ChatGPT maker OpenAI said Tuesday that its artificial intelligence system hacked into another AI company on its own in what the company called an “unprecedented cyber incident.”

“We had a significant security incident during evaluation of our models,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a statement posted on social media.

AI startup Hugging Face said last week that it had detected an intrusion into its data processing systems that it suspected was caused by an AI agent autonomously acting on its own.

“We suspected last week’s cyberattack might have come from a frontier lab, given the sophistication of the agent,” Hugging Face co-founder and CEO Clément Delangue said in a statement. “Turns out it did!”

The disclosure comes amid heightened concerns about the cybersecurity capabilities of powerful models that led President Donald Trump in June to sign an executive order creating a framework for the federal government to vet the national security risks of the most advanced AI systems for up to a month before their public release.

“AI is accelerating the discovery and exploitation of vulnerabilities,” OpenAI said in its statement Tuesday. “The primary lesson from this incident is that model security and safety must keep pace with rapidly advancing capabilities.”

Delangue said he spent the past 24 hours working with OpenAI, “and we strongly believe there was no malicious intent on their part. It’s quite mind-blowing that all of this happened autonomously!”

Delangue added that it “might be the first incident of its kind.”

OpenAI said the intrusion was caused by a combination of its AI models, including its newly released GPT‑5.6 Sol and an “even more capable” model that is still being tested internally.

OpenAI said its AI used stolen credentials and discovered a previously unknown vulnerability to access Hugging Face servers.

It went to “extreme lengths to achieve a rather narrow testing goal” and “found ways to gain access to secret information that it could use to cheat the evaluation,” the company said.

By GETHIN HICKS, REPORTER

Published: 18:37 BST, 21 July 2026 | Updated: 00:58 BST, 22 July 2026

Today, the Sun enters Leo for a month, and Jupiter enhances a sense of play. The day before you will be filled with lightness.

Aries, Taurus and Gemini, enjoy the way Jupiter lights up your social circles. Exciting new bonds could be formed, so take the day as it comes.

Enjoy the relaxed atomsphere this cosmic placement affords. Let your energy ebb and flow freely.

Ahead, you’ll find all star signs’ horoscopes for today: Wednesday July 22, 2026.

Like checking your horoscope every morning? You can now sign up to our free daily newsletter to get a personalised reading for your star sign delivered straight to your inbox.

To order your unique personal horoscope based on your time, date and place of birth, visit patrickarundell.com.

Aries

March 21 to April 20

The Sun enters Leo for a month. This can enhance your leisure activities and boost your contentment. With Jupiter adding extra bounce, you’ll be ready to expand your horizons through romance, creativity, hobbies and culture. Get ready, as your energy levels will increase, and so will your zest for life. It’s an opportunity to gain maximum enjoyment.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aries

Taurus

April 21 to May 21

Home and family activities are well-starred, with the coming weeks boosting family plans and goals. You’ll be looking for ideas that can take your domestic experience into a new league, and with the Sun entering this zone and Jupiter already acting as an expansive influence, you’ll embrace plans and projects that enhance your life and give it greater meaning.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Taurus

Gemini

May 22 to June 21

The way you communicate will have a touch of theatre about it, inspiring dramatic statements, the sharing of brilliant and daring thoughts, and a desire to take the lead in major discussions. The Sun’s presence in Leo from today encourages you to speak from the heart and to take the plunge regarding an idea whose time has definitely come.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Gemini

Cancer

June 22 to July 23

Your focus turns to money, talents and self-worth. If you’ve been underrating yourself, it’s time to realise your true worth and charge accordingly. However, you may also be tempted to spend, hoping the money will be replenished without you having to do too much. Want to enhance your resources and income? You’ll accomplish this, as long as you act with wisdom.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Cancer

Leo

July 24 to August 23

As the Sun arrives in your sign, it’s the start of a new personal year. And with Jupiter here too, you may require a bigger stage to perform on. You’ll expect great things of yourself, and others may see you as a dynamic, charismatic figure with bold ideas and leadership abilities. You’ll also be in the spotlight for a month, so dare to showcase your best talents.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Leo

