The disruption is affecting services between Manchester Airport and Blackpool North, with train operator Northern warning that delays, cancellations, and changes to services are likely to continue throughout the day.

Trains through major stations including Manchester Piccadilly, Bolton, Chorley and Preston are being affected, with passengers advised to check before travelling.

Northern said via their website: “We apologise for the cancellation of this service today.

“If the train you have a ticket for is cancelled, you can travel on any Northern, TransPennine Express and East Midlands Railway service within 2 hours before or after your cancelled service was due to depart.

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“If you require any connecting services, please check information screens, visit www.nationalrail.co.uk/journey-planner or speak to a member of staff where available.”

Passengers who are delayed by 15 minutes or more may be eligible for compensation under Northern’s delay repay scheme.

Services that have already been cancelled include the 3.48pm, 4.48pm and 5.48pm departures from Manchester Airport to Blackpool North.

Southbound services from Blackpool North to Manchester Airport at 2.54pm and 3.54pm have also been cancelled, with further delays and cancellations expected as the fault continues to cause problems.

Passengers are being urged to check the latest travel information before starting their journeys, and to allow extra time for travel or consider alternative routes where possible.

Further information and live updates are available on the National Rail website and Northern’s social media channels, including @northernassist on X.

Dear Coleen

THIS is a bit of a delicate one so I need help on how to approach it sensitively. Sadly my father-in-law passed away a year ago, which was devastating for us all. We’ve been incredibly supportive to my mother-in-law but her constant presence in our lives is starting to affect my family.

She lives a few miles away but she’s always at our house, turning up unannounced at all hours and staying for days sometimes. At first it was OK but now it’s very disruptive and we’re always cancelling things for the kids because she doesn’t want to be on her own.

My husband and I have spoken to her friends and suggested social groups that would keep her busy and help her make new friends. We’ve also suggested grief counselling several times, but she won’t hear of it.

My husband’s siblings live abroad so they’re not around to help and she’s reliant on us.

I have so much empathy for her but it’s so hard to deal with and causing arguments between me and my husband. What do I do?

Coleen says

Grief is so different for everyone. Your mother-in-law is feeling lost and grabbing on to what she loves most because it feels scary on her own. It may have been a year but, when you’re grieving a partner, it can feel like no time has passed at all.

It took a long time for my sister Linda to get back on her feet after her husband died. She stayed quite a while with me, then with our other sister and, when she went back home, she had different people staying with her. The difference is, she had therapy and would also call the Samaritans when she needed to vent.

I think the point to gently get across to your mother-in-law is that, while you can carry on being supportive, you’re not professionals and are struggling a bit to know how to help.

It’s probably up to your husband to talk to her and ask how she thinks you can help. Maybe she just needs reassurance that if she’s struggling, she knows you’ll be there.

Reiterate to her friends that she’s struggling and ask them to check in and get involved. Maybe having some things in the diary to look forward to will help. Could your husband’s siblings arrange a visit or invite her over for a few weeks for a change of scene and routine? The hope is she’ll find moments of enjoyment and realise it feels good to start living again.

You can’t force her to have therapy but tell her about bereavement charity Cruse, which might help (cruse.org.uk; 0808 808 1677).

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Following the announcement, customers said it is ‘such a shame’

A popular Cambridgeshire Italian restaurant is set to close its doors permanently, citing they will “cherish the memories”. Mangiare on Downham Road in Ely is set to close for good on Sunday, August 2.

Its owners said that, “with a heavy heart” the restaurant will close. This isn’t the end of Mangiare though, as its other locations in Newmarket and Frinton-on-Sea remain in operation. The restaurant has thanked customers for all their support.

The Mangiare restaurant shared on Tuesday, July 15: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce Mangiare Ely will close on Sunday, 2nd August. A huge thank you to all our wonderful guests for your support over the years.

“It has been our pleasure to serve you, and we’ll always cherish the memories we’ve made together. And if you’re nearby, COME AND ENJOY the same delicious Italian food and friendly service at our MANGIARE NEWMARKET restaurant. Thank you for everything.”

In response to the news, diners commented that it is their “favourite restaurant” and that it is “such a shame” to hear. In a recent review on Tripadvisor, one customer wrote: “We visited Ely Mangiare today and I couldn’t fault any aspect of out meal or the service. The food was sensational.”

Another previous customer wrote: “This authentic Italian ristorante offers great flavours, crowd-pleasing dishes, and a relaxed, friendly vibe.”

The vision of the restaurant comprised of the “finest Italian taste coupled with a relaxed atmosphere for a memorable experience”, according to Mangiare’s website.

Why do we struggle with our identity after having kids?

