President Donald Trump’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Dan Caine, is seeking an “off-ramp “ from the ongoing war in Iran, according to a new report.

Caine has privately told other top administration officials that the country needs to find a way to exit the war, according to CNN, which cited three sources familiar with the matter.

Despite Trump claiming throughout the war that a peace deal, which would include his demand that Iran never obtain a nuclear weapon, was within reach, fighting has continued for more than five months.

“Caine is looking for an off ramp,” one of CNN’s sources said.

The general’s meetings with Trump officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are just to make clear the limitations and pitfalls of different military options, according to the sources.

Joseph Holstead, a spokesperson for Caine, told CNN, “We do not discuss the Chairman’s confidential conversations with the President, the Secretary, or other senior leaders, nor do we comment on anonymous, agenda-driven characterizations of those conversations by sources who were not privy to them”.

A White House official praised Caine’s know-how, calling him an “incredible asset to President Trump’s national security team.”

“The General always provides accurate, unbiased information and a host of options to the Commander-in-Chief, who ultimately makes decisions based on what he feels is best for US national security”, the official said.

The Independent has reached out to the White House, the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Department of State for comment.

Trump’s war has primarily been an air campaign, relying on fighters to launch strikes against Iran instead of deploying ground troops. Caine and other Trump officials privately think it’s unlikely that an air campaign alone can put enough pressure on the Iranians to agree to a deal that’s favorable to the president, according to multiple people familiar with recent discussions who spoke with CNN.

Meanwhile, Trump has denied recent reports that the US military’s weapons stockpile is dwindling.

“The U.S. has massive amounts of ‘munitions,’ especially of certain types. Additionally, large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the U.S. as needed. Defense companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history.

“The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down. Long term jail sentences will be sought!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday.

Trump’s threats came after Reuters reported Tuesday, citing two unnamed sources, that the Army has used “virtually all” of its long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems and Precision Strike Missiles.

A recent report has also found that the Pentagon is running low on missile interceptors.

The US military had 2,330 Patriot systems and 452 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems before the war, according to the report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. As of July 27, an estimated 759 to 827 Patriot systems and 234 to 278 THAAD systems remain, the report said.

During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said US military operations in Iran have cost an estimated $37.5 billion. He also asked Congress for an additional $67 billion to, in part, replenish weapons stockpiles, blaming the Biden administration for not properly funding the Pentagon.

The price of gas has also surged during the war, sitting above $4 a gallon Friday, according to motor club AAA. The price of a gallon of gas was just below $3 at the start of the war, according to the Associated Press.

Just 28 percent of Americans said they approved of Trump’s handling of Iran in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

In a statement on its website, a Bristol Airport spokesperson said: “Due to a defect on the runway, we have temporarily suspended operations as a precaution, in order to inspect and repair the section affected.

“We apologise for any inconvenience. Safety is always our number one priority. Customers should refer to their airlines with any flight queries.

“All flights are currently suspended until at least 06:00 tomorrow morning (Saturday 8 August).”

City of York Council said its contractor will repaint the lines in Markham Crescent, off Haxby Road, as the work “clearly hasn’t been completed to our high standards”.

The ‘quadruple’ yellow lines left in Markham Crescent, York, on Friday (August 7) (Image: Newsquest)

Residents said workers repaired the strip off tarmac on Thursday (August 6) and repainted the double yellow lines.

But they said workers then returned on Friday and painted a second pair of lines on top.

One resident said the lines had resulted in “utter confusion” for motorists.

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Naj Mahmud, from the Park View guest house on the corner of the street, said he was left speechless by the work.

“I have no idea [why they did it],” he said. “I have nothing to say. They just did it.”

He said it was “definitely” not a good job.

A City of York Council spokesperson said: “This work clearly hasn’t been completed to our high standards, something our external contractor accepts.

“It has confirmed the work will be redone by the end of this weekend at the latest, after which it will be inspected by our highways team.”

Pictures circulating online appear to show actors Jack P. Shepherd, Lucy Fallon, Tina O’Brien, and Julia Goulding visiting the popular restaurant in the town centre.

The stars, who are best known for their roles as David Platt, Bethany Platt, Sarah Platt, and Shona Platt on the long-running ITV soap, were seen posing for photos with staff during their visit.

The social media posts quickly caught the attention of residents and Corrie fans, with many expressing their excitement at seeing some of Weatherfield’s most recognisable characters in Bolton.

The stars have recently been in the area, spending Monday filming at Le Mans Crescent and Bolton Crown Court, with the town centre transformed into Weatherfield’s courtroom.