Virgo

August 24 to September 23

Other people may be racing around exploring ways to meet their goals, but as the Sun enters a private zone for a four-week stay, you’ll sense that quiet reflection and intuitive awareness can save you time and energy. The results are likely to be much more impressive too. Try to pay more attention to dreams, coincidences and any gentle nudges from deep within.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Virgo

Libra

September 24 to October 23

As the Sun joins Jupiter in your social zone, invitations and group connections sparkle with new possibilities. Networking, teamwork and long-term dreams also benefit from a major boost. The weeks ahead encourage you to shine by revealing to others all that is unique about you. Opportunities arrive through encounters, so a casual conversation could prove to be gold.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Libra

Scorpio

October 24 to November 22

You’re entering a very promising time for career matters, ambitions and your public reputation. The radiant Sun enters Leo for a month and joins lucky Jupiter. People will notice your talent, determination and hard work. You’ll be ready to aim for opportunities that you might never have dared to pursue before. You’ll also be more eager to bask in the spotlight.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Scorpio

Sagittarius

November 23 to December 21

You’re not one to think small, but from today the cosmos wants you to think even bigger. Travel adventures and fresh opportunities will call out to you, and, more than ever, you’ll want to visit new places, expand your knowledge and take on bolder challenges. The Sun’s entrance into Leo boosts your confidence, while Jupiter’s presence amplifies daring opportunities.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Sagittarius

Capricorn

December 22 to January 21

You’re invited to explore beneath the surface, where the real treasures are hidden. The Sun’s move into an intense zone, where it joins Jupiter, inspires you to focus on transformation, shared assets and emotional bonds. You’re learning to trust yourself as well as others. A light is shining on issues that have been developing behind the scenes, allowing for major healing.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Capricorn

Aquarius

January 22 to February 19

Partnerships and relationships of all kinds are overflowing with possibilities and benefits. The Sun enters lively Leo, highlighting the potential for growth, opportunity and understanding. This is not the time to go it alone, as this expansive influence encourages you to collaborate and work with others. The right alliance can open doors that might otherwise remain firmly shut.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aquarius

Pisces

February 20 to March 20

A healthier routine, a more efficient schedule or a fresh work opportunity could set positive developments in motion. As the Sun roars into your lifestyle zone and joins Jupiter, this is a wonderful chance to invest in yourself, your skills and your wellbeing. Your brightest dreams need a reliable daily routine to help them come true, and the possibilities are truly endless.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Pisces

Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.

Head here for this week’s tarot horoscope reading, and see what the cards have in store for you!

Check out the tarot horoscope reading for the month of July here.

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MORE: Leo season puts you centre stage — your star sign’s tarot horoscope forecast

MORE: Daily horoscope July 21 2026: Today’s predictions for your star sign

MORE: Daily horoscope July 20 2026: Today’s predictions for your star sign

Chloe Lewis and Dan Edgar have been pictured together for the first time since they struck up a romance in June last year. 

The TOWIE stars, aged 35 and 36 respectively, found love last June at Georgia Kousoulou and Tommy Mallett’s second wedding in Mallorca, however they have known each other for many years from the show and wider Essex scene. 

While the duo have remained relatively tight-lipped over their romance, merely alluding to their union, they have now been pictured together for the first time. 

During a night out at the Tonic Terrace in the Hilton Bournemouth, the couple were snapped by employees, who shared the pictures on the Tonic Terrace Instagram. 

The caption read: ‘Amazing to have @chloelewis91 & @danedgar pop in and see us on Saturday night. Hope you enjoyed your cocktails and come back and see us soon!’

The duo have remained relatively tight-lipped over their romance, merely alluding to their union however they have now been pictured together for the first time during a night out the Tonic Terrace in the Hilton Bournemouth

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The duo are pictured in 2016 while promoting the show 

Chloe, who appeared on the show between 2015 and 2019, looked incredible in a white bustier with jeans as she cosied up to Dan, who has just marked 11 years as a cast member on The Only Way Is Essex. 

