Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Resources, Jackie Taylor, said: “We recognise that part of being an open and transparent council is giving people the opportunity to engage with us directly.
“The petitions process, and ultimately the Petitions Committee, gives people that opportunity.”
A number of changes as to how the Petitions Committee will function moving forward was agreed at a recent meeting of the Executive Committee.
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Zia Yusuf has been mocked after apparently announcing plans to introduce a crackdown on illegal working that already exists.
Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman said his party would introduce a so-called “Deliveroo Law” if it wins the next election.
He said it was aimed at stopping British firms from employing immigrants who do not have the legal right to work in this country.
Unveiling the plan on Thursday, Yusuf said: “Under this legislation, company directors will be held personally responsible and criminally liable for systemic illegal working within their businesses, regardless of whether they claim personal knowledge of individual breaches.
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“If a company accumulates material immigration breaches, or fails to demonstrate compliant right to work checks, its executives will face up to five years in prison.”
However, the government website makes clear that sanction is already in place for bosses who employ illegal workers.
It says: “You can be sent to jail for five years and have to pay an unlimited fine if you’re found guilty of employing someone who you knew or had reasonable cause to believe did not have the right to work in the UK.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “Employers who break the law face severe consequences, including fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker, business closures, licence revocations and prison sentences of up to five years.”
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Max Wilkinson, the Lib Dem home affairs spokesman posted on X: “Oh dear Zia Yusuf! It’s already illegal and the offence carries a prison sentence of up to five years. What a pillock!”
Labour chair Bridget Phillipson said: “This is Reform’s latest desperate attempt to deflect attention from the ever-growing catalogue of scandals engulfing Nigel Farage and his party.
“This Labour government is already cracking down on illegal working. Since July 2024, illegal working enforcement activity has reached record levels, with arrests up 83% and raids up 77%.
“Rather than trying to distract the public, Farage needs to come clean and explain why he did not declare his secret £5million ‘gift’ from a crypto billionaire. The public deserve better than a party who clearly think the rules don’t apply to them.”
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The US celebrity blogger sparked widespread concern on Tuesday, with viewers alerting emergency services, who then attended his Miami home and used crisis intervention techniques.
Hilton, real name Mario Lavandeira, was transported to hospital for medical evaluation, after which his family thanked the public for their ‘overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and prayers’ as they focus on his recovery.
In the aftermath, several celebrities and public figures have spoken out on the distressing incident, with Price vowing to ‘reach out’ to him, having been friends with the media personality for years.
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Price and Hilton, both 48, first met in Los Angeles in 2008 during filming for her reality show, Katie and Peter: The Next Chapter, with then-husband Peter Andre.
They then shared the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2015, with Price going on to win the series and Hilton (whose provocative antics sparked controversy with other housemates) evicted on day 29.
Price first met Hilton while married to Peter Andre in 2008 (Picture: Most Wanted/Shutterstock)
They appeared in Celebrity Big Brother together in 2015 (Picture: Shutterstock)
Speaking about her long-time friend’s mental health crisis, Price told The Sun: ‘I am really concerned for Perez and his mental health. It’s so sad to see him like this.
‘I’m shocked by what has happened. I’ve always liked Perez.’
‘I’ve spoken to him so much over the years, including about surrogacy,’ added the mum-of-five; Hilton has three children born via surrogacy.
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She added: ‘I will reach out to him and his family.’
Price went on to liken her public persona to Hilton’s, with the columnist famously embroiled in numerous lawsuits over the years for his use of sensitive celebrity content.
‘I’m a celebrity like him – controversial,’ stated the former glamour model. ‘He’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but then again, neither am I.’
Hilton is receiving treatment in a Miami hospital (Picture: Cover Images)
Price has made no secret of her own struggles throughout her career, including severe depression, two breakdowns in 2018 and 2021, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and a suicide attempt.
Over the years, she’s stayed in private mental health hospital The Priory and had therapy to help her understand her conditions and navigate triggers.
