A woman was airlifted off her first-ever cruise after she suffered serious intimate injuries during a zip-lining shore excursion.

Kirsten Lindsey, 28, was catastrophically injured on a rope swing on day three of her Carnival Cruise in Honduras.

Horrifying footage of the incident shows Lindsey jumping off the platform, but instead of swinging out, the retrieval line tightened between her legs.

After a few moments of struggle, Lindsey released the rope and fell into the water.

Lindsey initially believed she had just been scratched in the accident, but hours after she returned to the dock, her injuries worsened. 

‘The swelling became severe, the pain became unbearable, and she eventually needed a wheelchair just to get back to our cabin,’ her boyfriend, Blake Ford, wrote in a GoFundMe campaign. 

Lindsey was taken to the ship’s medical center, where doctors spent 26 hours attending to her. Despite their best efforts, her injuries grew too serious to treat there. 

The 28-year-old’s pain became so severe that she was barely able to move. Medical staff were desperately trying to keep her awake because ‘she would stop breathing whenever she drifted off from the pain medication,’ Ford recalled.

Kirsten Lindsey, 28, was catastrophically injured on a rope swing during a shore excursion in Honduras. She jumped off the platform, but instead of swinging out, the zip line’s retrieval line tightened between her legs

Lindsey was taken to the ship’s medical center, where doctors spent 26 hours treating her. She was barely able to move and doctors were desperately trying to keep her awake because ‘she would stop breathing whenever she drifted off from the pain medication’

The couple evacuated the vessel in Costa Maya, Mexico, and were taken via ambulance to the airport through severe weather. 

A private medical jet then flew them to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where Lindsey underwent a series of tests and emergency surgery.

Doctors removed a ‘baseball-sized clot’ during the surgery, Lindsey’s mother, Tara McKinney, revealed on social media.

On Friday, the day after her surgery, the couple embarked on an 18-hour drive back to their hometown of Bossier City, Louisiana. 

After they finally made it home, Lindsey had to be readmitted to the emergency room. 

‘They were completely shocked she was even discharged from the last hospital so early but now thank god we’re home and with OUR doctors and not the ones Carnival sent us to!’ Ford wrote in a Facebook update on Sunday.

‘Everyone that’s seen the injury has never seen anything like it but they are doing everything they can to prevent permanent damage to her.’

Lindsey faces a long road to recovery and the couple are facing mounting medical bills. The air flight alone cost them $50,000 and they were charged around $3,500 for services provided on the cruise ship.

It was Lindsey’s first ever cruise, and she went on it with her boyfriend Blake Ford 

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The couple evacuated the Carnival Cruise ship in Costa Maya, Mexico, and were taken via ambulance to the airport through severe weather. A private medical jet then flew them to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where Lindsey underwent a series of tests and emergency surgery

‘The financial impact has been overwhelming. Between emergency transportation, medical expenses, travel, lodging, lost income, and the unexpected costs of getting ourselves and our vehicle back home, the expenses continue to grow,’ Ford wrote.

Lindsey also said that she is grateful for the outpouring of support, prayers and donations that they have already received. 

‘Thank you to everyone for all the thoughts & prayers & everyone who has reached out, donated, etc. It’s very much appreciated. I feel so loved,’ she wrote on Facebook.

‘Long road ahead as far as recovery. But I’m so thankful for everyone who has prayed & donated.’

A Carnival spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘We are aware of reports regarding a guest who was injured while independently exploring Honduras. 

‘After returning to the ship, the guest was promptly cared for by our onboard medical team, which provided treatment and facilitated access to additional medical resources. 

‘While the incident did not occur on a Carnival-sponsored excursion, we remain concerned for the guest’s recovery. The safety and well-being of our guests is always our top priority.’

A bitter power struggle is engulfing Ukraine, spilling from the corridors of power onto the streets as President Volodymyr Zelensky faces mounting public anger.

The crisis has already claimed two of the country’s most senior military figures. 

Last week, Zelensky abruptly dismissed Mykhailo Fedorov, the mastermind behind Ukraine’s devastating drone campaign after a feud with the army’s more conventional military leadership, triggering one of the biggest political backlashes of the war.

The decision sparked mass protests in Kyiv and other cities, with thousands taking to the streets in support of the popular official, whom many credit with transforming Ukraine’s battlefield fortunes through innovative drone warfare after years on the defensive.

Demonstrators were gathered outside the presidential office from Thursday carrying signs reading ‘Hands off Fedorov’ and ‘Stop sabotaging victory!’, while chants of ‘Shame!’ echoed through the capital as protesters demanded Zelensky reverse course.

