‘The hard work we’re doing is nothing compared to what they’ve been through’

A couple who saw four of their close family members diagnosed with cancer in just four years are running 12 half marathons in 12 months to raise money for The Christie Charity after seeing first-hand the impact of its care.

Deb and Alex Beachell, originally from Manchester, will take on the ASICS Manchester Half Marathon this October as part of their challenge, having already completed eight races so far.

Deb and her wife Alex decided to take on the challenge after four members of their family, Alex’s mum and stepdad, as well as Deb’s dad and brother, were diagnosed with cancer over the last four to five years.

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The couple, who met at Manchester Pride 20 years ago and have been married for 13 years, say they want to give something back after The Christie’s care helped to give their family the all clear.

Alex, 49, said: “It started with my stepdad Alan before Christmas four or five years ago. We found out that he had cancer and he went to the Christie for treatment.

Deb, 48, added: “A year later my younger brother Paul, a week before Christmas again, got diagnosed with cancer and again was treated at the Christie. They were treated so quickly. From finding out they had it to starting treatment at the Christie happened in the blink of an eye. It was amazing the treatment they had.”

Deb added that her brother’s treatment was quite complicated and lasted a long time, including some complicated surgeries to remove his cancer.

Alex said: “And whilst her brother was being treated my mum Jill was diagnosed with cancer. And then at the end of last year Deb’s dad Derek was diagnosed with cancer as well. This was about the time that we were thinking of doing a challenge and wanting to run for The Christie and that really sealed out fate with doing it.”

Deb said: “It was just like we had to do it now. There was no way we couldn’t do it. It was that emotional thing with it being my dad as well – we just had to do something.”

The couple, who now live in Leek, said that all of their family has now had the all clear, apart from Derek who is waiting for his last scans following surgery to remove his cancer.

Deb said: “It feels like the hard work we’re doing is nothing compared to what they’ve been through. The speed of the treatment they’ve had, we’re just so lucky we’ve got them all with us today. Some are not so lucky, so we definitely count out blessings.”

In an effort to raise money for the hospital that has helped their family so much, the couple came up with the idea to run the 12 half marathons.

They came up with the idea in October last year over a couple of pints. Alex said: “We were in the pub and we were thinking of doing something for charity and then I thought, well why don’t we make it a proper challenge?

“So we decided to do one each month. It sounded like a good idea. Everything seems like a good idea after a couple of pints doesn’t it?”

Starting in March in London, the pair have ran one every month since and will finish their challenge in December in Milton Keynes.

So far, they have completed races in London, Llandudno, Blackpool, Chester, Leamington Spa, Birmingham and one from The Christie in Manchester to The Christie in Macclesfield.

The couple said the challenge has given them a focus and an outlet through the difficult times and has allowed them to clear their heads while training.

However, Alex said that the Blackpool race was particularly difficult for her, as her sister passed away just days before the race.

She said: “That was a really tough one mentally, because my sister passed away two days before unexpectedly. But we did it anyway. But it was mentally hard to get through it.

“I saw a group of people wearing matching t-shirts on the way round and I realised they had angel wings on and they were wearing them as a tribute to someone so that upset me on the way round, but in a good way.”

Deb said: “We’re so excited for Manchester. We’ve done a few runs between us over the years, but Manchester is by far our favourite because the atmosphere is fantastic.

“We’re both busy at work and have had a lot going on, so fitting in training runs and mentally getting ourselves out there has definitely been the hardest part. But a couple of hours out running is nothing compared to what people going through cancer treatment face every day.

“The most surprising thing has been realising just how many people we know who have been affected by cancer, either themselves or through family and friends, and have received treatment at The Christie.

“For families affected by cancer, just knowing there are people out there who understand what they’re going through and are prepared to support the work The Christie does is really important. And if it inspires anyone else to get up and start their own challenge to raise funds, that would just be amazing.”

Deb and Alex will be running the Manchester Half Marathon on October 4. To donate to their fundraiser click here.

Two fire engines and police were on the scene in Navigation Road, off Walmgate, on Wednesday evening (September 2) after the blaze.

The fire had been extinguished by 5.30pm on Wednesday but cordons remain around the burned-out BMW car.

Seven police officers stood guard by the cordon across Navigation Road at the junction with Walmgate on Wednesday evening.

Some police officers were speaking to residents behind the tape.

Images shared with The Press showed the car engulfed in flames as residents stood outside their homes behind the cordon.

A passerby who witnessed the car exploding told The Press: “I was coming from Foss Islands Road and I saw smoke and realised it was a car well alight.

“It was clear there was something wrong. The driver had pulled up on the pavement and was trying to get things out of the car while it was smoking.

“He was clear before it suddenly caught fire and then started to explode – it was popping.

“The police arrived before the fire service and closed the road. They have been doing a great job keeping everyone well back.”

