The man denied raping the victim

A “dangerous man” who raped a teenage girl in Cambridge has been sent to prison. Steven Coulson, 32, got into bed with the girl in the early hours of January 8, 2024.

He began touching her and she asked him to stop but he continued to touch her. When she tried to get out of the bed Coulson pulled her back and raped her, according to Cambridgeshire Police.

Police were informed and the 32-year-old handed himself in at Parkside Police Station on January 10. In interview, he denied raping the victim.

However, on Thursday, August 6, Coulson, of Newton Close, Cottenham, South Cambridgeshire, was jailed for nine years and nine months, having been found guilty of rape and assault a female 13 and over by penetration with part of the body at Cambridge Crown Court.

Coulson was also handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and restraining order as well as being placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Sergeant Molly Halksworth, who investigated, said: “Coulson is a dangerous man who took advantage of the victim so I’m glad he’s been brought to justice. I would also like to pay tribute to the victim’s bravery in coming forward and supporting us with a prosecution.”

Kim Kardashian and her boyfriend Lewis Hamilton showed their romance is stronger than ever as they posed for a string of loved-up snaps.

The Formula One star, 41, and the SKIMS mogul, 45, have been dating since February, and she even supported him at the Monaco Grand Prix in June.

Kim shared a post on Instagram offering a glimpse at her recent week, which included several selfies with Lewis, who has been enjoying the F1 summer break.

One snap showed the pair cosied up together in matching loungewear, while another showed Kim dressed in a low-cut white crop top.

Kim also offered a glimpse at her famous curves in a snap dressed in a skimpy pink and white bikini. 

In July, the British star made a rare comment about his ladylove at Silverstone Circuit racing venue during the British Grand Prix.

The SKIMS mogul also offered a glimpse at her famous curves in a snap dressed in a skimpy pink and white bikini

After a fan observed, ‘You’ve been a happier man recently, why’s that? Could that be a girlfriend?’ Hamilton responded: ‘Yeah, that’s a good one!’ 

He later added: ‘Of course, of course, it’s Kim.’

Earlier this summer, the sports star joined his girlfriend and her huge family on a lake trip.

He appeared in various photos she shared on social media, revealing he has met and spent time with the four kids she shares with ex-husband Kanye West, 49: North, 13, Saint, 10, Chicago, eight, and Psalm, seven.

Kardashian and West tied the knot in Italy in 2014, less than one year after North was born.

She filed to divorce the Chicago-born rapper in February 2021 and the split was finalised in November 2022.

Prior to West, she was married twice before – first to music producer Damon Thomas, whom she divorced in 2004 after nearly four years of marriage.

She later wed NBA player Kris Humphries in 2011, with the marriage famously lasting just 72 days. The divorce was finalised in 2013.

Kim shared a post on Instagram offering a glimpse at her recent week, which included several selfies with Lewis, who has been enjoying the F1 summer break

One snap showed the pair cosied up together in matching loungewear, while another showed Kim dressed in a low-cut white crop top (pictured)

The couple looked cosy as Kim held Lewis’s arm as they posed in sunglasses 

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The F1 star and the reality star looked more loved-up than ever in selfies 

Hamilton was first romantically linked to SKIMS founder Kardashian earlier this year, yet the Grand Prix marked their first PDA-filled outing. 

The pair enjoyed a trip to Japan together and they are said to have spent a weekend at Estelle Manor in the Cotswolds, England, as well as visiting Paris, France in early February. 

They also appeared publicly together during the 2026 Super Bowl in February, when they were shown on the stadium’s big screen during the game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.

Hamilton – who has previously been linked romantically with singer Nicole Scherzinger and actress Sofía Vergara – and Kardashian had known each other for several years before getting together.

A source told Us Weekly: ‘Because their relationship started with a friendship first, those closest to them believe this could be endgame for them both.

‘They are both very committed to making things work no matter how long the distance is or how busy they are.’

