The ex-mayor was convicted of rape after pleading not guilty

A former town mayor will be deported to Latvia after losing an appeal after being convicted of rape. Aigars Balsevics, former Mayor of Wisbech, was jailed for six and a half years in 2023 for two counts of rape committed in 2021.

The 45-year-old’s conviction followed a lengthy trial at which he pleaded not guilty. The convicted rapist was served with a deportation decision to Latvia in 2023. Following this, Balsevics made written representations “amounting to a human rights claim”.

The Latvian national argued deportation would damage his relationship with his two children. However, Upper Tribunal Susan Kebede overturned an earlier ruling.

Although Judge Kebede found Balsevics to have a “genuine and subsisting parental relationship with his two children”, the judge concluded “that there were no very compelling circumstances outweighing the public interest in his deportation”.

Judge Kebede concluded that the factors in Balsevics’ favour including “his prior standing in the community and the benefits he conferred on his community” were “outweighed by the nature and seriousness of his offending”.

The judgement document added: “As such, I find that the appellant’s removal to Latvia, pursuant to the deportation order issued against him, would not be disproportionate and would not be in breach of Article 8.”

A Government Home Office spokesperson said: “We will do everything in our power to remove foreign criminals from British soil. More than 70,000 illegal migrants and foreign national offenders have been returned since this government took office, a 41% increase.”

In 2015, Balsevics became a councillor on Wisbech council. In 2019, he became Deputy Mayor, before eventually becoming Mayor in 2020.

Cambridge City Council will debate restrictions on HMOs at a council meeting after residents shared concerns about parking and the ‘character’ of communities

Cambridge’s HMO hotspots have been revealed in new data as the council considers restrictions after a petition raised locals’ concerns. Donna Ferguson, a campaigner behind the petition, said she knew the “strength of feeling” around HMOs but was still surprised by how quickly they reached their goal.

She said: “We knew there was going to be a huge amount of support for this campaign, but we weren’t sure we would manage to get that many signatures in such a short space of time. It’s been an absolutely huge effort and it’s because of all the volunteers that we have.”

They’ve urged the council to implement Article 4 Directions to require landlords to seek full planning permission for HMOs of six people and less. Currently, those with up to six people can be converted under permitted development rules.

The petition also calls for the council to set a 10 per cent HMO threshold within 100m to “prevent harmful over-concentration”. Donna, who is also chair of Guest Road Area Residents’ Association (GRARA) in Petersfield, said HMOs make up a third of properties in their local area.

She said: “It’s one of the smallest parking zones in Cambridge and we have a very large number of HMOs. What happens is a resident will go somewhere with their car, come back, and there’s absolutely no space for residents to park.

“They’ll end up parking on a single-yellow line and get a ticket – pretty much every resident who lives here has had a ticket for parking near their home because there’s no space to park.”

Donna compiled data from the council and university and student accommodation registers to create a heatmap of where HMOs are most concentrated. She found that there are “at least” 1,481 HMOs in Cambridge – 935 licensed by the council and 532 managed by University of Cambridge colleges, Anglia Ruskin University or other registered student accommodation providers.

Donna said: “I hope that when people can see on a map where the different HMOs are it will help inform the council about where the Article 4 Directions need to be in place.” HMOs must be registered with the council if they house five or more people – but this doesn’t include smaller HMOs.

She said she hopes the map will help the council understand that “right across the city, HMOs are clustering – and there’s already a large number of HMOs you can’t see on this map”.

She added that “as a general rule of thumb” if the HMO can be entered “directly from a public street” it’s included in the dataset – so if students need to go through a porter’s lounge or college-managed entry barrier, it’s excluded.

Donna’s report found 468 HMOs sitting in clusters of three to six within 50 metres of each other, and a further 289 in “hyper-dense clusters” of seven or more within 50 metres. A single address on St John’s Road on the edge of Jesus Green has 31 HMOs within 50 metres – the same length as an Olympic swimming pool.

She said: “There’s some parts of Cambridge where HMOs are very densely concentrated – that kind of changes the character of the neighbourhood and the community. Before, it was perhaps long-standing members of a community.”

Market has the largest concentration of HMOs, with a total of 320, and 210 that are within 50m of another five or more HMOs. Petersfield and Romsey wards are also densely populated with HMOs, with 151 and 154 in total respectively – 59 and 37 of which are within 50m of another five or more HMOs. The street with the most HMOs was Mill Road, with 52.