The brunette beauty joined the show on the arm of her childhood sweetheart Jake Hall, with whom she had an on-off relationship throughout. 

Jake tragically passed away in May, aged 35, when he fell through a glass door on holiday in Mallorca. Chloe has since been incredibly candid about her heartache over losing her childhood sweetheart in such a painstaking fashion.

Dan meanwhile has had high-profile relationships on the show, starting with his own teenage sweetheart Kate Ferdinand – then Kate Wright. 

He went on to date Amber Turner, who cheated on her boyfriend Jamie Reed with Dan, before moving on with his last TOWIE love Ella Rae Wise. 

Since the end of his romance with Ella, he began dating Chloe, who is mother to six-year-old son Beau with ex Danny Fisher. 

The brunette beauty joined the show on the arm of her childhood sweetheart Jake Hall, with whom she had an on-off relationship throughout. Jake tragically passed away in May this year (Jake and Chloe pictured as teens) 

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Chloe is mother to six-year-old son Beau with ex Danny Fisher

On tackling filming with Ella in Vietnam, he said: ‘The stuff with Ella is a lot more recent, so naturally, it’s not ideal being away with your ex…

‘It came to light that she was still quite upset about a lot of stuff. It’s not nice, I don’t like seeing anyone upset. It was a tough situation to be in…

‘I’m with someone else now and to be out there and see someone else upset and still trying to manage a friendship. It was all new ground to try and navigate. It’s obviously never easy, but we’ve been trying to manage it the best we can.’

While they remained tight-lipped about their union, while plugging TOWIE in April, he said: ‘She’s very understanding and very grown up as a person anyway. She’s done the show before and she’s understanding of how it all works… 

Dan meanwhile has had high-profile relationships on the show, starting with his own teenage sweetheart Kate Ferdinand – then Kate Wright (pictured in 2015)

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He went on to date Amber Turner, who cheated on her boyfriend Jamie Reed with Dan (Dan and Amber on the show in 2017 during an awkward breakfast with his ex Kate)

‘I’m happy with how it is at the moment and it being separate. I’m in a good place with it all. Things are going well at the moment.’ 

Before their romance was confirmed, sources said: ‘Dan has always fancied Chloe, he thinks she’s beautiful and is desperate to settle down. He’d told friends that he wanted the next girl he dates to be The One.’ 

Speaking to show narrator Denise Van Outen on TOWIE podcast You Alright, Hun?, Ella said: ‘I think it’s really hard to be around your ex anyway. We all know that I don’t have loads of friends on TOWIE don’t we? So he’s a bit of my familiarity.

‘Sometimes we are just drawn to each other naturally. And it’s not because we want to be disrespectful to the person that he’s with or for people around us, it just happens.’

Dan moved on with his last TOWIE love Ella Rae Wise

Andy Burnham has begun his Downing Street premiership “at a time when the cost-of-living crisis has never been more widely felt”, a charity has said.

It comes as a record number of UK households are unable to afford basic necessities such as food and heating, new research reveals, with the crisis increasingly impacting those not traditionally considered to be struggling.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) reported that an estimated 7.4 million low-income households across the country could not afford at least one essential item in the past six months.

This marks the highest figure since the anti-poverty organisation launched its cost-of-living tracker survey in 2021, up from 7.1 million just a year ago.

More than half of households not receiving means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit, are now struggling (53 per cent), a significant rise from 47 per cent two years prior.

The analysis is based on a survey of 4,121 households in the bottom 40 per cent of incomes between May 7 and June 5.

The JRF report, published on Wednesday, said: “The increase in the number of households that are going without essentials has mainly been driven by those who are typically less likely to suffer from material deprivation.

“The number of households going without essentials has increased fastest over the last two years for those not on means-tested benefits, those who own their property outright without a mortgage, families without any disabilities or health conditions, childless households, and households that are headed up by someone over the age of 65.”

On Tuesday, Mr Burnham told his first cabinet meeting that it needs to be a “cost-of-living government” and help those struggling with high costs.