Zelensky’s government reshuffle and dismissal of Fedorov, after just half a year in office, stirred concerns among analysts that Ukraine’s recent battlefield momentum could be lost. 

And as pressure mounted, the Ukrainian president bowed to the growing unrest and on Tuesday dismissed Soviet-trained army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, nicknamed ‘The Butcher’ for his ruthless reputation and widely blamed for heavy losses on the frontline. 

In his place, Zelensky appointed the younger and widely respected battlefield commander Mykhailo Drapatyi, a move welcomed by Fedorov.

People protest against the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov

Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and former Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi

The feud erupted after Fedorov, 35, accused Syrskyi of blocking reforms needed because ‘the war has changed completely’ due to new technology like drones.

Fedorov said he was willing to work with Syrskyi, ‘but we encountered a situation in which all the initiatives we proposed began to be blocked.’

‘Under this arrangement (with Syrskyi as commander), I personally do not know how the war can be won,’ he said.

Zelensky initially defended his decision, saying he was forced ‘to choose between sides [when honestly] what I want most is unity’.

But after days of protests, the Ukrainian leader eventually relented, choosing to fire Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi and offer a ‘prominent position’ to the young defence minister he previously sacked.

Zelensky said on Tuesday that he offered him a ‘decent post’ to oversee the technological component of the state, but the former minister has previously said that he only wants his old job back.

Before becoming defense minister in January, Fedorov headed Ukraine’s digital transformation policies. 

He won popularity by spearheading the rapid development and deployment of drone technology and introducing several successful e-government platforms.

As minister, he moved to combat corruption, an issue that carries particular weight with Ukrainians who have repeatedly protested graft. 

Fighting corruption meant working against the interests of groups that had long profited from programs within the ministry, he said in interviews.

He was seeking to overhaul weapons procurement to make it more transparent.

He also promised sweeping military reforms, saying the military had faced about 200,000 desertions and draft-dodging by some 2 million people.

The mostly young protesters who took to the streets of Kyiv and other cities to support Fedorov made crude remarks about the current military commander, chanting, ‘Syrskyi go away!’ and ‘A European army for a European country!’

Kyiv resident Bohdan Huryak said he was ‘deeply outraged’ by Fedorov’s exit.

‘I’m not deeply invested in the internal political debates, but this is a person who shows results on the battlefield, we see results, we feel the fighting spirit and confidence in victory rising,’ Huryak told The Associated Press. ‘And then, six months later, he is removed from office? Come on.’

Last week, Zelensky chose Yevhenii Khmara, who was acting head of Ukraine’s domestic security service, to become acting defence minister. 

‘We all want the same thing: to defeat the enemy and create the conditions – on the front line and through pressure on Russia – that would allow us to force Russia into peace,’ Zelensky added.

The changes come as Ukraine today targeted logistics centres belonging to the Russian equivalent of Amazon, with the drone strikes early Wednesday sparking huge infernos.

Warehouses of the country’s largest online ‌retailer ⁠Wildberries were attacked in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk, said ​Tatyana Kim, the ​head and co-founder ⁠of ⁠the company.

Kim said employees had been evacuated before the strikes, but several people were still wounded.

‘I wish you a speedy recovery, and we will definitely provide all the necessary assistance,’ she wrote on Telegram.

Footage circulating on social media, verified by Reuters, shows gigantic clouds of black smoke rise up into the sky above the burning warehouses.

Ukraine has recaptured 270 sq miles of ​its territory this year, a defiant Syrskyi said on Wednesday defending his legacy after his ousting, confirming he was leaving the top military job.

‘I am handing over to my successor ​an army that is not only holding ​the defence but is also on the offensive,’ ⁠Syrskyi said in a statement on Telegram.

‘I am not authorised to talk about some of the operations we carried out over these years, even today. History will tell about them,’ he added.

After firing chief of staff Syrskyi, Zelensky replaced him with Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, a respected and experienced commander who led the country’s land forces from 2024 to 2025 and is described as a general of a new generation.

Ukraine has been trying to gain the upper hand in the war by heavily striking Russia’s energy sector – its main source of budget revenue – and logistics.

‘The operations of the Ukrainian Defence Forces are ongoing and must continue steadily. Ukraine’s plan for long-range sanctions and our program of middle-range strikes will be carried out with absolute precision,’ Zelensky said as he introduced Drapatyi.

Drapatyi, whose career was shaped fighting Russian troops for more than a decade, is seen as a voice of change.

Meanwhile, Syrskyi played a key role in Kyiv’s defence in the early days of the war and has been in his post since early 2024.

But he has also faced harsh criticism for a rigid command style which some service members have said resulted in unjustifiably high troop losses.

