Alicia Moss’ post went viral, and a kind stranger took pity on her

A woman who posted a plea on Facebook to trade her horse for a car has ended up with a free Range Rover. Alicia Moss, 27, was devastated when her silver Volkswagen Golf broke down unexpectedly.

She could not afford a new car so put a cheeky post on social media offering to trade in the one asset she did have – her mare called Pizza. The post read: “Unlike Roger, Pizza starts every morning, doesn’t have an engine warning light, and has only ever left me stranded because she fancied grass.

“This is either the world ’s worst sales advert or the start of a very questionable deal… either way, my inbox is open.”

Her post went viral – reaching nearly one million accounts – and received over 170 comments from people with several offers. But one offer stood out: a kind stranger called Pete Wood who was willing to gift her a grey 2008 Range Rover HSE TDV8 – for free.

Alicia, a dock worker, said yes gratefully and is now the proud owner. And she says that Pete had loved her post and didn’t want her to have to part with her homebred mare.

She said: “I put the post up on a whim really. It was a bit of a laugh but also serious at the same time. I thought it could work as a good swap.

“I had nothing to lose at the time. Either way I needed some money or a car. On the post a guy commented saying he had a Range Rover that I could have free of charge so that I could keep my horse.

“I thought it couldn’t be real, but I messaged him. He didn’t want a swap, he wanted me to keep my horse and to see his car go to good use.”

The car, which the owner bought new 18 years ago, was an hour from Alicia and she went to pick it up a week later. It passed its MOT, and she says is working perfectly. It has around 95,000 miles on the clock.

Alicia says getting a 4×4 was also ideal as she can now start towing a trailer for her horses. She added: “That was a really happy ending. It has worked out really nicely for me and him and my horse.

“When we went and picked it up he was the loveliest guy ever. I am so grateful for what he offered. He just said that he absolutely loved my post. He was so genuine. He will definitely be on my Christmas card list. It is really crazy. Things like that don’t really happen to anyone let alone me.”

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Alicia has four horses and says she decided to try selling Pizza as she was the only one old enough to be of value. However, she had not wanted to part with the beloved mare, who was her first ever homebred horse.

She is called Pizza as it was a running joke when the mum was pregnant that the ‘pizza was in the oven’ rather than a bun. Alicia says she is like an “overgrown Labrador” and is very sweet.

She added: “I have no money and the only other asset I had to sell was my horse, Pizza.

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“I didn’t want to ship her off but needs must. Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to. But luckily thanks to this lovely guy I didn’t need to. I am so glad that she is safe. She is like my first child.”

Alicia says she intends to keep in touch with her heroic stranger and give him updates on the car, which hasn’t broken down yet.

She said: “In a time where there is so much going on in the world there is always someone out there just trying to do a nice thing, and it goes a long way. He has done a lot for me without probably even realising what he has done.”

Man United are aware of interest in Bruno Guimaraes, amid reports of a £43million bid from Galatasaray, and are said to be interested in Adam Wharton and Kim Min-jae. Meanwhile, Liverpool have agreed personal terms with Ibrahim Mbaye as they take another huge step towards a double deal including Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola.

By MARK DUELL, DEPUTY CHIEF REPORTER (DIGITAL) and ADAM POGRUND, REPORTER

Published: 07:53 BST, 18 August 2026 | Updated: 07:59 BST, 18 August 2026

A man will appear in court today after being charged over the death of another man who was bitten by a dog on a footpath.

Lee Ellis, 55, has been charged with manslaughter and being the owner or person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death.

West Yorkshire Police were called to an altercation on the old train line footpath off Blacker Lane in the Calder Grove area of Wakefield on Saturday afternoon.

The force said a 55-year-old man was bitten by a dog, believed to be a German Shepherd, during the altercation and later died in hospital.

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Ellis, of Wakefield, was remanded in custody to appear at Leeds Magistrates’ Court today. The dog seized during the investigation continues to be held in police kennels.

Detectives said they had identified and spoken to two other people who stopped to help the injured man at the scene.