The scenes are expected to form part of Sarah’s forthcoming trial, one of Coronation Street’s biggest storylines of the year.

Police allege the businessman, who has not yet been identified, met the men in question on an online dating site and invited them to his salon on separate occasions

A man has been charged after an investigation into alleged sexual offences inside a his own hair salon.

Detectives began investigating in June this year after two men, 34 and 37, alleged that the incidents had taken place at a salon on Gardeners Road, Rosebery in Sydney’s south.

Police allege the owner of the business, who has not yet been identified, met the men in question on an online dating site and invited them to his salon on separate occasions. It is alleged that the men unknowingly ingested a substance before being sexually assaulted.

After extensive inquiries, detectives arrested a 39-year-old man at the business, which has not been named, at about 11am local time on Friday August 7.

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A New South Wales Police spokesperson said: “In June 2026, detectives attached to South Sydney Police Area Command commenced an investigation after two men, aged 34 and 37, were allegedly sexually assaulted at a hair salon on Gardeners Road, Rosebery.

“Police will be alleged the owner of the business met the men on an online dating site and they were invited to the salon, where they unknowingly ingested a substance before being sexually assaulted.

“The two separate incidents allegedly occurred on Sunday 8 March 2026 and Monday 25 May 2026. Following extensive inquiries, detectives arrested a 39-year-old man at the business at 11am today (Friday 7 August 2026).

“He was taken to Mascot Police Station, where he was charged with two counts of use intoxicating substance to commit indictable offence, and two counts of sexual intercourse without consent.

“The man was refused bail to appear at Bail Division Court 7 tomorrow (Saturday 8 August 2026).”

A dolphin leaped out of the sea to the delight of Dorset kayakers as the UK prepared for its fifth heatwave of the year.

Paddlers off the coast of Weymouth, Dorset, were surprised by the sight of the dolphin, which emerged from the water and rose 4ft into the air.

Captured by Mark Flanders, who was on the Sea Kayak Dorset outing, the dolphin was lit by bright sunshine as the kayakers enjoyed a break from the 20C Dorset heat.

And it is likely many more will be heading to the seaside as the country prepares for its fifth heatwave this year, with highs of 36C expected.

Yellow heat health alerts will run from 9am on Saturday until 9pm on Tuesday, advising of potential impact of the warm weather on health and social care services.

And it is likely the annual record for days exceeding 30C in temperature will be broken next week.

The current record, 34 days, was set in 1995 but the UK has already seen temperatures reach 30C or more on 33 occasions this year.

A high of 36C is expected in parts of East Anglia and south-east England by Thursday, the Met Office said, following heatwaves in each of the last three months.

Sunbathers took advantage of the warm weather at Brighton beach on Friday as the country prepared for the fifth heatwave of the year

The highest temperature of the year was 38C recorded at Lingwood in Norfolk on June 28.

There have been more than 2,800 excess deaths associated with the heatwaves, which have fuelled drought and wildfires.

Forecasters said the weekend will see a north-south split in the weather with Scotland and Northern Ireland likely to see spells of heavy rain, while England and Wales will remain largely dry, sunny and increasingly warm.

Temperatures could reach 30C on Saturday, before climbing into the low 30s in southern and south-east England on Sunday.

Highs of up to 30C are possible across parts of England and Wales on Tuesday, increasing to 32C to 34C on Wednesday, with the highest temperatures currently expected on Thursday.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow heat health alerts for the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber and London.

Amid the continued heat, the National Trust has begun a petition calling on the Government to make tackling climate change a national mission.

In London’s Greenwich park, the once-lush green grass had turned a scorched brown after four heatwaves in the last three months

After England saw its driest July since records began, the Queen Mother reservoir in Berkshire was filled below average for the time of year

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Wildfires have burned across the country, including at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, Headon Warren on the Isle of Wight, Llanwonno in the Rhondda Valleys, South Wales, and the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland.

Fires are likely to become exceptionally severe – the highest ranking – on Sunday for almost all of the east and south-east of England, according to the Fire Severity Index.

The Met Office data includes rainfall, temperature and humidity and agencies use the index to assess the severity of fire if it starts. It does not predict the chance of wildfires occurring.

Reservoir storage in England has dropped to 69 per cent, down from 72 per cent a week ago and nearly 12 percentage points below the long-term average for the time of year, the Environment Agency said on Friday.

Storage stood at 85 per cent at the end of June, which was the average for that time of year, but has fallen steadily in recent weeks.