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Ahead of her recent Sky documentary airing, the I’m A Celebrity star admitted: ‘When I had my breakdown, I don’t think people really knew how bad it was and how it affected people in my life.’
Meanwhile, Hilton, who rose to prominence in the 2000s with his gossip website, spoke highly of Price after becoming friends.
Writing on his site after their first encounter, he said: ‘They were good fun. We had a lovely time chatting with Jordan and Peter.
‘Their self-deprecating humour is definitely appealing. In fact, Jordan is totally cool if we continue to slag her off. And you know we will! We chatted about tons of juicy stuff.’
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Price has spoken openly about her own mental health breakdowns over the years (Picture: Aimee Rose McGhee/Dave Benett/WireImage)
The latest on his medical state is that he’s ‘able to communicate’, with his family issuing an update via his blog amid the ‘incredibly difficult’ time.
‘This has been incredibly difficult and emotional for us, made even harder because very little information has been made available to our family,’ they added.
‘While we continue to wait for further updates, we remain hopeful.’
Their message concluded: ‘We respectfully ask for your continued prayers, understanding, and grace as Perez continues to recover.
‘We will share additional updates as we receive confirmed information and are able to do so.
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‘For now, we’re taking things one step at a time and keeping our focus where it belongs, on Perez and his recovery.’
Social media platform TikTok issued its own statement after being condemned for allowing Hilton’s graphic stream to remain live for 15 minutes.
The company told Deadline that a ‘moderator error’ caused a delay in taking down the video.
Reform UK says it would pay members of the public for tip-offs that lead to successful prosecutions of High Street shops employing illegal workers if it gained power.
The party’s home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf said financial rewards under a “Turkish barbers tip line” would be paid from larger fines it would impose on firms using illegal employees.
It has pledged to fine larger firms up to 10% of their global revenues, and imprison the bosses of companies employing illegal migrants.
The Home Office said it was already increasing penalties for companies hiring illegal workers. A source within the department called some of Reform’s proposals “empty posturing”.
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Reform said that if it won the next general election, it would make chief executives and directors of large companies profiting from illegal workers personally and criminally liable.
That would be regardless of their knowledge of workers’ legal status.
The party said this would be similar to the personal liability of senior managers for the financial misconduct of their firms under Financial Conduct Authority rules.
Reform said it would also introduce a tip line for the public to report suspected illegal working or organised criminal activity.
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Speaking at a news conference to unveil the policy, Yusuf said Reform would make it a legal duty for local authorities to investigate every “credible report” they receive.
He said the reward scheme would emulate a system in the United States that rewards whistleblowers with a share of fines imposed after successful prosecutions of serious financial crime.
He added: “In terms of the exact percentage, that would be in the final legislation that we pass.”
US indie musician Bridgers, 31, and Irish actor Mescal, 30, began dating in 2020, having first connected over Twitter when Bridgers shared praise for Normal People. The couple, who were reportedly engaged, split in December 2022, with Bridgers now in a relationship with comedian Bo Burnham, 35.
A three-bedroom home in Wymondham didn’t meet the expectations of Homes Under the Hammer star Jacqui Joseph.
Homes Under the Hammer star Jacqui Joseph didn’t hold back as she shared her take on a three-bedroom property which included a “disappointing” feature.
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During Thursday’s episode of the popular BBC show, the long-running presenter visited the historic market town of Wymondham, located 10 miles from Norwich.
The town is known for its rich history and features one of the UK’s oldest pubs, which is believed to have opened in the 1300s.
While visiting the three-bedroom semi-detached property, which was up for auction, the presenter was impressed by its location, which was so close to transport links and essential amenities.
However, while inside the house, Jacqui shared her thoughts on the unfashionable decor. Standing in the hallway, she said, “Straight into your hallway, very neat.
“You’ve got textured ceilings, dated electrics. To my left, there is a full bathroom. That’s dated, that needs to go.
