Two families reportedly moved out after being spooked

A ghost is rumoured to have spooked two families away from living in a Cambridgeshire home. The home, which was the site of a historic murder, has long been claimed to be haunted.

Maidservant Elizabeth Pateman was murdered in Febuary 1734 aged only 19 at the cottages of Moco in Steeple Morden. She was believed to have knowledge about the occupants of the cottages, rumoured to have been involved in the disappearance of a packman.

Elizabeth was murdered with crude farming utensils: a coulter, peak hook, and a penknife and her ghost was said to have haunted the cottages for more than 150 years. In January 1901, the Cambridge Daily News reported a sighting of her ghost.

Mr and Mrs Steggles had lived in one of the cottages at Moco for about nine months before they heard blood curdling cries of agony. When the couple heard a loud thud and the firing of a gunshot in one corner of the room they had had enough, and moved in with the shepherd next door, refusing to re-enter their home.

The Rule family moved in shortly before WW1. After their son, Frederick, went off to fight, they heard footsteps in the cottage, and believed it was Frederick returning home.

But every time they checked, nobody was there. The footsteps seemed to always stop at the same point.

One day, Charles Rule, the father, and his friend decided to inspect where the footsteps stopped. He said he discovered a black void hidden behind a hollow wall.

That night he said he felt an aggressive pressure around his throat, like he was being strangled. But nobody was there. The next morning his friend reported the same.

The footsteps stopped, but the family were spooked and left the home after the war.

The original Moco area next to Cheyney water is now a field area with plants growing over it, rather than the haunted historic cottage and farmland.

‘Soaking in the last of summer in the garden’ is, as Instagram captions go, pretty standard fare – but for the Duchess of Sussex it may well carry an extra degree of poignancy.

The image posted on the account of her lifestyle brand As Ever – showing Meghan in a white T-shirt, matching skirt and oversized sunhat – appears to have been taken at the Montecito mansion she and Harry have called home for the last six years.

It could well be the last time we see it for some time. 

The Sussexes – Harry, Meghan, seven-year-old Archie and five-year-old Lilibet – are now staying in the UK for an ‘extended period’ after flying in on August 26.

Archie and Lilibet have been enrolled at a school in Britain and the family are said to be preparing to settle down in the Cotswolds, an area proving increasingly attractive to tech bros and liberal Hollywood celebrities fleeing Donald Trump‘s presidency.

Reports suggest the Duke and Duchess spent time with friends and Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland during their last weekend in California before their surprise return to Britain last week.

Sources told People magazine – a publication sympathetic to the Sussexes – that the final Stateside gatherings were not ‘a goodbye forever’.

‘It was much more, “We’ll be back, but this is what we’re doing right now”,’ the source added, noting that Archie and Lilibet had been given time to see their own friends too.

‘They’ve been planning this for some time, and they feel it’s the right thing for their family, but that doesn’t mean leaving was easy.

‘Meghan really loves their life in Montecito and their home there. They know it’s going to take a little bit of time for everyone to settle in and adjust.’

The image was shared on Saturday, three days after the Sussexes touched down in Birmingham on a private jet

Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet are thought to have moved to the Cotswolds, and the children enrolled in a UK school

The As Ever shot was posted on Saturday, three days after the Sussexes touched down at Birmingham Airport.

It shows Meghan in what fans have identified as a £100 Anine Bing cashmere T-shirt, a £292 Heidi Merrick skirt and a £130 Sarah Bray Bermuda sunhat.

And while the location was unspecified, there are hints that the snap represents Meghan’s temporary farewell to the Californian lifestyle that the brand represents.

She can be seen appearing to forage from the garden, with a large basket in her hand to collect her finds.

The basket of multicoloured eggs positioned in the foreground is unlikely to be an accident, coming after reports that her prized flock of chickens is staying in Montecito.

Meghan had posted an image of a novelty tea towel last week that read: ‘People who take care of chickens are literally chicken tenders.’

While the birds are staying behind, the Sussexes’ pet dogs, black labrador retriever Pula and beagle Mia, are joining the family in Britain.

Their arrival comes amid fervent speculation over Meghan’s rumoured return to acting several years after she stepped away to focus on royal life.

Conflicting reports say she may or may not have a role lined up for the third series of Netflix’s The Gentlemen, the high-octane gangster drama spin-off of Guy Ritchie’s 2019 film. 

Asked about the rumours at the Edinburgh TV Festival last week, Netflix’s UK head of scripted series Manda Levin would only say: ‘All bets are off’.

The Sussexes have also returned to Britain despite Harry’s vow that he would not bring his family to the UK without the same royal-level security that he enjoyed as a working royal, which was removed following ‘Megxit’ in 2020.

He lost a legal challenge to the downgrade last year against the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), which makes decisions on the level of protection afforded to key public figures. 

The committee is made up of representatives of the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police and the Royal Household, including the monarch’s private secretary. 

Following the conclusion of the case, Harry had told the BBC: ‘I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.’