Five reservoirs are now classed as having ‘exceptionally low’ levels after England and Wales saw their driest July since records began, the Met Office said.

Nineteen counties across England recorded effectively no rainfall – 1mm or less – across the whole of the month.

‘It’s time James’ killer faced up to justice and saw the trauma he has caused me and my family repeatedly’

The mum of murdered toddler James Bulger says she has no doubt that if Jon Venables is released he will harm or kill again.

It comes as she is fighting for Venables to have his fresh bid for freedom heard in public – warning he is still a danger.

Venables, only 10 when he tortured and murdered two-year-old James, is due to have a new parole hearing. But James’ mum Denise Fergus and her husband Stuart have applied for it to be held in public after his last was behind closed doors.

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Denise told the Mirror: “Enough is enough. It’s time James’ killer faced up to justice and saw the trauma he has caused me and my family repeatedly…

“It is important everyone knows the real truth of his crimes and that he still poses the greatest danger to other families like ours and the wider public. I have no doubt that, if released, he will harm or kill again.

“A public hearing would help explain how risk is assessed and managed by the parole board. It would also be a great opportunity for authorities to show just how rigorous the parole system is. A public hearing would not only allow justice to be seen to be done but we would finally feel listened to as a victim’s family.

“I truly believe James’ killer’s further convictions as an adult make it an exceptional case and mean that it is hugely in the public interest in how the parole review is conducted. We are ready to face him in a public hearing. We urge the authorities to allow this to happen.”

In February 1993, Venables and Robert Thompson, who was also 10 at the time, murdered James after snatching him from a Merseyside shopping centre. Venables, now in his 40s, was released on licence in 2001 from a life sentence.

But he ended up being recalled in 2010 after indecent images of children were discovered on his computer. Venables was released in 2013 but recalled in late 2017. In 2018, he was jailed for possessing child abuse images. Venables admitted charges of making incident images of kids and one of having a paedophile manual.

In 2020, Venables was refused parole after an assessment. He also had a bid for freedom rejected in 2023, with the Parole Board reportedly saying: “After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and on licence, and the evidence presented in the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public.

“It noted the risks as set out above, doubted Mr Venables’ ability to be open and honest with professionals, and concluded that there remained a need for him to address outstanding levels of risk, and to develop his relationship with his probation officer.”

Today, details published on the government’s website by the Parole Board state: “The Parole Board has received an application from Denise and Stuart Fergus for the Parole Board hearing in the case of Jon Venables to be heard in public.”

Reasons listed for the application are summarised, including “significant public interest in the case”. Meanwhile, another point states: “The Applicants say they are exposed to extensive social media discussion about the case, and that greater transparency may help address misinformation, which is an issue that continues to have a retraumatising impact.”

In addition, the couple “argue that the prisoner should have to face up to his offending by way of a public hearing, especially given that he has committed further serious offences as an adult”.

With no chance that Sony will reverse their decision to stop supporting physical media on the PS5, a reader offers suggestions for how they can at least make the transition more bearable.

By now the dust has somewhat settled and it’s clear that from 2028 onwards any new releases on PlayStation 5 will be digital-only. And I imagine the PlayStation 6 will not have any disc drive whatsoever.

Given that I own a Legion Go portable PC the issue isn’t necessarily a digital-only future but the fact that Sony will have a monopoly on the sale of PlayStation 5 and games going forward and how currently their digital storefront is anti-consumer in terms of pricing and refunds.

Here’s my suggestions of ways Sony could, but almost certainly won’t, reduce the sting of a digital-only future.

Cheaper games

Wishful thinking this, I know, but if there’s no manufacturing costs, no distribution costs, and no third parties such as GAME, Argos or whoever cutting into Sony’s costs and profits perhaps some of that could be passed onto the player. However, I shan’t hold my breath, and I imagine when the next generation arrives prices will only rise.

More consistent pricing

This somewhat ties in with my previous gripe.

I wrote into the Inbox recently regarding some of the prices of games on the PlayStation Store. Specifically, the Assassin’s Creed series, as I’d recently started playing the Black Flag remake. I pointed out that most of the series are priced at £50, despite some being nearly a decade old, and all of them are priced much cheaper at other outlets in physical form.

A few people stated that the games had been on sale recently for a fraction of the price, £8 or thereabouts if I recall, and that people should just wait. To me this misses the point. It’s known that at certain times of the year sales will occur and if you want to wait that’s fine. However, I think players should still feel able to buy an older game on a whim and that prices should be reasonable at all times and not excessively raised outside of sales just so that Sony can make it seem a better deal than it really is.