A woman living in flats opposite where the car burst into flames said she heard a “bang like a shot”.

“[I] ran outside and saw the smoke,” she said. “My neighbour in Hope Street said there were already some police there when the car went up.”

The incident came at a time when traffic had been building in Walmgate due to drivers being diverted from the York inner ring road which is closed at Fishergate due to storm damage.

There are plenty of great shows happening right up until the end of the year

What a summer of music we were treated to in Belfast!

As CMAT closed out CHSq with her second sold-out gig at the city centre music festival on Tuesday, it is officially time to say goodbye to festival season.

From Belsonic to AVA to the new Summer Series at Custom House Square, the music hasn’t stopped over the last number of months and as always, we love to see it.

If September has hit you like a ton of bricks and you are already marking your calendars for festival season 2027, do not fret – there are still plenty of fantastic gigs happening in Belfast for the remainder of 2026.

If you are a country fan, a rock music lover and everything in between, there are plenty of brilliant acts set to perform in Belfast over the next few months to get you through the impending darker evenings.

Here are only some of the upcoming gigs taking place in Belfast to close out 2026:

Freya Ridings

Where: Ulster Hall

When: September 6

Billy Ocean

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Where: Waterfront Hall

When: September 14

Anastacia

Where: Waterfront Hall

When: September 17

Jane McDonald

Where: Waterfront Hall

When: September 19 & 20

Megan Moroney

Where: The O2 Belfast

When: October 1

Duran Duran

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Where: The O2 Belfast

When: October 18

Katherine Jenkins

Where: Waterfront Hall

When: October 27

Westlife

Where: The O2 Belfast

When: October 27 – November 6

The Script

Where: The O2 Belfast

When: November 2

Cody Johnson

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Where: The O2 Belfast

When: November 4

The Fray

Where: Ulster Hall

When: November 13

Niall Horan

Where: The O2 Belfast

When: November 15 & 16

The Shamrocks

Where: The O2 Belfast

When: November 20

Picture This

Where: Telegraph Building

When: November 25

The Darkness

Where: Telegraph Building

When: December 1

Nathan Carter

Where: Waterfront Hall

When: December 10

Ash

Where: Ulster Hall

When: December 10

Razorlight

Where: Telegraph Building

When: December 13

Florence Road

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Where: Ulster Hall

When: December 14

Colin Graham

Where: Ulster Hall

When: December 18

The Tumbling Paddies

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Where: Ulster Hall

When: December 19

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A man and a woman have been charged with burglary offences in Newport city centre.

A 33-year-old man was charged in connection with a burglary at a commercial address on Usk Way, Newport, on Saturday 29 August.

Rory Hiscox, of Chepstow Road, Newport, was charged with burglary other than a dwelling, and two counts of fraud by false representation.

A 33-year-old woman has been charged in connection with a burglary at a commercial address on Millennium Walk, Newport, on Tuesday 25 August.

Nicole Clarke, of no fixed address, was charged with burglary other than a dwelling, and theft from a shop on Cambrian Road, Newport, on Sunday 23 August.

Both defendants were remanded into police custody to appear at Newport Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 2 September.

Cases of giardiasis, an intestinal infection that causes diarrhoea, bloating and gas, have reached their highest level in England since 2016 according to newly published data by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

The agency reported 6,069 lab-confirmed cases of giardiasis in 2025, an 11.4% rise from 2024. It is the highest yearly total in almost a decade.

This rise might sound alarming. But while the increase in cases is real, it doesn’t necessarily mean that England is facing a crisis. Instead, the rise is probably happening for a mix of reasons, including: increased international travel in the post-pandemic era; upgrades to lab testing; changes in rainfall and flooding; and better awareness of Giardia duodenalis – the tiny parasite that infects the small intestine.

What is giardiasis?

The Giardia parasite infects the small intestine, and is one of the most common causes of diarrhoea by a parasite. It infects hundreds of millions of people each year globally.

The infection it causes, called giardiasis, can result in diarrhoea, bloating and nausea. In longer lasting and moderate to severe cases, it can also result in weight loss. Some people can feel tired for weeks, even after the infection has gone. Symptoms usually start one to three weeks after being exposed.

Not everyone who becomes infected by Giardia develops symptoms of giardiasis. Some people can carry the parasite without knowing it’s there and spread it to other people.

For most people, giardiasis is merely unpleasant rather than outright dangerous. But it can cause lasting illness and be a bigger problem for children, older adults and people with weaker immune systems.

Most people get better on their own, though some may have symptoms for weeks or even months. Those whose symptoms are more severe or longer-lasting can be treated with anti-parasite medicine.

In children, especially under two years old, infections lasting more than several weeks can affect their growth.

How does it spread?