The force added that the family of the man who died are being supported by specially trained officers.

More to follow 

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Lee Ellis, 55, has been charged with manslaughter and will appear in court today

Police attend the scene of the dog attack in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, on Saturday afternoon

Vacancies in the UK jobs market have fallen to the lowest level since 2014, other than during Covid, with 6,000 fewer openings between May and July compared to the three months to April.

While the overall unemployment picture remains steady at 4.9 per cent, private sector pay growth has also fallen to a six-year low as the British economy struggles to escape concerns over the increase in cost of labour.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said its early estimates brings the level of job vacancies down to the lowest in more than five years, having slumped earlier in the year.

The ONS said its survey found that small firms may not be recruiting because of increased labour costs and other business expenses.

The data also revealed that regular average wage growth in the UK’s private sector fell to 2.8% in the three months to June – the lowest level since the three months to October 2020.

This is despite overall regular wage growth rising to 3.5% in the same period, from 3.4% in the three months to April.

ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said: “Vacancies remain broadly flat, though a small fall in the latest period puts them at the lowest level in more than five years.

“The latest decrease was driven mainly by smaller businesses, which cite labour and operating costs as reasons for not hiring new staff or replacing leavers.

“Regular wage growth has remained broadly stable in recent months.

“However, private sector pay growth has continued to ease, while public sector pay growth remains elevated due to the timing of the latest NHS pay awards.”

This story is being updated, more to follow…

Additional reporting by PA

Drivers are facing delays on a stretch of the M60 this morning (Tuesday, August 18) amid a crash.

One lane has been closed off on the anticlockwise side of the motorway during this morning’s rush-hour. A vehicle has ‘overturned’ in the crash, according to traffic alert service Inrix.

The lane is shut from junction 13 for Worsley to junction 12 for the Eccles Interchange. Motorway cameras show long queues building.

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

Congestion is back to junction 17 for Whitefield. Traffic is also slow on the clockwise side of the motorway at the same stretch due to onlookers.

Follow our live blog below for the latest traffic updates.

Russia has accused the UK of “deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis” following confirmation that British-made drones had been used in strikes on targets in Russia.

“In doing so, the United Kingdom is acting as an accomplice and co-perpetrator of the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks,” the Russian Embassy to the UK wrote in a statement.

“London’s actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer,” it said, adding that the deeper its involvement in the conflict, “the higher the price it will pay”.

In response, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told BBC News that Britain stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Ukraine.

“Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this Government to stand against Russian aggression, in Ukraine and against the UK and our allies,” said the spokesperson in a statement.

The UK, they added, was “committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s illegal invasion”.

Built by two separate British companies, the drones in question have been used inside Russia in the widespread and successful targeting of military and industrial targets, including refineries and warehouses of the online retailer Wildberries.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted the company, known as Russia’s version of Amazon, and says that seven out of 10 of the largest Wildberries logistics centres have been “disabled”.

A military source confirmed to the BBC that UK drones had been used in the attacks, which are said to have caused more than £35bn in economic damage.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently controls approximately a fifth of Ukrainian territory.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said drones using UK components and configurations were used to attack Russian territory, including a fuel depot in the Kamensky District of the Rostov Region.

The developers want to “transform” part of a town and build up to 120 new homes

Locals have shared their views on plans to redevelop a Cambridgeshire town area for housing, with some claiming the plans could “kill off the high street”. Capital and Centric have proposed “big plans” for the old cattle market square and gatehouse in St Ives.

The developer says it is working with Huntingdonshire District Council to “transform” part of St Ives with new homes, resident amenities such as a gym, and green spaces. The area is currently home to a bus station and car park.

Capital and Centric seeks to build up to 120 new homes. Other proposals include wild landscaping and green space, which could be surrounded by walking and pedestrian routes to connect the new neighbourhood with the rest of the community.

The developer has submitted similar plans for St Neots and Huntingdon. The plans have upset many people who live in and around St Ives.