For a while, Zelensky – seen as mistrusting of those with political ambitions – had relented pressure to sack Syrskyi, a career military man.

Analysts said that Syrskyi was not a threat to Zelensky, unlike his predecessor, the ultra-popular Valery Zaluzhny, who was also removed.

But Syrskyi was criticised for not caring about the scale of human losses and stalling reforms to procurement, equipment and mobilisation.

Voices against him have surfaced periodically, but last week’s reshuffle brought out into the open the deep divisions in the Ukrainian defence leadership.

Critics had accused Zelensky of favouring Syrskyi over Fedorov in a conflict between the two, and analysts questioned whether Ukraine could win the war, now well into its fifth year, under Syrskyi’s leadership.

‘I will work responsibly, with full focus, and with respect for the people who are defending our country today,’ Drapatyi said on Facebook.

Drapatyi has now become Ukraine’s third commander-in-chief since Russia invaded in February 2022.

Fedorov, whose return to office was one of the protesters’ main demands, welcomed the appointment.

‘This is a breath of fresh air and a new source of hope in the fight of free people for freedom and justice. It is the voice of change that could no longer be ignored,’ Fedorov said on X.

Thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets to protest President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to fire his popular defence minister

Deputy Commander of the Joint Forces, Brigadier General Mykhailo Drapatyi,

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, his predecessor General Oleksandr Syrskyi, and Acting Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara

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Ukraine has targeted logistics centres belonging to the Russian equivalent of Amazon, with the drone strikes early Wednesday sparking huge infernos

Peter Dickinson, Editor of the Atlantic Council’s UkraineAlert Service, said: ‘I think it is now clear that Zelenskyy’s decision to remove his defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov was a disastrous mistake, but he appears committed to correcting this error.

‘The removal of commander in chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and his replacement with 43-year-old Mykhailo Drapatyi is something many Ukrainians have been demanding for years and goes a long way to repairing the damage done by ousting Fedorov.

‘However, it remains unclear whether Fedorov can return to government as he is currently insisting on reclaiming his old job as defence minister, which may be too much of a U-turn for Zelenskyy to swallow.

‘Unless Fedorov is back in a senior position, many Ukrainians will still feel that their security has been weakened for no clear reason. This will fuel speculation that Fedorov’s removal was primarily meant to safeguard corruption and entrenched business interests within the defence sector. ‘

Oleksandr Monchak, 38, sergeant in Ukrainian army and military journalist, added: ‘Drapatyi is a living legend. He’s been fighting Russia since 2014 and has worked his way up through the ranks to where he is today. That is extremely impressive. Over the years, he’s built a stellar record.

‘In 2014, he took part in the operation to free the hostages in Mariupol and managed to get his unit out of the encirclement. 

‘In 2022, he helped stop the Russian advance towards Kryvyi Rih and played a key role in liberating parts of the Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

Monchak lauded Drapatyi for being the ‘chief architect’ of the defence of Dnipro in 2023, adding that he was ‘straightforward, competent, a good friend to the people around him, easy to work with, not confrontational, and tactically sound.’

‘In general, the younger generation of officers has always been much more down-to-earth than the old Soviet-school generals. That’s why the people who know him trust him. Whether he can unite the army and lead it to greater success depends on a lot of things, not just on his own abilities as a commander,’ he added.

‘But the soldiers in the trenches are definitely more hopeful now. They believe the war could be fought in a more modern way, with fewer unnecessary casualties.

‘What does this mean for the Russians? First of all, it’s deeply demoralising. They were cheering for the removal of Fedorov, but now they see what’s happening in Ukraine and know they don’t have anything comparable.

‘They’re still stuck with the same old faces, people like Gerasimov and Shoigu. They understand that this kind of renewal, the possibility of bringing through a new generation of commanders, simply doesn’t exist in the Russian army.

‘As long as the war continues, they’ll remain hostages to what you could call the ‘Gerasimov caste.”

The family of a British couple on hunger strike in an Iran jail say they are “sick with worry” as the pair ramp up their hunger strike after 10 weeks without food.

Lindsay Foreman, who has not eaten in 66 days, has reportedly vowed to continue her strike until death to expose their treatment inside Tehran’s notorious Evin prison.

She and her husband Craig Foreman were arrested on a once-in-a-lifetime world motorbike tour 18 months ago, and were later sentenced to 10 years in prison on espionage charges, which they completely deny.

Mr Foreman, who has not eaten in 75 days, last week had his sentence extended by a further two years for speaking to the press in a hearing with no lawyer or translator, the family said.

UN human rights experts have demanded the couple’s urgent release and said that their incarceration raises grave concerns about state hostage-taking. They warned a month ago that their hunger strike had reached the stage of a “medical emergency”.

