Victoria Smith, 50, was last seen at about 4pm yesterday, Friday, July 24, near Northallerton.
She may be in the Osmotherley and Ellerbeck area, near the A19.
Victoria is white, of medium build, with brown shoulder-length hair. She was wearing a light-coloured T-shirt, jean shorts, and grey shoes, possibly with a grey hoodie.
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Officers are extremely concerned for her welfare and the police helicopter has been involved in the search for her.
Anyone with information should call North Yorkshire Police on 101 or 999 for immediate sightings, quoting reference number NYP-24072026-0584.
The Bolton News visited the Performance Unit in Breightmet on Saturday morning (July 25), where participants had just completed their second five-kilometre loop of the morning.
Having started at 7am, runners were in high spirits as they prepared to head back out for the next lap.
Joel had been at the Performance Unit since 5am making the final preparations before runners set off.
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Organiser Joel Cooper (middle) with his girlfriend Olivia Bell (left) and participant Craig Choda (Image: NQ)
He said that organising the event had been stressful, but he had plenty of support.
He said: “Luckily I’ve got a lot of people who have helped.
“Staff, my mum and my girlfriend are all here with me.”
With the sun shining, Joel said the conditions were perfect for the challenge.
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Performance Unit members all smiles after completing 10K so far (Image: NQ)
“Hopefully the blue sky stays out when the barbecue and DJ are here.”
The music is being provided by NoPlan, a DJ trio that includes Joel’s younger brother, Sam Cooper.
The group offered to perform free of charge to help keep spirits high throughout the day.
Ready for the third 5K of the morning (Image: NQ)
Participants set off together at the start of every hour to complete a five-kilometre loop, with anyone completing all 10 laps covering a total of 50 kilometres.
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“We’re 10k in and 40 to go and we’ve done a nice easy route to start with,” said Joel.
“I think I’ll surprise everyone this afternoon with a more challenging route, to throw a spanner in the works.
“Some of these runners are absolutely unbelievable, so I’ll really put them to the test.
Family and friends from across Bolton have come together for the fundraiser (Image: NQ)
The money raised will support families affected by the tragic collision on Wigan Road in January, which claimed the lives of four people.
Taxi driver Masrob Ali, 54, from Blackburn, died after his vehicle was involved in a head-on collision.
Muhammad Danyaal Asghar Ali, 19, of Knutshaw Crescent, Bolton, Farhan Patel, 18, of Briercliffe Road, Bolton, and Mohammed Jibrael Mukhtar, 18, of Junction Road, Bolton, who were travelling in the speeding car that struck the taxi, also died.
Four passengers travelling in the taxi also suffered serious injuries.
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Residents around Breightmet can expect to see groups of runners taking on the challenge throughout the day (Image: NQ)
Joel said the tragedy had a personal connection for some members of the gym, who knew those travelling in the taxi.
Fundraising stalls, homemade bakes and live music are continuing throughout the day as organisers aim to raise £20,000 for the families affected by the tragedy.
To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/performance-unit
Activities will include guided reserve walks, pond dipping, a theatre production, crafts, and more.
Askham Bog is Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s inaugural reserve, as the Trust was founded to care for it in 1946.
Sir David Attenborough being shown round Asham Bog by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Prof Alastair Fitter in 2016. (Image: The Press)
A fragment of ancient peatland banded by road and railway line, the reserve is home to extensive rare wildlife from centuries-old royal ferns to hundreds of different moth species, as well as more common and beloved robins, roe deer, and dragonflies.
The reserve is a deeply-loved urban green space lauded as a ‘cathedral of nature conservation’ by Sir David Attenborough when he visited in 2017, and the Trust hopes to inspire more people and visitors to enjoy its peace and quiet on the edge of York.
Yorkshire poet Ian McMillan has written a celebratory poem about Yorkshire’s wildlife to mark the occasion and the Trust’s 80th anniversary.
The poem is in two halves, with the second part remaining secret and buried in a time capsule within the reserve, along with other Trust memorabilia, to be reopened in 70 years’ time for the Trust’s 150th anniversary.
Ian said: “I wanted this poem to be my birdsong, my splash of a fish in a river, my breeze whispering through the trees.
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“I wanted my poem to be true to the ideals of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and to inspire future generations to enjoy our wildlife – and, of course, to write poems about it!”
Askham Bog is located a 10-minute walk from Askham Bar and includes a 1 km boardwalk loop, which takes in some of the reserve’s best wildlife and the popular main pond.
First installed in the early 2000s by a team of dedicated reserve volunteers, the original boardwalk has now been replaced with sustainably-sourced materials that have better longevity and durability, with an improved route layout and wider sections with smoother surfacing for improved accessibility.