The new prime minister emphasised his desire to assure Britons that “help is coming,” tasking his top team with a mission to “take that little bit of pressure off people’s shoulders.”

He urged his colleagues to identify both significant and minor measures their respective departments could implement to ease the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

Overall, households most likely to be unable to afford essentials are those on UC, headed up by someone under 25, by someone from a black or mixed ethnicity background, those containing non-UK citizens, and those with three or more children or in single-parent families.

Of those households on UC, 84% were unable to afford an essential item in the past six months, the latest survey suggested.

Essential items in the survey included food, basic toiletries, heating, suitable clothing and shoes.

Mr Burnham has started his time in Number 10 telling the country he wants to “give people breathing space”, and on his second day in the job announced an £850 million tax cut on electricity bills which will save households around £45 per year as part of efforts to “put more money in people’s pockets and bring back hope”.

While the VAT cut was welcomed by experts as a “positive statement of intent”, they warned it “does not address the scale of what households are facing” amid forecasts that household energy prices will remain high throughout this winter.

While figures this week indicated grocery price inflation has slowed to its lowest rate since December 2024, the average household’s grocery bill over the year to July is still £156 higher than the same period a year earlier.

JRF’s chief economist Chris Belfield said: “Andy Burnham starts his time as prime minister at a time when the cost-of-living crisis has never been more widely felt.

“This ongoing crisis is not numbers in a spreadsheet, it is not graphs trending up or down, it is families not being able to afford basic essential goods like food, heating and basic toiletries.

“The number of people not able to afford these essentials has hit record levels – 7.4 million households.

“This is the challenge facing Andy Burnham’s administration, but there is cause for optimism. Following the Government’s intervention to take £150 a year off energy bills and falling wholesale energy prices, half-a-million fewer households are unable to heat their home than two years ago.

“Government policy can work. We need greater intervention to control rental prices, make energy affordable and improve the adequacy of universal credit so everyone can afford the essentials.”

Taylor Farms, the produce company that voluntarily recalled its lettuce amid the ongoing diarrhea parasite outbreak, has spent recent years donating millions of dollars to groups aligned with President Trump and the Republican Party’s agenda.

Now, however, with more than 10,000 cases of cyclosporiasis logged across the U.S., the company is publicly battling and privately lobbying the White House.

Taylor Farms, which on Friday voluntarily recalled iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico, has given prolifically to support the GOP, according to a WIRED analysis of federal filings.

The spending spree has reportedly included giving more than $2 million to conservative groups in 2025, including $1 million to MAGA Inc., a Trump-aligned political action committee, as well as more than $1.6 million to conservative groups between 2020 and 2024, including $850,000 to an anti-regulation PAC tied to the Koch brothers network.

Bruce Taylor, chairman and CEO of the company, has also donated nearly $1 million to Republican PACs and candidates since 2020, WIRED found.

All that reported support hasn’t necessarily smoothed things between the company and the administration.

“Nothing influences our decisions except science and the safety of the American people,” the Department of Health and Human Services wrote on X in a recent post, amid online speculation past support from Taylor Farms was swaying the Trump administration’s approach to the outbreak.

On Saturday, the Food and Drug Administration reported a sample of lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico tested positive for the diarrhea-causing parasite, only to later backtrack and declare the test a “false positive,” citing “the complexity in detection of Cyclospora.”

“FDA and state partners continue to collect and analyze product samples,” according to a current notice on the FDA website. “As of July 19, 2026, there are no confirmed positive sample results for product testing for Cyclospora.”

On Sunday, Taylor Farms wrote in a statement that “FDA apologized to us,” though an agency official soon told reporters it had not in fact given an “official apology” and was instead “providing factual information” about the status of the outbreak.

The Independent has contacted the White House, Taylor Farms and the FDA for comment.

Last week, the company told The New York Times it had met with officials at the White House and FDA to discuss what it called “shortfalls in the F.D.A. and C.D.C.’s outbreak response process.”