Meanwhile, Kardashian – who is mother to North, 13, Saint, ten, Chicago, eight, and Psalm, seven, with her ex-husband Kanye West – is said to be taking her new relationship seriously.

A source recently told PEOPLE: ‘[Lewis is] just an easy-going guy with great energy. Her family likes him and Kim’s very into him. They are both busy with their careers, but see each other as much as possible.’

They are said to have ‘more than just a casual connection’ with the insider adding: ‘It takes a lot to capture Kim’s interest and she’s definitely intrigued.’

French police did nothing more than watch as a baby and toddlers were carried aboard a dinghy to England.

Dozens of migrants clambered aboard the boat in the waves as tourists enjoyed lunch on the beach yesterday.

The youngest hauled aboard was a baby who appeared to be just months old. There were a number of other young children and women, too, alongside mostly young men.

Police apparently threatened to arrest the photographer who captured the images of French officers standing by as babies and toddlers were dragged on to the dinghy from the sea by their arms. 

The migrants motored off and were picked up in the middle of the Channel by a British Border Security Command vessel and taken into Dover.

The group of migrants were just a small portion of the 2,092 who have already crossed the channel since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister just three weeks ago.

Remarkably, they were boarding a small boat the French authorities had closely tracked for nine-and-a-half hours – and simply let it be – as it picked up multiple groups of passengers along the French coast.

The dinghy appears to have been launched near Dieppe at around 4am. 

This is far further south than from where boats usually leave, but people-smugglers are using new launch spots away from regular police searches. 

Soon after setting off it was followed by a French coastguard vessel – but only in case of a sinking.

After 40 miles it pulled in alongside Berck beach, then 12 miles further north it approached Camiers beach at around noon, where photographer Ioannis Alexopoulos saw the youngsters taken on board after groups of migrants had emerged from the dunes.

Mr Alexopoulos said: ‘Three police turned up, gendarmes in military clothes – but all they did was film, and threaten to arrest me if I kept taking pictures.’ 

French police watched on from the beach 

A toddler is dragged aboard as French police watch on

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Migrants wait in the sea to board a taxi boat to their dinghy

Life jackets for sale at the French sports superstore Decathlon in Dunkirk

This comes as the Daily Mail revealed that sporting goods stores in the northern French towns of Calais and Dunkirk have become key to the operations of gangs smuggling people into Britain.

Migrants appear to be buying up lifejackets en masse from the retailers, with the flimsy, €17.99 (£15.40) garments offering little protection against the perilous crossings they are set to undertake. 

This, however, is only the last step in a vast international supply chain spanning all the way to China, which is profiting off migrants’ desperation, misery and suffering. 

Last week it was revealed that the average number of migrants crammed onto small boats has more than doubled over five years to a record high under Labour.

Analysis found 66 migrants on average were packed onto each of the 219 vessels which have successfully crossed the Channel so far this year. They were carrying 14,561 migrants in total.

This was up from an average 28 per boat for the whole of 2021, when 1,064 vessels carrying 28,526 migrants made it to the Kent coast.

It was also an increase from the average 62 arrivals per boat last year and 53 in 2024.

The findings come amid a surge in the use of so-called ‘mega-dinghies’ capable of carrying more than 100 people as people smugglers shift their tactics.

Experts said it was likely because smugglers are starting to launch more boats away from Calais and Dunkirk, where distances between the French and UK coastlines are much greater. This means larger and more powerful boats capable of travelling further are needed.

Former head of UK Border Force, Tony Smith, said: ‘These mega-dinghies are clearly built to carry many more migrants than the original business model.

‘That suggests the crime gangs in Europe have moved towards manufacturing larger boats because the French authorities have at least done something in Calais and Dunkirk.

‘It’s much harder now to launch from some of those beaches that we’ve seen in the past.

‘They’re now moving further down the French coast, and the crime gangs have said we don’t need loads of small dinghies anymore because that’s going to be quite difficult to get people across.

