Koji, located on High Street West in Sunderland, has hit the market for £50,000.

The eatery has become a familiar stop for Sunderland theatre‑goers, offering Japanese dishes in a compact, stylish space directly opposite the Sunderland Empire.

The restaurant sits opposite Sunderland’s Empire Theatre. (Image: Rook Matthews Sayer)

Reviews describe it as a “cute little restaurant” and “really good pre‑theatre food”.

Thanks to its location near the Theatre, Koji enjoys a high-traffic spot in the heart of the city.

The current owners report a weekly turnover of £8,000 to £10,000, with the two-storey premises featuring an open-plan dining space with room for 40 to 50 diners and a fully equipped commercial kitchen.

The restaurant also holds a five-star food hygiene rating, awarded following an inspection on March 7, 2024.

(Image: Rook Matthews Sayer)

The ground-floor dining area is finished to a modern standard, with timber flooring, exposed brickwork, feature lighting, and a fully licensed bar.

To the rear is a commercial kitchen complete with professional catering equipment, an extraction system, preparation areas, and refrigeration.

The first floor houses customer toilets and additional storage space.

Koji’s central location places it within walking distance of The Bridges Shopping Centre, Sunderland Empire Theatre, and the city’s train and Metro stations.

The area is surrounded by shops, bars, cafes, and student accommodation, contributing to steady daytime and evening footfall from shoppers, students, and theatre audiences.

A spokesman for the agent marketing the property said: “This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced operator, first-time restaurateur or expanding hospitality group seeking an established and profitable business with significant scope for continued growth.”

“The business is offered as a genuine turnkey opportunity, with all fixtures, fittings and commercial catering equipment included, allowing a new owner to continue trading immediately with minimal additional capital expenditure.”

Public transport links and nearby parking further boost its accessibility for customers.

Romzan Ali said he was unsure about what the future would look like after both his parents passed away

A man who felt “lost and unsure about the future” after the sudden deaths of his parents said he has learnt setbacks “don’t define your future”. Romzan Ali has graduated with first class honours and now has his sights set on becoming an air traffic controller having secured a job working in security at Cardiff Airport.

The 22-year-old, from Ely, reflected: “This experience has taught me that setbacks don’t define your future. With persistence, support and hard work, it’s possible to overcome challenges and achieve your goals.”

In 2019, Romzan’s dad died suddenly and shortly after, his mum, who was living in Bangladesh, also died. It was this personal tragedy which brought his education to a halt while he was studying for his A-levels.

“Everything stopped,” Romzan said. “At the time, I felt lost and unsure about what the future would look like.”

Romzan then tried to return to studying but faced yet more setbacks with unsuccessful applications and limited course availability. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here.

However he was so committed to going to university Romzan self-funded an online Access programme with his own savings, enabling him to complete the equivalent of three A-levels within a year. It was this that he says was the real turning point.

Since then, Romzan developed a keen interest in the aviation industry and undertook a number of extra courses alongside his university course.

He completed additional modules with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and is now leading a consultancy project focused on revenue development strategies for Cardiff Airport.

The 22-year-old has now graduated from an aviation management degree at Cardiff Metropolitan University, and said he knows completing the degree will have made his dad proud.

He reflected: “My dad always wanted me to do well in school and achieve a degree. Completing university means a lot to me because I know it would have made him proud.”

Romzan also praised the support of his sister and brother-in-law, Shahela and Mahmud. “They have been my biggest supporters from the beginning,” he said.

“They always believed in me, even during the hardest times. My tutors at Cardiff Met have also been incredibly supportive throughout my degree, helping me build confidence in myself and my abilities.”

Having now got a security job at Cardiff Airport, Romzan hopes to continue building on his love for the industry and wants to one day become an air traffic controller.

He said: “I’ve always been fascinated by aviation. The industry is constantly evolving and connecting people around the world. My goal is to build a career where I can continue learning and taking on responsibility.”

