Once drivers pass the incident in Cardiff, they may be faced with more evere traffic elsewhere on the roads network in the west of England.

Drivers face long delays on the M5 in Somerset as Friday getaway traffic gets underway.

Photos taken show queues forming northbound at Bridgwater, with further delays southbound from Bristol.

Google Maps shows patches of congestion along the motorway from Wellington to the Almondsbury Interchange.

The ban comes as the UK suffers from several wildfires following a handful of heatwaves, resulting in very dry grass and a bigger fire risk across the country.

The PM said the ban – which applies to Wales, Scotland and England, but not Northern Ireland – would be in place from today “until further notice”.

It’s not just people spending time outside picnicking and having BBQs that need to be careful, with Mr Burnham also issuing a message to all smokers.

Andy Burnham issues warning to all smokers across the UK amid disposable BBQ ban

Andy Burnham warned smokers against lighting up outdoors and urged them to dispose of cigarettes carefully.

It comes as West Midlands Fire Service shared a Facebook post earlier this month telling smokers to make sure they have completely stubbed out their cigarettes.

The post is accompanied by a poster that shows a cigarette butt that hasn’t been entirely stubbed out and is lying on some grass.

The fire service said: “It only takes one carelessly discarded cigarette to spark a grass fire.

“With hot, dry conditions increasing the risk of fires, please make sure cigarettes are fully extinguished before disposing of them.

“Never throw them from a vehicle or leave them on the ground.

“A small act of care can prevent a fire that spreads quickly, threatening people, wildlife and property.

“If you smoke, stub it out. Every time.”

🔥 Most wildfires are started by people, but drought conditions can make them much worse. Drier vegetation provides more fuel, helping fires grow larger and more severe.

Read our blog post to find out more: https://t.co/qvexqwfcAM pic.twitter.com/iPt3L6IJCM

— UK Health Security Agency (@UKHSA) August 14, 2026

More wildfires have now struck England and Wales in 2026 so far than in the whole of 2025.

The latest spate of blazes in the West Midlands has led to people fleeing their homes to get out of the path of encroaching fires.

West Midlands Fire Service’s Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill said 19 houses have been fully destroyed and 18 damaged by the wildfire in Stourbridge this week.

Speaking as he visited houses in Stourbridge which had been destroyed by wildfire, the Prime Minister said: “The temporary ban on barbecues, disposable barbecues, comes in today.

“All retailers will be receiving notification of that ban, and we ask them to, obviously, implement it in full until further notice when we can remove it.”

He also told reporters: “I would also want to say to the public, you can see what’s happening: 37 significant fires across England and Wales.

“Please do not light an open fire, a bonfire of any kind.

🚨 BREAKING: Several homes in the West Midlands are on fire as the UK faces extreme heat pic.twitter.com/DFCRVXIFX2

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) August 13, 2026

“If you’re disposing of a cigarette, take great care.

“This is obviously a really combustible situation, literally.

“We need to respect that fact and make sure that no one is taking any risk, because you’re taking risks with other people’s homes, with other people’s lives if you act recklessly in this moment.”

The Prime Minister added: “Britain is a tinderbox right now, and please just have that in your mind.”

Do you think the disposable BBQ ban is a good idea? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

A story of forbidden romance starring Ellie Bamber and Mehdi Dehbi is out now

A period romance starring Ellie Bamber is out now and it’s must see.

Prisoners of Paradise is a tale of “forbidden love” set in Mauritius in the 1920s, where young orphan Lucy (Ellie) falls for labourer Krishna, who is played by Mehdi Dehbi.

The Willow actress – who is also known for playing Mandy Rice-Davies in The Trial of Christine Keeler – recently shared some shots from filming on Instagram.

“What an incredible experience filming in some of the most beautiful sceneries with such a wonderful team @mitchjjenkins mehdidehbi_official @mjg_1926,” she told fans, as she teased that the movie would be available for fans to watch this month.