Migrants board their dinghy at Ecault, France, before attempting to cross the English Channel

The migrants were rescued in the middle of the Channel trying to reach the UK and taken to Dover by a Border Security Command vessel

‘They’ve probably needed to start manufacturing larger vessels capable of travelling longer distances and carrying more migrants.’ 

In recent weeks, a new record was set for the number of migrants reaching Britain in one day. 

Official Home Office figures showed there were 752 arrivals on July 30, smashing the previous high of 710 set in June. 

And last month, two boats carrying 128 and 165 migrants respectively made it across the Channel, both smashing the previous record for the most-packed vessels to successfully make it to Britain.

At least 14 UK-bound migrants have died in the Channel this year, either by drowning or through suffocation aboard overcrowded small boats.

After previous Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer won the 2024 election, he ditched the Tories’ Rwanda deportation plan and instead focused on ‘smashing the gangs’.

In April, as part of the strategy, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signed a £662million deal over three years with France to crack down on crossings.

But while crossings are down 40 per cent compared to last year, Labour has failed to stop the boats completely.

And more enforcement in concentrated areas appears to have caused smugglers to try and launch boats from further away on the French coastline from Calais and Dunkirk.

New premier Andy Burnham faced criticism after gaining the keys to Downing Street last month and failing to mention the issue in his maiden speech.

It took him two weeks to visit Dover after he prioritised announcements on capping bus fares, slashing VAT on energy bills and unveiling his No10 North, which critics have branded a ‘gimmick’.

Calais was previously known for one such settlement, nicknamed the ‘Jungle’, which at its largest housed around 8,000 migrants – but was cleared by French authorities in 2016.

Around 700 migrants are still sleeping rough in the city, according to charity Care4Calais, whose possessions are often seized by police determined to stop another long-term camp forming.

And the port city of Dunkirk has become a similar hotspot, with thousands of asylum seekers living in tents in the Grande-Synthe and Loon-Plage areas of the city.

Facing an indeterminate wait for a crossing they have likely paid extortionate sums to traffickers for, the migrants often need to be prepared at a moment’s notice.

To do this, they seem to have been turning – of all places – to the sporting goods chain store Decathlon.

One branch in Dunkirk is in a retail park in the heart of the city’s Grande-Synthe suburb, an inland industrial area just off the motorway, to the west of the harbour and port.

Migrants living in the area, on arable and wooded land next to the busy D601 road, are understood to often catch the bus to the store.

When the Daily Mail visited this week, men, women and children could be seen walking from a complex of tents along the highway to reach a bus station outside a nearby shopping complex.

There, they appeared to buy essentials like food – many were seen walking back with large bags of baguettes – or travel onwards on the bus roughly 5km (three miles) to the Decathlon store.

Indeed, it was at a bus stop across the road from the chain sports shop where two people who appeared to be migrants could be seen waiting with lifejackets.

Rather than arriving by car – like most visitors to the retail park the Decathlon store is in – the men were on foot, buying only the buoyancy aids and no other gear before heading off.

Outside the front entrance to the shop, the Daily Mail spoke to another two men who had each purchased around a dozen lifejackets inside, which they had stowed in grey bin bags.

The pair, from Iraq, who wished to remain anonymous fearing for repercussions from the British government, confirmed they were set to use the vests to take a small boat to the UK.

When asked, ‘Did you buy lifejackets in there?’ and, ‘Is it for a boat crossing? Are you going to be on a boat to the UK?’ they simply responded, each time, ‘Yes’.

Migrants pictured leaving a local sports shop in Dunkirk rammed with lifejackets

Another man was spotted leaving the store with at least ten lifejackets. Like the Iraqi men, he had come prepared, bringing bin bags to carry them in

He was seen packing the vests just inside the exit from the store in Dunkirk, France

One man, who said the pair had waited with their relatives in France for two months to be able to cross, added: ‘We are with our family. These are not all for me!

