There’s a saying that’s common amongst British ex-pats who’ve renovated properties on the other side of the English Channel.

‘Nothing is cheap in France except wine and houses.’ 

For many, it’s a truth that’s only fully appreciated after the ink has dried on the deeds of the home they’ve snapped up, often at a bargain price. 

The other kernel of wisdom ex-pats also share with those thinking about a better life on French soil? It’s a one-way ticket. 

Unless you’re fortunate enough to be rich – and most will freely admit it’s a move motivated by the chance to enjoy a better quality of life for less money – then you’re likely stuck there if the fairytale sours.

While many of the more than 20,000 Brits decamping to France every year go on to live the life – and retirement – they’ve dreamed about, others warn that the realities are often heavily glossed over. 

Life savings and pension pots will certainly buy you a home with land that would be well beyond reach on UK shores – but transforming it into a house that you can live comfortably in is often beset with hidden costs. 

Many decide to take on the work themselves to keep prices down but relentless, and often physical, labour can see cracks appearing in long-term relationships that are far more sizeable than the physical ones they’re trying to repair in their new homes.

The Daily Mail has spoken to three people prepared to be candid about how renovating a home in France – and the ‘constant’ maintenance that followed – saw their once-loving marriages crumble.

‘My husband would make the builders a cup of tea and then leave – I’m now working seven-days-a-week at 64 to keep afloat’

Stephanie Lack, 64, has lived in north western France for nearly 20 years. Earlier this year, her husband of ten years left, after being unable to cope with the responsibility of a property that requires constant maintenance

Stephanie pictured with her late husband Bob after they bought their four-bedroom home on a hectare of land in Saint-Aubin-Fosse-Louvain 18 years ago

Stephanie Lack, 64, moved to France 18 years ago from England’s south coast with the hope of getting improved cancer care for her Bob, her late husband. 

After his death, she continued with their dream of running the successful kennel and cattery business, Les Creature Comforts, he’d helped her to build – and later married again, this time to a fellow British ex-pat named David who she met in France. 

Stephanie tells the Daily Mail she’s seen so many people’s attempt to ‘live the dream’ fall apart – and she now counts herself amongst those who face an uncertain future after David walked out earlier this year, seemingly unable to cope with the demands – and drudgery – of upkeeping an ageing house on a hectare of land.  

Hard-working and resilient, Stephanie is currently working seven-days-a-week and says her hopes for a secure retirement have been upended – she’ll have to downsize or face working into her 70s. 

When Stephanie and Bob first bought the sizeable property, which is in Saint-Aubin-Fosse-Louvain, in north-western France, they faced a complete renovation. The previous French owner had ‘lived like a caveman’ in it, she says.

‘It wasn’t at a standard where you’d say “right, we can live here”. We had to install the bathrooms ourselves, do all the tiling, putting in windows that didn’t let the rain in, putting a floor down – it wasn’t really habitable.’

The property Stephanie bought in 2018 was ‘barely habitable’ and needed complete renovation

The home as it looks now – but Stephanie says she’s forked out far more than the property’s worth on renovations and maintenance

After Bob died, she was over-the-moon when father-of-two David, who’d moved to France after taking early retirement, came into her life.  

He quickly moved in and they renovated a hay loft together… but just four years into the ten-year marriage cracks were already starting to appear, she says.

‘I wanted something really special, because I wanted to make it feel like our home, rather than the home I’d shared with my late husband. We redid the whole kitchen, we redecorated, we did it all… and it was absolutely exhausting because we were also working.

‘David’s heart definitely wasn’t in the business and that caused a lot of trouble, because he always referred to it as “your business”.

‘He’s a very intelligent, strong-minded man, but he didn’t take accountability for anything. I had to organise all the builders and get things fixed – he would make them a cup of tea and that would be his involvement. 

‘The pressure of constant shelling out money just to maintain this property. Every time there’s a storm – and we get a lot in this part of France, there’s always damage.

Stephanie says she’s found life easier in some ways since David left, explaining: ‘You don’t have that annoying thing of someone not pulling their weight around you’

She says David’s seeming inability to cope with what needed doing on a property saw him becoming increasingly distant. 

‘He stepped away from doing anything at all with the business or the house two years ago. Sometimes it’s easier being on your own – you don’t have that annoying thing of someone not pulling their weight around you.

‘Earlier this year, he packed up my car and went off to Spain for three months. I only knew where he was because I got a speeding fine delivered here.’

