

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The Easy On Me songstress, 38, looked trendy in a fan T-shirt paying tribute to 2025 World Champion Lando Norris and his team McLaren while pairing the tee with a delicate necklace adorned with the word ‘Mummy’. 

The star is known for her love of the sport and was spotted in October last year at the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas where she posed with Mercedes’ two drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

On Friday, she gave a very rare interview about son Angelo, 13, as she revealed they have bonded over their joint ‘obsession’ with Formula 1.

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Adele broke cover on Sunday afternoon to attend the British Grand Prix at Silverstone alongside a slew of stars as she made a stunning appearance

The Easy On Me songstress, 38, looked trendy in a fan T-shirt paying tribute to 2025 World Champion Lando Norris and his team McLaren

She made a surprise appearance at the McLaren Racing headquarters where she chatted to chief executive Zac Brown and F1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Adele couldn’t contain her excitement as she gushed that she has created a close ‘bond’ with her 13-year-old son, who she shares with ex-husband Simon Konecki, after he took an interest in karting, which is how F1 drivers progress into the sport.

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She said: ‘So my son is really into karting and things like that. I don’t know. He just sort of asked about it a couple of years ago and I was like, “All right.”

‘I don’t know many teenagers who have a passion so I’m really trying to encourage it. He’s obsessed but I’m also obsessed.

She continued: ‘But just like when your kid has an interest, you have to lean into it. More importantly, I think you have to be interested in it.

Adele has given a very rare interview about son Angelo on Friday as she revealed they have bonded over their joint ‘obsession’ with Formula 1

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The star is known for her love of the sport and was spotted in October last year at the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas where she posed with Mercedes’ two drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli

‘And I don’t think I ever expected to bond with my soon to be 14 year-old son about something so passionately where we like argue about drivers, you know.

‘But it’s fun to have that interaction with a teenage boy in 2026, I wasn’t expecting it’.

The 16-time Grammy Award winner later sat down for a candid chat with 2025 F1 World Champion Lando, who asked, ‘Do you actually still enjoy singing?’

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Adele admitted: ‘I don’t sing very often anymore’, but as she pulled on the driving headset she couldn’t help but belt out a few lines of Britney Spears’ Baby One More Time.

The Hello singer went on to discuss how ‘ridiculous’ her job is as she opened up about her ‘struggles with fame’.

She was accompanied by aides as she walked through the paddock

The 16-time Grammy Award winner later sat down for a candid chat with Lando Norris who asked, ‘Do you actually still enjoy singing?’ Adele admitted: ‘I don’t sing very often anymore’

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She said: ‘So my son is really into karting. I don’t know many teenagers who have a passion so I’m really trying to encourage it. He’s obsessed but I’m also obsessed’

‘Oh my god. I think it is ridiculous that my job is being a singer. No, never believed [it would happen]’, she said. ‘I wanted to be an A&R. I never thought that I was the talent.

‘I knew I was really good with music, which is why I thought I’d be so good at discovering new talent.

‘It is incredibly unlikely that a girl from Tottenham is going to go on to have any kind of career in England, let alone sort of universally and stuff like that. So, it was never an option.

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‘It’s very well known that I struggle with the fame side of it. If I remind myself like it’s a joke that my job is being a singer, I just always try and lean into that.’

Artificial intelligence software will be used on the NHS app to determine which service is most appropriate for patients in England, the health service has announced.

A new triage tool will ask patients a series of questions, and will use the responses to direct them to a GP appointment, pharmacy, A&E, community service or offer self-care advice.

NHS England said the update would reach more than 200,000 patients in the next 12 months and be available to all app users by April 2028 as part of a “major overhaul” of its technology.

The rollout has been largely welcomed, but some health bodies urged the NHS to prioritise patient safety, confidentiality and inclusion as it grows more reliant on AI.

According to NHS England, the triage tool will provide advice and suggest services or book appointments. Part of its aim is to reduce waiting on the phone when GP surgeries typically open their lines at 08:00.

An initial trial at Wealden Ridge Medical Partnership in Sussex saw a 29% reduction in the number of people queuing on the phone for an appointment.

Dr Ragu Rajan, who works at the practice, said integrating the tool “means our patients can tell us what they need, when they need it, and be directed to the right care first time.

“It hasn’t replaced our judgement – it’s given us back the time to use it.”

Health Secretary James Murray said the rollout did not mean an AI programme would ultimately decide if patients saw a doctor.

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, Murray said it meant investment would be put in to “modernise” the NHS and ensure benefits were spread out “around the country”.

It comes as part of a £10bn investment, allocated by the government in 2025, to overhaul the NHS’s technology, digital and data systems.

Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, said the tool would “help get patients to the best service for their needs first time… so that clinicians can make sure those most in need of a GP appointment can get one sooner”.

There will also be an England-wide rollout of AI tools that record conversations between patients and NHS staff to generate real-time transcriptions and clinical summaries.

It will start with hospital appointments not requiring an overnight stay at four NHS trusts in and around London – St George’s, Epsom and St Helier, Croydon, and Kingston and Richmond.

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust are also expanding their AI notetaking programmes.

A trial led by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and carried out across nine NHS sites in London found NHS staff spent almost 25% more of their time interacting with patients when using the notetaking technology.

The Royal College of Nursing’s chief nursing officer, Prof Lynn Woolsey, said the rollout could mark “an important step in upgrading technology in the NHS” and “ease the administrative burden on nursing staff”.

