The operation to bring alleged mob boss Daniel Kinahan back to Ireland finally got underway this morning.

Daniel Kinahan broke his silence as the operation to bring the alleged mob boss back to Ireland got underway. The country’s most wanted fugitive said he was “looking forward to getting back home”.

The 49-year-old is due to be flown back to Ireland on a Government jet. The Irish Air Corps €53 million Dassault Falcon 6X took off from Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel on the outskirts of Dublin at 10.30am on Saturday.

It will land in the United Arab Emirates city in the evening before Kinahan boards before the aircraft flies back to Ireland, landing at the Casement Aerodrome on Sunday afternoon.

Gardai – Irish police – are on board the direct flight to the United Arab Emirates as part of a complex operation that has been in the works and carefully planned for weeks, reports the Irish Mirror.

Scots podcaster James English, who runs the Anything Goes podcast, has shared a clip of an interview with Kinahan, who claims he is “looking forward” to getting back on Irish soil.

The 42-year-old Glaswegian, who interviewed Kinahan in 2022 before he and key allies were sanctioned by the United States, shared the portion of his interview with him on Saturday.

“I reckon the security is going to be crazy,” Kinahan told James English. “And I’m sitting here reflecting in the little phone box, s***hole box, and I’m thinking of what happened, how I got here, all the stuff that’s happened in my life, the whole lot just reflecting.”

Kinahan said he wanted to do “good things and big things” but life “didn’t go that way” for him.

“And when you look at things, you know everything’s in God’s hand. If anything happens, it’s the way it’s supposed to happen.

“And I’ve just been sitting, reflecting, and this place I’m after staying in is an absolute really bad s***hole. So I’m looking forward to getting home.”

He added: “And it’s crazy when you think of it. Think of the life of where I come from, where I’m born, everything that I’ve been through, and then going back to Ireland now, 25 years later.

“And I’m still the same as I was, still the same friends from when I grew up with, still the same people that I know.

“I was always proud to be Irish, and I wanted to do good things and big things. Obviously, life didn’t go that way for me. All the stuff from all the media, what people think of me, and the perceptions they have of me.”

He continued: “But I’m still so proud to be from Ireland. Proud to be from Oliver Bond flats and bred there.

“And the mentality, the humor, the food. I guess I’m gonna have a lot of that when I come back in anyway. So I’m looking forward to getting back home.”

The Director of Public Prosecutions has already ruled that Kinahan is to be charged with serious gangland offences in Ireland.

It is understood he is to face charges of directing a crime gang – an offence that can see anyone convicted of it jailed for life.

Khadeen Parris, 16, old died as a result of a stab wound.

A second man has appeared in court on suspicion of murdering a teenager who was stabbed in Northamptonshire last month.

Samwari Solomon, aged 20, of Motherwell, has been charged with the murder of Khadeem Parris. The 16-year-old died as a result of a stab wound following an incident at an address in Abington, on Tuesday, July 7.

Solomon appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court today. He was remanded into custody and will appear at Northampton Crown Court on Monday, August 10.

It comes after another man, Fuad Mohamud, appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on July 14, charged with Khadeem’s murder.

The 21-year-old, of no fixed address, appeared at Northampton Crown Court on July 15 where he was further remanded in custody until his next hearing on Monday, August 17.

A 19-year-old man, a 56-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender remain on police bail, pending further inquiries.

Police and paramedics were called to the property after the alarm was raised. A post-mortem examination later confirmed the teen had suffered a fatal stab wound, prompting Northamptonshire Police to launch a murder probe.

Khadeem’s devastated family paid tribute to their “funny, smiling boy” in a moving tribute. They described the tragic youngster, who was due to start college this month, as a resilient young man who was excited about the future.

They said: “Khadeem was such a funny, smiling boy. He was always singing, he loved a joke, and he was such a kind son – he had a kindness inside of him.

“He had such strength too. He had coped with such a lot in his young life and he was making plans and so looking forward to the future. He was ready and excited to be starting college in August to study to be a plumber and electrician, and really wanted to make the most of the opportunities open to him.”

The tribute also spoke of Khadeem’s love of computer games and football, and the special bond he shared with his older brother and younger sister.

His family added: “Words can’t explain how we feel at this time. We cannot understand it and we are utterly heartbroken at his loss. Khadeem, we love you, we miss you and you will always be in our hearts.”