By CAROLINE PEACOCK, SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER

Published: 19:10 BST, 15 July 2026 | Updated: 19:46 BST, 15 July 2026

Ulrika Jonsson looked unrecognisable as she switched up her trademark blonde locks for a series of dramatic wigs.

The presenter, 58, took to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday and told her fans that she’s ‘considering a change.’

She first donned a short black wig with red highlights and side-swept bangs, before swapping into a brunette 70s-inspired curly wig.

This was followed by her posing in a platinum-blonde bob wig and glasses, while beaming at the camera. 

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Her fun snaps come after Ulrika opened up about how going sober felt like a ‘spiritual awakening’.  

The presenter said she went from ‘not wanting to live anymore to trying to squeeze every moment out of life’ after giving up booze.

Ulrika Jonsson looked unrecognisable as she switched up her trademark blonde locks to experiment with a series of different wigs

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The presenter, 58, took to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday and told her fans that she’s ‘considering a change’

She looked worlds away from her usual self as she posed for fun snaps in the wigs 

The star is about to mark two years of sobriety after hitting rock bottom and wishing ‘the drink would take her’ and opened up about her progress on the In Recovery Ark House Rehab podcast last month.

She said: ‘I had a spiritual awakening – really it’s just like I was waiting for this my whole life [going sober].

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‘I felt safe after my first meeting. I felt like I belonged there after my first in person meeting. There is so much in the programme that should be taught in schools. I pass on bits to my kids. 

‘It completely changed me. It has the ability to change you as a person and it felt like I was waiting for this my whole life. Life will throw stuff at me still but now I deal with it in a completely different way. 

‘I went from not wanting to live to now wanting to squeeze every moment out of my life. I missed having some kind of faith. The programme was spiritual for me.’

She also opened up on how things went downhill so fast, explaining: ‘The public saw someone in control of their life and being fun. There was this battle between the public me and private me. 

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‘My drinking only really got bad in the two years up to my sobriety. I used it as a mood alterer. It eased the bridge from public me to private me. It was fun in lockdown and I was a bit hedonistic. 

‘But then it pulled the rug from under me and I knew I shouldn’t have been doing it. I was shocked how quickly it deteriorated. I never thought that would be me. I quite enjoyed the white lies as I got to create a different world that facilitated the drinking. 

Her fun snaps come after Ulrika opened up about how going sober felt like a ‘spiritual awakening’

The star is about to mark two years of sobriety after hitting rock bottom and wishing ‘the drink would take her’ (seen in 1989)  

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‘Deep inside I was hoping the drink would take me. That’s the only way I can articulate it.

‘I was hoping that one day it would just be so bad that I wouldn’t wake up.’

Back in January Ulrika revealed the harrowing phone call she got when her drinking spiralled out of control. 

Speaking in an emotional chat she recalled a tough conversation she had with her best friend at the peak of her alcohol struggles. 

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She said that although the conversation was ‘so shaming’ it was the moment that she knew something needed to change.  

Joining Spencer Matthews on his podcast UNTAPPED, she began: ‘It was awful. My best friend phoned me on a Saturday morning. 

‘She said, ‘I need to speak to you because I spoke to you at 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon and I could understand a f***ing word you said. You have a problem and I can’t help you.’

‘I was crying my eyes out because there was no way of avoiding it. She said, ‘This is coming from a place of love, but you need help.”

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Ulrika continued: ‘I still didn’t stop drinking, I had to drink on that conversation because that was so shaming. It was awful. 

‘I knew that she knew that I had a problem too. And I was said, ‘I can’t do this anymore.” 

The TV presenter credits the shocking admission from June 2024 for saving her life and rescuing her from the depths of addiction. 

Reports by a police force suggest that children as young as 10 were sold vapes

An off-licence store in Cambridgeshire will have its licence reviewed after reports of underage sales to children as young as 10. Cambridgeshire Police has requested that Peterborough City Council review the licence of Westgate News on Westgate, Peterborough following concerns.