Weeks later, their family has learned the pair are now surviving on only water, having previously supplemented their nutrition with honey and salts.

“We are just worried to the core. It almost makes you feel sick with worry, it’s hard to sleep,” Ms Foreman’s son, Joe Bennett, told The Independent.

All phone contact was cut off two months ago and the family are forced to rely on snatched messages from third parties to get basic updates.

On 3 July, more than 100 family members and close friends signed a letter begging the couple to end their hunger strike to protect their health, but it has been blocked from reaching them in prison.

Mr Bennett added: “I don’t know how much damage or lasting impact this will have on them mentally, physically or spiritually.

“You just don’t know whether the next call or the next message you get is going to be something more sinister. It’s only a matter of time, every day that passes is a day closer to something catastrophic happening.”

Sources inside the prison say Ms Foreman has made clear she will not end her protest.

“I will continue until I die to make sure everyone sees what is happening here,” one message said.

For her children, those words are hard to hear.

“I can’t comprehend it, it doesn’t feel real,” Mr Bennett said. “It makes me wonder if it is affecting them mentally.”

Earlier this month, Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that Ms Foreman was suffering from dizziness, body tremors and severe weakness after reportedly losing more than 14kg in weight. Mr Foreman had reportedly lost around 16kg.

Recent reports from inside Evin prison indicate that both remain extremely weak and continue to suffer dizziness while their condition deteriorates.

Prolonged hunger strikes can lead to muscle wastage, organ damage, and, in the worst case, death. After several weeks without food, the body will likely have used up all of its fat reserves and begun to consume muscle tissue – which includes the heart – in order to survive. Nutritional deficiencies can also cause irreversible brain damage.

Mr Bennett and his family are calling for the new government to urgently act to ensure the family’s desperate letter reaches them and restore phone contact.

He has written to the new prime minister, Andy Burnham, and newly appointed foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, and other government officials calling for a strategic diplomatic solution, an urgent consular visit, the provision of vitamins and essential supplies and immediate medical assessment and treatment.

“There is a new government now responsible for this case,” Mr Bennett added. “We are asking them to recognise the urgency of the situation and act accordingly. Being decisive means acting now, while there is still time to make a difference.”

Last month, The Independent revealed that Iran is seeking the return of an Iranian national who has languished in a maximum-security British prison for 23 years, as the couple urged British officials to consider an exchange.

Mr Foreman believes that Richard Jan, an Iranian stalker held in Britain, could be the only “only avenue” to negotiating their release after his case was raised by their jailers in a consular meeting.

Jan’s incarceration was also raised in negotiations for the return of British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was detained for six years in Iran before she was finally freed after the British government settled a £400m arms debt with the country.

A UK government spokesperson insisted there was “no truth whatsoever to the claims of a potential exchange arrangement”. However, former deputy prime minister David Lammy admitted that “arrangements can be made” when he was questioned about the issue on Sky News.

The Foreman’s family is due to meet with the newly appointed UK envoy for complex consular cases, Alistair Burt, at the end of July.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted for comment.

Almost 90,000 people have so far signed a petition calling for the government to intervene and the family is raising money to support their campaign

Travellers have invaded a football club’s pitches and nearby park with more than 20 vehicles after the local council left the gate unlocked.

Caravans rolled into Albion Rovers FC’s Kimberley Park grounds in Newport in Gwent, Wales, last Wednesday, so the club – celebrating its 90th anniversary this season – is now stuck in limbo.

After an initial party of caravans arrived, more vehicles and people arrived over the weekend and set up shop with no apparent desire to move away any time soon.

The club has now been forced to find alternative venues for matches and training – hiring a 3G pitch at a school for £110 an hour.

Club secretary Sarah Yemm, 44, said she was worried for the safety of the club members, saying it is ‘too dangerous’ to go down there as more travellers arrive.

She said: ‘It’s been really stressful because we’ve had to cancel all the training, including the seniors.

‘Obviously, we wouldn’t want the children or the senior players down there training because more and more caravans were coming in. It was too dangerous.’

Ms Yemm has had to cancel the girls’ team matches too and relocate friendlies.

The club claim council contractors left the gates unlocked, which allowed the invasion. Pictured: rubbish at the site

She added: ‘It’s been worrying me because our first team is in the Welsh Cup, and I’ve been thinking, “Where are we going to play?” Most of the council pitches haven’t got the goalposts up.’

The club relies on revenue from the clubhouse and the pavilion coffee shop to stay afloat, but the travellers’ encampment has meant they are unable to use it and it has cut off this flow of income.

Meanwhile, the travellers have been littering rubbish all over the ground, they said.