While in the kitchen, she expressed exhaustion: “The place is so dated. It really is. The size is not too bad, rip it all out and start again.”
With the bathroom being downstairs next to the front door, when Jacqui finally went upstairs, she shared her dissatisfaction. She said: Into the third bedroom, the final bedroom, a tiny compact double. But you have your boiler here – and actually, the boiler doesn’t look like it’s in a bad condition.
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“Boiler in the bedroom, I’m not a fan of. I would like to see that down in the kitchen area.”
She then added, “But what is disappointing is that there isn’t a bathroom up here.” Sharing her ideas, the presenter suggested that maybe whoever gets their hands on the property could potentially put in a bathroom upstairs.
Property developer Joshua and his brother Marcus purchased the three-bed property for £170,000. Marcus, who was working on the renovations, later shared what updates they made to the property.
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Although Jacqui was concerned about the layout, they still decided to keep the bathroom downstairs but replaced it with a brand new suite and tiles. They also included a new en-suite bathroom upstairs.
Marcus said, “With the space, it works. It really adds something to the room.”
Homes Under the Hammer airs weekdays at 11:15pm on BBC One.
A stark new assessment has revealed that a mere 14 per cent of England’s rivers, lakes, and coastal waters are currently in good ecological health.
The findings come from the Environment Agency’s first update in six years, conducted under retained EU legislation governing water quality.
This comprehensive evaluation scrutinised 4,658 of the country’s rivers, lakes, estuaries, canals, and coastal waters, measuring their health against a range of standards including wildlife populations, overall water quality, and the condition of physical habitats.
The report indicates that just 14.3 per cent of surface water bodies achieved an overall good ecological status in 2025, with widespread issues attributed to sewage spills, agricultural nutrient runoff, and pollutants emanating from urban areas and roads, such as litter, petrol, and garden pesticides. Alarmingly, only 15 per cent of rivers meet or exceed good ecological status, according to the figures.
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They also reveal England’s water bodies are falling far short of the government target to restore 75 per cent to good ecological status by 2027.
In response to the latest data, campaigners warned “nothing has changed” despite repeated government promises, and said England’s rivers were among the filthiest in Europe, poisoned by sewage and industrial-scale agriculture.
The 2025 figures are slightly down from the 16.3 per cent achieving good status in the last assessment in 2019, although the Environment Agency said they were not directly comparable as it had updated its methods, used a wider set of data and focused on places it suspected had problems.
The report indicates that just 14.3 per cent of surface water bodies achieved an overall good ecological status in 2025, with widespread issues attributed to sewage spills. (PA)
But the EA said the analysis showed that “too many water bodies are not achieving the standards we want to see” and it would use the data to direct action from companies, farmers, businesses and councils to improve the state of England’s waterways and lakes.
And every single surface water body continues to fail to meet a “good” chemical status, largely due to persistent chemicals in the environment including former flame retardants and “PFOS”- a former stain repellent and firefighting chemicals.
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These substances are now banned or heavily restricted in the UK but break down very slowly and persist in the environment for decades.
The rules mean that classification of water bodies is done on a “one out, all out” so that if a river, lake or estuary fails to meet good status in one of the elements it is assessed on – from fish, invertebrate and plant life to phosphate, ammonia and oxygen levels – it will fail to meet good ecological status overall.
The data show more than four-fifths (82 per cent) of individual indicators were good or high status, which the EA described as “encouraging”.
The 2025 dataset shows two-thirds (65.4 per cent) of water bodies achieve moderate ecological status, while 17 per cent are poor, 3.1 per cent are bad and just 0.1 per cent achieve high status.
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The assessment also looks at groundwater and finds that 41 per cent achieve good status, compared to 37 per cent in 2019.
The EA said the analysis showed that “too many water bodies are not achieving the standards we want to see.” (Getty)
Chair of the Environment Agency Alan Lovell said the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) classifications helped officials understand where water bodies were improving and where further action was needed.