Stephanie says she will eventually have to sell the property: ‘I need to sell my house, while it’s still standing, because it’s too big but I also need to work – my French pension is useless, around 250 euros (£218) a month.’

With just a part-share in a two-bedroom flat in England, she says she’ll stay in France because the healthcare is far superior to in the UK and she has good friends. 

‘The property is worth far less than I have spent on it, thanks to Brexit, and I can never afford to move back to the UK. 

‘To be honest though, I absolutely love being on my own. I’ve bounced back from this and I’ve got a great network of friends now – all women on our own and a couple of men who are both gay. We all get each other.’ 

‘It was like living in Steptoe’s Yard…I went from being “a wife and a lover” to being a “builder’s mate and gardener”‘

Dawn*, 70, from Berkshire, says when her partner of 25 years, Richard, suggested they start a new life together in France 11 years ago, she went along with it ‘whole heartedly’. 

The couple bought a grand four-storey house – that needed an overhaul – in the Dordogne, with aspirations that they would get to enjoy the twilight of their lives in a spacious home set in six acres of land in a beautiful part of France.  

‘He thought it would take two years to complete, I was more realistic and thought five years. After more than ten years of living in Steptoe’s Yard – with brick dust and lathe and plaster ceilings and walls down, we were still, at most, only halfway there.’ 

The life she had planned evaporated, she says, with her partner expecting her to work ‘seven-days-a-week’ on the property, with no holidays. 

Over the decade that Dawn, who used to work for a merchant bank in central London, was in France, she says she went from being ‘a wife and a lover’ to being a ‘builder’s mate and gardener’. 

They barely explored any of the rest of France, instead using time off to make the seven-hour journey back to the UK to see family and friends.

British ex-pat Dawn* left her partner earlier this year after years of working on the large property they bought in France because of the pressure renovating put on their relationship (Stock photo)

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The large plot meant Dawn and her husband didn’t have neighbours, meaning for vast periods of time, it was just the two of them – and the giant project they’d taken on. 

With an orchard, a vegetable plot and a horse paddock, mowing became a full-time job, she says. 

‘The region gets lot of rain and you get a lot of sun, everything grows! When you go out and mow, by the time you finish mowing it all, it’s growing again. It’s a full-time job and hard, physical work.’ 

Last year, the couple’s relationship had deteriorated so dramatically that Dawn says she was left fearing for her husband’s mental health and her own safety. 

‘One night, we had been to a party and were returning home around midnight on icy roads. 

‘Neither of us had drunk but he started driving way too fast. I dared to ask him to slow down and he exploded, screaming at me that he was going to stop the car and throw me out.’ 

She explains that the incident ‘left me traumatised but the next day was as if nothing had happened’. 

But it was a turning point and she began to consider whether she could sell the property she still owned in the UK. 

She clarifies that her husband, who’s four years’ older than her, was never physically abusive towards her. 

The pressure of renovations, she says, transformed the personality of the man she loved, she claims, from being ‘an extremely kind, very gentlemanly person’ into ‘a very aggressive, angry, mentally abusive person’. 

Her name remains on the deeds of the property and many of her possessions are still in the home she thought she would see out her days in. 

This month, she’ll attempt to return to collect her things and try to move on for good. 

She says becoming a grandmother also influenced her decision to leave the ‘volatile’ marriage, saying missing out on seeing them growing up felt like there was now ‘a bit of elastic, pulling me back’. 

Dawn says she’s angry that her husband is reaping the efforts of 11 years of her money and time, while she’s forced to carve out a new life for herself in her early 70s. 

‘I am now on my own after having worked my socks off for all those years. All for nothing. 

‘He has the house, our friends and I have to start all over again in a new place and try and make new friends, which is not easy the older you get.’

*Names have been changed

‘I do sometimes think to myself, “The woman I love is now back in the UK – what am I doing here?”‘ 

Mat Laing and his ex-wife Karen achieved their dream of early retirement in France – but five years of renovating the home they bought saw their relationship flounder 

Retired mortgage adviser Mat Laing, 57, and his ex-wife Karen, both from England’s South East, moved to France in 2018, dreaming of an ‘early retirement with a Mediterranean lifestyle’. 

The couple watched TV programmes such as A Place In The Sun and Escape To The Chateau and eventually decided that Spain was ‘too hot’, Italy’s homes for sale seemed too problematic and thus, France was the best option.

Mat tells the Daily Mail: ‘We thought: What are we doing here? Let’s retire. If we sell both our houses, buy a cheap enough property, we should be able to live until our pensions kick in. And Brexit pushed us along…’

After a false start house-hunting in the Dordogne – ‘too cliquey’, they chose the Charente region where their cash would go further and they found the ex-pat community a little more down-to-earth. 