Loyalty scheme

If I’m not mistaken, I think I recall Sony saying that at present 82% of all games sales are digital. I do wonder if this reflects a more casual audience who might only buy games every so often and don’t pay attention to gaming news, as I feel there’s been a fairly vocal backlash in the comments and pages of gaming media.

This makes me wonder if there’s a sizable amount of people, like myself, who utilise trade-in, selling and buying second-hand, and shopping around in order to be able to buy games regularly throughout the year.
In some ways then, it would make sense to reward players who are regular customers with a reward scheme, though it has to be one that is worthwhile in which players can accrue points at a decent rate.

Perhaps players could earn points not only through purchasing games but playing games, earning achievements and engaging with social media. So, for instance, uploading a screenshot or achievement to Instagram or other platforms would result in points earned. This surely is a win-win. Players get points that can be exchanged for store credit and in return Sony has free publicity to expand their player-base.

Better practices

I’ve heard it’s a better game these days but back in the early PlayStation 4 days I pre-ordered No Man’s Sky. I played it for an hour and really didn’t enjoy it. I asked for a refund or store credit, but this was denied. I was pretty annoyed. For me this is a poor policy. I think a two-hour window like Steam seems reasonable to expect a refund, even if just for credit.

I don’t know much about which games are currently offered as part of the game trials on the top tier of PlayStation Plus. However, I feel all upcoming first party games should be added and this should be expanded to other tiers of PlayStation Plus.

Pay monthly

This is less to do with the games themselves but more the inevitable PlayStation 6. I think now most people are resigned to the fact that it’s going to be over a grand. I’m sure at first it will still sell well but when the initial hype dies down, I think Sony will struggle to hit the heights of other consoles in terms of sales figures. With the cost of living and given how much the next generation of games could cost, I think many people will struggle to find that kind of disposable income.

However, why not introduce a pay monthly option? We’ve done the same with other tech, such as mobile phones, for years. I thought the Xbox All Access was a great idea. Perhaps Sony could do the same.

Imaging instead of forking out a huge wad of cash you instead pay a monthly sum over two or three years. And maybe even this would include access to PlayStation Plus and a certain amount of store credit.

So there you have it. I’m not sure if these are feasible ideas. Possibly not. But hopefully Sony will do something to take the sting out of an all-digital future.

By reader Matc7884

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.

Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.

MORE: Why does nobody like racing video games anymore? – Reader’s Feature

MORE: The PS5 is going to be the last console and Sony know it – Reader’s Feature

MORE: How PlayStation should have handled the news about going all-digital – Reader’s Feature

Not since the days of hysterical teenagers chaining themselves to rock stars’ railings has anyone been in such dogged pursuit of a celebrity.

When I say ‘celebrity’, I’m not talking about a devastatingly handsome action movie hero or pop star. In fact, I’m not overly familiar with my idol’s face at all – largely because it’s covered with the 20in bin-shaped helmet he wears.

I am, of course, referring to Count Binface, the comedian and satirical writer Jon Harvey whose alter ego – an intergalactic space warrior, leader of the Recyclons from the planet Sigma IX – has been aiming his ray guns at my home town of Clacton-on-Sea in Essex since the beginning of July.

His target, I should make clear, is the constituency’s on/off (currently off) MP Nigel Farage who, not seeing the stealth attack coming or taking it seriously when he did, has been taking quite a hammering.

I can’t help imagining one of those whoop whoop klaxons – of the type that followed a Klingon strike in Star Trek – regularly going off at the Reform UK HQ, with everyone diving behind filing cabinets, and deputy leader Richard Tice gasping: ‘She cannae take any more, captain!’, as sparks rain down on his quiff.

Yes, it’s a laugh. We in Britain have a long tradition of subversive humour, but the story behind this particular challenge is deadly serious and one that nobody – least of all Nigel Farage – can afford not to take seriously.

To recap, Clacton’s Summer of Fun kicked off on July 7 when Farage resigned as its MP, a seat he had held since 2024, thereby triggering an immediate by-election.

He did this amid extensive scrutiny over his finances, including a £5 million gift prior to the General Election from Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, as well as benefits received from George Cottrell, aka Posh George, a convicted fraudster, who lives in Montenegro.