Further White House contacts may be aided by a reported addition to Taylor’s lobbying team: Trent Morse, the former deputy director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, who left the administration last year.

The lettuce company isn’t the only one taking issue with the Trump administration’s claims about the outbreak.

Mexico’s Health Minister David Kershenobich said on Tuesday that there is no evidence to suggest lettuce from his country is the cause of the cyclosporiasis outbreak.

Critics argue the Trump administration’s DOGE cost-cutting program, which slashed federal agencies and pushed thousands of experienced federal workers to accept early retirements, has hamstrung the government’s ability to inspect produce for pathogens.

“The cuts across food safety, in terms of public health, in terms of regulatory, in terms of research, have contributed to this,” Barbara Kowalcyk, director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University, recently told The New York Times. “I don’t think it’s a direct cause, but it’s been a contributing factor.”

Sir Keir Starmer may have served his final day in No10, but that hasn’t stopped the ousted Prime Minister from providing social media users with one last opportunity to mock him. 

Just hours after offering his official resignation to the King, the ex-Labour leader posted a bizarre video to TikTok celebrating his 745 days in office. 

It showed Starmer’s face and the door to 10 Downing Street edited over Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) in the iconic final scene of Fast and Furious 7. 

With each character sat in cars parked beside each other and Wiz Khalifa’s 2015 hit See You Again playing in the background, the door tells Starmer in O’Conner’s voice: ‘Hey, thought you could leave without saying goodbye?’

Starmer, speaking through Toretto, replies: ‘I used to say I live my life a quarter mile at a time, and I think that’s why we were brothers…. because you did, too.’

The edit then cuts to a montage of the former PM’s best moments, including clips of him at schools, army bases and scoring a penalty in Soccer Aid training. 

As the clip reaches its close, Starmer says to the door: ‘You’ll always be with me, and you’ll always be my brother,’ before the two cars drift apart. 

The video racked up millions of views and some 563,000 likes – but X users were less than impressed. 

One, reposting the TikTok, wrote: ‘Keir Starmer has just posted this absolutely b*****t video on his official TikTok page. I’m still oscillating between baffled and delighted.’

Meanwhile another dubbed the clip ‘cringe’, posting: ‘Keir Starmer released the strangest of farewell videos on his TikTok account. I wonder who made this and told him it was a good idea to put out. I think the kids would say “cringe”.’

One more simply questioned: ‘WHY DID KEIR STARMERS TIKTOK JUST POST A SEE YOU AGAIN EDIT IM IN TEARSSSSSS.’

Starmer, however, appeared to brush the criticism aside as he was pictured enjoying a beer at his local pub on Monday just hours after stepping down.

Sporting a pair of black trousers and an unbuttoned navy shirt, the Arsenal supporter celebrated the end of his term along with a raft of former colleagues in Kentish Town, north London. 

He was seen clutching a pint of cloudy brown ale while chatting on the phone as Rachel Reeves, who was sacked as Chancellor earlier in the day, giggled between gulps of wine. 

Some of those in attendance even sported T-shirts paying tribute to the ex-PM, with one garment emblazoned with the slogan: ‘Sparkle with Starmer.’ 

Starmer had delivered his valedictory statement on Monday morning outside Downing Street in which he claimed that he is leaving Britain in a ‘stronger place’ than it was two years ago. 

A host of X users took to social media to mock the ousted Prime Minister over the clip

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The 63-year-old began: ‘My work is done. In six and a half years, I took our party from a historic defeat in 2019, changed it so it was fit to face the country and won a landslide general election victory in 2024.

‘Since then, it has been the privilege of my life to serve you and this great country as Prime Minister, and I am confident that Britain is now stronger and fairer than it was two years ago.

‘Our economy is stronger. Our public services are on the up, with the biggest fall in waiting times for 17 years. Children are being lifted out of poverty every single day.

‘Immigration is down significantly. Our defence and security are on a far stronger footing and our international reputation is greatly enhanced.