Mat carried much of the work himself to keep costs down – and admits he was ‘extremely angry’ when Karen said she no longer wanted the life they’d spent five years building

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The couple snapped up a 1970s house for around 150,000 euros (£128,000). 

Says Mat: ‘Like most Brits, we were a bit seduced by how far our money would go. 

‘We got three bedrooms, two bathrooms – a detached house with two acres of land. The sale of my three-bed council house was more than enough to make our dreams come true in that part of France.’

It was ‘completely habitable’ but they embarked upon a renovation project that took five years.  

‘Every floor, every wall, every ceiling, inside, outside, two acres of gardens – all landscaped. I finally got to the end, I’d just finished doing a 500-square-metre driveway and my wife said: “I want to go home”.’ 

Mat says the myth that many Brits fall prey to is that everything costs less on the French side of the Channel: ‘The only thing that is cheaper in France than the UK, are houses, and wine. 

‘Everything else is more expensive, from cars to the internet.’

It meant that he often tackled the renovation himself – laying the driveway for around £4,000 instead of the £30,000 quoted – but Karen felt increasingly isolated by the constant work. 

‘She was very much involved; she painted, she sanded wooden shutters, she did lots of garden work with me. We worked well as a team.’ 

Five years of arduous graft in an often lonely environment was not the only reason their relationship fell apart but it was a big factor, says Mat. 

Was there a small part of him that wanted to follow his wife back to the UK? 

‘Yes, but what was I going to do? I’d be a 55-year-old man going back to working five days-a-week in somewhere like B&Q and Tesco, with some 25-year-old telling me what to do.’ 

They couple embarked upon a full revamp of the house – but because costs were so high, they took on much of the work themselves. Right: The bathroom after the renovation

He says it’s important to know that when you move to France ‘it’s a one-way ticket’. 

Mat’s since bought another renovation project and the couple reluctantly divorced, mainly for tax and financial status reasons. 

‘I found myself sitting inside a building site, another major renovation project, because I had a much smaller budget after we separated, thinking “the woman I love is in England”.’  

‘We speak on the phone once or twice a week. At first I was extremely angry, because we’d got to the point [with the renovating] where we could finally enjoy it and do everything we’d dreamed of – but she felt she had to go back to England. 

‘Her mum had become ill and she said: “As much as I love you, Mat, you’re not enough for me, I need other things”.

‘Should I have gone back with her? Well, yeah, maybe I should have. But I couldn’t visualise a life that would have been any good for me back in the UK. 

‘When we talk, I say to her, “You know, it’s empty, and none of it means anything anymore, because when we were doing it before, we were doing it together”.’ 

The Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue said they were called to the Sherwood Van Centre on the Crowther Industrial Estate in Washington at 5.53 pm on Tuesday (August 11).

Pictures show thick clouds of black smoke coming from the building while a cordon was put in place.

A spokesperson said: “We can confirm on the evening of Tuesday August 11, eleven fire appliances, including the aerial ladder platform attended a fire at a commercial property.

(Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

“The emergency call was received by our fire control team at 5.53pm and crews from Gateshead, Washington, Rainton Bridge, Marley Park, West Denton and South Shields Community Fire Stations were dispatched to the scene at Crowther Industrial Estate in Washington.

“The incident is ongoing.

“One fire appliance and a welfare vehicle are still in attendance of the scene, and our fire investigator is currently helping to determine the nature of the incident.”

Police officers were also called to the dealership last night.

(Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

A large crowd gathered as firefighters attempted to bring the flames under control.

The fire comes a few weeks after another fire at the same industrial estate earlier this month.

Emergency services were called on July 31, when another building was alight and large plumes of smoke could be seen from miles away.

Five fire engines and an aerial ladder platform were sent to the scene as crews worked to bring the blaze under control.

With specilaised eclipse glasses selling out acorss the country today, Brits will be relieved to know there’s a quick an easy alternative for viewing this evening’s spectacle.

A pinhole viewer can be put together at home with no specialist equipment needed.

You only need three basic items to get started: a cardboard box, a sheet of kitchen foil and a pair of scissors.

Educational platform Twinkl Resources shared a step-by-step video guide on TikTok showing exactly how to assemble your own pinhole projector.

You want to begin by opening up your cardboard box and taping a strip of white paper down one side of it. It doesn’t matter which side, but the opposite side must be suitable for cutting holes into.