‘We’ve had a long journey to get here. We’ve travelled a long way.’

The man wished our reporter a nice day before saying goodbye. It was sobering – while her day would carry on, his, with a perilous boat crossing imminent, might end quite differently.

It also suggested migrants appear to have to buy their own buoyancy aids – and that they are not covered by their extortionate crossing fares.

Another man was spotted leaving the store with at least ten lifejackets. Like the Iraqi men, he had come prepared, bringing bin bags to carry them in.

He was seen packing the vests just inside the exit from the store, before tying the bags together and slinging them over his shoulder. When approached by the Daily Mail, he did not respond.

A group of three other men were also spotted carrying similarly sized bin bags across the car park away from the store.

Purchases appeared to happen in waves – perhaps in line with and reactive to when a particular crossing was planned.

Indeed, over the three days the Daily Mail visited the Decathlon store in Dunkirk, all lifejacket transactions witnessed happened on a single day and in quick succession.

Inside the shop, there is plenty of choice – the shelves in the water sports section are full of orange lifejackets, immediately recognisable after years of migrant-related headlines.

Racks on racks – along with a large bin, sitting under a print of an ominously enormous wave – offered a range of sizes, with a high proportion designed for babies, of only 10 to 15kg.

Starting at just €17.99 for the most basic design – little more than polyester-bound foam – the aids ranged in price up to €89.99 (£77.20), for the most sophisticated gas cylinder-powered model.

Various combinations of whistles, additional straps and reflective patches saw other designs offered for €19.99, €29.99 and €34.99.

It was these mid-range versions which most often appeared in purchases witnessed by the Daily Mail. Buying ten, for example, might therefore set you back several hundred euros.

The gas-powered vests, meanwhile, were priced higher, at €54.99, €55 and €79.99 as complexity increased – with some even labelled as ‘tested and validated by French Lifeguards’.

Car washes and swimming pools could face a water ban as the record-breaking drought worsens with no rain in sight and a sixth heatwave of the year this week.

Some 27million people across England and Wales are already under a hosepipe ban as reservoir levels plunge amid an extraordinarily hot and dry spring and summer.

Nine water companies have brought in restrictions which mean customers are legally banned from using hosepipes to water gardens or wash cars, patios or boats.

Southern Water is among them, having imposed a ban in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on July 10 – but it could now go further by applying to the Government for a Drought Order and Non-Essential Use Ban (NEUB), which would affect businesses.

A NEUB would prevent companies from washing cars and windows with hosepipes or other mechanical devices, or filling non-domestic swimming or paddling pools.

The pool ban would cover facilities restricted to members of a private club, gym or association rather than general walk-in users. It would include pools at hotels, holiday parks or private health clubs if they do not meet open public access criteria.

An NEUB would also force businesses to stop watering outdoor plants on commercial premises; fill or maintain a pond; clean any vehicle, boat, aircraft or train; clean industrial plants; suppress dust; or operate cisterns on unoccupied buildings.

If Southern Water’s application is granted, it would be the first NEUB since one was given to Sutton and East Surrey Water in 2006 – which was itself the first since 1995.

A green square surrounded by dry grass at Maidenhead and Bray Cricket Club on July 25 

A sunbather reads while relaxing on the scorched grass of Hyde Park in London yesterday

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If the separate Drought Order application is successful, it would allow Southern Water to take the same amount of water from the River Test even if river flows are lower.

A Southern Water spokesman said: ‘Due to the ongoing dry weather, and following the declaration of drought in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, we have reached the trigger level requiring us to apply to Defra for a Drought Order and Non-Essential Use Ban in these areas.

‘These are precautionary measures and making an application does not mean they will be introduced. However, we must follow the regulatory process to protect water supplies and the environment if dry conditions persist.

‘Protecting the River Test remains a priority, and any future drought measures would be subject to strict environmental monitoring and controls.’