This application was made by the force on the grounds of preventing crime and disorder and protecting children from harm. The application was requested after enquiries suggested that the shop engaged in “persistent and systemic sale of alcohol, vapes and nicotine products to children”.

The force has confirmed evidence that a 14-year-old girl was sold vodka, a vape, and a soft drink by staff on January 1, 2026.

During a compliance visit in January, several other license breaches were identified. These included: no personal license holder being present during alcohol sales, failure to maintain staff training records and failure to comply with CCTV retention requirements.

The force claimed it had received “consistent intelligence demonstrating a clear pattern of unlawful sales”. Intelligence intel received in June suggests that a 12-year-old child was sold a vape.

According to the force, the shop is described as “well known in school to sell vapes to children”. Cambridgeshire Police said this demonstrates that the store has “developed a reputation amongst school-age children as a reliable source of age-restricted products”. Reports dating back to 2025 indicated the shop sold vapes to students in school uniform, and to children as young as 10.

The application claims the premises has “continued unlawful activity despite enforcement” and “developed a reputation as a source of illegal underage sales”.

The licensing review application, submitted by Cambridgeshire Police, states: “The volume, consistency, and longevity of intelligence—combined with evidential incidents and enforcement action—demonstrate that this premises is systematically undermining the licensing objectives, particularly in respect of children.

“The latest intelligence confirms that these issues remain ongoing, necessitating decisive action by the Licensing Authority.”

Peterborough City Council’s licensing team will now respond to the force’s concerns.

Jordan Pickford‘s wife Megan and Jude Bellingham‘s girlfriend Ashlyn Castro were seen in the stands as they led the WAGs rooting for England ahead of the World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday night.

Megan, 30, and Ashlyn, 28, were the first to arrive out of the WAGs to watch England’s semi-final World Cup game against Argentina. 

Eberechi Eze wife, Naima Corbin, was later spotted in the stands ahead of the game, while Harry Kane‘s wife Kate posed for a snap outside the stadium. 

Just hours earlier, Megan was the first of the wives to throw support behind the Three Lions as they prepare to take on Argentina. 

She took to TikTok ahead of the Atlanta game to ask fans for help on which designer outfit she should wear.

Megan first turned heads in a fitted football shirt with Jordan’s player number on it with a pair of white jeans.

Megan, 30, and Ashlyn (pictured), 28, were the first to arrive out of the WAGs to watch England’s semi-final World Cup game against Argentina.

The influencer teamed the look with a red Celine belt and an adorable white Chanel bag.

She then switched into a mini black-and-white dress from Meshki, styled with a red Chanel bag.

‘Ladies I need help for today’s outfit? Dress or shirt,’ she penned alongside the clip.

Just moments earlier, she took to Instagram to share a sweet tribute with their children for Jordan: ‘Today’s mood, Go Daddy’.

Megan, 30, shares children Arlo, Ostara and Misty with the goalkeeper, 32.

Their children looked adorable in football kits with ‘Daddy’ on the back as they cheered ‘Daddy, daddy!’ and jumped in circles prior to the game.

Elsewhere, Ollie Watkins’ wife Ellie took to her Instagram Stories to plug a mascara ahead of the big match. 

This was followed by another post, showing off her chic outfit before she headed to the stadium. 

Prince William – who serves as President of the Football Association – congratulated England on their World Cup quarter-final win over Norway last week, saying they are a ‘special team’ and the result was ‘never in doubt’. 

Megan has made the most of her US jaunt with a lavish shopping spree over the last few weeks.

She ensured she splashed out on a surprise for her spouse, as she shared a snap of a £455 football-themed wallet she picked up for him during a recent trip to New York.