New signage has been installed on-site, and the Trust has also undertaken some vital management work in areas usually obscured by the boardwalk.
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David Craven, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s head of operations in East Yorkshire, said: “Caring for Askham Bog has always been an honour, but it has been particularly lovely to see and hear just how much Askham Bog means to York’s local community whilst the reserve has been closed.
“From stories about visiting after school as a child and returning decades later with children and grandchildren, to the difference having a peaceful green oasis has made to people’s mental health, we are so pleased to be able to open the reserve again in time for school holidays and welcome visitors back to enjoy Yorkshire’s ‘cathedral of nature conservation’ again.”
To celebrate the reserve reopening, the Trust is hosting an opening event on-site at the reserve on July 25 and 26.
This will include guided walks of the reserve by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust staff, with all the best information on what wildlife to spot where as well as the opportunity to purchase limited-edition linocut prints of the reserve by local York artist Jon Haste.
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There will also be the opportunity to purchase memorial plaques to be installed on the new boardwalk – the first ten purchased will be at a discount.
Rusticus Walking Theatre Company will be performing Ditzy the Dragonfly.
Thread and Press will be running family willow-weaving workshops creating 2D bugs, birds, and butterflies; there will be pond dipping sessions; and there will be a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust members-only moth spotting event with @garden. Of moths on Sunday, July 26th.
On-site catering, self-led wildlife spotter guides, and nature-journalling opportunities will also be available.
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Yorkshire Wildlife Trust president Alastair Fitter will give a talk at Pike Hill Golf Club York on Friday, July 24, about the reserve’s captivating history.
As part of its 80th anniversary celebrations, the Trust has also been running an appeal to raise money for further vital work needed at the reserve.
Askham Bog has struggled in recent years with increasingly unpredictable dry periods that risk damaging its vital peat habitat.
The Trust is raising money to manage scrub and invasive Himalayan balsam on-site, create new ponds for wildlife like great-crested newts, and survey how wildlife has responded on-site to the hotter weather.
The Trust is grateful to contractors Bison Bridges for supplying the new boardwalk, Elms Solutions Ltd for their careful management of the boardwalk removal and reinstallation, and Piers Edsall of Environmental Art for supplying the time capsule.
The former headteacher has said he is ‘forever grateful’ for his career in education
A headteacher who worked with pupils in Cambridgeshire for more than 50 years is retiring. Eric Winstone started out as a PE teacher in the 1970s before he became headteacher of Bushfield Community College in Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, in 2001.
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From there, he led the school through significant development until 2014, including overseeing its transition into Ormiston in 2009. He later became the school’s executive principal, and helped the school to achieve specialist college and centre of excellence statuses.
Alongside his leadership roles at Bushfield, he has also served as chair of the Peterborough Secondary Headteachers’ Association and played a significant role in the local authority’s children’s services board.
Mr Winstone is now retiring after more than 50 years in education. Mr Winstone said: “In over 50 years of being involved in education, I have never once regretted my decision to enter this profession. Starting out as a PE teacher in 1974 and ending my career as Executive Principal was a wonderful journey which enabled me to work with some wonderful teachers, leaders, support staff and governors.
“In my time, I have had the pleasure of working at some excellent schools and have had the very best time over the last 15 years as Principal of Bushfield Community School and then Ormiston Bushfield Academy. Building and developing the Academy was the highlight of my career and I have seen the Ormiston Academies Trust develop and expand to become one of the leading academy trusts in the country.
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“My closing years as Chair of Governors at Ormiston Meadows enabled me to continue to be involved in education and pass on my experience to developing leaders. Most of all, I will savour the contact with over 5,000 young people that I have had the pleasure to teach and support through their secondary education over the years.
“Educating young people is a lifelong journey and I will be forever grateful for having had the opportunity to make a difference.”
Mr Winstone will attend his final governing body meeting at Ormiston Meadows next month before he officially retires.
Tom Rees, chief executive officer of Ormiston Academies Trust said: “Eric’s contribution to education in Peterborough and beyond has been immense. He has positively influenced the lives of thousands of young people, supported generations of staff and leaders, and played a pioneering role in bringing Bushfield into Ormiston Academies Trust, where it continues to achieve highly.
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“His legacy continues to be felt across our schools today, and we are hugely grateful for everything he has done for our trust and the communities we serve. We wish him the very best in his much-deserved retirement.”
Kelly Moore, current principal at Ormiston Meadows Academy, praised Mr Winstone for giving an “extraordinary amount” to education throughout this career. She added: “We have been incredibly fortunate to benefit from his wisdom, guidance and unwavering support at Ormiston Meadows Academy.