A touching message has also appeared on social media from a Dundee woman believed to have been close to Khadeem. In a Facebook post, Courtney Blaney shared a picture of the pair and wrote: “Forever me n you Khadeem Parris rest easy my boy,” alongside a dove and white heart emoji.

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A riverside pub is one of the best stops in the Tyne Valley, customers say, describing it as a ‘charming pub in a lovely setting’.

Sunday lunch at The Boatside Inn, Warden (Image: The Boatside Inn)

The Boatside Inn, situated in the picturesque hamlet of Warden, is just a few miles west of Hexham and minutes from the A69.

It combines a traditional stone‑built pub, beer garden and B&B rooms beside the River South Tyne, making it a popular choice for motorists breaking their journey or exploring Hadrian’s Wall.

The Boatside Inn’s website said: “Whether you’re joining us for a relaxed lunch, an evening meal, a Sunday roast or a peaceful overnight stay, you’ll enjoy freshly prepared seasonal food, regularly changing specials, an excellent selection of beers, wines and spirits, and a warm Northumbrian welcome.

The Boatside Inn has ‘lovely and polite’ staff, reviews said (Image: The Boatside Inn)

“With comfortable guest accommodation, a peaceful riverside setting and award-winning food, The Boatside Inn is the perfect destination for visitors exploring Hexham, Hadrian’s Wall and Northumberland, as well as for locals looking to enjoy great food, quality drinks and genuine hospitality.”

Tripadvisor reviews praise the ‘lovely cosy’ atmosphere, ‘delicious’ food and ‘attentive’ staff.

One review said: “What a lovely place to eat. We happened on this place by chance on our visit to Hexham. We loved it so much we went for lunch two days in a row.”

Fish and chips (Image: Tripadvisor)

Another said: “Atmosphere is lovely. Food and drinks are so nice – we had soup of the day and some side dishes.

“It was delicious and just enough for us. After dinner we also ordered sticky toffee and raspberry crumble, which were amazing. Again, highly recommend this place with very friendly staff.”

One reviewer said it was the ‘best bar meal’ they’d eaten ‘in ages’.

“We were in the area for the races and a walk and booked online here. Lovely cosy pub, dog friendly, staff were attentive and very helpful re the menu choices. Service was quick, and food was amazing. Worth every penny. Well deserved after a long walk.”

Food at The Boatside (Image: Tripadvisor)

Another added: “Visited with friends for the first time and we all enjoyed the food and friendly service. The menu choices were nothing too fancy, with standard basic pub food on offer. The food was absolutely delicious and well presented. I have to say it was faultless and one of the best pub lunches I’ve had for a long time.”

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro offensive lineman Lane Johnson said Saturday that his 14th season would “probably” be his last.

Johnson missed four days of training camp this week for personal reasons before he returned Friday.

The 36-year-old Johnson was a first-round pick in 2013 and was a first-team All-Pro in 2017 and 2022. He earned second-team honors in 2021, 2023 and 2024.

Johnson took a leave of absence during the 2021 season as he battled anxiety and depression and has since shared his story at mental health clinics in the area.

He said his latest leave had more to do with family issues, specifically taking care of his parents, and that his priorities had shifted more toward life outside football.

“I’m looking potentially this is probably going to be my last year,” Johnson said after Saturday’s practice. “Just because I am getting to that point of, those priorities away from football are starting to merge. Not that I don’t enjoy (it), I love everything about this game, preparing for it, but it’s kind of where I’m at in my career.”

Johnson has been a pillar at right tackle and won a pair of Super Bowls with the Eagles.

“I still feel like I can be a premier tackle in this league,” Johnson said. “My movement and everything feels good.”

Johnson, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, said his potential retirement came into focus last season after conversations with his family and an injury-plagued season. He missed Philadelphia’s final seven regular-season games and the wild-card playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Johnson was suspended for 10 games by the NFL in 2016 for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. He was also suspended the first four games of the 2014 season for violating the policy.

He said his teammates already knew he was considering ending his career.

“I feel like planning on having a really good last year,” Johnson said. “I’m trying to soak in these last six months, seven months.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

By DAVID OLASEINDE

Published: 18:27 BST, 8 August 2026 | Updated: 19:33 BST, 8 August 2026

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Roger Craig revealed during his induction speech into the Pro Football Hall of Fame that he has vascular dementia.