Ms Yemm said: ‘I believe there were travellers on the site over 10 years ago, and it was quite hostile, so they were worried it would be like that again.’

She blamed Newport City Council for failing to lock the gates to the ground and the ensuing trouble.

‘We’ve gone to the council because it’s their issue,’ she said.

‘I’ve been very clear that all the people at the club are volunteers – we aren’t paid members of staff.

‘We are strict with our coaches to make sure they lock the barriers, even though the site belongs to the council.

‘It was the council that left the locks off the low and overhead barriers because there were contractors working on the pitch, but they didn’t put the specialised padlocks back on.

‘So that’s very worrying and frustrating because we are very strict with our coaches to make sure they lock the barriers.

‘The people who left them unlocked were council staff and contractors.’

‘The pitch is in a terrible mess with bags of rubbish. There’s human faeces in one corner.

‘We don’t know if we can play on the pitch. You could smell it, and there was tissues everywhere.

‘We don’t know whether it’ll be fit for play.’

Travellers often target football grounds as places to set up camp and even used an angle grinder to break on to pitches in Norfolk on July 3.

CCTV footage showed a convoy of cars towing caravans arrive at Thetford Town Youth FC and, after breaking in, driving ‘back and forth over the pitches used for matches’.

The group eventually left after two days but they left behind a pitch strewn with dirty nappies, cans, and a car seat in the aftermath, forcing the football club to spend a day cleaning the site.

Burgess Hill Cricket Club saw a similar fate when travellers stopped on their ground in East Sussex in June.

The club is having to cancel and rearrange matches – hiring out a 3G pitch at a school at £110 an hour

Ms Yemm said: ‘I believe there were travellers on the site over 10 years ago, and it was quite hostile, so they were worried it would be like that again’

This is not a new trend and has been going on for years, like last April when travellers descended on Ludgvan Lions Junior Football Club near Penzance, Cornwall.

Back in Wales, a spokesperson for Newport City Council issued a response on Ms Yemm’s claims that their contractors were responsible for leaving the gate to their grounds unlocked.

They said: ‘We’re still investigating what happened at Kimberley Park.’

Gordon Bow suffers from a terminal illness and said he needs the accommodation for his son and family members to help him.

A Broxburn man is considering an appeal to the Scottish Government after the council rejected plans for a new family home at his smallholding.

Gordon Bow suffers from a terminal illness and said he needs the accommodation for his son and family members to help him.

And local councillor Angela Doran-Timson highlighted how few councillors were at the meeting which made the decision.

She echoed Mr Bow when she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service “I don’t think Gordon got a fair hearing.”

Speaking at last week’s meeting of the Development Management Committee (DMC) in Livingston, planners said the proposals for a five-bed two-storey home on site, adjoining a disused tractor shed would contravene strict rules about housebuilding in the countryside and recommended refusal.

In all 11 policies against development in the countryside would be contravened. Planners said the development would encroach 60sqm into the countryside to the west of the smallholding at 11 Holmes Holdings.

Mr Bow told the LDRS: “I’ve got 12 acres of spring barley growing. The 60 sq meters is insignificant. It won’t encroach on the barley whatsoever.

“I just don’t see what the problem is. People might think I have a big house but it is only three bedrooms. There’s not enough space for my son.”

He added: “I have a terminal illness and I need my family near me to help.”

Mr Bow said he was considering an appeal to the Scottish Government’s Division of Planning and Environmental Appeals, adding: “ I just don’t think we had a fair hearing.”

Only three councillors were at the Development Management Committee meeting last week. A fourth joined remotely.

Another two were on holiday and a third is undergoing training to sit on the committee.

Conservative group leader Damian Doran-Timson had spoken up for Mr Bow at the meeting, suggesting that some leeway be given to the proposals, but he had no-one to back up an amendment against the Labour motion to support planners.

One of Mr Bow’s local councillors is fellow Conservative, Broxburn’s Angela Doran-Timson. She told the LDRS: “ I don’t think Gordon got a fair hearing because there were so few councillors at the meeting.”

The councillor referred to an application for a solar farm near Kirknewton. Damian Doran-Timson had to withdraw from the meeting because he had voiced an opinion. His inability to take part rendered the meeting inquorate, meaning there were not enough councillors to make a decision.

That hearing has now been delayed until September when it will be debated by the full council. It is thought to be the first time the DMC has had to refer a matter to full council for that reason.

A spokesperson for the council told the LDRS: “Except where required for regulatory committees, the main school holiday periods are avoided when scheduling meetings.

“The Development Management committee does not go into recess during the summer period as we have a legal obligation to process planning applications in a timely manner.