“His experience, integrity and commitment to young people have made a lasting impact on our community, and we wish him every happiness in his retirement.”
The appointment with my primary care physician (PCP) was for a routine physical. I expected a clean bill of health. After all, I’d had no issues and was having the physical as part of my New Year’s checklist, along with getting my car’s oil changed and switching out my furnace filter.
I told my doctor I was between gynaecologists because my former OB-GYN hadn’t been able to answer basic questions about the postmenopausal symptoms I’d been having. I asked for a referral, but given it would take four months or longer to see a new OB-GYN, my PCP suggested she could perform a pelvic exam, along with a pap smear and cervical swab, just to get me up-to-date on all routine tests.
As she completed the exam, she asked if I was aware of a large freckle on my labia just outside my vagina. Not being a contortionist, I wasn’t aware of this strangely shaped grey spot that my doctor photographed in order to show me.
It looked like so many other age spots on my arms and legs that have popped up over the years as a result of days in the 1970s sun, before any of us used sunscreen. Still, my doctor suggested I see my dermatologist soon.
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At the dermatologist’s office, she also showed little concern, thinking the spot was of no consequence, but should be examined nonetheless.
“I’m 99% sure it’s nothing,” were her exact words as she performed a biopsy of the freckle, slicing it from my skin and placing it in a vial for testing. Taking her cue, I’d nearly forgotten about the whole thing when I received a call on Tuesday morning a week later. Having lived through my late husband’s cancer experience, I knew that no doctor makes an “all clear” phone call at 8am.
I realised, instead, she was going to tell me bad news. And she did.
The cells placed in the vial were melanoma, specifically, a labial or vulvar melanoma. Though I was familiar enough with melanoma to know that, as a pale redhead with previous sun exposure, I should be checked for them annually, I had no idea one could occur literally where “the sun don’t shine”.
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My dermatologist explained that the freckle was in situ, meaning in the very beginning stage of becoming cancerous and only involved the top layer of skin. I would need surgery to remove it – something she wasn’t equipped to do.
The next two days were spent ascertaining the seriousness of my diagnosis and finding a surgeon willing to undertake this procedure, which would involve not only removal of the freckle, but also getting clear margins around it.
In the case of a melanoma like this, the surgeon would seek one-centimeter margins, removing a fairly large portion of tissue in the shape of a football from a tight space with many nerve endings and highly sensitive skin. Because of the unusual location and delicacy of the surgery, I spent hours navigating the local healthcare system, as I attempted to find a surgeon who would accept the task.
Courtesy of Lori Tucker-Sullivan
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“I participate in a long-term cancer screening program,” the author writes.
My dermatologist referred me to gynaecology. In that department, especially without having an established relationship with a doctor, there was no one who would take my case. From there, I was sent to gynaecological oncology within the cancer centre. Several calls there also resulted in no doctors willing to move forward. While I wanted only for this cancerous lesion to be removed from my body, I was instead tossed from department to department as staff tried to determine who was best prepared to perform this unusual procedure.
Finally, I was referred to a melanoma surgeon within the skin cancer department. A nurse phoned on day three and said the surgeon was well-practiced in these types of melanomas and would take my case. She could squeeze me in to meet with her a week later, and scheduled surgery for the week after that. I phoned my children and we made plans for my daughter to travel from Chicago to be with me for my appointment. We had a plan, and I felt better, but I didn’t realise how large a bullet I had just dodged.
Throughout my late husband’s three-year experience with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, we tried to stay away from online searches and rabbit holes. His cancer was understood primarily to affect heavy smokers and drinkers, though he was neither. It was through our own and his doctor’s research that we learned his cancer was caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV. Having that knowledge provided his care team with a more specific approach, one that, though too late to save him, has allowed for better treatment protocols today than existed in 2009.
However, researching a cancer diagnosis can also lead to anxiety rather than calm or focus. Remembering this, I refrained from any internet searches until I met with my new cancer surgeon, a young woman whose matter-of-fact demeanour quickly calmed me. Once in her office, I peppered her with the questions I’d been too afraid to type into a search engine: How did this happen, why had I never heard of melanomas in this location, and, most importantly, what was the long-term prognosis? Her answers were surprising.
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Because of their location, labial melanomas are rarely caught at an early stage as mine was. Usually, according to my surgeon, they are not caught until they begin to cause discomfort, bleed or become a large mass. By that time, the melanoma has grown deep into the skin and excision, and removal is more difficult. And because of their location close to many lymph nodes, they can spread aggressively. I looked across the room at my daughter, who had lost her father to cancer when she was just 13, and noticed we had the same shocked look on our faces as we understood the situation: had my diagnosis come later, my outcome could have been completely different.