Eight other companies have brought in hosepipe bans so far – Affinity Water, Anglian Water, Cambridge Water, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, Essex and Suffolk Water, South East Water, South West Water and Thames Water.

The latest of these was South West Water which announced restrictions last Friday for all 1.8million customers across Devon, Cornwall, parts of Dorset and Somerset and the Isles of Scilly.

This week, parts of the UK are set to see their sixth heatwave of the summer with temperatures expected to reach 36C (97F) or higher.

The Met Office has warned of possible impacts to railway lines and power networks as forecasters consider issuing rare amber or red extreme heat warnings.

Today will be slightly cooler before temperatures rise again tomorrow.

Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: ‘We’ll probably see highs reaching the mid-30s quite widely on Wednesday, and indeed on Thursday too for England and Wales.

‘On Wednesday, probably the Midlands, maybe a little bit further south, the M4 corridor, west of London, up towards the Midlands, is where we might have a small chance of reaching 36C in one or two spots.

‘But Thursday at this stage looks the most likely hottest day of the week. So 36C is a fairly reasonable probability locally on Thursday and there’s a small chance it could get even higher than that.’

Drought was declared last month for all of Wales and more than half of England – covering parts of the South East including London, West Midlands and all of the South West.

The Environment Agency has said several further unspecified areas could be moved from ‘dry weather’ to drought status when officials meet at the National Drought Group today.

People walk on parched earth and sun-damaged grass near Tower Bridge in London yesterday

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Parched land around Bratton Camp Iron Age hillfort and the White Horse of Westbury yesterday

Parched grass at St James’s Park in London yesterday as the extremely dry weather continues

People look at the Thames Estuary in Allhallows, Kent, yesterday ahead of the new heatwave

Beachgoers at St Anthony Head in Cornwall yesterday as fresh heat health alerts began

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The Wisley Golf Club in Woking, Surrey, has the odd area of green among otherwise dry ground

Beaverbrook Golf Club in Leatherhead, Surrey, is very dry apart from a few patches of green

Around 16million people could move into drought status as public water supplies ‘remain under increasing pressure with continued dry weather and high demand’.

Mr Morgan said: ‘If it wasn’t for this incredible summer that we’re currently seeing, then we’d be talking about these temperatures as being really, very unusual. But of course, we’ve had such an exceptional summer, people have become a bit used to it.

‘There is a potential for impacts, so impacts to infrastructure, things like railway lines and power networks, impacts to vulnerable people as well.’

Health officials have warned of the effect on vulnerable people in the upcoming hot weather, with significant impacts possible in health and social care settings and a potential rise in deaths because of the heat.

Yellow heat health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency are in place for the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and London.

The alerts continue until 9pm tomorrow, but could be extended as the hot weather continues.

Meanwhile, the Met Office is considering issuing rare extreme heat warnings ahead of the scorching temperatures forecast later in the week.

‘We sometimes issue extreme heat warnings, amber and red warnings, which we did back in June, so that’s under consideration at the moment,’ Mr Morgan said.

Another record is set to tumble this week after yesterday was the 34th day so far this year when temperatures exceeded 30C (86F) somewhere in the UK, equalling the record from 1995.

So far, the extreme weather of summer 2026 has included two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June that led to more than 2,800 excess deaths.

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The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow heat health alerts across England

A UK heatwave is official when a location records at least three consecutive days of daily maximum temperatures which meet or exceed a specified threshold – which varies by region

Two more heatwaves in July, the driest July in England and Wales since records began in 1836, have fuelled drought and wildfires. 

The fifth heatwave of the year was confirmed on Monday last week.

Much of southern England is now close to two months without any meaningful rainfall – with Wisley in Surrey having had more than 50 consecutive dry days.

The exceptional weather resulted in a record number of wildfires for England and Wales last month – with firefighters attending 395 blazes in the three weeks to July 31 amid fears the ‘whole country is like one giant tinderbox’, reported The Times.