Harry and Meghan’s plane was met on the tarmac by a private security convoy – after the Duke failed in a legal challenge over his security arrangements

Harry and Meghan are thought to be in the back of this Mercedes minivan leaving Birmingham Airport – with Harry’s close confidante David Langdown riding shotgun

Despite this, the Sussexes were met by a private security convoy at Birmingham Airport last week, among them Harry’s close friend and security adviser David Langdown.

The move will have arguably carried some risk in the Duke’s eyes. Unlike taxpayer-funded royal protection officers, Harry’s private security team in the UK is not permitted to carry firearms.

A source close to him told the Sunday Times: ‘His security team cannot even carry a cricket bat as a means of defence – all they’d have is angry rhetoric and their physical strength if someone attacked him or his family. 

‘With his return home, the game has changed: the first duty of a government is to protect its citizens and that includes Harry, his wife and his children. 

‘It’s not about the role he has here – it’s about the risk he and his family face, and he cannot simply stop being the son of the King.’

Harry reportedly gave Ravec less than half the standard amount of notice for his family’s return to Britain amid fears the news would leak.

Since 2020 – when his entitlement to automatic, taxpayer-funded UK police protection ended – Harry has been expected to give Ravec 28 days’ notice of any plans to visit home so arrangements can be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

But the Telegraph reported that Harry’s father King Charles was said to have learned of the Sussexes’ return just ten days prior to the plane landing.

A source told the paper: ‘An obvious off-ramp exists for the committee to do the sensible thing: protect the King’s son and grandchildren.’

Ravec has reportedly prepared a fresh risk assessment on the Sussexes, the results of which are yet to be disclosed to Harry. 

He is said to have written to the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood seeking a personal intervention in his family’s case, after learning that Ravec allegedly failed to inform him of an Al-Qaeda assassination plot in 2023.

Asked last week about the Duke’s security measures, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said it was a ‘private matter’. A YouGov poll found that 71 per cent of British adults believe the Sussexes should foot the bill themselves.

A Government spokesman told the Mail today: ‘The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. 

‘It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.’

Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been contacted for comment. 

Merseyside Police launched a murder investigation after a woman’s body was found in a bin bag in Stanley Park, Liverpool, on Friday, August 28 — a distinctive pink Nike t-shirt is the key clue in identifying the victim

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A distinctive pink Nike T-shirt has emerged as the crucial evidence in a murder investigation after a woman’s remains were discovered inside a bin bag. Merseyside Police initiated the inquiry on Friday August 28 following a call from a member of the public regarding Stanley Park.

Attending officers discovered the woman’s body within a bin bag in the park’s walled garden section. Authorities believe the remains had been left there for several weeks.

While the victim’s identity remains unknown, she is believed to be in her 70s, of small build, with strawberry blonde hair. The most significant clue is the clothing she was wearing – a distinctive pink Nike T-shirt.

A press conference was held on Monday afternoon at Merseyside Police headquarters, with Assistant Chief Constable Andy Ryan and Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson, from the force’s major incident team, providing an update into the investigation.

Det Supt Wilson said: “Forensic work relating to this continues, as do other lines of enquiry. We’re carrying out house-to-house, CCTV and other enquiries as a matter of urgency, but of course the methodical nature of such work can mean it takes time.”, reports the Liverpool Echo.

“So today, I want to take the opportunity to ask people to please consider whether you have any neighbours, family members or friends who live in the area, someone you may not have seen or heard from for a few weeks.

“Missing people reports in Merseyside and elsewhere have been checked but, so far, these have not resulted in an identification. Sometimes people go missing without those close to them realising, through holidays being planned, or simple misunderstandings, and so we may not have received a report of any concerns.

“Although we do not know the woman’s exact age, we think she was in her 70s. She is white, around 5ft 2in tall, of small build, with strawberry blonde hair. She was found wearing a pink Nike t-shirt.

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“While we do not want to worry people unnecessarily, it is vital that we follow every possible lead, both to rule people out, and ultimately to identify the woman, notify her next of kin and apprehend the offender. We have had calls in the past few days with information, and I am really grateful to those who have been in touch.

“As this work continues, be assured that we are doing all we can to identify the person or persons responsible and bring them to justice. This is a shocking crime.

“If you live in the area of Stanley Park in Anfield and have seen or heard anything suspicious in recent weeks, regardless of whether you have reported it or not, or whether you dismissed it as something trivial at the time, please come forward.

“Although we are carrying out comprehensive enquiries, any piece of CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage may be absolutely vital in solving this crime. Please don’t assume that we already hold this information as our team will make an assessment and take the appropriate action.”

ACC Ryan added: “If anyone recognises the description of this woman or you have any concerns whatsoever about someone you may know and haven’t seen or heard from recently, please tell us as a matter of urgency.”

Anyone with information can contact police through www.merseyside.police.uk or ring 101, using reference number 26000706383. People can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, which is independent of the police.

By MATT STRUDWICK, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and ISABELLA MACHIN, REPORTER

Published: 16:52 BST, 31 August 2026 | Updated: 18:09 BST, 31 August 2026

Dozens of thrillseekers were trapped on a rollercoaster 50ft in the air for around three hours.