Once your paper is secured, you need to cut out two squares from the opposite side of the cardboard box. Cover one square with a sheet of kitchen foil, and secure it with tape. Then, use a pin to make a small hole in the centre of the foil.

Make sure the box is completely sealed at the top, so the only gaps are the pin hole and the empty square.

Your pinhole projector is now complete and ready to use so that you can enjoy the eclipse safely.

Read our full guide on how to make a pinhole viewer here.

Over the next few days, Greater Manchester will see rather high temperatures due to an unprecedented fifth heatwave in the UK. Temperatures are expected to peak at 32C, with health alerts already issued as some parts of the UK prepare for 36C weather.

While many of us have been enjoying the warmer weather this summer, it can make venturing out a little trickier, especially if heading out on our favourite walking trail, park or scenic spot in the higher than usual temperatures.

Somewhere that offers beautiful scenery but also plenty of shaded spaces is Drinkwater Park. Located to the west of Prestwich, it is an area of woodland and meadows, which feels like being in the countryside.

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Despite lying inside the M60, flowing through the park is the River Irwell, and a reservoir can also be found amongst the trees. Running through the centre of the park, in the past it appears to have been used as a water supply for the Clough Bleach and Dye Works.

Criss-crossed with walking trails it forms part of a wider network as part of the Prestwich Forest Park, which also includes Philips Park, Mere Clough, Prestwich Clough, Forest Bank Park in Pendlebury and Waterdale Meadow. The National Cycle Network 6 and the Irwell Sculpture Trail also run through the site.

Home to a diverse mix of native woodland, open meadows and bordering the Irwell, this park is less about flower beds and carefully manicured lawns, and more about rugged beauty, paths shaded by tree branches, and somewhere to totally disconnect.

Within the park, there are numerous habitats for animals from the reservoir in the centre to the wooded areas. Frogs and toads breed in the park’s wetlands, while kingfishers, herons, foxes, rabbits and sometimes even dear are spotted.

With its ponds, wetlands and streams and number of routes through, it is a popular spot for walkers, runners, dog walkers and cyclists with the National Cycle Network there too. Other activities at the park include horse riding and fishing, the latter using a shallow three-acre lake.

As well as a place to disconnect, it also boasts a interesting history. The land was originally bought by Peter Drinkwater, a textile mill owner in the 1970s. He would stay at Irwell House, a Georgian Mansion built on the banks of the river, during the summer months.

The land, including Irwell House, was left to his daughters after his son died and it was then bought by Salford and Prestwich councils in 1902. Irwell House was later converted to a smallpox hospital due to its isolated position, but was later abandoned and fell into disrepair.

In 1958 the house was damaged in a fire during a civil defence exercise and it was then demolished a few years later. Today you can still see the foundations of the building, the remains of a few walls and what’s left of the overgrown gardens as nature reclaims the site.

There are a number of ways to access the park too. If coming from the centre of Prestwich you can either head down St Ann’s Road and Lowther Road, or if you want to, or cut across to Ruskin Road which takes you down to Prestwich Clough and a route down to Drinkwater. There is also a Drinkwater Park Nature Reserve Loop (7.5km) from Salford.

The park has 24-hour access, 365 days a year. Drinkwater Park, Rainsough Brow, Prestwich, M25 9XW

Lucy Davis’ father Jasper Carrott has said the family are ‘hopeful for her future’ after his daughter revealed her incurable cancer diagnosis.

The Office star, 53, shared on Tuesday that she’d been diagnosed with stage four breast cancer, and she ‘doesn’t know how long she has left’.

Her comedian dad Jasper, 81, said in a statement to the Daily Mail on Wednesday: ‘This is a very difficult time for the whole family and we have been supporting her in every way possible since her diagnosis.

‘We are so grateful for all the support we have had over this trying time and we are very hopeful for her future being what she wants it to be.

‘We are so proud of our daughter and love her so much,’ he said, before referencing Lucy’s previous health battles, which include a kidney transplant. 

He added: ‘The way she has conducted herself through many traumatic health issues is a lesson to us all.

‘We would request privacy for the coming months, but thanks once again for the love and concern shown by so many people.’

In 1997 Lucy had a kidney transplant using an organ donated by her mother, Hazel. The actress, who is diabetic, required hospital treatment with kidney failure in 2005 but went on to make a full recovery.

Lucy has also been open about her experience with bulimia, which was at its worst when she was going through a divorce in 2011.