The former San Francisco 49ers star running back spoke in a prerecorded video message while he sat on stage wearing his gold jacket at Tom Benson Stadium on Saturday. Presented by former teammate Jamie Williams, he received a standing ovation from the crowd and hugs from the many Hall of Famers on stage.

Nearly eight minutes into a nine-minute speech, Craig announced his diagnosis, saying his doctors believe “it may be related, at least in part, to the concussions” he experienced during his playing career.

“The changes were gradual,” Craig said. “At first, they were easy to dismiss as normal aging. Over time, my family noticed, too.”

Symptoms of vascular dementia, according to the Mayo Clinic, include: confusion; trouble finding the right words; difficulty paying attention; trouble organizing thoughts or actions; difficulty planning and following through with plans; slowed thinking; uncertainty about what to do next; and memory issues.

“Two things could be true,” Craig said. “Football gave me opportunities beyond anything I can imagine. It helped shape the man I became. At the same time, we know more today about brain health than when I played. I hope sharing my story encourages people to pay attention to their health and seek help when something doesn’t feel right.

“I want people to know that this diagnosis doesn’t define me. I am still Roger Craig. I am still a father, still a husband, a teammate, a friend and someone who loves this game and the people who brought it to my life. If sharing my story helps even one family or one former player, then it’s worth it. Football gave me everything: opportunity, discipline, lifelong friends and the platform to grow as a man. This honor belongs to my parents who started it all.”

Selected by the 49ers in the second round of the 1983 draft as a fullback out of Nebraska, Craig become one of the most versatile players in league history.

He excelled as a runner, receiver and blocker, helping the 49ers win three of their five Super Bowls.

In 1985, Craig became the first player in NFL history to have 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in a season. He was the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1988.

“When I learned that Bill Walsh wanted me, that meant something because he saw something in me that others didn’t,” Craig said. “He didn’t just want a running back, he wanted a complete football player. He trusted me to do whatever the team needed. That’s why a 1,000-yard rushing, 1,000-yard receiving season means so much to me. We weren’t chasing numbers. We were chasing wins. I didn’t realize I was making history. It just felt like we were doing something special as a team. Looking back, I can appreciate how difficult it is and how few players have done it since.

“What means the most is knowing we helped expand what people thought a running back could be. None of that happens without great teammates. What made those 49ers teams special: We weren’t selfish. We didn’t care who got the credit. We cared about winning.”

Craig was selected from the seniors category and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 with Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Donald Trump’s estranged niece has likened his suddenly voluminous hairstyle to Hermey the Elf from the animated “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” claiming the recent hair obsession mirrored one his late father went through as he struggled with dementia.

Speaking on SiriusXM host Dean Obeidallah’s YouTube show, Mary Trump reacted to viral online speculation surrounding the president’s hairstyle that was sparked during a campaign rally in Nevada this week.

“I’m not going to say anything about whether it looked good or not. I don’t really care,” Mary Trump told Obeidallah. “However, he looked like Herby the Dentist from ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ — that’s what, that was my takeaway.”

She went on to draw parallels between the president’s hair consciousness and his late father, developer Fred Trump. According to Mary, the elder Trump grew increasingly preoccupied with his hair loss after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, eventually wearing an ill-fitting toupee and dyeing both his hair and mustache.

“He would leave the dye on too long. So he would end up with a magenta mustache,” she said, adding that family members, including Donald Trump, found the situation embarrassing. “And now here’s Donald potentially… being all obsessed about his hair kind of like his dad.”

Obeidallah noted during the interview that the elder Trump began showing signs of dementia around the same age Donald Trump is now, questioning whether the sudden shift in appearance could be connected to cognitive changes.

President Trump has repeatedly touted having aced cognitive tests administered by his White House health team.

The commentary follows a flurry of viral reactions to the president’s speech at the Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, where he spoke on economic policies, endorsed local Republican candidates and referred to Canadian leadership as “nasty.”

Social media users quickly began debating the source of the president’s updated look.

“Is Trump rocking a wig, or what the hell is going on here?” one user user asked, after posting: “Trump’s hair, uh, has a lot more volume than normal.”

Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who previously voted to impeach Trump, also weighed in, posting on X: “Trump has a weave!!”

The official Democratic National Committee account posted a photo of the president from three months earlier featuring a flatter, slicked-back style to emphasize the contrast.

Supporters defended the president’s appearance.