Harry Kane’s wife Kate posed for a selfie outside the stadium 

Dean Henderson’s wife Millie made her way to her seat 

Just hours earlier, Megan was the first of the wives to throw her support behind the Three Lions as they prepare to take on Argentina

She took to TikTok ahead of the Atlanta game to ask fans for help on which designer outfit she should wear

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Just moments earlier, she took to Instagram to share a sweet tribute with their children for Jordan: ‘Today’s mood, Go Daddy’

Elsewhere, Ollie Watkins’ wife Ellie took to her Instagram Stories to plug a mascara ahead of the big match

She then posed a series of beaming snaps ahead of the big game 

Ellie looked incredible in a white tank top and pinstripe mini skirt 

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Megan took to Instagram Stories to document her shopping trip, and while no doubt she picked up a few designer treats, she also posted a snap of an eye-catching designer wallet with a football pitch design.

She captioned the post: ‘Bought husband a special World Cup wallet.’ 

Like all of this year’s England WAGs, Megan had prepared a glamorous designer wardrobe to take her seat in the stands for England’s World Cup matches.

But her chance to debut her looks was hit by a week-long delay when Megan revealed her airline had lost her suitcase last month.

Hours ahead of England’s match against Ghana on Tuesday, Megan revealed she’d finally been reunited with her suitcase.

Posting a hilarious update on her social media accounts on Monday night Megan uploaded a video of her opening the door of her hotel room to see her prized baggage.

Dressed in pink joggers and top Megan pulls the suitcase into her room and gives it a big hug as Abba‘s classic hit ‘Honey Honey’ played.

She wrote: ‘A special delivery arrived it will not be leaving my sight before tomorrow’s game,’ ending the post with the hashtag suitcasegate.

Fellow WAG Ellie wrote ‘Hahaha so happy for you,’ while Megan added the first thing she was going to buy was an air tag to track her luggage.

A total of 37,500 people flocked to the show today, with 150,000 visiting the event over the four days.

Peter Wright once again made an appearance at the show, and was put to good use inspecting children’s veg box competition entries, before taking part in a talk and a meet and greet for fans.

Peter, star of Channel 5’s The Yorkshire Vet, admitted that the popular TV show almost didn’t happen after he told producers when it first started, “I don’t think it will work”.

However, 22 series later, he was proven wrong and has claimed “it’s the most unusual but most rewarding job” during a talk on the Ariat GYS stage.

Elsewhere, talking diversification on farm and moorland, Paul Tompkins, deputy president of the National Farmers’ Union said he and the union would “always favour” using good-quality land for food production or sustainability over renewable energy projects.

His comments come after an application was submitted to build 23, 200-metre-high wind turbines on the remote Hope Moor site between Arkengarthdale and Teesdale.

Mr Tompkins, who farms at South Acre Farm in the Vale of York, milking a herd of 400 Holstein cows, said: “Farmers do have to diversify and adjust to the renewable energy game, but it has to be done in the right way.

“Land should be prioritised for food production, and arguments about renewable energy should be balanced with concerns for landscape, tourism and communities.”

He called on farmers, farming groups and the government to have an “open dialogue” when it comes to renewable energy.

Countryside conservation talks included panels discussing how best to restore curlew populations across the uplands; and River Ure supporters explaining why they are passionate about seeing wild Atlantic salmon be a self-sustaining species once more.

Brian Towers, fishing guide on the Castle Bolton estate, said: “There are lots of issues for wild Salmon in the Ure, but one of the main problems is that stock is being decimated by predators and we are not getting the returning salmon to breed after going out to sea.

“We have offered many solutions to the Government and Environment Agency, such as controlling bird populations which eat young salmon and creating hatcheries to support the salmon – but we are not allowed or being listened to.”

The talk heard how the River Ure was historically rich with salmon, but the population has now all but disappeared.

The show continues on Thursday and Friday, with all tickets sold out in advance.

A house has been cordoned off while investigations into the incident continue

Four people have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man turned up at hospital with serious injuries. Dyfed-Powys Police said hospital staff alerted them to the man’s arrival at around 1.20am on Wednesday, July 15.