On the A31 near the New Forest in Hampshire yesterday, police told drivers to leave their cars ‘if you want to stay alive’ as a van fire sparked a wildfire.

Fears are also growing over more water-related deaths, after a 19-year-old died on Saturday after getting into difficulty in the water at Grasmere in the Lake District.

The European Union’s earth observation programme Copernicus said average temperatures across western Europe reached 21.61C (70.92F) for June to July, breaking the record set in 2022.

Globally, this year is just behind 2024 and 2025 as the third hottest year on record.

At least 13 people have been killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on the Russian republic of Tatarstan, officials have said.

One child was among the victims with 39 more people injured, Russian authorities said, in one of the deadliest single attacks on Russia since the start of Moscow’s full-scale war in Ukraine.

Kyiv has not yet commented on the attack on the city of Nizhnekamsk, which is more than 1,100 kilometres (680m) from the Ukrainian border and home to several major oil refineries and a large petrochemical company.

The strike lasted several hours overnight and into the morning, local sources say.

Unverified images on social media show large plumes of smoke and flames rising into the sky in daytime, with air raid sirens howling in the background.

Although there is no official information yet on the target of the attack, Kyiv has recently stepped up its strikes on facilities it says contribute revenue and logistics to Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Moscow confirmed industrial facilities were targeted as well as residential areas. “Civilian individuals who were not involved in any military operations were present,” Russia’s Investigative Committee said. The BBC has not independently verified this information.

The head of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, confirmed the strike and shared his condolences with the families of the deceased.

“This is a tremendous pain for all of us,” said Nizhnekamsk mayor Radmir Belayev.

A period of mourning has been declared in Tatarstan.

More than 450 Ukrainian drones were shot down by the Russian air defences overnight, Moscow said.

Kyiv has become increasingly successful at carrying out long-range strikes on Russia, often targeting warehouses or energy infrastructure, with civilian casualties mounting.

Russia, meanwhile, continues to target Ukraine with regular large-scale aerial attacks on cities and residential centres mounting. Last week, a combined drone and missile strike on Kyiv killed 21 people.

And in Kharkiv, near the front line, five people were killed overnight in a Russian artillery attack.

Officially ranked among the UK’s largest Caribbean carnivals, Leicester Carnival attracted as many as 80,000 people during its peak years.

While it has never rivalled the scale of London‘s Notting Hill Carnival or Bristol’s St Paul’s Carnival, the annual event has been running since 1985, celebrating the history of Britain’s Caribbean community and richness of Caribbean culture.

Locals gathered at Victoria Park on Saturday, 1 August, to take part in and watch this year’s celebrations, with the theme being ‘Crowned by Culture – Caribbean Kings and Queens’.

Photos and videos shared by unofficial carnival pages and local news sites on social media showed crowds lining the parade route, soca and reggae booming from speakers and performers dressed in colourful, sequined costumes.

However, dozens of contrasting videos posted by locals painted a starkly different picture.

This year’s event was branded an ’embarrassment’ by some Leicester residents and online viewers of Afro-Caribbean and British Caribbean heritage, who criticised dancers’ ‘unseasoned’ choreography and what they described as a ‘tired’ and ‘bored’ atmosphere throughout the parade.

Some also accused the event of appropriating Black Caribbean culture, criticising dancers’ ‘unseasoned’ choreography and what they described as a ‘tired’ and ‘bored’ atmosphere throughout the parade.

Leicester is one of the UK’s most diverse cities, with people from ethnic minority backgrounds making up more than half of its population. 

Around 8 per cent of residents identify as Black or Black British, while approximately 0.7 per cent identify as Mixed White and Black African or Caribbean.

The largest minority group is Asian or Asian British, accounting for roughly 20 to 30 per cent of the population, while white residents make up just over 40 per cent.

Videos shared by TikTok users @whathappensafter35, @carnivalbites and @la.lewis44, as well as Instagram user @carnivalbite, showed what some viewers described as ‘depressing’ scenes, with dancers trudging along the streets and making little attempt to perform along the route.