Reacting to the plans, 62-year-old Enora Crowe said: “I think it is a waste of time. They should put the money into more useful things, not just cut down and remove things that are already here.” The St Ives resident asked, “where else are they going to park?”

She described the plans as “nonsense”, adding “I don’t think they should build more houses”. The 62-year-old said if the plans do progress, “make more houses for people that need it and not for people who want to buy it”.

Latifat Safiu has lived in St Ives for nearly two years. The 31-year-old said: “I think this space is really good for people to come around the town for sightseeing, relaxing, and shopping. For instance, I don’t know if there would be any accessible car park for people anymore when the new neighbourhood would be built. That’s going to restrict people from doing a lot of things around the town.”

On the other hand, Latifat said “it is a two way thing” because “it is very difficult” to find new homes as “St Ives is a small town and doesn’t have so much access [to homes], most of the ones here are very old so new build houses would be a good idea”.

A spokesperson for Huntingdonshire District Council said: “At this stage, this is an engagement exercise rather than a formal consultation. The purpose is to start a conversation about the ideas being explored, give people the opportunity to understand the emerging proposals, and provide early feedback that can help shape them as they develop.

“We encourage residents, businesses, community groups and other stakeholders to take part in the engagement events and share their views with Capital & Centric. It is important that the people who know the town best have the opportunity to help shape its future, and that local feedback is listened to and carefully considered as plans evolve.”

Jackie Tarr, 67, said: “I think 120 [homes] is too many and if they are going to develop it, maybe use a smaller portion of the car park because where is everyone going to park close enough to the town.”

She added: “Fewer people will come into the town because there’s no parking and there’s not many facilities anyway so they need to put something in to encourage people to come into the town if they take half the car park away. Maybe the back of the car park, right at the other end might be suitable but not for 120 properties.”

Jackie described the proposals as “over-ambitious”. She asked: “What are they going to give this town?”

A woman, in her 40s, who wished to remain anonymous, said the proposals have been very “cloak and dagger”. She feels as though, if they progress, it would “kill off the high street”. The woman, who lives in St Ives, added: “It is such a shame that they want to do it. It has been kept hidden. There could be other places it can go but it is only recently that people found out.

The developer said that if approved, the proposals would also create a “spill out space” with bars, cafes, and restaurants, to “encourage the community to come together”.

Catherine Edwards, 52, has lived in St Ives for around 25 years. She said: “I think it would be really sad to lose a very well-used car park. I don’t see it as underused in any kind of way. I would worry about the infrastructure as in supermarkets, schools, other provision as well as just general domestic maintenance. I was surprised by it, I am not delighted.”

She added: “I think that because it is so central, everybody would know its location. It is going to be right in the middle of the town. I think that the location actually probably had a lot to do with the amount of attention it has got.”

The 52-year-old questioned whether the proposals would be “in fitting with the town”. She described the proposals as “mismanaged” and “not well communicated”.

Teresa Jones, 61, said that if approved, the development would be an “eyesore”. She feels it is an “inappropriate place for a development like that”.

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The Fenstanton resident continued: “I just think it will cause a lot of problems for everybody – even developing it is going to take years. So, we are literally going to be living in the middle of it. It will be a building site.

“And, the knock on effect of that: traffic congestion, diversions, people trying to get to school.” Ms Jones recognised that new homes are “needed”, especially if they are affordable but questioned the potential site location. She said she was “quite shocked that they’d even consider it” because it is “a haven of tranquillity”.

Capital and Centric is seeking people’s opinions on the proposals before they submit a planning application towards the end of the year. People are asked to share their views here before September 4.

Martin Crews, development director at Capital and Centric, said: “We’re really pleased to see so many active and engaged comments from the community. People clearly care passionately about St Ives and its future, and that’s exactly why we’re holding the public event on Wednesday.

“We’ve heard quite a lot about what people don’t want, but now we really need to understand what they do want. What is St Ives missing? What would help the high street, support local businesses and make the town a better place to live? What problems and challenges should we be trying to solve?