Police said they suspected the man may have been assaulted at an address in Carmarthen. A police cordon is in place at the scene while investigations continue. Stay in the know by making sure you’re receiving our daily newsletter.

Two men and two women have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. A police statement read: “Dyfed-Powys Police received a report from hospital staff at around 1.20am on Wednesday, July 15, after a man arrived with serious injuries.

“Officers quickly established details and attended an address on Brynmeurig, Carmarthen, where they suspected the man may have been assaulted.

“A police presence remains at the property whilst an investigation is carried out to establish the circumstances surrounding the man’s injuries.

“A 35-year-old man and two women, aged 30 and 49, all from the Carmarthen area, were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

“A 40-year-old man from the Ammanford area was also arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. They all remain in police custody.

“The injured man has since been discharged from hospital and the investigation continues.”

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After the fire on the Eleventh Night gutted her family home, Ashleigh said: “I owe my life to that man, he saved my daughter”

A mum from Co Antrim has praised her “hero” neighbour for saving her daughter after a fire on the Eleventh Night gutted their family home.

A row of terraced houses in the Knockleigh Walk area of Greenisland caught fire on the Eleventh Night as a result of the embers from a bonfire lit nearby.

At the height of the operation, the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service had 45 personnel in attendance at the scene, including six pumping appliances, a com­mand sup­port unit, and an aer­ial lad­der. Five fire­fight­ing jets were also in use along­side an aer­ial water tower.

Ashleigh McCleanaghan, 40, was on holiday in Blackpool at the time, while her eldest daughter and son were at home. As embers from the bonfire started moving into their back garden, a refurbished shed her 17-year-old daughter uses as her bedroom caught fire.

Their back garden was completely destroyed, with their oil tank also catching fire, while their kitchen, a bedroom, and their bathroom also suffered damage.

Speaking to Belfast Live, Ashleigh said: “The bonfire was lit on the Eleventh Night. My daughter Alex was in the house watching the bonfire and the embers were covering over above the house. You could clearly see the size of them; she was at the front of the house.

“Our neighbour, Davy, battered the door to say the back garden was on fire and when the both of them went out, Alex turned on the hose and Davy went to soak the place.

“The embers were coming down that quickly, the fire began to spread, and before we knew it the shed was completely up. The two fences either side and the oil tank also went.

“I got the first boat back from Blackpool and came up home. The back of our house was destroyed, everything outside in the garden including Alex’s room, and everything in it completely gone. The kitchen was damaged, the boys’ bedroom damaged and the bathroom.”

Ashleigh has praised the quick efforts of her neighbour, David (Davy) Haighton, who rushed to her home to help her children.

“All I was worried about was my daughter. The fact that if it hadn’t had been for Davy next door, it could have been so different. Alex may not be here. I owe my life to that man, he saved my daughter,” she said.

“I told him he was my hero, that man got burnt and there was blood all down his arms from him and Alex trying to put out the fire. He took the hose, he wouldn’t let her do it. He’s lived beside us all for a long time, my children all love him and his wife Esther.”

Amid the blaze, where two houses were gutted and two others were damaged in the terrace, Davy’s house was destroyed, leaving him and his wife with nothing.

Ashleigh said: “We got off lightly with the fire – Davy’s house is completely gutted. All his memories of 50 years living in that house, all his medals from when he was in the Territorial Army (TA).

“I will always be in awe of that man and everytime I see him I tell him he will never know how much it means to us. He keeps playing it down but the other day he said to me if there was anything we needed to let him know.

“He has nothing, we’re going to be able to get back into our house they’re hoping. He has absolutely nothing, but he’s more worried about us and the kids.

“It’s very hard to take in that things could have been a lot worse, and if it wasn’t for him, Alex could be gone. That’s what gets me through what has happened. You’re walking around talking to people at the minute like you’re just numb from everything.”

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said the most probable cause of the fire is thought to be accidental and investigations remain ongoing.

You can donate to a fundraiser set up by Ashleigh’s friend to help the family get back on their feet by clicking here.

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