Nearly 40% of vulvar melanoma patients present with regional or metastatic disease (Stage III or Stage IV) compared to only 13.6% of cutaneous melanoma (those on more common areas like arms, legs, back, etc), which means vulvar melanoma is more likely to have spread via the lymph system by the time the patient presents to the doctor. A patient at Stage III has a five-year survival rate of about 48%. At Stage IV, that drops to a 25% rate of survival. Though vulvar or labial melanomas are rare, they most often occur in older women. And while I was beating myself up for my preteen suntanning, there is no definite connection between vulvar melanomas and sun exposure.
Though melanoma is the sixth most common cancer in women, only 0.2% of 100,000 women per year will be diagnosed with a labial melanoma, which primarily affects white, postmenopausal women in their 60s. The rarity of the diagnosis also means there’s little study of these cancers, though there also appears to be no connection between them and HPV or other STDs. As stated in a study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), these melanomas are often asymptomatic and presentation is delayed by that and a lack of easy self-examination.
Courtesy of Lori Tucker-Sullivan
The author with her late husband Kevin, prior to his cancer diagnosis.
Surgery took over an hour while I was under anaesthesia, and recovery took a few weeks, during which it was important to restrict movement and keep the wound very clean. Pain meds kept the discomfort at bay but didn’t address the lingering worries. In addition to my physical care, I also met with my therapist to continue processing how close I came to a much more serious situation and how I might turn my gratitude into advocating for prevention in others.
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Because the freckle on my labia was caught when it was, I was told I have a less than 3% chance of recurrence and no further treatment. My surgeon will check me every six months, and my new dermatologist, who specialises in vulvar cancer, will see me every three months for two years. Provided nothing new is discovered, I’ll return to annual check-ups. But my prognosis is this good only because it was detected so early.
When I returned for a follow-up appointment with my primary care doc, she reminded me that many postmenopausal women skip regular pelvic exams, or are confused about how often they are needed. Instead, they should speak with their doctors about the frequency, which is based on their personal health history, and whether they currently have symptoms.
Just as most dentists now check for oral cancer, doctors other than oncologists can help examine for vulvar cancer. A simple request to a gynaecologist to check the skin for unusual spots during your regular pelvic exam, or a request to the dermatologist to include the vulva during your annual skin checks, are easy ways to possibly detect cancer at an earlier stage.
At my primary care doctor’s office, we hugged, tearing up as the two of us realised what her attention and urging had prevented. Bringing my awareness to a seemingly innocuous spot in an unusual place prevented me from having a terrible and possibly fatal diagnosis. For that I am forever thankful.
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Lori Tucker-Sullivan is a writer and educator in Detroit. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Salon, and others. Her book, “I Can’t Remember if I Cried: Rock Widows on Life, Love and Legacy,” was released in 2024 and profiles widows of her favorite musicians and what they taught her about grief. She is currently at work on a memoir of her marriage bookended by home renovation and her late husband’s cancer diagnosis.
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil is using forensic science to tackle illegal gold mining in the Amazon, a top threat to the rainforest, Indigenous groups and other communities there that has accelerated deforestation and driven mercury contamination to dangerous levels.
The work takes place at the National Institute of Criminalistics in Brasilia, the country’s capital, where federal police have set up a “gold lab” that collects and analyses samples from across the country.
The objective is to determine if a newly acquired sample — gold seized in a police raid, for example — comes from a protected area, meaning it has been illegally mined. It’s called “gold fingerprinting” — tracing the origin of gold samples with high precision.
Tracing gold is like looking at a person’s DNA, experts say
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Gustavo Geiser, a federal police forensics expert, stands beside the reference collection of gold samples seized in investigations across the Amazon and neighboring countries at the National Institute of Criminalistics in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
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Gustavo Geiser, a federal police forensics expert, stands beside the reference collection of gold samples seized in investigations across the Amazon and neighboring countries at the National Institute of Criminalistics in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
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At the lab, sparkling gold flakes are kept in tiny, coin-shaped vessels, but the most valuable thing about them is the data they hold. Each speck is unique because while it forms in nature, inside a rock or a riverbed, the gold deposits absorb particles from the area, such as traces of silver and copper.
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And that’s the fingerprint. It allows the investigators to determine if gold seized during a police raid was actually mined in the area its purported owner claims it came from, or if it was illegally sourced from a national forest or Indigenous land — in which case its analysis would match stored data from the protected area.
Gustavo Geiser, a federal police forensics expert, says the method has been developed since 2019 in collaboration with Brazilian universities. The investigators use tools such as X‑ray fluorescence spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy and laser ablation mass spectrometry.
“As we advanced, the forensic examinations became increasingly complex,” Geiser said, but the question before them was always the same: “Where did this gold come from?”