“The results show that too many water bodies are still not achieving the standards we want to see.
“We share the public’s ambition for faster progress which is why we are transforming our enforcement work with better data, stronger powers and our largest ever enforcement workforce.”
He added: “We are using all our evidence to direct sustained improvement action from water companies, farmers, businesses and councils.”
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The agency pointed to improvements in phosphate levels in the River Roch to a “good” classification, following a catchment permit that required sewage treatment works upstream of the Manchester Ship Canal to remove more phosphate, improving the canal and other connected waters.
The EA also said it had stepped up its inspections of water company sites, and would be further increasing farm inspections from 4,000 to 6,000 a year over the next three years.
Environment secretary Angela Eagle said the results underlined the need for “wholesale change” across the water sector.
“Our local communities deserve to have clean local rivers and lakes,” she said.
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“We’ve already introduced landmark legislation to hold water companies to account, secured record investment to help fix infrastructure, and are laser focused on long term reforms that will prevent future failures.
“We will drive forward a system that puts the public interest first with higher standards, better performance and cleaner waterways.”
Environment Secretary Angela Eagle said the results underlined the need for “wholesale change” across the water sector. (Getty)
But chief executive of environmental charity River Action James Wallace said, “Despite successive governments’ promises, nothing has changed.
“Our rivers remain among the filthiest in Europe, poisoned by sewage from polluting, profit-driven water companies and by industrial-scale agriculture, including chicken manure runoff from intensive poultry units that rear tens of millions of birds for fast-food chains and supermarkets.”
And he said: “If the government is serious about restoring our rivers, it must use the upcoming Clean Water Bill to take back control of water companies from private profiteers and ensure they are owned and operated for public benefit, environmental protection and public health.
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“It must also tackle agricultural pollution with the same urgency, holding the biggest polluters to account, supporting the transition to nature-friendly agriculture and ending the regulatory failures that have allowed our rivers to become open sewers.”
A spokesperson for industry body Water UK said: “As the Environment Agency has made clear, the health of rivers, lakes and waterways is shaped by many different factors, including agricultural nutrients and urban and transport run-off, as well as sewage.
“Water companies are investing a record £22bn in environmental improvements by 2030.
“This will be the largest amount of money ever spent on the natural environment, and will help to secure our water supplies, support economic growth and end sewage entering our rivers and seas.”
Donald Trump is demanding jail for the ‘leakers’ who exposed his furious clash with Pete Hegseth over hidden missile shortages.
Confronted over why the President was kept in the dark, the secretary of war reportedly turned on his own deputy, according to the Washington Post.
The showdown reportedly unfolded at Camp David last Friday, where Hegseth insisted he was blameless and accused his number two, Stephen Feinberg, of presiding over the shortfall and failing to keep the President fully briefed.
The astonishing scene laid bare Trump’s mounting frustration with Hegseth, one of the loudest early cheerleaders for striking Iran, who had assured him the operation would be a swift and relatively painless win.
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Shortages of long-range guided missiles and air defense interceptors are among the reasons Trump has held back from launching further large-scale strikes against Iran in recent days.
Trump hit back at the report, denying any shortage of US munitions and insisting that interceptors are reaching American bases as needed.
‘The “leakers” of these treasonous statements are being hunted down. Long term jail sentences will be sought!’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The White House has denied the clash ever took place, however, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying: ‘This is 100% fake news. Literally never happened. And President Trump has the utmost confidence in Secretary Hegseth.’
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Donald Trump is demanding jail for the ‘leakers’ who exposed his furious clash with Pete Hegseth over hidden munitions shortages
Shortages of long-range guided missiles and air defense interceptors are among the reasons Trump has held back from launching further large-scale strikes against Iran in recent days
The showdown unfolded at Camp David last Friday, where Hegseth insisted he was blameless and accused his number two, Stephen Feinberg
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‘The “leakers” of these treasonous statements are being hunted down. Long term jail sentences will be sought!’ Trump wrote on Truth Social
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell joined the pushback, insisting Hegseth ‘did not mislead anyone’ about weapons stocks and never pointed the finger at Feinberg
Despite the denials, NBC News reported that Feinberg received a furious phone call from Trump himself on Friday evening, during which the President is said to have threatened to fire him.