“The council’s Standing Orders sets out the minimum number of elected members that must be present to ensure that meetings are quorate and that business can be transacted. The Development Management committee was quorate with three members present when this decision was made.”

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The former chief executive of Southern Water faces up to ten years in prison after being charged with conspiracy to defraud over an alleged plot to manipulate water quality tests to avoid millions of pounds in penalties.

Matthew Wright, who was the CEO of Southern Water from 2011 until the end of 2016, has been charged alongside three other former employees at the firm, the Environment Agency said.

It is alleged that between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2017 the men conspired to defraud the Environment Agency and Ofwat, the water regulator, by manipulating water quality compliance testing. 

This involved ensuring there was not adequate water flow through sites for sampling when bosses believed water quality tests would be failed.

The Environment Agency previously asked a judge to issue a summons against Wright, as well as Philip Barker, Clive Massey and Mark Gregory, who also worked at the company.

The summons was issued last year but Wright then launched a legal challenge over the move, with his lawyers telling the High Court in June that the Agency did not have the power to issue it and that it should be thrown out as a ‘nullity’.

On Wednesday, two senior judges dismissed Wright’s claim, and ruled that restrictions previously preventing reporting of the legal challenge should be lifted.

The offence of conspiracy to defraud carries a maximum jail term of ten years in prison.

Lawyers for Wright said he ‘denies all wrongdoing and has cooperated fully with the Environment Agency’s investigation’. 

It is alleged that between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2017 the men conspired to defraud the Environment Agency and Ofwat, the water regulator, by manipulating water quality compliance testing (Pictured: Margate waste water site)

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Separate court listings show that the case against 61-year-old Wright, of Haslemere, Surrey, Barker, 58, of Chiltington, West Sussex, 65-year-old Massey, of Brandhill, Shropshire, and 64-year-old Gregory, of Southampton, were scheduled to be heard at Medway Magistrates’ Court on July 14.

The four are accused of conspiring to ‘defraud persons performing public duties in respect of environmental and financial regulation’ of Southern Water, including the EA and Ofwat, by ‘the implementation of artificial no-flow events at waste water treatment works’.

Southern Water has separately been charged with dozens of offences of failing to comply with or contravening an environmental permit condition between 2013 and 2017 at multiple wastewater treatment works.

Three further people will also face charges linked to failure to comply with or contravening environmental permit conditions.

Terry Stephens, 68, of Waterlooville, Hampshire, is charged with one count, alleged to have taken place in 2015.

David James, 60, of Worthing, West Sussex, is also charged with one count, alleged to have taken place in 2016.

Mark Butler, 47, of Hassocks, West Sussex, is charged with eight counts, alleged to have taken place between 2015 and 2024.

Wastewater treatment works can only be run with an environmental permit issued by the EA.

Treated effluent discharge from the works is tested under an ‘operator self-monitoring’ (OSM) scheme introduced in 2009, which sees discharges tested annually in unannounced visits.

The tests are carried out by sampling teams, which operate separately from teams that run the works.

The results of the tests are shared with the EA and water regulator Ofwat, and can lead to penalties if the works do not comply with the terms of their permits.

If the discharge flow at the time of the test is insufficient to take a sample, this is not regarded as a fail, and no samples are taken for the rest of the testing period.

Rules around OSM have been tightened in the past year, including that samples must be rescheduled in the event that the flow is insufficient, with the current Labour government pledging to end the practice.

In his ruling issuing the summons against the four men last year, District Judge Stephen Leake said: ‘The agency alleges, in the present case, that there was a deliberate plan by officers of the company to manipulate the OSM regime by contriving operational circumstances so that there was no flow through the relevant site at times when it was believed that the site would, or might, fail the OSM test, in order to avoid the consequences of the true OSM result being provided to the agency and Ofwat.’

But lawyers for Wright told the High Court that the EA only has the power to bring private prosecutions for environmental offences, not those such as fraud or conspiracy.

Barristers for the EA said that the body had a general power to bring private prosecutions, and alternatively that allegations of conspiracy to defraud were connected to its functions.

Massey, Gregory and Barker did not appear at the hearing in London and were not represented.

Lord Justice Popplewell, sitting with Mr Justice Hilliard, ruled on Wednesday that the EA only being able to prosecute environmental offences would ‘produce unreasonable and anomalous results’.

He continued that the law ‘enables the EA to prosecute for any offence of any nature in circumstances in which such a prosecution is capable of being calculated to facilitate, or conducive or incidental to, the carrying out of any of its functions’.

In the 48-page judgment, the senior judge continued that the charge against Wright involves ‘very serious allegations of criminal misconduct’.