“This is proof that President Trump is aging in reverse,” one supporter wrote on X. “His hair looks absolutely amazing today.”

The president has previously acknowledged his efforts to maintain his signature hairstyle. At a CPAC conference in 2018, he admitted to the audience, “I try like hell to hide the bald spot, folks. I work at it.”

During a 2015 campaign stop in South Carolina, he brought a woman on stage to verify his hair was real, and in 2016, he famously allowed host Jimmy Fallon to mess up his hair during an appearance on The Tonight Show.

The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.

Families could be stung with extra tax that eats as much as 91 per cent of inherited pensions from April, new figures for Wealth & Personal Finance reveal.

A tax ‘blind spot’ means bereaved families could be stripped of hundreds of thousands of pounds more from inheritances, according to calculations by financial services company NFU Mutual.

The tax trap will kick in when unspent pension pots start to be considered as part of your estate for inheritance tax purposes from April 2027.

Former Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the raid in October 2024 but failed to act on a clash between inheritance and income taxes.

A triple whammy could drive the tax hit on inherited pensions to eye-watering levels for those who die after age 75 – creating an even worse scenario than thought.

Here we explain the new rules, if your pension is at risk and what you must do now.

Pensions and inheritance tax

Pensions are among the most tax-efficient investments you can make. You receive tax relief at your income tax rate on savings up to an annual allowance of £60,000, and can take 25 per cent of your pot tax-free in retirement, paying income tax on withdrawals beyond this.

But pensions have also come with another tax benefit: unspent pots passed on at death fall outside of your estate for inheritance tax purposes.

This advantage has long led to financial advisers flagging pension pots as an inheritance-tax friendly way to pass on wealth. But Reeves decided to crack down on this in her autumn Budget in 2024, dragging pensions into the inheritance tax net from April 2027.

However, she ignored the fact that inherited pensions are not entirely tax-free. If you die before the age of 75, your beneficiaries can withdraw money from inherited pension pots free of income tax. But if you die after 75, they pay income tax at their marginal rate, which could be 20 per cent, 40 per cent or 45 per cent.

Recent official figures put the median age of death in England and Wales at 81.8 years for males and 85.5 years for females.

As pension withdrawals will be added to other income, even basic rate taxpayers taking out a meaningful sum are likely to get dragged into higher rate tax brackets.

Inheritance tax rules explained

Inheritance tax is charged at 40 per cent on an estate above the £325,000 tax-free threshold known as the nil rate band.

Your estate is the total value of everything you own when you die, including savings, investments, property and possessions, minus any outstanding debts.

The individual nil rate band can be doubled up to a joint total of £650,000 for married couples and civil partners, who can pass any unused allowances to each other.

A further allowance known as the residence nil rate band raises the threshold by £175,000 each if you leave your home to a direct descendant, which must be a child or grandchild. This creates an extra £350,000 for a married couple, to deliver a potential maximum joint inheritance tax-free total of £1 million.

However, the own home allowance starts being removed if your estate breaches £2 million, at a rate of £1 for every £2 above the threshold. There is no inheritance tax charged on assets left to spouses and civil partners. So, for example, it is possible for a husband to leave everything to his surviving wife inheritance tax-free. When she dies, her estate is then liable for tax.

How pensions could face a 91% hit

The new rules on pensions will drag some families into the inheritance tax net and deliver a heavy blow to others, depending on age, marital status and size of estate.

The greatest risk identified by NFU Mutual’s calculations is for a married couple with an estate on the cusp of where the residence nil-rate band is removed.

In this instance, the couple have a combined estate of £2 million plus pension pots worth a total of £700,000. For example, a £1.7 million home, £300,000 of savings and investments, and pension pots of £350,000 each.

Under the current rules, their pensions sit outside the IHT net, and if they died under the age of 75 their beneficiaries would pay no income tax.

If on the first death everything was left to the surviving spouse, they would benefit from a combined £650,000 nil rate band and £350,000 residence nil rate band, covering £1 million of their estate. On the second death, the remaining £1 million would face inheritance tax at 40 per cent, delivering a £400,000 IHT charge.

Their family would receive £2.3 million of their total £2.7 million wealth. From next April, they could face the triple whammy from the new pension rules of IHT, income tax and the sting in the tail of losing inheritance tax allowances.

With their £700,000 in pension pots counting as part of their estate, their residence nil rate band is completely lost. If their children withdraw the cash from the pension in full, they would pay 45 per cent income tax on it, if the surviving parent died after 75.