Count Binface, the comedian and satirical writer Jon Harvey’s alter ego, is Nigel Farage’s main challenger in the upcoming by-election 

Farage insisted the money was simply generous gifts from rich friends, and that he had done nothing wrong. But an investigation was launched by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

At which point Farage, as the row over the ‘gifts’ escalated, resigned – halting the investigation – and took the case directly to the vote, for ‘the people of Clacton to decide’.

He framed the stand-off as a fight between ‘the people and the political establishment’, who were trying to scupper his very real chances of getting into No 10.

When the then Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed the resignation as nothing other than a ‘political tantrum’, all the major parties colluded in a total boycott of the by-election and refused to field any candidates against him.

Enter, stage left, a man with a bin on his head, calling himself Count Binface. And my heart leapt.

Here was a chance, I thought, for my town – the place I was born, went to school, had my first kiss, first heartbreak, the place my dad’s ashes for ever swim in the sea in which he taught me front crawl – to finally receive the spotlight it deserves.

For this is a community with many problems – including an ageing population and very few prospects for young people – which deserve to be taken seriously, without pity or condescension.

Clacton has been the butt of jokes for decades. I should know, I’ve been on the receiving end of many of them. First, it was the Kiss Me Quick hats and association with Butlin’s, then came Benefits by the Sea, the 2015 TV series which focused on the community of Jaywick, a village to the west of Clacton, known locally as an unemployment and crime hotspot.

‘Talking to the people of Clacton, on another blisteringly hot day this week, it’s clear Farage is a divisive figure,’ writes Julia Lawrence 

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A poster urging voters to back Count Binface. Clacton’s Summer of Fun kicked off on July 7 when Farage resigned as its MP, a seat he had held since 2024, thereby triggering an immediate by-election

It was named as one of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK, with statisticians duly informing the nation that 62 per cent of working-age residents were on benefits. It made good TV. It also made a mockery of a hard-working and proud community – including members of my family and my friends who still live there and don’t deserve to be laughed at.

Then, in 2024, came Nigel Farage, who was welcomed with open arms.

After all, Clacton is the only constituency to have elected a UKIP MP at a General Election (Douglas Carswell in 2014) and was considered by many to be the beating heart of Brexit, with 70 per cent of the town voting ‘out’.

But could a new wave of political and democratic history now be made on my native turf by a man with a bin on his head?

If so, I’d be damned if I let it pass me by. Binface was soon being interviewed on BBC Radio 4, on Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart’s podcast The Rest is Politics, and Good Morning Britain, as well as on countless news outlets around the world.

I listened as he laid out his manifesto to the BBC’s Justin Webb.

He said he would ‘build at least one affordable home’. He would cap bus fares at £1.99 and 99 ice creams at 99p. He would spend more time in Clacton than in Mar-a-Lago (Farage is famously good pals with President Trump) and ‘will not accept £5 million gifts from crypto millionaires (on Earth)’.

What better guide, I figured, could he have than me, showing him around the town? So I approached his PR. We could go on the pier, I suggested. I could feed him chips through the slit in his bin.

Nigel Farage is polling at about 71 per cent and Count Binface at an estimated 20 per cent – and rising

Count Binface was also there on stage in Wigan in June, right next to Andy Burnham, at the Makerfield by-election, and stood against Boris Johnson in 2019 and Rishi Sunak in 2024

My sister could take him to her beach yoga class. My mum, who still lives in the town, would be happy to offer him a bed for the night if he missed his spaceship home.

While we’re at it, we could work on a few extra points for his manifesto, such as holding a giant party on the A12 (you might as well, it’s closed often enough), setting up a summertime concentration camp for jellyfish and launching an inquiry into whether the coins in the penny falls slot machines are actually glued on.

Thus began my month-long pursuit – two black and green council bin collection cycles, if you will – of my new hero. Emails and follow-up emails were sent, all politely received but to no avail. He must be a very busy bin indeed.

There was nothing for it: with the by-election now just days away I decided to go back to Clacton myself, in the hope of bumping into him on the campaign trail.

I went to the town centre, the pier, even famously genteel Frinton-on-Sea, which also falls within the constituency. No luck.

I was puzzled. After all, he’s not shy. He has appeared at some of the most significant moments of British politics, starting in 2017 as Lord Buckethead (no prizes for guessing the costume) before being forced to change his name because of a copyright clash with a character created by a Hollywood filmmaker.

Count Binface was also there on stage in Wigan in June, right next to Andy Burnham, at the Makerfield by-election, and stood against Boris Johnson in 2019 and Rishi Sunak in 2024. He has also run twice against Sir Sadiq Khan in the London mayoral elections.