Firefighters rescued 27 people left stranded on the Wipeout rollercoaster at Pleasurewood Hills in Lowestoft, Suffolk, after the ride broke down.

The incident happened just before 1.30pm today.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said the people have been stuck for several hours and crews from three stations attended the scene.

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Pictures posted by the fire service show the riders sitting upright in their seats.   

A spokesman said: ‘The carriages, which came to a stop on the track, are approximately 15 metres in the air, but not upside down.

‘Crews will be using advanced rescue at height equipment to bring down the ride passengers.’

The stranded passengers were rescued at 4.05pm. 

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Nearly 30 riders have been left trapped on the Wipeout rollercoaster at Pleasurewood Hills in Lowestoft, Suffolk

The incident happened just before 1.30pm on Monday and has seen the thrillseekers left stranded nearly 50ft in the air

A spokesman said on Monday afternoon: ‘Firefighters have now rescued all 27 passengers and brought them safely to the ground using our aerial ladder and a scissor lift. No one was injured.’ 

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The surfing-themed ride opened at Pleasurewood Hills in 2007 billed as ‘the tallest, fastest and most extreme ride in East Anglia’.

It is the only Vekoma Boomerang in the country – a type of rollercoaster that shoots down a lift hill before hurtling through a cobra roll and a vertical loop.

Pleasurewood Hills has been contacted for comment.

In 2017, firefighters had to cut an injured man free from the rollercoaster when the ride broke down. 

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It had stopped working after heavy rainfall, leaving dozens trapped at its highest point before it was due to descend.

The man was rescued using a cherrypicker. 

A spokesman for the theme park told the BBC at the time it was ‘a minor incident that was dealt with by [our] team’. 

The ride underwent a £1million transformation in 2024/25, which included a new train with waist restraint lap bars for improved comfort and safety.

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Pleasurewood Hills describes Wipeout on its website as the ‘ultimate adrenaline rush’. 

‘Wipeout delivers an unforgettable ride experience, sending guests speeding forwards through twists, turns, a loop, and two cobra rolls, before stopping and reversing along the same track for the ultimate backwards thrill,’ it reads. 

‘With six inversions in total, this high-octane coaster keeps hearts racing and adrenaline pumping from start to finish.’

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Olivia Bromley recently opened up about her departure from Emmerdale after playing Dawn Fletcher for eight years.

Her departure had been rumoured earlier this year as the soap made a range of major cuts within the cast.

Dawn died in hospital on the show after being involved in a huge car crash on her wedding day that also killed Jimmy King, who had been played by Nick Miles for 22 years.

Olivia Bromley says Emmerdale exit was “scary”

Olivia has spoken about how she would have been “too scared” to decide to close the door entirely on her character, so was pleased the writers had given her an “amazing” story for her exit.

The actress told Digital Spy: “I was excited about the storyline and ready for my own new chapter.

“But I was surprised about how emotional it was to film, even after I’d known this was coming for a long time!

“It was the physicality of it as an actor and saying goodbye to this character that I’ve lived with for eight years.

“I didn’t think it would be a problem, but suddenly I was very emotional about it!”

She went on to say she is interested in doing other things in her career.

She continued: “I wanted to go and do other things – I think most actors want to at some point when they’ve been playing a character for so long.

“But it was the producers’ choice to do the storyline of Dawn’s death, so as an actor, you just have to play with it.

“The story was great and I thought: ‘Okay, this is probably a good thing because it’s a big, massive exit’.

“It’s not like: ‘Oh, go away for a bit and maybe come back’.

“It was very final, which for an actor is scary.

“But for me on a personal level, I think it was absolutely perfect.

“I think I would have been too scared to close the door entirely.

“So to be given this amazing story for Dawn’s exit was really exciting to me.”

Olivia said she would like to “play lots of different” characters now she has left the Dales with a particular interest in acting in a period drama, as “that’s so different” to her role in Emmerdale.

What did you think of Olivia Bromley’s exit from Emmerdale? Let us know in the comments.

HM Coastguard said they are coordinating maritime search as a part of a multi-agency response to the incident.

Yesterday afternoon and evening, Broad Haven and Dale coastguard rescue teams were in attendance, plus RNLI lifeboats from Angle, Tenby and St Davids and a local pilot boat.

A coastguard helicopter and a HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft were sent along with the Welsh Ambulance Service. Mayday relay broadcasts also took place, a spokesperson for the coastguard said.

Here is an updated statement from GMP Bury as they confirm there is ‘no risk to the public’.

“This evening, a small cordon was put in place after what was believed to be a historic unexploded ordnance device was discovered in the basement of a property on Clifton Road, Prestwich, earlier today (Monday 31 August 2026).

“Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialists attended the scene to assess the item and subsequently determined that it was not ordnance and posed no risk to the public.

“The roads have now reopened, and we would like to thank residents for their understanding and patience while officers worked to ensure the area was safe.”

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