Cambridge consistently ranks as one of the most expensive places to live in the UK and with a student population of roughly 35,000 there is no shortage of demand for affordable housing.

Donna said: “HMOs are a crucial part of the housing mix – people know that students need to live in Cambridge and there needs to be low-cost housing. But HMOs can cause problems in neighbourhoods – they can put pressure on parking, pressure on bins and lead to issues around noise and antisocial behaviour the way any property full of adults can.”

She said other university cities like Oxford and Bristol have already introduced restrictions on HMOs, leaving Cambridge as an outlier. She said: “If the council adopts both those measures then it will have a way of regulating HMOs and empowering residents to have a say – when would that ever be a bad thing?”

Cambridge City Council will debate whether to introduce Article 4 Directions and a maximum threshold on HMOs at Thursday’s council meeting. To view the full dataset and heatmap visit: https://cambridgehmos.netlify.app/.

If you own an air fryer, you’ll know how hard it is to clean spotless

Air fryers are hugely popular kitchen appliances capable of cooking everything from sausages to chips to baked goods. Their versatility also makes them a magnet for stubborn residue, grease and grime, which can become baked on if you neglect to clean the appliance after each use.

Regular cleaning is essential to prevent persistent build-up and to maintain good hygiene.

There are numerous approaches to cleaning an air fryer, with many people favouring natural methods. However, I picked up a dedicated air fryer cleaning spray from Home Bargains, made by Elbow Grease, which is available from a range of retailers, including Home Bargains, for just £1.

The product description reads: “Elbow Grease Air Fryer Cleaning Spray cuts through tough grease with ease, leaving your fryer spotless and smelling fresh with a zesty lemon scent.

“Perfect for all air fryer brands, it makes cleaning quick and hassle-free.”

At just £1 and generously sized, the product has kept me going for months — you only need a few sprays to coat the entire appliance.

I simply spray it across the whole air fryer, leave it to work for a few minutes, then give it a gentle scrub with washing-up liquid.

I use the spray on both the air fryer baskets and the interior, and it effortlessly dissolves grease.

On top of that, it leaves a wonderfully fresh lemon fragrance throughout the kitchen after each clean, eliminating any food odours that may have accumulated.

The manufacturer states it’s suitable for everyday maintenance cleaning or deep cleans, positioning it as the only spray required.

Air fryer users are particularly enthusiastic about the spray, with one review stating: “I have only just bought this item and it’s marvellous. Grease just disappears better than anything else I’ve tried.”

Another commented: “Bought this two weeks ago. It does the job well. Only need to spray it and wipe it, then rinse.”

A third remarked: “Very happy with this purchase. It’s a great product that works well.”

The final instalment of the Heartstopper saga was originally set to be released as a fourth series, but despite a shorter running time, each individual’s storyline is still handled with care.

The film explores conversations around eating disorders, mental health, alcohol dependency and difficult family dynamics.

Locke and Connor are also both producers for this final chapter, which Connor says allowed them to “be the creative input and mouthpiece for the cast” who “all care about these characters and the story”.

Locke, 22, jokes that a lot of the time people are just handed producer credits, but clarifies “we actually put some effort in and took it seriously”.

There is some sadness though at saying goodbye to each other in a professional sense, with Locke noting that the show has “changed my life in pretty much every way”.

“It’s the biggest thing that will ever happen to any of us,” Connor adds.

“I value Joe as a friend, if we work together again that’s great but he’s a great actor and I love watching his work,” he says.

The 52-year-old’s murder case is one of the most shocking in the UK’s history

A new Channel 4 documentary is exploring the death of Sharon Birchwood, but where is husband Graham now.

The station is ramping up their true crime output, with The Digital Detectives returning for its second series on Thursday night (July 16) after two years off-air. The series follows detectives who are trying to navigate their investigations in the rapidly evolving technological world.

Episode one of season two will explore the death of Harvey Willgoose. The 15-year-old was killed by his schoolmate Umar Khan just last year. Once that episode airs, the station will turn their attention to Murder in Suburbia, a new two-part series that shines a light on a shocking crime. Both episodes will be airing back to back.

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Its synopsis reads: “An investigation into the murder of Sharon Birchwood who, in 2007, was found dead having been strangled by an electrical cord in her home in Ashtead, Surrey. With no signs of burglary and no immediate DNA match, the police were left with a disturbing mystery.