The rattled deputy then hastily summoned top Pentagon brass to a late-night crisis meeting just hours after hanging up.
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Feinberg, 66, is a billionaire who chaired Trump’s Intelligence Advisory Board in his first term before being handed the Pentagon’s number two job.
The interceptor crunch is reportedly now so severe that it is changing how the military decides which incoming threats to shoot down.
Commanders are forced to weigh where a missile is headed before committing precious defenses.
Far from the quick victory Trump was promised, the Iran conflict has ground into a near six-month stalemate, with 18 American troops dead.
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Tehran has responded to these attacks by raining missiles on American bases and allies across the region and strangling shipping through the vital Strait of Hormuz.
A fragile truce brokered by Pakistan collapsed last month after Iranian attacks on tankers
A fragile truce brokered by Pakistan collapsed last month after Iranian attacks on tankers.
Trump declared US forces ‘locked and loaded’ for fresh strikes at the weekend, only to back down after appeals from Gulf allies, and he now claims talks with Tehran are restarting, something Iran denies.
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Enraged Trump vows to HUNT down ‘treasonous leakers’ after exposing his furious private clash with Pete Hegseth over munition fears
A US Senate committee has voted to hold former top health official Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after he refused to answer questions during a hearing focused on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The vote – which fell along party lines – means that the committee will refer the case to the justice department for potential prosecution for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena.
It is unclear if the department will do so.
Fauci invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination more than 100 times during his testimony last week, drawing the ire of Republican lawmakers.
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Former President Joe Biden gave Fauci a pre-emptive pardon on his last day in office in 2025, protecting him from federal prosecution for his actions between 2014 and 2025.
Fauci could, however, still face charges for anything after that date, including contempt of Congress.
Additionally, he could still be subject to state or local charges that are not covered by the pardon.
“The chair directed Anthony Fauci to answer. He refused,” Kentucky Republican Rand Paul said ahead of the vote. “That is what we are voting on today — not his opinions, not his policies, not anything he said from the podium six years ago. “
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“We are voting on whether a witness who has received the benefit of a federal pardon can be ordered by this committee to answer questions and then defy that order without consequence,” he added.
Olivia Attwood poses in a sheer bodysuit and a bikini as she opens up on ‘sham’ marriage to Bradley Dack and relationship with Pete Wicks in Cosmopolitan shoot
Olivia Attwood turned up the heat as she wowed in a sheer bodysuit and posed in a bikini for her latest Cosmopolitan shoot.
In her first interview since her split from Bradley Dack, the presenter, 35, doubled down on the couple’s ‘sham’ wedding and she made sure to look her best as she wowed in a collection of racy looks.
The former Love Islander went braless in a sheer black bodysuit which was adorned with embroidered black hearts.
In another look she relaxed by the pool in a multi-coloured bikini and shades, before covering up in a white fur coat for the cover snap.
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For her final look she slipped into a lace pink bra and silver sparkly miniskirt as she perused the drinks aisle of a supermarket for a summer tipple.
During the interview Olivia addressed her decision to not make her marriage to Bradley legally binding.
Olivia Attwood posed in a bikini and a sheer bodysuit as she opened up on her ‘sham’ marriage to Bradley Dack and relationship with Pete Wicks for her latest Cosmopolitan shoot
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The former Love Islander went braless in a sheer black body suit which was adorned with embroidered black hearts
The presenter and footballer, who split in January, never legally tied the knot despite marrying in a lavish ceremony that was broadcast by ITV.
Olivia admitted she didn’t sign any papers to protect her fortune because the relationship began experiencing ‘teething issues’ right after their wedding in 2023.