How to regain a sense of identity after having children

As a football coach, Thomas Tuchel has done things differently to many of his colleagues.

For example, it is extremely rare for lower league footballers to become the head coaches of top sides. But that’s what Tuchel did, playing as a defender in Germany’s bottom tiers, before going on to manage elite teams like Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

It’s also unusual for youth team coaches to become coaches to senior sides, or to make the leap from coaching relatively small clubs to some of the bigger clubs in the world. Tuchel, England’s head coach, has made these switches too, and in doing so has demonstrated two particular managerial skills: awareness and adaptability.

The two qualities complement each other. A strong sense of awareness is required to effectively assess situations and players, and then recognise how and when a team might need to change its approach. It requires the ability to evolve and mature.

And a distinct aspiration for Tuchel is not to remain the same coach that he has been in the past. He has said: “[You] need to constantly adapt your style to what is needed, and to your group, and to change yourself, and to develop and to grow.”

He is also known for his perfectionism and dedication. And according to a former colleague, his total commitment to a cause can galvanise a group if it is harnessed correctly.

The colleague said: “Extraordinarily good coaches like him are very intense, that’s part of the deal. They live and breathe football, and that attitude transmits to the team.

“They want to do everything well, and that creates a strong feel for the collective. Everybody wants to give their all, every day, every game. That’s why teams immediately get better once he starts working with them.”

Tuchel retains very high expectations of performance. He does not mask his displeasure on the sidelines, and is not afraid to tell players when they are not playing well. But his methods involve much more than direct criticism.

For instance, after visiting a professor at Mainz University in Germany, Tuchel became an advocate of a technique known as “differential learning”, which emphasises variation rather than repetition of movement in football training. It also involves presenting players with a wide variety of obstacles that demand constant adjustment, while embracing the fact that players and opposing teams are all different.

So Tuchel began to tailor practice sessions to continually challenge and stretch his players. There would be extreme variation in pitch sizes for example, or particularly difficult drills.

Tuchel said of this more creative style of training: “That influenced me a lot, because it changed my role as a coach completely.

“With this [approach] there is no right and wrong. I’m just responsible for the ideas and principles of how we play. Within those they are free to find their own solutions.”

The overall idea for Tuchel is that training ends up being so testing and so demanding, that competitive matches seem comparatively easier to cope with.

Shape-shifter, trophy winner?

Tactical versatility has also been a defining feature of Tuchel’s method. He is well known for his in-game changes, where a side might switch formation six times during a match. He wanted his players to learn to constantly adapt to new roles, shapes and systems.

However, Tuchel has recently explained that if you switch formation too often, players can be conditioned to always look to the coach for a solution. Instead they should be concentrating on how they flexibly apply fundamental defensive and attacking principles, regardless of changes in tactics.

So again, Tuuchel is open to change. He wants to empower his team to make adjustments, without always looking to him for the answers.

To him, awareness and adaptability are crucial qualities required for effective management. This means having the confidence to follow a well-formulated course of action, but also the modesty to appreciate the limits of your capabilities and remain receptive to alternative solutions.

As Tuchel has commented: “I can do it my way, but I never want to say, ‘I know how it’s done.‘

“I know nothing. I just try my things, and every day is new. There are lots of people out there in business who say they know how it’s done. But there’s not just one way to do things. You have to adapt.”

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Under-fire Thomas Tuchel retains the Football Association’s backing after England’s disappointing World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina and looks set to stay on as manager for Euro 2028.

The 52-year-old former Chelsea boss was named Sir Gareth Southgate’s successor in November 2024 and led the back-to-back European Championship finalists to the last four in North America.

Anthony Gordon’s strike had England on the cusp of a first men’s World Cup final since 1966, only for Tuchel’s defence-minded alterations to invite Argentina on as the Atlanta semi-final ended in a late 2-1 loss.

The German coach’s negative decision making has put him under intense scrutiny, but the Press Association understands he maintains the FA’s support.

Tuchel’s initial deal had only covered this World Cup but in February he signed an extension until 2028, when he fully intends to lead England into the home Euros.

Speaking after the Argentina loss, the head coach said: “I have a contract until the home Euros and I’m looking forward to that even like now it is difficult to look that far ahead.”

England flew back to their Kansas City base after Wednesday’s agonising loss in Georgia, where FA chief executive Mark Bullingham praised Tuchel.

“It is heartbreaking to be so close,” he said. “The players and Thomas gave it everything today and the squad, coaches and staff could not have worked harder during the tournament.

“I would like to thank them all – and also give my heartfelt thanks to our wonderful fans here in the USA and at home. We felt your support every step of the way and we are all so disappointed not to go further.”

England cannot pack their bags for home just yet as the team must return to Miami a week on from winning their quarter-final against Norway at the Hard Rock Stadium.