On each of those occasions, he failed to make enough votes to cover his £500 deposit (he polled just 95 in Makerfield). But in

Clacton… well, all that could be about to change.

‘Clacton has been the butt of jokes for decades. I should know, I’ve been on the receiving end of many of them,’ said Julia Lawrence 

Anti-Farage sentiment is hotting up in the town, with Count Binface the obvious outlet for Clacton’s frustration. It’s turning into a direct shoot-out – or Phaser challenge – between the two. Mano v Bino.

Currently, Farage is polling at about 71 per cent and Count Binface at an estimated 20 per cent – and rising.

Talking to the people of Clacton, on another blisteringly hot day this week, it’s clear Farage is a divisive figure, both loved and loathed in equal measure, meaning Binface could be in with a chance.

Sandy, enjoying a coffee in the town square, describes Farage as ‘a lot of talk and not a lot of action’, and says she will be voting for Binface.

As does business owner Zoe, who owns a refills shop in the town. ‘It’s a protest vote,’ she says, explaining her thinking. ‘Against how ridiculous this whole by-election is. And he can’t be any worse than what we’ve had before.’

Sisters Maureen Stephenson and Sheila Wiggett, out for a stroll on the seafront, do not agree.

‘The Bin,’ they tell me, ‘needs locking up’.

Loyal to Farage, Maureen insists: ‘He’s the only one who never lies and knows exactly what’s going on.’

A couple walk along Clacton’s seafront. It is the only constituency to have elected a UKIP MP at a General Election (Douglas Carswell in 2014) and was considered by many to be the beating heart of Brexit, with 70 per cent of the town voting ‘leave’

A Reform UK bus in Clacton. The area was named as one of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK, with statisticians duly informing the nation that 62 per cent of working-age residents were on benefits

Lyn, from the town’s wool shop, won’t go that far, but she’s voting Farage anyway as, with options as they stand, she ‘really can’t see the point’ of doing anything else.

Paul Crawley, meanwhile, a 63-year-old financial adviser, father of four and grandfather of seven, from Frinton, has taken a decisive stance. He’s erected a ‘Vote Count Binface’ and ‘I Can’t Wait for Bin Day’ placards on his front lawn – a mere 100 metres or so from where Nigel Farage has a house.

He is also active on the Binface Appreciation Facebook group, of which there are currently 116,000 members. ‘I think Farage is a charlatan. It is a waste of the public purse and an unnecessary election caused by a hissy fit. It’s become a circus and I am cross about that,’ he tells me.

‘I don’t think he’s spoken once for our area in parliament. I don’t think he’s helping the people at all. There are issues here. Look at youth unemployment, social care and the depleting town centre.

‘This town has a lot going for it, but it needs employment and it needs a good MP, one who does more than traipse around Mar-a-Lago while shilling for gold bullion.’

But is Binface, or Jon Harvey, that MP? As some of the townsfolk agree, they could do a lot worse. Bright, self-made and politically opinionated, he was born in Croydon, the son of an alcoholic estate agent, whose ‘chaotic’ home life saw the family move 11 times in his first 11 years.

After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in Literae Humaniores (the classics course favoured by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, among others) he began working as a scriptwriter for satirical television programmes such as The Thick of It and Have I Got News For You.

There’s a Countess Binface too: his actress wife Sarah, plus their two little bins.

And there’s a heart under that warrior’s breastplate. He raises money to fund his escapades selling T-shirts, caps and mugs – half of the proceeds from which he gives to Shelter, the homeless charity.

Look hard, and you’ll identify a satirical message behind some of the silliness of his campaign pledges. Take his policy on building ‘one affordable home’: the joke here, of course, is that this is far more achievable than the guff in most serious manifestos.

And his pledge to ‘lower your taxes but raise everyone else’s’. Isn’t that what new PM Andy Burnham is said to be proposing? Reforming property taxes to shift a greater financial burden onto homeowners in London and the South-East?

While no one actually expects Binface to win, there’s always an outside chance. It has happened before, remember, though admittedly by a man in a white suit, not with a bin on his head.

In the 1997 General Election, the BBC war reporter Martin Bell won the seat of Tatton as an independent ‘anti-sleaze’ candidate, defeating the incumbent Conservative MP Neil Hamilton amid the ‘cash-for-questions’ political corruption scandal.

Count Binface himself has conceded that while Nigel Farage is likely to win ‘numerically’, he would not win ‘morally’.

And if he’s right, he’ll be welcome to join me for a sundown cup of tea at our beach hut any time he likes.