Giardia spread by the faecal-oral route. This means that if tiny Giardia cysts in infected poo are inadvertently swallowed, they can cause illness. As few as ten microscopic cysts can be enough to cause infection.

The best-known route that the parasite spreads is by drinking water or eating food that has been contaminated with infected poo.

Infection can also spread by close contact between people in the same house (especially when there is poor hygiene and hand washing), nurseries and infected animals such as cats and dogs.

International travel is important too. Travellers visiting regions with poorer sanitation can be exposed to Giardia through contaminated food and water.

Another route that is gaining attention is sexual transmission. Giardia can be passed on during sexual activities where there’s oral contact with the anus (rimming) or where fingers with infected poo on them (from fingering or fisting) come into contact with a mouth.

Why are cases rising?

There are probably multiple reasons. One is that we’re getting better at finding giardiasis.

More NHS labs in England have upgraded their testing technology. This means testing equipment is better able to look for multiple potential causes of gastrointestinal illness in a single sample. These tests have also become more sensitive, and can identify infections that, in the past, might have been missed.

So, part of the rise in giardiasis cases that we’re seeing may be explained by upgrades to the tracking and diagnosis of infections.

International travel is another route to think about. Travel fell during the Covid pandemic, which potentially lowered exposure and reporting of gastrointestinal infections. As travel has somewhat recovered, imported infections have risen. The UKHSA noted that giardiasis cases went back to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, and have continued to rise.

Changes in the environment may also play a role. The Giardia parasite is linked to water quality, so heavy rain and flooding can increase the chances of water becoming polluted with Giardia-infected poo.

These overlapping factors are probably the key reasons for the rise in giardiasis cases being reported in England.

Don’t panic!

Giardiasis deserves attention, but not panic. For most healthy adults, it is not fatal. The bigger problem is that symptoms can last a long time and affect people’s quality of life.

People should seek medical advice if symptoms last more than seven days, if they’re experiencing bloody diarrhoea and if they know they have been in contact with someone who has giardiasis.

Thankfully, there are practical ways to lower the risk of becoming infected. Good hand-washing with soap is very effective, especially after changing nappies, touching animals and using the toilet.

Washing hands, genitals, the outer anus and sex toys before and after sex may be helpful too. Waiting for several weeks after diarrhoea caused by Giardia has stopped before having sex again also helps to stop passing it on to someone else.

Travellers should be weary of drinking untreated water. Swallowing water when swimming should be avoided. Anyone with diarrhoea should not swim until two weeks after they have fully recovered from the infection.

Giardiasis has been under-recognised for many years now. The recent rise in reported cases in England might be telling us about better detection, but also may be telling us about changes in risk. Either way, it’s a reminder that water and food-borne infections are still an important part of public health.

Water rescues are underway in southern Texas as former Tropical Storm Edouard continued to dump heavy rain, flooding streets and trapping people in their homes.

An unidentified woman and her four children were rescued from their Livingston mobile home after a creek overflowed, according to Click 2 Houston.

And people in the area were pulled from their cars stuck in flooded roads, KTRE said.

Rainfall rates have reached a whopping five inches an hour, ABC News also reported.

The storm has dropped 30 inches over Texas in the course of just 24 hours, WFLA meteorologist Jeff Berardelli wrote on social media.

A flash flood emergency has also been declared in Hardin and Tyler Counties, northeast of Houston, with rain expected to continue throughout Tuesday and into Wednesday.

“Widespread damaging and potentially catastrophic flooding is possible with a HIGH risk of flooding in effect,” the National Weather Service warned residents of southeastern Texas.

Social media videos showed cows moving their way through flooding and cars and trucks navigating water-covered highways.

The strengthening super El Niño climate pattern is tied to the “huge amounts” of rain in eastern Texas, meteorologist Ben Noll wrote on X. An El Niño typically brings warmer and wetter conditions to the Southeast.

But rain isn’t the only threat from Edouard. Trees fell into roadways and winds gusting up to 30 miles an hour in Livington’s Polk County have led to widespread power outages.

The county’s emergency managers told residents to avoid travel on Tuesday.

The storm had knocked out power for more than 72,000 customers by late Wednesday morning, according to tracker PowerOutage.US.

Some schools and government offices around Houston and the hardest-hit areas were closed, with plans to reopen on Wednesday, 12 News reported.

Edouard made landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border on Tuesday afternoon with maximum sustained winds of 60mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

One weather station in Port Arthur, Texas, recorded a 90mph wind gust from the storm.

Edouard is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which has been less active than normal due to the El Niño.

This is a developing story with reporting from The Associated Press

A man is facing prison time after he killed his own dad just hours after discovering he was his biological father.

Steven Shevels, 61, died after hitting his head on the concrete floor of the beer garden of the Queen’s Head pub, in Willington, County Durham, on Christmas Eve last year.

Martin Greensmith, 37, admitted pushing Mr Shevels but denied manslaughter.