He said: ‘What is alleged … involves carefully planned and extensive fraud and dishonesty at a high level within the company and on a large scale, including, for example, arranging for wastewater to be removed from facilities by tankers in order to create no flow results, with a view to covering up pollution and deceiving those whose function is to protect the public from such harm.

‘The EA says that by the company’s own assessment, it avoided penalties of the order of £45 million, and on the EA’s assessment the figure is higher.’

Following the judgment, an EA spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm that we are taking criminal proceedings against Southern Water Services Limited and a number of former employees.

‘We take our responsibility to protect the environment very seriously and will always pursue and prosecute those alleged to have committed serious offending against the environment. We welcome this important judgment.’

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm that we are taking criminal proceedings against Southern Water Services Limited and a number of former employees.

‘We take our responsibility to protect the environment very seriously and will always pursue and prosecute those alleged to have committed serious offending against the environment. We welcome this important judgment.’

Environment Secretary Angela Eagle said: ‘The public are rightly sick of environmental pollution – and attempting to cover it up is outrageous. Anyone found guilty of this crime will face the full force of the law. 

‘This government will always back tough enforcement action to protect our rivers, lakes and seas.

‘We have already committed to ending the practice of operator self-monitoring to ensure this cannot happen again in the future.’

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The local council is looking into ways to crack down on anti-social behaviour after reports from locals

A council wants to crack down on anti-social behaviour after locals reported public intoxication and urination among other issues. Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) is looking to put in place a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) within the inner ring road of Huntingdon.

A spokesperson for the council said: “Behaviours that have been concerning people local to the area include public intoxication, urination/defecation and intimidating behaviour such as, abusive and upsetting language, verbal abuse to visitor, businesses and residents and acting in a manner that causes alarm and distress.”

PSPOs aim to stop individuals and groups from committing anti-social behaviour in public. A PSPO would allow Huntingdonshire District Council to put restrictions and requirements in place, and any breaches of these are a criminal offence. Offenders could face fixed penalty notices (currently set at £100), or prosecution in criminal court.

A spokesperson for HDC said: “This proposed PSPO has been designed as a partnership response to the anti-social behaviour which has had a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality. The effect or likely effect of this anti-social behaviour is, or is likely to be, persistent or continuing in nature, is or is likely to be, unreasonable and justifies the proposed restrictions and requirements being imposed as part of a PSPO.

“The proposed restrictions and requirements are proportionate and necessary to prevent the anti-social behaviour from continuing, occurring or recurring. If the consultation is successful, the PSPO will be jointly enforced by Huntingdonshire District Council and Cambridgeshire Constabulary (Police).”

It is proposed the PSPO would be in place for three years, with a review each year.

Jade Thirlwall appeared to hint at her split from boyfriend Jordan Stephens in a recent interview, weeks before it emerged that their relationship was over.

The former couple lived together and split their time between properties in London and Margate in Kent, but are said to have separated earlier this year.

Jordan, 34, has since wiped all trace of Jade, 33, from his Instagram and she has also removed all images of the singer from her own page.

Jade appeared to allude to her relationship woes in an interview last month, as she shared she was ‘going through something privately’.

Speaking about writing her upcoming second album, the hitmaker said she was channelling anything that had happened in her life into her new music.

She said: ‘Right now, I don’t even know where it’s heading. I’m just writing stuff. Whatever I’m going through at the minute, like privately, I’m sort of putting pen to paper.’

Jade told The Fader: ‘I think this is the exciting phase or the experimental phase, where you don’t know what it’s going to be yet. 

‘For me, that’s sometimes the most magical part as an artist when you’re writing music. Come and ask me in a few months’ time and we’ll see where we’re at.’

According to The Sun, Jade and Jordan remain close and friends are hoping for a reconciliation. They still follow each other on Instagram at the moment.

Sharing details on the alleged split, an insider told the publication: ‘Jade and Jordan had a very serious and loving relationship but recently they have had some frank discussions about their future and have decided to separate.

‘It’s not been an easy time but they’ve both been throwing themselves into work.

‘Their friends adore them as a couple and are really hoping they get back together but it’s still very raw at the moment.’

The Daily Mail has approached Jade and Jordan for comment.

They notably failed to honour their sixth anniversary with a social media post, which they had previously done in the past.

The singer, pictured with Jordan, appeared to allude to her relationship woes in an interview last month, as she shared she was ‘going through something privately’

Their last joint appearance was at the Brit Awards in February, but they have not been seen together since. 

Hinting at potential heartbreak while discussing working on her new album, Jade told Fader in June: ‘I’m just writing stuff. Whatever I’m going through at the minute, like privately, I’m sort of putting pen to paper.

‘I think this is the exciting phase or the experimental phase, where you don’t know what it’s going to be yet.’