In her post on Tuesday, Lucy shared that she first discovered a ‘tiny, hard spot’ in her breast a year ago and nearly ignored it before seeing a doctor. 

The star said that despite the cancer being declared incurable she is ‘at peace with whatever comes next’.

Lucy shared her diagnosis alongside an emotional video that showed her ringing the cancer treatment bell, and wrote in her post that she’s been told it’s ‘too late’ for her to undergo chemotherapy.

The star is best known for her role as Dawn Tinsley in Ricky Gervais’ comedy The Office, and went on to star in the DC film Wonder Woman.

She wrote: ‘Hi friends:) I wanted to share something with you all that I’ve kept to myself for a while but for various reasons would like to share now.

‘A year and a half ago I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer, which has metastasised to my bones. Specifically to my spine, right hip, and my ribs. The cancer is incurable, and too late for chemo.

‘The initial lump that I felt, wasn’t a “lump” as such; rather a kind of hard spot. Really tiny. I almost didn’t bother getting it checked. So I guess I’m saying don’t ignore anything – get everything checked out.

‘As of now, I’m trying to live out whatever might be left of my life in as fun a way as I possibly can. I always like to find the teachable moments in anything negative that happens. 

‘And cancer has not disappointed in that regard; there’s a lot I have learned from it, and I’m grateful for that.

Lucy shared her diagnosis alongside a video that showed her ringing the cancer treatment bell, adding that she’s been told it’s ‘too late’ for her to undergo chemotherapy 

‘As some of you will know, the pain can really be something else. Standing and walking for too long a time can be hard, and I need to use a wheelchair sometimes (so if you see me toddling around in one, feel free to give me a push!)

‘The thing that has been most vital to me is humour. I asked my friends and family to make fun of me as much as possible (which they’re really good at), and most importantly of all to not treat me like a sick person.’

‘There’s nothing that will make you feel more unwell than being treated as if you’re unwell.

‘I’m not scared of whatever comes next. I’m at peace with it. I’ll see my Gracie [her dog, who died in 2024] sooner than expected, and for me, leaving my physical body just means going home. Any and all grieving is for my family; it’s far harder for them than for me.

‘I’m still going to keep up all my work for animal rights. It’s so important to me. And I still would like to keep working. I’m perfectly able to do so, and acting is one of the biggest joys in my life.

‘For those of you on a similar journey to mine, I do wish you well. Cancer asks a lot from us, physically and mentally. And we all get to do it however we choose. Much love to you all.’

After announcing the news in an Instagram post, many stars offered their own heartfelt messages in the comments. 

The actress pictured with her former husband Owain Yeoman, whom she married in 2006 and divorced in 2011, and her father Jasper 

Ricky Gervais posted a heart emoji beneath Lucy’s post, alongside Jenna Fischer, who played an alternative version of Lucy’s character in The Office’s US version, who added a sweet message of solidarity.

Jenna was previously diagnosed with Stage 1 Triple Positive breast cancer in 2023 but it was removed before it could spread to the rest of her body.

She wrote: ‘Beautiful post. Love you lots. And yes to working with cancer! Let’s spread that message far and wide! How working is such a comfort!’

Other comments included Amanda Abbington, who was previously in a relationship with Lucy’s co-star on The Office Martin Freeman, and worked with Lucy on the series Married Single Other in 2010.

She wrote: ‘Sending you the biggest cuddle and all my love, love, love, love, love. You are and have always been an incredible f*****g woman. I adore you.

‘What larks we had when we worked together. Here if you need anything. Even if it’s just a catch up. Beautiful f*****g woman. xxxxxxxxxx.’

Lucy made a name for herself as Dawn in Gervais’ The Office, and she has since gone on to appear in The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina as one of the lead’s aunts, Hilda Spellman. She also played Etta Candy in the 2017 Wonder Woman movie, and had filmed US comedy series Amy From Amarillo. 

A councillor said that there was a growing number of tents being pitched near a cathedral

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Rough sleepers have been moved on from a Peterborough area after council enforcement action. Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s commitment to end rough sleeping was discussed at Peterborough City Council’s recent full council meeting.

Councillor Steve Allen asked cabinet members what steps were being taken to remove the “growing number of tents” pitched in and around Bishop’s Road Gardens, raising concerns that it was in the shadow of the Cathedral.

Cabinet member for public health, homelessness and poverty, cllr Ann Shaheed, confirmed that the rough sleepers had already been moved on. She said: “We welcome the new prime minister’s commitment to ending rough sleeping and we are eagerly awaiting further details at the moment.