“Their inquiries began as the long route to the truth started in a case that became one of the most exacting and chilling contract killings in modern British criminal history.”

Sharon, who lived a quiet life in Surrey, was murdered on December 4, 2007. She had been bound at her wrists and hands and strangled by an electric cable.

The 52-year-old suffered from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). According to the NHS, ME, also called chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS, is a long-term condition that can affect different parts of the body. The most common symptom is extreme tiredness.

The main suspect at the time of her death was her former husband Graham Birchwood, who found her body and called the police. The Birchwoods divorced in 1989, but he remained the sole beneficiary of her will.

It emerged that Birchwood was miles away from his ex-wife when her death occurred. However, detectives learned that he had hired a hitman from Thailand to murder his former wife.

A phone number was found on Birchwood’s mobile, which had been contacted before and after Sharon was killed. The number belonged to Paul Cryne, 63, a former bodyguard from Manchester, who was paid £30,000 to fly from Thailand back to the UK to kill Sharon.

Prior to the murder taking place, Cryne stayed with Birchwood’s mother for a week. Birchwood paid Cryne to commit murder in an attempt to inherit Sharon’s £475,000 assets, with him having debts of £150,000.

Birchwood was jailed for life with a minimum term of 32 years in 2009 after being found guilty of murder. He died of heart disease at HMP Wayland in 2019.

One year after Birchwood was jailed, Cryne was convicted of murder after being extradited from his home in Thailand and was jailed for 28 years and six months. He died in prison, external in January 2018.

Murder in Suburbia airs on Thursday night, July 16, at 10pm on Channel 4

The US launched a new wave of strikes against Iran for a sixth night in a row, its military said, as the two sides battled for control of the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command (Centcom) said the attacks were intended to “further degrade Iranian military capabilities”, before saying it had boarded a vessel as part of its blockade of the strait.

Iran’s state media reported US missiles struck close to the island of Qeshm, near the strait, as well as in Bandar Abbas and Bushehr – the site of a nuclear power plant.

In an apparent escalation, it also said two bridges in Hormozgan province had been hit. The BBC has verified an attack on one bridge to the west of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan province.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran’s bridges and power plants if the country did not return to talks.

After Trump said in April that the US would bomb civilian infrastructure in Iran, including bridges and power plants, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said “deliberately attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure is a war crime”.

The 1949 Geneva Conventions on humanitarian conduct in war prohibit attacks on sites considered essential for civilians.

Centcom also said marines had boarded an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman as part of the renewed US blockade of Iran’s ports that began on Tuesday night.

It added it had “redirected 3 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade”.

According to Centcom, US forces disabled nine ships and redirected more than 140 under its previous blockade of Iranian ports between 13 April to 18 June.

As the the renewed hostilities further strained the preliminary deal to end the war, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that Trump remained open to talks with Iran.

“The president will hold them accountable when they turn their back on the words that they state to the United States. But he is always open to diplomacy at the very same time,” she told reporters.

She said Iran has expressed it still wants to make a deal with the US, adding: “We’re talking to them, but again, the president is not going to allow them to fire on ships in the strait without paying a consequence for that.”

As attacks escalate, the Strait of Hormuz – a critical waterway off Iran’s coast that Tehran effectively blocked in response to US-Israeli strikes – has remained shut.

Earlier on Thursday, Tehran said it had struck US military bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, while the US said it had inflicted a six-hour wave of strikes on multiple locations in the strait.

Those exchanges came after Trump warned Iran it had “better behave” or face further military action should Iran not return to negotiations.

Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, told state media that Tehran had “no reason” to abide by any agreement that did not benefit the country.

He added that Iran’s national security depended on maintaining what he described as “Iranian arrangements” in the Strait of Hormuz.

Andy Burnham‘s plans for a new land tax could trigger a house price slump in parts of the south, according to a new analysis.

The incoming prime minister has repeatedly backed the idea of imposing a new Land Value Tax, describing it as ‘aspirational socialism’.

The plan would replace both council tax and stamp duty, which have long been criticised by economists.

A new analysis reveals that the idea could slash annual council tax bills in the north, but lead to huge increases in parts of the south where the average value of land is higher.