Experts at NFU Mutual say this would now mean an £820,000 inheritance tax bill and £219,326 income tax bill triggered on pension withdrawals, leaving the family £1,660,674 of their total £2.7 million wealth.

Financial advisers once flagged pension pots as an inheritance-tax friendly way to pass on wealth. But Reeves decided to crack down on this in her autumn Budget in 2024

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The extra £639,326 in tax paid equates to 91 per cent of the £700,000 pension pots.

More modest estates will also be hit

You don’t need a multi-million-pound estate to be hit by the tax raid. The double tax charge will impact a huge number of families bumped into the IHT net, says Sean McCann of NFU Mutual.

Single parents who do not benefit from combining inheritance tax allowances will be particularly hard hit. A 74-year-old unmarried mother with a £500,000 estate and £500,000 pension pot could currently escape inheritance tax, if she leaves her home to children.

But from April, her estate will be worth £1 million for IHT purposes, with £500,000 taxed at 40 per cent. If she dies after 75, income tax would also be due on the remaining pension, taking the total extra tax to £364,250, says NFU Mutual. This is the equivalent of 73 per cent of her pension.

So use your pension strategically

The changes mean you should no longer hold on to pensions for inheritance tax purposes, says Shaun Moore of wealth management firm Quilter.

You should no longer hold on to pensions for inheritance tax purposes, says Shaun Moore of wealth management firm Quilter

Spending them and keeping other savings could be more beneficial because pension pots risk double taxation, while Isas or standard accounts will only be subject to death duties.

McCann says you can consider taking your 25 per cent tax-free lump sum when you turn 75, as once it is out of your pension there will not be income tax on withdrawals for beneficiaries.

You can also make gifts to reduce the size of your estate, which can in turn lower the IHT bill. The individual annual gifting allowance of £3,000 can be used. Above this, money given away becomes free of inheritance tax if you survive for seven years.

A valuable exception is something known as ‘gifts out of normal expenditure’, where regular gifts made from surplus income fall outside of the IHT net.

Marianna Hunt, of Fidelity International, says: ‘Ask yourself if you might need this money in future. Care needs can significantly increase day-to-day living costs.’

> Read our essential guide to avoiding inheritance tax here

Writing for the Mirror, Shelter CEO Sarah Elliott slams Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s ‘cynical’ plans to ban non-UK nationals from social homes – ‘it is scapegoating, plain and simple’

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Another day, another cynical kick-about, where the basic human need for a safe and secure home is punted around like a political football.

Hot on the heels of Reform, who outlined a similar plan earlier this year, the Conservative Party announced on Thursday that it would ban non-UK nationals from social homes in a bid to ‘free up’ a supposed ‘228,144 homes’ for British families and evict existing tenants who aren’t UK or EU nationals.

It goes without saying that this plan is cruel. There are already strict rules on eligibility for social homes, and they are not simply handed out to people on arrival in the UK.

Many of the families targeted by this scheme have lived in the country for years or even decades. They settled here and built lives for themselves. They are our friends, neighbours, and colleagues. They work jobs and pay into the system. They are a part of the fabric of our country.

If this plan was rolled out, thousands of people would be torn out of the homes and communities they have spent their whole lives in, with just six months to secure a roof over their heads. Worse still, many will be put at risk of homelessness.

It’s important to remember that those evicted under the scheme will not simply disappear from the system. They will be forced into ludicrously expensive private renting, where rents have soared out of reach of local incomes.

Social rents cost on average about a third of private rents and, like anyone who sees their rent more than double overnight, many will be forced to rely on housing benefit to make ends meet. Those who can’t afford it will be made homeless. Councils are already shelling out billions every year on the sticking plaster solution of grotty and unstable temporary accommodation.

Announcing the plan, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately said social homes should not be given out as a ‘free ride on the benefits system’ and that ‘Britain cannot be a cash machine for the world’. But far from saving the taxpayer money, this plan will only serve to pile more costs on to already cash-strapped councils and public services that are stretched to breaking point.

And let’s not forget that social tenants pay rent, which goes back to the public purse and into society. It is completely senseless to ruin people’s lives, drive up homelessness and put extreme pressure on councils for a policy that simply cannot work.