“The council’s homelessness service already undertakes daily outreach at known and reported rough sleeping hotspots. The individuals recently sleeping in tents in Bishop’s Road Gardens are known to the rough sleeper team and have received ongoing support and engagement.

“As part of that, officers have worked proactively with them to explore alternative accommodation and encourage a move away from rough sleeping. In partnership with the enforcement team, the council followed the appropriate process and served notice that the area would be cleared, and that notice was enacted on July 23 and the tents were removed.

“We however remain committed to balancing enforcement with support. Our priority is to continue assisting people sleeping rough, work with partners to manage the area appropriately and help individuals move into suitable accommodation as quickly as possible.”

Cllr Allen claimed there was a “proliferation” of rough sleepers and asked how the council would manage to keep on top of the issue.

Cllr Shaheed responded: “Very recently our integrated housing board met to discuss the ongoing challenge of this particular cohort of rough sleepers. As we know, many of them do have complex needs and often refuse offers of support.

“As part of this meeting, it was agreed that a renewed focus was needed to case manage these individuals more effectively, bringing together different areas of the system to offer more wraparound support.”

There are 17 local authorities with no taxpayer-supported asylum seekers, an analysis by the Daily Mail reveals after Andy Burnham vowed to send more to middle-class areas.

The Prime Minister vowed yesterday to ensure arrivals are not only placed in the ‘poorest communities’ when pressed about proposals for a migrant camp near the tiny Oxfordshire village of Piddington.

‘All parts of the country need to play their part,’ he said – prompting the Tories to accuse him of wanting to ‘dish out another vindictive punishment beating to the UK’s middle classes’. 

Asylum seekers who are waiting for a decision on their asylum claim are often eligible for accommodation and money to cover their living expenses. This is provided by the Home Office, although the migrants themselves are dispersed across the country.

Home Office figures showing the number of supported asylum seekers per local authority at the end of March reveal the areas with none are overwhelmingly rural beauty spots such as the Cotswolds, Derbyshire Dales, Malvern Hills, the New Forest and the Scottish Highlands.

Others include Mid Devon, East Hertfordshire, Ceredigion, a scenic county in west Wales, and Hart, a 118-square-mile local authority taking in major towns, rural parishes and villages in Hampshire.

The Gloucestershire market town of Tewkesbury is also on the list, as are the Isle of Wight, Isles of Scilly, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Mid and East Antrim and Mid Ulster, and Na h-Eileanan Siar – an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. 

It comes as Labour’s borders minister doubled down on Mr Burnham‘s insistence that wealthier areas will have to take more migrants after the number of crossings under his premiership passed the 3,000 mark. 

Anna Turley defended plans for 1,200 migrants to be housed near the village of Piddington, which has a population of just 400. 

She said there needed to be a ‘fair and equitable system’ for distributing asylum seekers across the country.

Under Home Office plans, a former military base in Bicester, Oxfordshire, will provide accommodation for 1,250 male asylum seekers.

But the residents of Piddington – which sits near the proposed site – have voted to stage a symbolic referendum on leaving the UK as part of their protests against the plans.

Ms Turley defended the plans this morning, telling LBC: ‘This is about fairness. This is making sure that there is distribution around the country, and this is about a more fair and equitable system that limits the impact on local communities.’

Asked about a potential influx of asylum seekers three times as large as Piddington’s population, the Home Office minister said: ‘Well, I suppose they’re not going to be in the village. They’re going to be contained in a former military base.’

But pressed on whether asylum seekers would be free to leave the site, Ms Turley replied: ‘They will be allowed out, but everything they need will be on that site. So they will be managed. They will be contained.’

She added: ‘They’re on a self-contained site. We are looking at former military bases around the country.

‘We are also looking at former industrial sites, student accommodation, other means by which we can put people in secure places that is contained, that is manageable and… is more affordable than putting people in hotels.

‘We know where people are. We can manage the system.’

Asked if she would be happy for a similar number of people to arrive in her Redcar constituency, Ms Turley said: ‘We don’t have a former military base… but the reality is it’s about fairness.’

She continued: ‘The point the Prime Minister was making was this is about fairness.

‘We take our fair share of asylum seekers in Redcar, and the point is lots of working class places around the country – I talked about Blackpool, places with hotels – have had to bear more than their fair share.

‘And this is about fairness. This is making sure that there is distribution around the country, and that this is about a more fair and equitable system that limits the impact on local communities.

‘By having secure and maintained and managed facilities like former military bases, it’s a much better way to keep people in one place and reduce the impact on local communities.’