A third-place play-off against France awaits and Saturday’s encounter will be a drag for all involved.

“A lot of lot of big, big, big football nations are eliminated before the semi-final, so, yeah, it is an achievement,” Tuchel said of making the final four.

“No-one wants to hear that at the moment. Me neither, because we demand the most of ourselves. That’s just the nature of being competitive.

“The nature of being so competitive (means) also puts the next game into perspective.

“Nobody of these (England) players, nobody of French players wants to play this match. They want to play in the final. We gave everything to be in the final.

“Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but it is what it is. We have for a day less and to recover, but we will do it professionally, of course.

“I didn’t say a lot (to the players afterwards). Nothing what you say in the dressing room can take away the pain or the disappointment, of course.

“We all know these moments, so I said let’s take it with respect, let’s digest it first. Accept that we gave everything. That is a big part in a defeat.

“Did we do everything to arrive in this semi-final? Did we give everything? 100 per cent we did, and I think the fans will realise that and do realise that.

“The second of all is to bounce back, to react. That’s what you have to do on highest level in sports. It’s what is demanded and what we will do.”

PA

Sophie Fisher, 43, from York, has shared her battle after being diagnosed with coeliac disease after a series of unexplained medical issues that affected her life.

The mum of twins says that she spent years struggling with unexplained abdominal pain, exhaustion, and urgent diarrhoea – symptoms that began after the birth of her twin sons and a series of emergency surgeries.

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Her health problems included a burst appendix, which perforated her bowel and led to emergency surgery; two years later, she was hospitalised again with an infected gallbladder, which was also removed.

Despite her ongoing digestive symptoms, Sophie said the issues were repeatedly attributed to scar tissue or post-surgical changes, with symptoms making day-to-day life unpredictable.

It was only after seeing a different GP – who asked why she had never been tested for coeliac disease – that she finally received a diagnosis for the autoimmune condition, which was confirmed by a blood test and endoscopy.

Sophie said: “When I got the diagnosis, I was absolutely gutted. Nobody wants to hear that they have to change everything they eat for the rest of their life. But at the same time, it was a relief to finally know I wasn’t imagining it.”

Coeliac disease affects around one in 100 people in the UK and causes the body’s immune system to attack the small intestine when gluten is consumed, leading to malabsorption of nutrients.

Sophie at Zip World with her family (Image: Guts UK)

The only treatment is a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet, with Sophie adding that adapting to a gluten-free diet has been challenging “both physically and emotionally”.

She said: “For years, being dismissed had made me feel like I was going mad. Managing coeliac disease day-to-day is hard work because it takes a lot of planning.

“I can’t just grab food when I’m hungry like other people can. Cross-contamination is a huge issue. I recently had blood tests showing gluten even though I hadn’t knowingly eaten any.”

She added that it had a significant emotional impact on her life, saying: “Emotionally, it can feel really isolating. I feel like ‘the awkward one’ all the time, even though it’s completely outside my control.

“Even simple days out can feel quite sad sometimes. The best way I can describe it is going to the coast and everyone wanting to just grab some chips and an ice cream, and I can’t.

Sophie and her family in matching pyjamas (Image: Guts UK)

“I’ve literally had to run across restaurants halfway through meals because of symptoms.”

Ms Fisher is sharing her story as part of Guts UK’s new campaign, Let’s Talk Guts, which aims to break the stigma around digestive symptoms and encourage people to seek medical advice.

She said: “I wish people understood that coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease. It’s not me being fussy or choosing not to eat gluten.

“I hope that if somebody else is feeling the way I felt before I was diagnosed, they might read my story and recognise something in it.

“If it helps someone push for answers or feel understood, then that’s really important to me.”

Running from July 13 – 19 , Guts UK has launched a campaign encourages people to have more open conversations about digestive conditions and symptoms, recognise when symptoms may need medical attention and feel confident talking about their guts with friends, family, colleagues and healthcare professionals.

The county’s force said it happened around 7.30pm on Thursday, July 2, on Walworth Avenue in Harrogate, between Walworth Avenue and a ginnel that runs towards Knaresborough Road.

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The man, who uses a crutch, was approached by a woman who verbally abused him, specifically targeting his disability and causing significant distress, police said.

Officers are appealing for witnesses, particularly anyone who saw the incident or may have CCTV or video doorbell footage from the area.

The suspect is described as a woman in her late 40s or early 50s with blonde hair, wearing sunglasses, a short-sleeve white top, sand-coloured shorts, and carrying a shopping bag.

Anyone with information is asked to contact PC 724 Furnass at jodie.furnass@northyorkshire.police.uk, quoting reference 12260124395.