If the forensics prove a gold sample was illegally mined, the information then helps police build a case and move forward with further investigations and possibly charges.
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Criminals insert illegally mined gold into legal markets
Bags containing soil and sediment samples collected during federal police operations against illegal mining are stored for forensic analysis at the National Institute of Criminalistics in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
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Bags containing soil and sediment samples collected during federal police operations against illegal mining are stored for forensic analysis at the National Institute of Criminalistics in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
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Those involved in environmental crimes in the Amazon frequently resort to fraud to introduce their goods into legal markets, not just when it comes to gold but also for cattle and timber. Lately, a worldwide surge in gold prices has only spurred on the mining rush in the Amazon rainforest.
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Amazon Mining Watch, a platform that uses satellite imagery to track mining, estimates that about 496,000 hectares (1.2 million acres) of rainforest have been cut down for mining since 2023, including some 223,000 hectares (551,000 acres) in the Brazilian Amazon.
Brazil’s Federal Court of Accounts, its top audit institution, said last year there was evidence indicating that mining permits granted by the National Mining Agency to small-scale miners were being used to pawn off gold extracted from protected areas in the Amazon.
Greenpeace, in its own independent report in May, based on publicly available records, satellite imagery and aerial surveillance, detailed how the scheme works.
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A forensic expert handles a gold-bearing sample during analysis at the National Institute of Criminalistics in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
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A forensic expert handles a gold-bearing sample during analysis at the National Institute of Criminalistics in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
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On paper, an owner of a legally authorized mine in the Amazon would declare that tons of gold had been extracted at that mine.
However, satellite and aerial imagery would show that there had not been any activity at the site of the legal mine. Meanwhile, images of bordering Indigenous lands, where mining is banned, would reveal large-scale mining operations — a “ghost mine” scam as Greenpeace calls it.
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A federal court in Para, a northern state severely impacted by illegal mining, issued an order this month for institutions like the Central Bank and the National Mining Agency to enact effective control and traceability of all gold, from the mines to the markets. Brazil’s federal prosecutors also filed a lawsuit against the National Mining Agency, seeking better oversight of mining permits.
Prosecutor André Porreca, who is leading the case, said the permits have become a front used “to launder gold extracted by criminal organizations from Indigenous territories and protected areas.”
Geiser, the forensic expert, says the Brasilia gold lab is an important piece of the puzzle that helps battle crime and strengthen global gold supply chains.
“Being able to state that it (gold) has a legitimate origin and therefore is valid for inclusion in a country’s or a bank’s financial reserves, I believe provides solidity not only to the market but also to the countries’ financial bonds,” he said.
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There is no data on how many criminals the lab has helped put behind bars, but Geiser says crime networks have recently begun exploiting neighboring countries such as Venezuela, French Guiana and Suriname, to launder illegally mined gold. Samples from abroad have made it to his lab, where they have joined the constantly growing database, he said.
The growing crime has also forced regional countries to strengthen collaboration through the Amazon International Police Cooperation Center, headquartered in the Brazilian city of Manaus.
Illegal gold mining leads to devastating mercury contamination
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A laboratory container labeled mercury is visible at the National Institute of Criminalistics in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
A laboratory container labeled mercury is visible at the National Institute of Criminalistics in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
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The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest and a key regulator of global climate, so anything that degrades it could accelerate global warming, researchers say.
A 2023 analysis by MapBiomas, a nonprofit that monitors land-use, said that over 90% of Brazil’s mining is taking place in the Amazon region, with nearly 40% of it illegal, in protected areas.
Though illegal gold mining is a relatively small driver of deforestation, compared to agriculture, the harm it inflicts on the environment is nearly impossible to reverse — especially because of the use of mercury to extract gold. Once the gold is separated, the mercury is released into the rivers, contaminating water sources and fish essential to Indigenous life.
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A 2023 study by Fiocruz, a Brazilian science institute, said 21.3% of fish in Amazonian markets exceeded the World Health Organization’s safety limits for mercury levels — with children between 2 and 4 years old consuming mercury at levels up to 31 times the recommended maximum.
Brazil signed the U.N. agreement known as the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which commits it to eliminate mercury use in gold mining.
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A federal police forensic expert works at an electron microscope analyzing gold samples at the National Institute of Criminalistics in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
A federal police forensic expert works at an electron microscope analyzing gold samples at the National Institute of Criminalistics in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
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The Ministry of Mines and Energy published a draft this month on easing out mercury that’s up for debate, meant to take place until Aug. 7. Federal prosecutors have urged that Indigenous groups — the ones most affected by the contamination — be consulted, but that has not yet happened.