The Gloucestershire market town of Tewkesbury is one of 17 areas with no supported asylum seekers

Aslyum seekers staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Oxford, another hotel that has been a target of protests 

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Mr Burnham was asked on GB News about the planned camp yesterday. He said: ‘I will listen to what people are saying and respond to the concerns that they are putting forward. 

‘I don’t know the issue yet in detail, but in some ways, as I understand it, it is about creating secure space.’

He added: ‘It’s obviously going to be challenging, but I am prepared always to listen to people, to work with people and to pick up legitimate concerns, and I will address those concerns.

‘I do have to say, we cannot have a situation where it’s only the poorest communities in the country that receive all of the dispersal of refugees and asylum seekers. I do believe all parts of the country need to work, to play their part.

‘We understand people’s concerns and I will look into the issues raised by the good people of Piddington.’

His comments came as official Home Office figures confirmed that 230 people were aboard the record ‘mega-dinghy’ that was brought into Dover on Monday.

That pushed the total since Labour came to power – beginning with the day after the General Election in July 2024 – past the 80,000 mark.

In comparison with Mr Burnham, Sir Keir Starmer’s first 22 days as PM saw 2,258 small-boat migrants reach Britain.

Asylum accommodation has been the focus of several flash points around the country in recent years. 

Last week, 15 people were arrested during trouble in Thetford, Norfolk, after anti-immigration protesters demonstrated outside homes they believed housed asylum seekers.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: ‘Andy Burnham is planning to dish out another vindictive punishment beating to the UK’s middle classes. Labour has hammered hard-working families with punitive tax increases galore, increased regulation and soaring energy bills.

Andy Burnham vowed yesterday to ensure arrivals are not only placed in the ‘poorest communities’ 

The record-breaking dinghy carries some 230 migrants across the English Channel

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‘Now, Burnham plans to deliberately flood more neighbourhoods with thousands of illegal immigrants who he has let into this country, and many of whom will commit serious crimes including rape and murder.’ 

Just two weeks after he insisted Labour’s boats plan was working, the Prime Minister vowed to ‘change our tactics’ to tackle the gangs bringing migrants across the Channel. 

Referring to pictures of the latest mega-dinghy, Mr Burnham added: ‘I know people will have been worried to see that image yesterday. It shows that the gangs are changing their tactics but so will we – we will now change our tactics and we will be relentless in chasing them down. I said that when I visited Dover just over a week ago and I meant it.’

But Mr Philp warned: ‘We now have a full-blown Burnham borders crisis. Unvetted illegal immigrants – mainly young males – flood across the Channel every day there are calm seas.

‘Andy Burnham’s claim to have a working plan lies in tatters.’

Monday’s record-breaking mega-dinghy brought more people to Britain than a typical Ryanair flight. The boat was originally carrying more than 260 passengers, including children, when it almost sank.

When the overloaded boat – which was designed for a maximum of 40 – was battered by choppy waters, at least 30 people were thrown into the waters off the northern French coast.

One shocking image showed them in the sea before they were rescued by French police and gendarmes, who have a controversial policy of not intercepting most small boats in the water because they claim it could endanger those on board.

French lifeboatmen yesterday described how scores of men, women and children packed on to the Chinese-made PVC boat on a beach between Berck-sur-Mer and Merlimont, south of Le Touquet, on Sunday afternoon.

A spokesman for the SNSM – France’s equivalent of the RNLI – said all had been hiding in sand dunes after paying people smugglers for a passage.

He said: ‘A veritable tide then rushed the 15-metre (49ft) boat. Due to overloading, several were thrown from the vessel – around 30 ended up in the water as the craft continued on its way.’ 

The picture released by the SNSM at Berck shows dozens of mainly young men floundering in the Channel, following the initial boarding soon after 5pm.

Jean-Marc Lamblin, director of the SNSM’s Berck-sur-Mer branch, said he was seeing ever-larger boats being used by smuggling gangs and there was ‘no limit’ to how many people they would cram on board.

‘Over the past three months, we’ve been seeing more and more 15-metre boats,’ he said. ‘There really is no limit now’.

The dinghy was 7ft larger than vessels which set previous records last month, and more than 10ft longer than a standard double-decker bus.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said that illegal arrivals were ‘out of control’.

He posted on social media last night: ‘230 migrants landed on our shores yesterday. This is a national security emergency.’

The mega-dinghy was eventually escorted to England by the UK Border Force, HM Coastguard and the RNLI, beating the previous record of 165 migrants who reached Britain on a single boat in July. Last week, 173 people were packed on to a single boat but it disintegrated off the French coast after catching fire. Everyone on board was rescued.