Leaving aside the murky waters the Conservatives could find themselves in if they set about evicting people based on their nationality – a protected characteristic under equality law – let’s call this plan what it is: scapegoating, plain and simple. It’s an attempt by politicians to distract the failures of successive governments, including the Conservative Party, to address the root cause of the housing emergency: our dire shortage of social rent homes.

Social rent homes – where rents are pegged to local incomes – are the only genuinely affordable route out of homelessness for struggling families. For years, we have lost more than we’ve built through sales and demolitions and, last year, we only managed to build a measly 12,000 – just 13% of the 90,000 we need every year to end the housing emergency.

When you spell it out, it’s easy to see that the 1.3 million households who are on social housing waiting lists across England are stuck there because of the political failure to build the homes we need, not because of migration. Families who are trapped for months or even years in temporary accommodation are sick of struggling to hold down jobs and settle children in the appalling and insecure conditions they live with every day. But the good news is it doesn’t have to be this way.

There is a clear way for us to ensure everyone has access to a safe, secure and affordable home and that is to build a new generation of social rent homes. Is it possible? Absolutely. Not only that, we have done it before. In 1967, nearly half (46%) of all new homes built in England were for social rent and almost all (97%) were delivered by councils.

The Prime Minister hit the nail on the head when he said the solution to the housing emergency is to deliver the ‘biggest council house-building programme since the post-war period’. Councils know their communities better than anyone. They know the kinds of homes local people need, whether it is families looking for a permanent place for their kids to grow up or people rebuilding their lives after spending time on the streets.

Now the government must get on with the job of delivering on the Prime Minister’s vision by helping councils to get spades in the ground and removing the financial barriers that stand in their way.

Migrants didn’t cause the housing emergency, but like many of us, they have suffered the brunt of it. It’s time for politicians of all stripes to stop scoring cheap political points at the expense of their constituents and get on with the job in front of them. Anything else will be a distraction.

By ED HOLT

Published: 18:40 BST, 8 August 2026 | Updated: 18:41 BST, 8 August 2026

A runway defect at Bristol Airport has caused travel chaos as flights are cancelled or diverted hundreds of miles away.

Hundreds of flyers were stranded on Friday night as the airport was forced to close with dozens of people waiting in crowds at their departure gates.

Although flights did resume at 8am this morning, the airport warned that disruption would continue throughout Saturday.

Many holidaymakers were left with long and expensive journeys home after their planes were diverted to different airports across the country.

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Dave Blackwell, who was travelling from Rhodes, found himself 246 miles away from Bristol after his plane landed in Newcastle.

‘We were in Rhodes Airport for three hours with no information. Now we have all been told our flight is going to Newcastle and then a five or six-hour bus ride – why Newcastle? How appalling,’ he told BBC News.

Other flights were diverted to Bournemouth, Birmingham and Cardiff.

Last night, passengers reported that there was little communication from the airport with no announcements on the tannoy system for over an hour.

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EasyJet were said to be the only representatives in the departure lounge, which warned people travelling to and from the airport to expect significant disruptions.

Passengers at Bristol Airport have faced travel chaos after a defect was discovered in the runway (file image)

Pictured: Passengers queue outside Bristol Airport. Many flights were cancelled or diverted hundreds of miles away 

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Hundreds of people were pictured waiting inside the airport terminal 

Furious passengers stuck in the chaos complained of being left stranded in the airport and ‘appalling communication’.

One wrote on X: ‘EasyJet holding everyone hostage at Bristol Airport! Let us out! Let us out! Communication is appalling.’

A second added: ‘It’s disgusting. They’ve locked me in the gate 26 toilets. All I did was ask them why it was cancelled.’

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A third wrote: ‘Bristol Airport, what’s happening tonight? We are stuck in the airport with no clear guidance for 3 hours. Any information would be appreciated.’

One concerned parent said: ‘EasyJet I am livid!!!! Your flight from Dubrovnik to Bristol tonight has been cancelled and there are no staff there to assist.

‘My daughter has been told to go on your website and book another flight to Gatwick!! No mention of hotel! Pathetic!! Please dm me now!’

While another enraged passenger said their flight had been diverted hours away from Bristol to Newcastle.

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In a statement, Bristol Airport said: ‘Flights resumed at 8am today after we temporarily suspended operations yesterday. There’s some disruption to flights today. 

‘Customers should contact their airline with flight queries. We’re very sorry for any inconvenience caused while essential runway repairs were carried out.’