“We want people to come along, challenge us, ask questions and, most importantly, share their ideas. Good regeneration shouldn’t be done to a town, it should be shaped with the people who know it best, and that’s what Wednesday is about.”

Welcome to our Five in Five game.

The rules are simple. Each day we want you to give us five correct answers inside five minutes.

Will you beat the clock? Take part and return for more tomorrow.

Today’s question is set by BBC Sport’s Joe Rindl.

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Researchers from Northumbria University are working alongside Bolton Council and Bolton NHS Foundation Trust to evaluate the impact of the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) programme across the borough.

MECC is an approach that encourages health, care and council staff to use everyday interactions with residents to support positive changes to physical and mental well-being.

The idea is that brief conversations during routine appointments and encounters can help people access support, improve their health, and prevent longer-term problems.

As part of the project, a dedicated training programme is being developed for NHS, council and social care staff in Bolton.

The training aims to build confidence in having conversations about health and well-being and ensure staff can make the most of every contact with residents.

Researchers are now seeking feedback from local residents, service users, and stakeholders to better understand how the programme is working and what improvements could be made.

People taking part will be able to share their views and lived experiences through individual or group feedback sessions lasting around an hour.

Sessions can be attended either online or in person.

The information gathered will form part of a wider evaluation of the MECC programme in Bolton and help identify what is working well, where changes may be needed, and how support for staff can be strengthened in the future.

Organisers say the findings could contribute to more effective training, better long-term support for frontline workers, and improved quality of care for local people.

For more information visit https://www.bolton.gov.uk/directory-record/7196/nhs-making-every-contact-count

All information provided as part of the study will be anonymised and securely stored, with a summary of the findings used in the final evaluation.

Residents interested in taking part are encouraged to come forward and help influence how health and well-being support is delivered across Bolton in the future.

For more information visit https://www.bolton.gov.uk/directory-record/7196/nhs-making-every-contact-count

Britain’s ‘most evil mother’ who pretended her young child was severely ill to gain publicity and financial reward has claimed she was ‘only guilty of putting my son first’.

Lisa Hayden-Johnson, 52, forced her son Matthew into a wheelchair and gave him unnecessary drugs to win sympathy from celebrities and charitable donations.

The mother-of-two from Brixham in Devon connected him up to an oxygen tank as part of the fabrication and met Queen Camilla, Sir Tony Blair and Simon Cowell.

But her deception came crashing down when health workers and school staff told police of their concern – leading to her being jailed for more than three years in 2010.

Now, Ms Hayden-Johnson has spoken on camera for the first time since her release in a new Channel 4 documentary called ‘Love You To Death’ airing tomorrow. Her eyes, hands and back are the only parts of her body shown during the programme.

In a trailer shared with the Daily Mail, she says of Matthew’s birth: ‘I always wanted to be a mum. He was such a happy baby. It was the most amazing thing.’

Ms Hayden-Johnson then adds: ‘I’ll answer everything that you can possibly throw at me. The only thing I was guilty of was putting my son first, and I don’t regret that.’

The documentary also hears from Matthew and his sister Laura as well as doctors, police and relatives about how she subjected him to lengthy and enduring cruelty.

Matthew had an oxygen tank which was carted around on a Thomas the Tank Engine trolley

Lisa Hayden-Johnson poses with her husband and their children Matthew and Laura

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Laura – who has complex PTSD because of nightmares featuring Matthew’s cries as his feeding tubes are changed – tells the programme: ‘I can still hear him screaming.’ 

During the pretence, Ms Hayden-Johnson received free tickets to ITV’s The X Factor, thousands in cash donations and benefits, went on free cruises and lobbied for Matthew to receive a national GMTV bravery award.

But she was organising a regime of medical, physiological and psychological mistreatment – amounting to round-the-clock torture for the boy.

Ms Hayden-Johnson frequently described Matthew as ‘the most ill child in Britain’ – and he became convinced he was chronically ill.

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She subjected him to 325 medical encounters – including inserting a feeding tube into his stomach under general anaesthetic. He had a total of nine GAs.