A synopsis for the film said: “Prisoners Of Paradise is a haunting, tragic love story set in 1920s Mauritius, woven into a complex tapestry of beauty and brutality. Beneath the island’s breathtaking splendor – its turquoise waters and golden sugarcane fields, lurks a sinister system of abuse, oppression, and control.”

Into this world arrives Lucy, a 17-year-old British orphan sent to live with her charming uncle George, who is played by Rupert Penry-Jones.

“But like the island itself, his charm is a mask,” the synopsis goes on. “One that hides a darker nature rooted in manipulation and quiet cruelty.”

As Lucy begins to see the cracks in the island, she meets Krishna, an indentured labourer whose life is very different to her own.

“His kindness and quiet defiance awakens something in her that the world around her forbids,” the description said.

“Both their lives have been shaped, bought, and sold by men who trade in power behind closed doors. In each other, they find freedom and purity. Their forbidden love becomes their refuge: a secret island paradise untouched by the ocean of darkness surrounding them.

“But this paradise cannot last. As the forces determined to keep them apart close in, Lucy and Krishna must decide if their love is worth everything it will cost them.”

The film – which also features Rhona Mitra, Edward Akrout, JJ Feild and Amy Beth Hayes – draws from Romesh Gunesekera’s novel Prisoner of Paradise. Initially titled Ambleside, the production later underwent a name change to Prisoners of Paradise.

Prisoners of Paradise is available to purchase on the Sky Store.

While last year’s fire at Langdale Moor was not caused by a disposable barbecue, David Skaith said the fire caused “great harm to our communities, our wildlife, and our countryside”.

Prime minister Andy Burnham announced the disposable barbecue ban for Wales, Scotland and England on Friday (August 14) “until further notice”.

It comes after the grills were said to be the source of multiple wildfires which have broken out across the country.

Mr Burnham also warned smokers against lighting up outdoors and urged them to dispose of cigarettes carefully.

More wildfires have now struck England and Wales in 2026 so far than in the whole of 2025, with the latest spate of blazes in the West Midlands having led to people fleeing their homes to get out of the path of encroaching fires.

Mr Skaith said he has been asking retailers in York and North Yorkshire to remove “these £5 wildfire kits from sale” for weeks, adding: “I’m glad the government has acted and done the right thing.

“Last year’s wildfire on Langdale/Fylingdales Moor saw unprecedented amounts of North Yorkshire moorland burn, emitting more carbon from the burning peat beds than any wildfire in recent memory.

“These fires caused great harm to our communities, our wildlife, and our countryside. And they were all completely avoidable.

“I would like to once again thank our hardworking fire service, as well as the farmers, gamekeepers and landowners who were instrumental in getting the blaze under control.

“A temporary halt, particularly in times of dry weather like we’re experiencing currently, is a sensible move to avoid us repeating the events of last summer.

“I will continue to push for retailers to withdraw the sale of disposable barbecues across York and North Yorkshire on a permanent basis. The convenience of one must never come before the safety of our rural communities, our landscapes and our wildlife.”

Read next:

York Outer MP Luke Charters also welcomed the government’s temporary ban on disposable barbecues, saying: “We’ve seen first-hand in York and North Yorkshire just how quickly fires can spread when the ground is this dry.

“Just over a year ago we had the huge fire on Strensall Common, and more recently we saw a field fire come worryingly close to homes in the south of York.

Luke Charters, MP for York Outer (Image: Supplied)

“We also saw the devastating fire on the North York Moors, which investigators found was started by cooking with a naked flame.

“So while the weather remains this hot and dry, temporarily stopping the sale of disposable BBQs is a sensible step to help keep people and our countryside safe.

“Of course people should get outside and enjoy the summer. This is simply about using a bit of common sense while the risk is so high, because nobody wants to see another serious fire.”

By ELIZABETH HAIGH, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

Published: 16:48 BST, 14 August 2026 | Updated: 16:57 BST, 14 August 2026

Reality TV star Stephen Bear has been jailed after admitting failing to comply with sex offender register requirements.