The scale of the increase in parts of London and the south east is potentially so great that it could knock 20 per cent off house prices in some areas.

The findings will fuel fears that Mr Burnham, who plans to move part of his No 10 operation to Manchester, is plotting to launch a tax raid on middle class southerners to fund lavish spending in the north.

Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride described the plan as an ‘unfair tax on aspiration’ – and urged Mr Burnham to focus instead on cutting Britain’s bloated benefits bill.

The new analysis conducted by the Tax Policy Associates think tank models the impact of levying an annual tax on land of 1.28 per cent – the level needed to replace the £56.7 billion annual revenue raised by both council tax and stamp duty.

It found that overall, 69 per cent of households would gain from the change, with 31 per cent losing out.

But it also revealed sharply differing regional outcomes.

In Blackpool, which has some of the cheapest house prices in the country, the average Band D council tax bill of £2,392 a year would be replaced by an annual Land Value Tax of just £662. The analysis suggests the scale of the change could spark a housing boom in the town with prices jumping by 28 per cent.

In Wigan, where Mr Burnham has his family home, Band D council tax of £2,031 would fall to £1,355 with properties in the town potentially benefiting from a nine per cent rise in house prices.

At the other end of the scale, Band D council tax in Bristol of £2,584 would be replaced by a new annual levy of £4,808 – almost double the amount. House prices could suffer a 12 per cent slump.

In Brighton, a Band D bill of £2,457 would jump to £4,284, with house prices taking a 10 per cent knock.

Worst hit would be London. In Kensington and Chelsea, which has some of the highest house prices in the country, a Band D council tax bill would more than treble from £1,592 to £5,455 a year. House prices in this bracket could drop by 21 per cent.

The impact on more valuable properties would be even starker.

A band H property in the commuter belt city of St Albans would see its annual council tax bill of £4,612 jump to a staggering £24,854, triggering a house price fall of 23 per cent.

Mr Burnham has indicated that he is planning new taxes on the better off to fund giveaways on things like energy bills. Asked about a potential wealth tax this week, he said people may be asked to pay ‘a little more’ to fund his plans. He said he would not ‘shy away’ from taking difficult decisions to balance the books but insisted it was too soon to set out his plans in detail.

But the former Greater Manchester mayor, who will become Labour leader on Friday, has campaigned for a Land Value Tax for years.

Speaking during last month’s Makerfield by-election he said he had ‘long been persuaded of the argument for a Land Value Tax’. Mr Burnham described council tax as ‘very regressive’ and said basing bills on valuations dating back to 1991 was ‘not justifiable’.

Sir Mel warned against the move, saying: ‘If Andy Burnham is planning a new property tax, that risks being an unfair tax on aspiration.

‘Nothing is safe under Labour – they’ve raised taxes on jobs, savings, pensions, and now possibly your home too.

‘The best way to reform property taxes would be to abolish stamp duty – which can be funded if we get on top of the ballooning benefits bill. That is what the Conservatives will do.’

Dan Neidle, founder of Tax Policy Associates, said the estimated impact on house prices was relatively ‘crude’.

But he said a blanket tax could produce ‘very substantial tax increases for some people’ creating a ‘sudden shock that, overnight, greatly reduces property prices in some parts of the country’.

Mr Neidle suggested the impact could be reduced by applying the policy on a regional basis, with each region collecting an amount equal to the sum raised locally in council tax and stamp duty.

He said that replacing stamp duty and council tax – two ‘terrible taxes’ – could also boost economic growth.

But designing a new property tax could take years.

Danny Sriskandarajah, chief executive of the Left-wing New Economics Foundation think tank, which has close links to Mr Burnham’s team, said he was more likely to focus on short term tax grabs, such as raising the rate of capital gains tax.

Jo Fuller has spoken out about how she made the decision to sell her house to fund her battle against an aggressive form of brain cancer. The dyslexia specialist from Nottinghamshire, who is 51, opted to have hyperthermia alongside chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Hyperthermia heats tumour tissue to make it more vulnerable to other therapies but is not routinely funded on the NHS and is considered experimental for brain tumours (Jo Fuller/PA)

Butterfly Conservation’s head of engagement, Kate Merry, said: “After the colourful spring with seemingly lots of beautiful butterflies appearing across the UK, it’s tempting to assume we’re heading for a bumper summer, and we’d love nothing more as most of our butterfly species have undergone long-term declines.