She told Cosmopolitan: ‘My sister said to me, “If it was a man who was skeptical about their partner’s honesty, and they didn’t legally bind themselves to a person, everyone would be like, “Good for you, because she would’ve taken half your money.”
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‘I did the same thing and they wanted to burn me at the f****** stake. Where would I be now [if we had signed?] It’s been hard enough untangling our lives.’
Olivia said she was ‘living in a grey area’ with Brad for years as she was blinded by the love she had for him, until one day she realised ‘everything suddenly lined up’.
She detailed the gut-wrenching moment a woman exposed her cheating ex and told her he had ‘gone back with a random girl’ on a night out.
It was the turning point that made Olivia end her 12-year relationship in January after discovering his infidelities.
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She said: ‘There was nowhere left for him to hide. As soon as I knew it had happened to me, I couldn’t stay. The only person I would be cheating is myself.’
In her first interview since her split from Bradley Dack, the presenter, 35, doubled down on the couple’s ‘sham’ wedding and she made sure to look her best in a collection of racy looks
During the interview Olivia addressed her decision to not make her marriage to Bradley legally binding (pictured during her wedding reality show with Bradley)
For her final look she slipped into a lace pink bra and silver sparkly miniskirt as she perused the drinks aisle of a supermarket for a summer tipple
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Olivia wrapped up in a white fur coat which she wore over a grey mini dress and black boots
Olivia accused Bradley of ‘cheating on her multiple times over 10 years’ at the time they split.
Olivia wrote previously: ‘I have stood by Brad for the last ten years during which he lied and cheated on me multiple times. The breakdown of our relationship is because of this.
‘I was in love with him and the potential I saw in him and wanted always to help him try to be the best version of himself – as I did for 10 years – covering up. Lying to my family and friends. Arranging therapy. Believing the grovelling apologies.
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‘I of course now feel like a f*****g idiot. (Especially as more things come to the surface) I never wanted to say any of this. I find the whole situation utterly humiliating.’
Olivia went on to speak about the moment she decided to walk away from the relationship, as well as confirming her relationship with ITV is strong following reports the broadcaster was ‘furious’ over the fake wedding scandal.
She continued: ‘This January when I was confronted at the screening of one of my shows by someone reporting to me yet another night he had gone back with a random girl – I decided it was time to finally leave.
‘I’m not losing my job, I’m not pulling the wool over anyone’s eyes. Yes I’m dating.
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‘Yes I’m getting up every single day even when I have cried all night to film the shows I love filming, record my podcast, record my radio show, shoot campaigns and somewhere in there TRY to move on.’
Olivia is with new boyfriend and long-time friend Pete Wicks and gushed about their relationship in the interview.
Olivia made repeated digs at his new love interest Emily Molony, as she admitted she was enraged and accused Bradley, 32, of ‘lying’ about his relationship with Emily, also 32.
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Pictures emerged showing Bradley and Emily on an outing, after which Olivia branded the influencer ‘a bench warmer’ and ‘side piece’.
Earlier this week, Olivia promised to release ‘messy screenshots’ that she claimed confirmed she had been lied to by Bradley.
However, her management apparently instructed her to be the ‘bigger person’ and not release the information about the situation.
A bomb disposal team were deployed to a Cambridgeshire service station after a suspicious package was found. Cambridgeshire Police were called to reports of a suspicious package inside the Brampton Services just before 5pm on Wednesday (August 5).
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Police put a 100m cordon in place and an Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team was called.
An EOD spokesperson said: “We can confirm that an Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) from Colchester Troop 621 Sqn, 11 EOD&S Regiment RLC, responded to Brampton Services on August 5, following a request from Cambridgeshire Police. The EOD operator identified the item as a hoax.”
A police spokesperson added: “We were called at 4.55pm yesterday to Brampton Services with reports of a suspicious package inside. A 100m cordon was put in place and the EOD were called. The cordon was removed by 9pm.”
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