But she also emphasised that patient safety and confidentiality must be at the “heart of any AI triage system, with a guarantee that a health professional will be the one making decisions at key points in that process”.

Pritesh Mistry, fellow at the King’s Fund think-tank, said the announcement “could help turbo-charge improvements in how [the] NHS uses modern technology to deliver better care for patients”.

“People should find it easier to have support at the right time and in a way that best suits them, digitally or physically,” she added.

“And this means the NHS will need to keep a strong focus on ensuring that people are not digitally excluded as clinical services become increasingly reliant on technology.”

Conservative shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew said: “Any innovation that improves patient care and helps the NHS work more effectively should be welcomed.

“But new technology must be introduced with a fully-funded plan that delivers value for taxpayers.”

Its owner says the business is ‘no longer commercially viable’

One of the last two remaining nightclubs on Deansgate Locks will soon close – delivering another hammer blow for the once-thriving nightlife strip. The owner of Ark Manchester says it is sadly ‘no longer commercially viable’.

The venue had been a fixture on Deansgate Locks for around 12 years, at the former Missoula site. It previously stood alongside neighbours including The Comedy Store, Revolution and Lola Lo.

The row of clubs, set on the other side of the Rochdale Canal from Whitworth Street West, was previously one of the city’s busiest nightlife hotspots. But following a raft of closures in recent years, only Ark and Popworld now remain, with both businesses open on Friday and Saturday nights.

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And soon Popworld will stand alone on the Deansgate Locks nightlife development, with Ark Manchester’s closure confirmed by owner Stonegate Group. A date for the closure is yet to be confirmed, but it is understood to be within weeks.

A spokesperson for Stonegate told the Manchester Evening News: “The hospitality sector continues to face significant challenges. After careful consideration, and despite our best efforts, Ark Manchester is no longer commercially viable and we have taken the difficult decision to close the venue.

“Our priority is to support our hard‑working team during this time, and we would like to thank them for their commitment and dedication. We would also like to thank our guests and the local community for their support over the years.”

Last year the M.E.N. explored the decline of Deansgate Locks, which was transformed into a nightlife destination in 2000. A shift in nightlife habits, the cost of living crisis and issues with damp in the Grade II-listed structure were all cited as reasons why the strip has struggled in the last few years.

Some Netflix viewers have been left distracted by what they say is a glaring error

The film’s lead actress has already responded to criticism from fans.

Viewers of Netflix’s latest adventure offering have found themselves distracted by what they consider an unmissable continuity error. Enola Holmes 3 was recently added to the streaming giant, continuing the popular film franchise.

It marks the third chapter in the series produced exclusively for the platform, which first launched back in 2020. According to its official synopsis, detective Enola Holmes is swept into an adventure in Malta, where personal and professional ambitions collide on a case more complex and dangerous than any she has previously encountered.

Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown returns to once again portray the titular protagonist Enola Holmes. She is joined by House of Guiness actor Louis Partridge, reprising his role as love interest Teweksbury, while former Superman and Witcher star Henry Cavill returns as Enola’s brother and renowned detective Sherlock Holmes.

The latest instalment has failed to generate the same critical acclaim as its predecessors, which achieved scores of 91% and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes respectively. Enola Holmes 3 has so far garnered a considerably lower rating of just 73%, reports the Mirror.

Despite this, certain viewers are more preoccupied with what they perceive as a significant production blunder. One particular scene, set against a Maltese backdrop, shows Enola cautiously peering around a corner.

Rather than remaining immersed in the tension of the moment, audiences were quick to spot that Millie’s character — who inhabits the Victorian era — appears to be sporting gel nails. One supporter posted on social media the photograph with the description: “Enola Holmes taking place in 1885 while Millie’s nails giving full 2026 gel manicure.”

Someone responded: “Period pieces fail the second modern beauty standards leak in. Audiences read authenticity through tiny details now.”

Prior to the film’s premiere, Millie had already addressed the backlash. Speaking to the BBC, she stated: “How bleak and boring of the internet, I love a good manicure and so does Enola. I wasn’t disappointed but I was like, oh OK, that’s what the articles are about. But then again, the internet does not surprise me these days. I’ve been through it on the internet.”

Meanwhile, the film’s director Philip Barantini, who also directed award-winning miniseries Adolescence, has revealed he didn’t concern himself with “small things”.

He continued: “Maybe they do for some people but it made me laugh. We just live in a world where everyone is hyper-aware and they find something to zone in on, and it becomes a huge thing.”

Some supporters have defended the production’s error as they recognise it has never claimed to be historically precise. After all, the stories are adapted from the book series published between 2006 and 2023 rather than genuine historical occurrences.

A piece in The Guardian suggests that archaeologists have unearthed Egyptian mummies (dating to 5,000 BC) with gilded nails and henna-tinted fingertips as well as a solid gold manicure set in southern Babylonia, dating to 3,200 BC, that was seemingly part of combat equipment. So perhaps the inclusion of nail art in Enola Holmes 3 is not quite as historically inaccurate as it initially appears, even if gel sets were not specifically in use during the 1880s.

However, one fan pointed out: “The polish itself isn’t really a problem, it’s that that kind of colour and gloss were not ‘in’ in Britain at the time and would not be for a while. It’s less of a technological issue and more of a ‘applying 21st century fashion standards to a time where the rules were different’ issue, which is like super duper common in historical fiction films in general”.

Enola Holmes 3 is streaming on Netflix.

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?”