Jade, who attended bandmate Perrie Edwards’ wedding without Jordan this summer, shared photographs from a trip to Sri Lanka at the start of the year.

They met during lockdown through a series of Zoom dates.

She previously claimed finding love with Jordan during the pandemic was a ‘strange’ experience.

Jade said she hadn’t been ‘looking for anyone’ at the time as she was relishing her independence.

Speaking in Metro’s Guilty Pleasures column at the time, she explained: ‘I ended up meeting someone in lockdown which is strange… I quite enjoyed doing it that way.

‘We had real dates and really got to know each other. I wouldn’t say I was looking for anyone at the time.

‘I was happy to be in lockdown because I am independent. I think you can still strive in your singleness in lockdown.’

Jade, who split from her ex Jed Elliott after three years together the July prior, said it was ‘really important’ to her to be with someone who supported her and felt she was a ‘good match’ with Jordan.

Jordan is one half of pop act Rizzle Kicks, who first launched in 2008 until 2016, before breaking for a hiatus until 2024. 

Jordan also worked on Jade’s debut album That’s Showbiz Baby! which was released last year.

Jade said at the time: ‘I actually really didn’t want to date a musician. I’d done it previously; it never works out well. But it’s amazing now. We write together.

‘He’s on my album; I’m on his. Jordan’s on the backing vocals for Headache.’

The slump was worse than the national average and whilst provisional June figures tend to have York performing better than the national average, even if sales and footfall remain well down.

However, there is much support for the view that other factors are at play, such as the wider economy, a shift to online sales, and the city centre needing to improve its retail offer.

Both York BID and Cllr Pete Kilbane, executive member for economy at City of York Council have both cited these factors as they grapple with problems seeking solutions.

However, one reader pointed out that in his statement to the Press, Cllr Kilbane saying “there are significant factors beyond parking charges” it was “an admission that parking charges are a factor.” It was also “a factor the council can control” with it able to pull a lever “to at least help the situation somewhat.”

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Another reader told the Press: “I don’t shop or visit York because of parking charges even though it’s the town I was born in and lived in for thirty years.”

The May figures from York BID, which sparked the debate. The provisional figures are better. (Image: Pic supplied)

One said he used to go to the city centre on Saturdays for coffee and a shop when parking was cheaper, but they haven’t been since July, costing retailers £200 a month from themselves alone.

Another said: “If parking was cheaper more people would go into town and they’d have more money to spend in local businesses.”

With one adding: “The incompetence of these people (councillors) is beyond belief, not seeing the reality of their decisions shows their arrogance and lack of understanding.”

However, the council had support from one reader for discouraging car use and encouraging more use of bikes and public transport.

They said: “This has made the city centre a much more pleasant place to be and is broadly similar to many historic cities in the UK and across continental Europe.”

Another said: “Car parking uses prime city centre land. I’m not sure why people who choose to park in the centre shouldn’t pay an appropriate rate. As well, it seems to me that the car parks are approximately as busy as ever.”

Cllr Pete Kilbane says other factors are also causing a drop in sales and footfall. (Image: Pic supplied)

One reader called on retailers to look at the quality of the goods and services they were selling.

They said: “It’s tough to compete with the ever-increasing trend for online shopping but blaming car parking charges doesn’t cut the mustard.”

One reader, who lives on the edge of the city, said they used to go to the city centre every Friday to buy clothes and records, which was their highlight of the week.

They said: “But most of those shops have disappeared and haven’t been replaced. Instead, the city centre has seen a huge influx of coffee shops, cafés, bars, and restaurants.”

Whilst there are plans to redevelop Coney Street and the Riverside area soon, its current appearance may be a deterrent.

Andrew Lowson, executive director of York BID, addressing the parking issue at the business group’s AGM last week. (Image: Darren Greenwood)

One reader said: “Walking up Coney St, and trying to spend a decent amount of money, particularly in clothes retail, is almost impossible.

“The street is full of tat and pop-up venues. Look upwards at the buildings, apparently grade 2. A shabbier street would be hard to find.”

Coney Street is set for a revamp soon, which our readers say is much needed. (Image: Pic supplied)

Either way, York BID has offered to help the city council come up with a solution, with executive director Andrew Lowson suggesting lower charges in quieter periods. Our readers suggest similar.

One said: “Trial giving York residents a few hours free parking on quiet days – problem solved.”

Another agreed: “Give York residents an incentive to come in – free 4 hour parking on Monday mornings, free first hour other weekdays – I’d use it.”

And a word with the new occupants of Downing Street might also be needed.

One reader added: “High Parking charges always put people off but over the last 2 years the Labour government have taxed people so much they don’t have as much free cash to spend.”