Bear was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison at Thames Magistrates’ Court, barely a week after being handed a 16-month sentence for repeatedly breaching a restraining order against his ex, former Love Islander Georgia Harrison.

The disgraced reality TV star, 36, was handed a five-year restraining order and jailed for 21 months in 2023 for sharing a sex tape of Miss Harrison on his OnlyFans page.

A judge also ordered him to repay £22,305 that prosecutors said he earned from his subscribers. 

Advertisement

But after his release from prison, Bear breached his order by repeatedly posting degrading comments about Ms Harrison on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and YouTube.

He also failed to comply with his sex offender notification requirements. 

He failed to inform police about a trip to Brazil last year and then failed to tell officers within three days that he had returned to the UK.

He also did not mention that he had acquired a new passport and two bank cards during the trip.

Advertisement

Stephen Bear arrived at a sentencing hearing for breaching a restraining order against his ex Georgia Harrison at Chelmsford Crown Court last week with his pregnant Brazilian wife Miami, 19

The 36-year-old – pictured in a police mugshot – was handed a five-year restraining order in 2023 and jailed for sharing a private sex tape of Georgia Harrison

Bear filmed and uploaded footage of him having sex with Miss Harrison without her knowledge or consent

Advertisement

In January last year, Bear revealed he had relocated to Brazil with his new girlfriend, boasting: ‘The police can’t catch me now.’

In a grim video shared from the beach, he bragged: ‘Life’s good. I thought I’d come on here guys and say I love you all, simple as that. I love you all.

‘Stay true, because this year I’m fully active, I’m off licence. The police, they could still be after me, but I’m in Brazil. They can’t catch me now. Catch me if you can.’

Breaching the restraining order to post online, Bear had sought to cast doubt on his convictions, including by alleging that Miss Harrison and her mother had conspired to pervert the course of justice.

Advertisement

Bear – who arrived at court last week with his pregnant Brazilian wife Miami, 19 – also created an online petition seeking support for a retrial and attempting to obtain Miss Harrison’s bank statements.

The 2016 Celebrity Big Brother winner persisted with posting despite several of his accounts being shut down.

This is a breaking news story and is being updated. 

He believed he was talking to a 14-year-old girl

A man who shared explicit images of himself with what he mistakenly thought was a 14-year-old girl has been sent to prison. Iain Fleming, 53, began communicating with the account in March last year, not knowing it was a decoy run by an online child abuse activist group.

Despite the “girl” telling Fleming she was only 14 several times, he continued sexual communication with her and sent explicit images of himself. Police were contacted by the child activist group, and officers arrested Fleming at his Peterborough home.

After seizing his mobile phone, it was also revealed Fleming had contacted what was believed to be a 15-year-old girl. Again, Fleming continued with explicit conversations, telling her she had a beautiful body and that he wanted to kiss her all over, according to Cambridgeshire Police.

On Friday, August 7, Fleming, of Millfield, Peterborough, was jailed for three years and two months after admitting to two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and one count of attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity at Peterborough Crown Court.

DC Lloyd Davis, who investigated, said: “Fleming clearly poses a significant risk to children. Despite the ‘girl’ in this case being a decoy account, Fleming still attempted to prey on and groom what he believed was a child.

“This kind of sexual exploitation can have devastating effects on a child’s development, mental health and self-esteem that continue into adulthood, so I am pleased he is now behind bars for his crimes.”

Lucy Letby’s ‘boyfriend’ died after being sacked for exchanging messages with the convicted serial killer about a baby she tried to murder, the Daily Mail can reveal.

The 53-year-old consultant doctor – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was found collapsed in his car the day after he was dismissed from the NHS hospital where he worked.

He was admitted to intensive care but died nine days later, on July 3. An inquest is due to open into his death at a date to be fixed.

The doctor was hauled before a disciplinary hearing in June over a series of inappropriate texts he sent the former neo-natal nurse while they worked together at the Countess of Chester Hospital, the Daily Mail has learned.