The Egyptian people smuggler who piloted the boat has been sentenced to a year in jail following a fast-track trial on Friday.

“Thank you to every one of you for engaging with us in a positive manner. An unforgettable experience. We had a blast!”

A Belfast flute band said it has been “completely overwhelmed” by the response to their performance at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

The Shankill Road Defenders Flute Band performed on the Gig Rig stage outside Belfast City Hall on the last day of the eight-day festival, on Sunday, August 9.

Despite the rain, the band said they received a “thunderous” reception, which left them feeling like “rock stars.” In the days since, they have gained thousands of followers on social media, and hundreds of thousands of people have viewed clips of their performances.

In a post on their Facebook page, the band said: “Now that the dust has settled, and we’ve had time to reflect on the weekend. We would like to congratulate the Belfast Bands Forum on what has been a historic 8 days at The Fleadh for all the member bands.

“We would like to congratulate all the forum bands and members who took part and made it such a success for the forum, and for representing our culture in such a dignified manner.

“A big thank you to Darren Leighton, Chairman of the Belfast Bands Forum, and Maurice Brown for the work they put in behind the scenes. And a big congratulations to Maurice on his Bardic award – very well deserved. Also to Cllr Sarah Bunting and former Belfast Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly for the work they do with the Bands Forum.

“A massive thank you to Comhaltas, the organisers, for giving us the opportunity to showcase our music and culture, and for the warmth with which we were received.”

The flute band said they have been “completely overwhelmed” as after their final performance on Sunday, their Facebook page jumped from 12,000 to 14,000 followers within a number of hours.

They added: Hundreds of thousands have viewed clips of our performances, with over 15,000 reactions, over 1,000 comments and over 400 shares to date, and our inbox has been inundated with messages of congratulations and well wishes.

“It’s quite surreal – we have had comments and messages from every corner of the Republic of Ireland and, here at home, and from the most unlikeliest of places, namely the Falls Road.

“We never imagined the impact our performance on the Gig Rig in particular would have had. We set out to represent our community and culture and to simply do what we love to do, and that’s play our music and entertain a crowd.

“When we stepped out of City Hall to a thunderous reception, we felt like rock stars, and again, leaving the stage back into City Hall, it was cranked up a another notch.

“Thank you to every one of you for engaging with us in a positive manner. An unforgettable experience. We had a blast!”

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The mother of Sheryl Wilkins gave a statement saying her daughter has “ended your chances of hurting anyone else”.

Mary Wilkins, in a statement read by junior prosecutor Kerry Broome, said: “There will never be enough words to explain what it feels like to lose a child. You, Simon Levy, have completely destroyed our lives.

“Our Sheryl has ended your chances of hurting anyone else, she lost her life to do this but we truly believe Sheryl has saved countless women. You took away our beautiful daughter Sheryl. She was a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend and a beloved family member. She had four beautiful children.

“Sheryl was taken from us one day before her 40th birthday, she had so many hopes and dreams. She should’ve celebrated her 40th birthday, she should’ve grown old with us, instead all of that was taken away.”

Andy Burnham has said the government is considering a ban on disposable barbecues amid increased wildfire risk driven by this summer’s droughts.

The prime minister told reporters single-use grills had been behind a number of recent blazes and people should not be using them “at this moment in time”.

Some retailers have already decided to voluntarily stop selling the devices, which have previously attracted warnings from fire chiefs.

It comes as Burnham chairs an emergency Cobra meeting on the government’s response to record temperatures in recent months.

Nearly three-quarters of England and all of Wales have been officially declared in drought, creating conditions rife for fire to spread.

The Met Office has issued a rare amber extreme heat warning for Thursday, with temperatures peaking in the mid-to-high 30s across the Midlands and south-east of England, and a high of 38C possible.

Speaking during a visit to Stevenage, Burnham said a disposable barbecue ban was something the government was “certainly going to consider”.

“I do want to leave the meeting today with a loud and clear message that we do want people to take the greatest possible care when they are out in the countryside, both in terms of cigarettes, but also those temporary barbecues that we know are causing risk of fires,” he added.

Burnham did not specify whether the government was considering a restriction on the sale of disposable BBQs, or limitations on their use.

A Labour MP wrote to large retailers last week in a bid to stop them selling disposable barbecues for the rest of the summer.

The National Farmers Union has also called on local councils to issue public space protection orders to restrict their use in public areas.