‘Yet the thing I will always take away with me, the most humbling aspect of this job, is the front row seat you get to witness the greatest things of this country in action. To see, every day, immeasurable acts of resolve, grit, decency and compassion.

‘From people who serve our country, whether that’s in their regimental colours, NHS scrubs, or simply the millions of people in their communities who volunteer their time and their effort to the ground beneath their feet.’

Burnham spent his first hours in power carrying out a brutal purge of Starmer’s allies after appearing to suggest that he will run the most Left-wing government since the 1970s. 

Reeves, David Lammy, Lord Hermer and a string of Starmer’s closest Cabinet supporters were sacked, before former defence secretary John Healey was appointed as Chancellor. 

Angela Rayner, meanwhile was reappointed as Housing Secretary just ten months after she was forced out over an unpaid stamp duty bill.  

Former health secretary Wes Streeting was made Defence Secretary, while Lisa Nandy retained her job as Culture Secretary.

Yvette Cooper was demoted to Health Secretary despite pleading to stay on to provide continuity at the Foreign Office, which has now churned through ten foreign secretaries in as many years.

Ms Mahmood remains as Home Secretary after watering down plans to make migrants wait longer to get the right to live in the UK.

Former transport secretary Louise Haigh was appointed to the powerful role of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster just 18 months after being forced to quit the Cabinet over a fraud conviction

Burnham becomes the seventh prime minister in a turbulent political decade. The new PM, who was part of the coup against Sir Keir, said it was time for his generation of politicians to ‘raise our game’ and ‘show the world that we can regain our stability again’. 

Only about one in seven homes across the UK has consistently increased in value annually since June 2022, according to new estimates from property website Zoopla.

The analysis scrutinised individual home valuations, tracking their performance from June 2021 through to June 2026.

Zoopla specifically focused on comparing a property’s value in June of each year against the same month in the preceding year: for example, checking if a home’s value in June 2022 surpassed its June 2021 valuation.

This detailed examination revealed that just 14 per cent of UK homes – a figure representing over four million properties – had experienced an annual increase in value each June from 2022 to 2026.

While consistent year-on-year growth for individual properties remains uncommon, Zoopla’s broader house price index offers a different perspective.

It indicates that the average UK home value has risen by 15.3 per cent over the past five years, equating to an average increase of £36,100 per property.

The impact of mortgage rate increases

Zoopla said that rises in mortgage rates, affecting borrowers’ costs, will have had an impact over the five-year period.

Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, said: “Housing markets across Northern Ireland, the North and Scotland have seen homeowners keep building equity in their home because the local housing market was less exposed to the affordability pressures that higher mortgage rates bring.

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“For homeowners, this analysis highlights why you cannot rely on national or regional averages when assessing what your home is worth.

“Trends vary by property type and at a hyper local level.

“Understanding whether your local area has consistently built equity or flatlined is essential information, if you want to understand what you can afford to buy next or you are actively planning your next move.”

Aneisha Beveridge, research director at Connells Group, said: “The UK’s housing market has become increasingly fragmented over the last five years.

“The strongest performance has generally come from more affordable markets across the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, where lower price points have helped insulate buyers from higher mortgage rates and supported continued demand.

“At the same time, the pandemic sparked a surge in demand for larger homes in commutable areas outside London, driving strong price growth across much of the south between 2020 and 2022.

“However, as mortgage rates rose and stamp duty incentives were withdrawn, that momentum faded and price growth in many of these markets has since come under pressure.

“Despite these headwinds, our research shows the middle market is still moving.

“Most buyers and sellers are driven by life events rather than short-term house price movements, and for homeowners who typically move every 10 to 12 years, modest annual price falls rarely affect their ability to transact.

“The challenge comes when weak price growth persists for many years.”

Charlotte Harrison, chief executive officer of home financing at Skipton Building Society, said: “Consistent house price growth can help homeowners build equity, but equity alone doesn’t guarantee people can move.

“Our latest Skipton Group home affordability index found the gap between buying affordability and living affordability is the widest it’s been this decade.

“For many households, the challenge is no longer whether their home has risen in value, but whether they can afford the higher ongoing costs of their next property.”