A total ban on mercury would both curb environmental contamination and also bolster forensics investigations, according to Geiser of the federal police, whose lab can detect any traces of mercury in its samples.
“It will make it even clearer that any mining using mercury … is illegal,” he added.
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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Tricia Penrose, who played barmaid Gina Ward in Heartbeat’s Aidensfield Arms for 18 years, has bought The Goathland Hotel – the real-life setting used in ITV’s long-running show.
The news marks a new chapter for the York stone pub in the pretty North York Moors village of the same name where so many village goings-on and rural crimes were mulled over.
Flashback: The Aidensfield Arms, aka The Goathland Hotel. (Image: The Press)
The Goathland Hotel is popular worldwide for its role as the Aidensfield Arms in the TV series which ran from 1992 to 2010.
Announcing the news on Instagram, Tricia Penrose, whose character Gina Ward married PC Bellamy in the TV series, said: “I have some exciting news to announce.
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“I am now the proud owner along with 2 local businessmen of The Goathland Hotel well known as The Aidensfield Arms where I played Gina Ward for 18 years.
“Gina’s going home!! Woohoo!! I will be setting up a YouTube channel to let you know what events will be taking place etc etc.
“I will be over there in my pub next Tuesday 28th from about 11.00. It’s very exciting xxxx.”
The Aidensfield Arms from Heartbeat. (Image: Submitted)
The recognisable pub in Goathland, on the North York Moors, has long been a draw for Heartbeat fans and tourists. It previously ran under the same family ownership for more than 41 years before being sold to Penrose and her business partners.
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Heartbeat actress Tricia Penrose buys The Goathland Hotel. (Image: The Press)
Most of the internal scenes in the pub were filmed there and many of the features seen in Heartbeat can still be seen today. As a result of its fame, The Goathland Hotel welcomes thousands of visitors throughout the year from fans of Heartbeat from across the globe.
Heartbeat, set in the fictional village of Aidensfield and filmed across North Yorkshire, became one of ITV’s most popular dramas. The Aidensfield Arm, as depicted in the show, was a central hub for village life, with Penrose’s character Gina Ward a firm fan favourite.
The bar in the pub from Heartbeat. (Image: Submitted)
The actress, now 56, appeared in the series from 1993 until its final episode in 2010, becoming one of its longest-serving cast members.
Since leaving the show, she has worked as a radio presenter on Radio Wirral and appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2013. She also released two music singles in the early 2000s.
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The purchase caps a notable year for the actress, who married her second husband, Chris Hargreaves, in May.
Her return to the pub marks a full-circle moment for fans of the show.
An expert has claimed this common drink could already be in your fridge at home
09:50, 25 Jul 2026Updated 09:51, 25 Jul 2026
A top nutrition expert has warned that your body can start drying out before you’re even properly sweating. With the weather heating up across the UK, people are being reminded that reaching for water
Verónica Chazín, speaking on Spanish radio show ‘Herrera en COPE’, said the body is battling to keep its core temperature at 37 °C during intensely hot weather – and all that behind-the-scenes effort can drain fluids faster than people realise. The important message is not to wait until you feel rough before you act.
In a twist that’ll make water lovers do a double take, Chazín said plain water isn’t actually the best for keeping you hydrated. She claims a common drink in most UK fridges could be a better solution for people wanting to stay the most hydrated.
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She said: “Although water is the hydrating drink par excellence, it is not the one that hydrates us the most.” For some, research suggests that milk can keep hydration levels up for longer.
Verónica added that milk’s mix of protein, carbs and minerals help our stomachs to cling on for longer, when compared to plain water. Coconut water and isotonic drinks also score well when it comes to staying topped up in soaring temperatures.
The NHS claims that water is “a healthy and cheap choice to keep you hydrated”, but backs the idea of adults drinking lower-fat milk, such as semi-skimmed, 1% fat or skimmed milk and unsweetened plant-based drinks to help with hydration needs.
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It is important to bear in mind that milk is not suitable for everyone to drink. Key groups who should avoid or limit regular cow’s milk include infants under one year old, people with lactose intolerance, and individuals with a milk protein allergy (like casein or whey).
What you eat matters too
Verónica highlighted water-heavy produce to help you keep cool, with watermelon leading the way. People could also top this up with things like cucumber, melon, pineapple and tomatoes.
She also warned against living on “just salad” unless it’s actually got some proper fuel in it. Her advice was to add protein like salmon, tuna or eggs, and she also suggested legume-based salads to keep meals balanced without feeling heavy.
Alternatively, she advised skipping the kind of meals that sit in your stomach. Things like rich, fatty dishes and big, heavy plates that make digestion work overtime and crank up your internal heat.