Ms Hayden-Johnson also claimed Matthew suffered from illnesses such as diabetes, food allergies, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis and an intolerance to sunlight.

After being examined by medics in Devon, Bristol and London, she then forced Matthew to go to school in a wheelchair – even though he could run around with his friends.

Ms Hayden-Johnson also made him wear sunglasses to protect his eyes and a bright yellow and green hat so he could be pulled to safety in case of an emergency.

She wore a green nurse’s uniform at home and filled Matthew’s bedroom with medical supplies and oxygen cylinders – with one expert telling the documentary that the room was ‘like a ward’.

Ms Hayden-Johnson even increased his blood sugar levels so tests would back her claim that he had diabetes.

Together, they met Royal Family members including Camilla, the then-Duchess of Cornwall who gave him a ‘Children of Courage’ medal, and Sarah Ferguson, then Duchess of York – as well as a series of other celebrities and the casts of BBC shows Casualty and EastEnders.

Ms Hayden-Johnson also claimed a total of about £130,000 in benefits.

But when Matthew was six, police arrested her after health professionals and school staff met and discussed their concerns.

Lisa Hayden-Johnson has spoken on camera for the first time since her release from jail

Matthew, now 27, also appears in the documentary which investigates his mother’s deception

Matthew’s sister Laura, 27, has nightmares featuring screams as his feeding tubes are changed

Following the start of an inquiry, Ms Hayden-Johnson wrongly said she had been raped near her home.

But, just as a suspect was about to be arrested, she confessed it was another lie – and later admitted child cruelty as well as perverting the course of justice over the rape claim.

Police then discovered holiday videos of Matthew on a cruise ship running around in his swimming trunks and eating large meals.

When Ms Hayden-Johnson was arrested, Matthew was initially taken by social services to live with foster carers.

But he was later moved back with his sister Laura to live in Sheffield with their father, a supermarket manager who was initially taken in by his wife’s deception.

Their father soon separated from Ms Hayden-Johnson – who now has a new husband – and does not appear in the documentary.

In the present day, Matthew, now 25, works in finance and Laura, now 27 – who was diagnosed with complex PTSD – has a job in childcare.

When Ms Hayden-Johnson was jailed aged 35 at Exeter Crown Court for three years and three months, judge Stephen Wildblood told her: ‘There are five adjectives which describe you.

‘Cruel, manipulative, perverse, disordered and pitiful. Your cruel conduct traversed the fundamental rules of nature and nurture.’

Lisa Hayden-Johnson and Matthew at the Children of Courage Awards at Westminster Abbey

Matthew, who was six when his mother was arrested, sits on the tank in front of his sister Laura

Lisa Hayden-Johnson was jailed in January 2010 for faking her son’s severe illnesses

Devon and Cornwall Police also said at the time that Ms Hayden-Johnson ‘constantly denied being cruel to her son’ and had never apologised for or explained her actions.

The Press dubbed her Britain’s ‘most evil mother’ – while Detective Constable Mark Uren described her as a ‘cruel, manipulative, evil mother who constantly lied to the medical professionals that her son was the sickest child in Britain’.

Ms Hayden-Johnson is one of Britain’s most notable cases of Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another (FDIA) or Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII), formerly known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

This is defined by the NHS as a form of child abuse where a parent or carer exaggerates, fabricates or deliberately induces physical or mental health symptoms in a child.

The new programme comes two months after another case of suspected FII was documented by the BBC about Megan Bhari, whose mother helped her fake a brain tumour to con Brits out of £400,000 to pay for trips to Disney World.

The girl founded the Believe in Magic charity aged 16 in 2011 to help ‘other’ children suffering from severe or terminal illnesses, and ran it with her mother Jean O’Brien, 72 – receiving the backing of various music stars.

But Megan died in 2018 from heart failure – which saw an inquest confirm she did not have a brain tumour after all – and investigations later claimed the girl was in fact also a victim after allegedly being duped into believing she was ill by her mother.

‘Love You To Death’ airs on Channel 4 at 9pm tomorrow