One video showed a group of performers wearing black leotards with blue feathered accessories dancing out of sync to calypso music while waving blue and black scarves. 

The clip was captioned: ‘Black people are just pure energy because what the f*** is this.’

Another video showed a sparsely populated stretch of the parade route, where groups of child and adult performers walked along with little visible enthusiasm, while one participant attempted hype the small crowd by singing into a microphone. 

One video shows a sparsely populated stretch of the parade route, where groups of performers walked along with little visible enthusiasm

A third video captures a similar setup, though the performers dance with more energy before a mostly motionless crowd. 

Londoner @whathappensafter35, who appeared to be of Afro-Caribbean heritage, took to Instagram to share his thoughts on this year’s festivities in a video.  

He said: Leicester Carnival has some explaining to do. How do you put on such a bad display? I’ve never seen kneecaps move like this – I’ve never seen ankles look that stiff. I’ve never seen people wave out of rhythm – how do you wave out of rhythm?!’ 

‘The whole unseasoned fiasco was diabolical… there needs to be an enquiry.’

The carnival further divided observers, as many felt organisers ‘didn’t make any effort at all’, as others joked it ‘could have been an email’.

Some noted that the footage shared by the festival suggested sparsely attended ‘sad’ scenes, with attendees ‘looking like they have been forced to do it’.

Many compared it to London’s famous Notting Hill Carnival, with revellers heading to the capital’s celebrations later this month saying: ‘We’ll show you how it’s done.’

Much of the criticism was also directed at what was perceived to be a lack of Afro-Caribbean people in attendance.

Pictured: Another view of the performers along the parade

‘Leicester Carnival looked disgraceful, and yes its a big disrespect to black people and Caribbean culture,’ one said.

‘This is what happens when you allow everyone to jump on the Caribbean bandwagon, you get unseasoned turtle bay vibes messing up our beautiful culture.’

However, some people defended the festivities, saying much of the clips shared showed dancers practicing before they set off, and that the moves in troupes are ‘quite hard’.

Others stressed that Carnival is about ’embracing inclusivity’ and welcomed Leicester’s organisers’ efforts.

Many also felt this spoke to a ‘larger conversation’ Carnival organisers need to have about rebranding the event to be multi-cultural and encompassing broader than the Afro-Caribbean community.

The Daily Mail has contacted the organisers of Leicester Carnival for comment. 

By PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER

Published: 08:55 BST, 10 August 2026 | Updated: 09:53 BST, 10 August 2026

Police on patrol during Féile an Phobail say they noticed a vehicle swerving on the road and almost hitting pedestrians

A police officer was injured after being hit by a car during an incident in West Belfast in the early hours of this morning.

Officers on patrol during Féile an Phobail in the Falls Park area at around 12.15am on Monday, August 10, noticed a vehicle swerving on the road and almost hitting pedestrians. The car was stopped but then sped away from police, colliding with and injuring an officer while doing so.

The car was later located by police in the Tobar Glen Crescent area of Glengormley. A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a number of offences. He remains in police custody at this time.

Sergeant McCullough said: “Officers were out on patrol around the Falls Park area as part of our public safety operations during the Féile an Phobail when they observed a vehicle swerving across the road, narrowly avoiding hitting pedestrians.

“The vehicle was quickly stopped by police; however, the driver then sped off, striking an officer on his right side as a result and causing injury to his knee and hand.

“The car left Belfast and was later apprehended by officers in the Tobar Glen Crescent area of Glengormley.

“A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a number of driving offences, including dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, failing to remain where accident occurred causing injury and failing to report an accident whereby injury was caused. He was also further arrested in suspicion of possession of a Class B controlled drug.

“He remains in police custody at this time. Our enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information, including dash-cam, CCTV or other footage, can contact police on 101, quoting reference number 21 of 10/08/26.

“Alternatively, you can submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.”