The messages, understood to have breached patient confidentiality, involved details of the care of a premature baby boy with haemophilia, known only as Baby N, who Letby, 36, was convicted of trying to kill the day after he was born in June 2016.

It is understood that the doctor also faced other serious allegations, including that he inappropriately accessed medical records and risked patient safety, which cannot be revealed for legal reasons.

At her trial, Letby was forced to deny she and the medic, referred to as ‘Dr A’, were having a romantic affair and claimed they were just ‘best friends’.

But she broke down in tears and tried to leave the dock when he entered the courtroom at Manchester Crown Court to give evidence.

She called him ‘sweetie’ in texts and referred to him as ‘love’ in notes scrawled with his name and love hearts that police discovered during searches at her home.

Letby is serving a record 15 whole-life terms after being found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more – one of whom she attacked twice – at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.

Letby is serving a record 15 whole-life terms after being found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more

Sources told the Daily Mail that Dr A attended a three-day disciplinary hearing in early June this year and was fired for gross misconduct a fortnight later, on June 23.

The following day relatives reported him missing and he was later found collapsed in his car at a retail park, around 20 miles from his Cheshire home.

He was admitted to intensive care but never regained consciousness, and died on July 3 at Whiston Hospital, Merseyside.

The cause of his death is not yet known but has been referred to the Cheshire Coroner, who confirmed ‘preliminary inquiries’ had begun.

His NHS bosses would have been duty bound to report his dismissal to the doctors’ regulatory body, the General Medical Council, potentially threatening his professional registration and ability to work as a medic again.

Dr A told the Thirlwall Inquiry – the public inquiry investigating Letby’s crimes – in October 2024 that the Band 5 nurse ‘misled and maybe manipulated’ him into giving her information about babies she had attacked.

The then-junior doctor swapped 1,355 Facebook messages with Letby, discussing babies who collapsed when they were on shift together, over a three-month period, between June 2016 and September 2016.

The pair also exchanged more flirty messages about their private lives, sometimes late at night, met up for walks and meals and went on day trips to London together in their free time away from work.

In one message Letby asked Dr A about the condition of Baby N and queried whether she had done anything wrong concerning his care.

Pascale Jones of the Crown Prosecution Service, Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Evans and  Police Family Liaison officer Janet Moore speak outside court after Letby was found guilty

Dr A messaged back: ‘Oh Lucy, poor little thing. I am sure he has had the best care possible and you will have done everything you could for him.’

Asked by counsel for the inquiry, Rachel Langdale KC, whether such a message was appropriate, Dr A replied: ‘In hindsight, no. Looking at the content of the messages here, I’ve shared too much.’

In her evidence to the inquiry, which was overseen by High Court judge Lady Justice Thirlwall and is set to report later this year, Baby N’s mother accused Dr A of ‘blatantly’ breaching her son’s patient confidentiality.

She also revealed she had lodged a formal complaint with the hospital where he went on to work about his conduct.

Letby, formerly of Hereford, was convicted at Manchester Crown Court in August 2023 after the longest running murder trial in British history.

She has always maintained she did not kill or harm any babies in her care.

Letby has twice applied and been denied the right to appeal, but has lodged documents with the Criminal Cases Review Commission, the body which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, in a bid to secure her freedom.

What is PMDD?

Do women with ADHD experience higher rates of PMDD?

Why might women with ADHD have higher rates of PMDD?

Help and support:

A woman has been cleared of owning an XL bully dog that bit her partner’s father, causing him to bleed to death.

Chanel Fong, 33, was accused of owning the dog, Cookie, which was dangerously out of control and of an alternative charge of being the person in charge of the animal at the time of the attack.

She was found not guilty of both by the jury at Caernarfon Crown Court.

Her partner’s father, Keven Jones, 62, from Chester, died from severe blood loss after being bitten on the leg.

The attack took place before XL Bullies were added to the banned dog list.