Alcohol got a clear thumbs-down too, because it doesn’t “help” hydration at all. Verónica said “It’s not just that alcohol doesn’t hydrate me, it actually dehydrates”.
As for signs you’re already running low, she listed headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and a dry mouth. Another clue your body is waving a red flag is if your urine is dark and you’re going less often.
People shouldn’t wait for those alarms to start drinking, and Verónica suggested having water every hour or two, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
Katie Price heads to the nail salon in a skimpy white crop top and tiny denim shorts after vowing to hold conman husband Lee Andrews to account for ‘hurting other people’
Katie Price was seen heading to a nail salon for a touch of pampering on Friday, after vowing she’ll hold her conman husband Lee Andrews to account for ‘hurting other people’.
The glamour model, 48, has reportedly reached the ‘end of her tether’ with the so-called businessman’s behaviour, after he was thrown in a Dubai jail for the second time.
Katie showed off her vast array of tattoos in a skimpy white crop top and denim shorts as she headed to a salon in Sussex.
The star has spoken out against Lee after the disgraced businessman was finally denounced by his family.
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Katie spoke to her sister Sophie on their podcast about her husband of seven months, who earlier this week was released from his second spell in Dubai‘s Al Awir prison after being hit with fraud claims.
Days after Lee was heard reportedly trying to sell a sex tape of the couple, her sister branded him ‘a disrespectful d***head’ to which Katie insisted she would ‘delve deep’ into claims about his fraudulent activities.
Katie Price was seen heading to a nail salon for a touch of pampering on Friday, after vowing she’ll hold her conman husband Lee Andrews to account for ‘hurting other people’
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The glamour model has reportedly reached the ‘end of her tether’ with the so-called businessman’s behaviour, after he was thrown in a Dubai jail for the second time
Her vow comes after Lee’s family turned against him, with his sister Kelly and friends releasing a statement about his ‘incredibly painful’ behaviour.
In her latest podcast clip, Katie said: ‘In fact, I’m going to get Ben [the producer of Katie’s podcast] to interview him and Ben is going to delve in deep and I want to hear everything and it’s too much and I don’t like people hurting people.
‘That’s all I’m saying on it, I’ve not put anything up online, so you’ve heard it here for the first time.’
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Talk turned to the reports that emerged claiming a voice note allegedly sent by Lee to a friend captured him discussing a sex tape that ‘might go for a pretty penny’.
In the alleged recording, Lee reportedly says he needs to ‘get cash quickly’ and suggests the tape could earn him £250,000. He reportedly backtracked when he learnt that it would be illegal, saying he had only been joking.
When the sisters discussed the scenario, Sophie said: ‘I think that’s disgusting,’ to which Katie replied: ‘Can I just say something, number one I’ve not done a sex tape with Lee . He has said it in a voice note which I sent to you but he was joking in it…
‘But besides all of this, there is so much coming out about Lee and everyone saying ‘why isn’t Katie talking’. Do you know why I’m not talking, because there is so much, I’m just not commenting anymore.
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‘I commented when he went missing but he’s in prison and I will be questioning him about a lot of things when he’s out. I’m just getting on doing what I’m doing. There is so much, there is no smoke without fire.’
Sophie responded: ‘The fact that he’s even talking about you in that context to his mates is f***ing out of order and he’s a d***head,’ to which Katie interjected: ‘Well, it wasn’t to his mates, it was someone professional’.
Katie showed off her vast array of tattoos in a skimpy white crop top and denim shorts as she headed to a salon in Sussex
The star has spoken out against Lee after the disgraced businessman was finally denounced by his family
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Katie spoke to her sister Sophie on their podcast about her husband of seven months, who earlier this week was released from his second spell in Dubai’s Al Awir prison
Days after Lee was heard reportedly trying to sell a sex tape of the couple, her sister branded him ‘a disrespectful d***head’
Her vow comes after Lee’s family turned against him, with his sister Kelly and friends releasing a statement about his ‘incredibly painful’ behaviour
Talk turned to the reports that emerged claiming a voice note allegedly sent by Lee to a friend captured him discussing a sex tape that ‘might go for a pretty penny’
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Katie said: ‘Can I just say something, number one I’ve not done a sex tape with Lee . He has said it in a voice note which I sent to you but he was joking in it…’
A clearly outraged Sophie replied: ‘Even worse.’
Following the sex tape scandal, Lee’s family have also spoken out.
Lee’s family statement came from a friend on behalf of his sister. The statement read: ‘Kelly Andrews and I just want to take a moment to speak the truth. Recent information shared has brought forward evidence that has left us both shocked…
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‘We are the first to admit when we’re wrong, and now that there is proof, we feel it’s important to acknowledge that. We also want people to understand that this involves Kelly’s brother, which makes this incredibly painful for their family…
‘The Lee we knew was never like this, which makes it even harder for us, as his sister and as a friend, to get our heads around everything that’s come to light.’