She added: “While sustained house price growth can be positive for existing homeowners, improving access to homeownership remains critical if future generations are to share in those benefits too.”

Nathan Emerson, CEO at property professionals’ body Propertymark, said: “Many purchasers are factoring in the long-term cost of homeownership rather than focusing solely on securing a property quickly.

“At the same time, sellers who price their homes realistically continue to attract strong interest, demonstrating that demand remains resilient where expectations align with current market conditions.”

What the data says

Here are the percentages of homes in regions or nations estimated by Zoopla to have increased in value annually each month of June, covering June 2022 to June 2026 inclusive:

Northern Ireland, 37.9%

North West, 29.7%

Scotland, 22.6%

Yorkshire and the Humber, 22.0%

North East, 20.5%

West Midlands, 19.6%

Wales, 19.1%

East Midlands, 9.8%

London, 4.6%

South West, 4.1%

South East, 3.2%

East of England, 2.6%

Zoopla also identified “top performers” in regions or nations, where property values are particularly likely to have increased each year.

Here are the locations, followed by the percentage of homes estimated to have consistently increased in value annually in each month of June between June 2022 and June 2026 inclusive:

Northern Ireland, Antrim, 60.5%

North West, Dukinfield, 51.1%

Scotland, Bonnybridge, 60.8%

Yorkshire and the Humber, Castleford, 53.6%

North East, Hebburn, 42.6%

West Midlands, Wednesbury, 51.3%

Wales, Tonypandy, 46.6%

East Midlands, Hope Valley, 37.5%

London, Dagenham, 31.6%

South West, Dursley, 15.1%

South East, Bicester, 27.7%

East of England, Witham, 13.3%

York Fashion Week has launched The Creative Exchange – a free business consultancy event designed to support people in the fashion and creative sectors.

The Creative Exchange, set for two days this weekend, promises an opportunity for attendees to spend time with six seasoned professionals from various fashion industry sectors.

Fashion designer Isabelle Randall will be at The Creative Exchange event. (Image: Submitted)

The experienced professionals include fashion designer Isabelle Randall, social media management expert Chelsea Talbot, and brand and marketing consultant Nicky Hayer.

Other experts in the panel are Estee Lauder makeup artist Anthony Frith, photographer Hannah Lunn, and Lacey Wilson, a model booker from Face Model Management.

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Event attendees will participate in ten-minute consultancy sessions where they can seek advice, ask questions, receive feedback, and build industry connections.

The goal is to help propel businesses and creative projects forward with practical advice from professionals with a wealth of real-world experience.

Lacey Wilson, a model booker from Face Model Management, will be at The Creative Exchange event. (Image: Submitted)

Speaking about the event, Nicky Hayer said: “This event is for people at all levels of their career.

“Maybe you’re student planning your next steps, or an established retailer looking to discuss brand growth.

“Perhaps you’re a freelancer wanting to level up your social media or an aspiring model who needs some guidance on how to get started.

“You’ll have ten minutes with each expert of your choice to pick their brains, and it’ll be a great chance to just meet more of the YFW community too.”

The event will take place on Saturday, July 25 from 11am to 1pm at Spark York.

On Wednesday, July 30, Another Brother Café will continue the initiative from 6pm to 8pm.

The Creative Exchange offers a platform where people can gain fresh perspectives, practical guidance, and connections as an extension of York Fashion Week’s commitment to fostering creativity, collaboration, and innovation in the industry. 

The initiative is also aimed at boosting independent businesses, designers, and fashion professionals, supporting local talent. 

The event is supported by York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority through their High Street Fund.

Mark Bewick, co-director of York Fashion Week, said: “The Creative Exchange is all about making industry expertise more accessible.

“Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your business to the next level, these conversations can provide fresh perspectives, practical guidance and valuable connections.

“We’re excited to bring together professionals from different areas of the fashion industry to share their knowledge with our community.”

As spaces are limited, people are urged to secure their spot as soon as possible through York Fashion Week’s website or social media channels.