The court heard Keven Jones had been in poor health and had been taking methadone and blood thinning medication, and had been staying at Fong’s Wrexham home in May 2022.

Fong said the dog belonged to her partner Joshua Jones, who was not present when his father was bitten, although the prosecution claimed she was Cookie’s joint owner.

The court was told there had been a number of dogs at the home on Holt Road in Wrexham, including two XL Bullies, called Fire and Rogue.

Rogue was Cookie’s mother and in season at the time, so had to be kept separate from other dogs.

At about 11:30 BST on 23 May, Jones told Fong he would get Cookie and another dog in from the garden, but he was then heard shouting at Cookie to “get off” him.

The court heard Fong also called into the garden for Cookie to get down, which is when Jones came towards her “wobbly”.

He pointed to his leg, which was pumping blood, and he said to Fong, “he’s got me there”.

Fong called the emergency services and attempted first aid, including applying pressure to the wound, but Jones could not be saved.

A post-mortem examination said he had died from extreme blood loss caused by dog bites.

Cookie was later humanely euthanised.

The April Windsor actress has been working on an exciting new project

Emmerdale’s Amelia Flanagan has made an exciting career move away from the ITV soap as she stars in a short film shown at Bolton Film Festival.

The 18-year-old actress made her soap debut as April Windsor back in 2014 – the daughter of Marlon Dingle and the deceased Donna Windsor. Over the last two years in the ITV soap, Amelia has found herself at the centre of some of the biggest and darkest storylines as of late.

It wasn’t until February last year that viewers saw what had happened to April in a special episode dedicated to her life on the streets. Throughout the flashbacks, April was pregnant but hid it from her family to avoid causing any more upset.

Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter

Soon, she ran out of money and her friends kept letting her down as she had nowhere to stay. She began sleeping rough and sadly had a still birth before being taken into hospital.

After returning home with Dylan whom she met on the streets, the pair got themselves involved with the villainous Ray Walters and Celia Daniels.

With their drug lord and modern slavery business ruining lives across the village, the pair eventually met a deadly end. Since then, April and Dylan have been desperate to rebuild their lives away from the darkness.

During last year’s British Soap Awards, Amelia took home the win for Best Young Performer which was Emmerdale’s second win with EastEnders sweeping the awards.

Away from the Dales, Amelia has been keeping busy as she’s starring in a short film called Nowt. It follow a rebellious teenager who falls dangerously in love with an older boy, leading her down a path that could change her life forever.

It’s directed by Milda Baginskaite and written by Emma Doherty. Backed by the BFI Network, the live-action project features a cast that includes Amelia Flanagan as Bailey, Liam Scholes as Jason, and Olivia Sweeney as Leanne.

On Friday (August 14), it has been announced that Nowt will “start its festival journey” as it will be shown at Bolton Film Festival. The Bolton Film Festival runs from Wednesday, September 30 to Sunday, October 4, 2026, at The Light Cinema in the Market Place, Bolton. The hybrid festival features around 300 short films, masterclasses, and industry networking events.

The news comes after Amelia appears to have revealed she’s making big strides following the milestone occasion. In a new Instagram post, the soap star shared a string of photos giving a glimpse at what life has looked like for her lately, and it appears she has moved into her first home with her boyfriend.

In one photo, ‘New Home’ cards could be seen on a windowsill, while in another, she and her beau could be seen holding up keys outside the home that featured a house-shaped keyring that said: “Our First Home 2026.” It also appears to be a renovation as she and her pals could be seen getting stuck into the transformation.

“Been a min, have a dump,” Amelia captioned to the post, which also included holiday snaps and gig photos, before the comments came flooding in. @traceyhay43 said: “Lovely photos. Enjoy your holiday Amelia. Cpngratulations on your new home.” @holidaleton748 wrote: “Congratulations on the new gaff.” @deer.724669 added: “Gorgeous girlies. Amazing photos, hope you all had a fabulous time. Wishing you so much happiness in your new home.”

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX and YouTube from 7am