Despite the fractious nature of the situation, Katie still seemed to be seeing the good in her husband as she took to Facebook to share an image of his widely-discussed hair growth.
Sharing an image of Lee, she placed a message over the top reading ‘My man’, while circling the side of his hair and writing: ‘Hair growth journey. Handsome husband.’
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Lee left fans dumbfounded when he left prison with a full head of hair – having gone in with a thinning thatch and discussion of having a hair transplant.
New technology telling passengers what stops are coming up was one of the many upgrades brought to Greater Manchester when it brought buses back under local control.
But calls are growing for northern accents to replace the neutral automated sounds which keep bus passengers updated every day.
It’s not just buses either, at Manchester Piccadilly train station an automated voice using what seems to be received pronunciation – also known as King’s English – is often what keeps commuters updated.
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Rob Drummond, Professor of Sociolinguistics at Manchester Metropolitan University, is one of those asking for a switch to local voices on public transport and in public spaces across the city region.
He’s from the south east but has become an ‘adopted northerner’ having lived in Bolton since 1999, and believes using northern accents on local transport could make a massive difference.
“People might say there are more important things to worry about, but it’s a nice thing, and it gives people that extra opportunity to have a bit of pride in their community,” he said.
“The more people hear their voices around the more they feel comfortable. Unfortunately, we still live in a world where people do get mocked for the way they speak.”
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A research project by Professor Drummond called Westminster Voices focused on how speech can impact politics.
His findings were referenced by Leigh and Atherton MP Jo Platt earlier this month during a debate about accents.
Speaking to the Northern Agenda newsletter recently, the MP said: “Regional accents continue to shape perceptions of competence, authority and credibility in ways that are often subtle but deeply consequential, influencing opportunities in politics, the workplace and public life.
“As someone who grew up in Salford and has lived in Leigh for more than two decades, like many people from working-class backgrounds, I have questioned whether sounding different would make me appear more professional or more credible.
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“That experience is far from unique, and it raises important questions about why we continue to associate certain accents with competence, authority and intelligence.”
Professor Drummond argues that having local accents in public places as opposed to ‘default’ RP voices could be a way to start tackling such issues over accents and how they are perceived.
He said: “I think there should be more accents. I live in Bolton and a few years ago I got on a bus and I was really struck by how it had a Bolton accent [making announcements] on it.
“This was before the Bee Network, the bus company had run a competition for the voice on the bus. It really struck me as being a really nice thing.
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“The fact that it’s an RP-type voice now means either someone has not given it any thought and its just a default voice that’s used in all sorts of places, or if they have given it some thought they’ve decided we need the voice to be understandable by as many people as possible, and that it needs to be RP to do that.
“But we are in the region here so everyone is going to understand a local accent from Greater Manchester.
“I would definitely encourage them to make that switch.”
The calls to ditch automatic voices for northern ones have also been backed by Jon-Connor Lyons, a Councillor in central Manchester who grew up in Newton Heath.
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He told the LDRS: “The Bee Network has been transformational for Greater Manchester. Combined with the £2 fare cap, it has made public transport more affordable and more accessible for people across our city-region.
“What better way to celebrate Greater Manchester continuing to lead the way than by giving our Bee Network buses a proudly Mancunian voice? It might seem like a small change, but it would reflect the warmth and identity of the place we all call home.
“With Andy Burnham now serving as our Prime Minister and taking the success of Greater Manchester’s £2 fare cap nationwide from January, our city-region is once again showing how bold Labour ideas can become national policy.
“The Bee Network is about more than getting from A to B, it’s about building pride in our communities, and a Mancunian voice on our buses would be a fitting celebration of Greater Manchester’s culture, confidence and leadership.”
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One place that passengers are likely to hear local voices making announcements is on Northern trains.
The company said it drafted in its own staff to record announcements which are made on board its services, having ditched the ‘default’ automated voice used across the country.
“Announcements on board our trains are voiced by real colleagues who work for Northern,” a spokesperson said.
“Our network is home to some of the most distinctive and proud regional identities in the country, and we believe that it’s important for our announcements to reflect the diversity of the people and places we serve.”
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It was pointed out that many of the announcements made at Manchester Piccadilly train station are voiced by actual staff during their shifts, so these do reflect the variety of accents of people who live and work in Greater Manchester -not everything is done by default.
But with Greater Manchester at the start of a new era, being home to the Prime Minister’s Number 10 North, more people are asking for the region’s public spaces to reflect the voices of the people from here.
Transport for Greater Manchester was contacted for comment.
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