Following a seven-day trial at Teesside Crown Court this week, a jury found him guilty.

Greensmith had just been told Steven was his biological father hours before the incident took place, the court heard.

Shortly after hearing this news, Greensmith and Steven had an interaction in the beer garden which culminated with the defendant pushing his dad, who fell and struck his head on the ground.

Greensmith was one of several people who went to help Steven, but he left the pub shortly before emergency services arrived.

He was arrested on Christmas Day after returning to his home in Willington.

Examination of his mobile phone revealed he had spent an hour searching online for solicitors and looking at a page about involuntary manslaughter.

Speaking after the verdict, Steven’s sister Angela spoke of how his death had affected their family.

‘My brother Steven was the victim of an unprovoked act of violence that took his life far too soon,’ she said.

‘His passing has left a hole in all our hearts, and a future forever changed for all of his family, friends, and everyone who knew him.’

Detective Chief Inspector Alfie Keane, of Durham Constabulary, said: ‘This is a truly devastating case. It shows how split-second decisions can have life-long consequences and an unimaginable impact on everyone around them.

‘Our thoughts remain with Steven’s family and friends at this difficult time.’

He will be sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on October 21.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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Every child is different, but the UK’s leading children’s charity has issued guidance for parents on what to do

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has issued advice for parents who may be toing and froing with the decision of whether or not to let their child walk home from school alone.

As the days start to get shorter and the weather gets colder, the fear of letting your kid roam free in the outside world grows. Coming to a decision on whether or not it’s safe to let your loved one make their own way back from school is quite anxiety-inducing, especially over the dark mornings and evenings of autumn and winter.

There is so much objectivity and nuance surrounding what age it’s appropriate, but luckily for you, the NSPCC has guidance for parents grappling with this question.

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“There’s no legal age that your child can travel home from school alone – this is up to you and your best judgement, or your school’s rules and policies,” the NSPCC website states. “However, you should never leave a child alone who isn’t ready or is unable to care for themselves.

“Every child is different – but some schools advise children under eight shouldn’t walk home without an adult or older sibling.”

The guidance suggests that if both you and your child feel they’re ready to come home alone, it helps to go over some rules about staying safe.

The practices the NSPCC recommends running through with your child are:

• Make sure they know their address and your telephone number by heart, in case they get lost or have to navigate home from somewhere new.
• If they have a mobile phone, remind them to fully charge it before leaving the house, and make sure they have all your contact numbers saved.
• Talk to them about road safety. They should always look both ways before crossing the street, and never be on their phone whilst crossing a road.
• Remind them never to accept a lift from someone they don’t know, or let a stranger into the house. They should never give personal information away – in real life or online.
• Remind them that if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable at any time, they can call you or a trusted adult.
• If they ever feel like they’re in immediate danger, they should call the police straight away on 999.

Elsewhere, a thread on the popular parenting forum, Mumsnet, from 2022 poses the question: “What age do you let your children walk to school alone?”.

The post received 62 replies, with many mothers agreeing that the summer term of Year 5 (ages 9 to 10) is typically a suitable time to allow your kid to start experiencing this rite of passage, providing you feel they are ready.

A user by the name of SauvignonGrower wrote: “Summer term year 5 is common where we are. Certainly, all the year 6 like to walk with friends.”

A user with the handle ShowOfHands argued that Year 6 is a more appropriate juncture. “Year 6 here and it’s a 15 minute walk,” she wrote. “One village road but a blind bend.

“I don’t worry about the traffic, I worry that DS is hot headed and impulsive. I genuinely worry that he’d end up going to the park instead or when grumpy, just won’t go to school. He starts y6 in September and I don’t know whether I’ll let him.”

SartresSoul commented: “Year 5, I don’t think many schools would let them walk alone before this. It’s common from year 5 in my child’s school and virtually zero year 6’s travel home with parents.”

Opinion on the topic varies from parent to parent, with knowledge of their local areas playing a key factor when considering the safety of their child.

A-lister George Clooney has one… very specific fear when it comes to his legacy after death.

Hollywood is currently at the centre of a raging debate about the ethical use of AI to recreate the likeness of famous people, especially post-mortem.

On the one hand, you have stars like the late Val Kilmer who was ‘brought back to life’ via the medium of AI. On the other you have Robin Williams, whose family has returned to social media after a decade to ‘protect his legacy from rampant AI abuse’.

Meanwhile, high profile actors from across the industry such as stars like Sandra Bullock and Reese Witherspoon are being grilled about their stance on the rapidly-advancing techonology.

Essentially, it’s a hot-button topic which has inevitably made its way to the shores of the Venice Film Festival, where the 65-year-old actor Clooney is accepting a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

Discussing how AI could impact him personally, he was quick to quip: ‘Well, I would like to avoid being in a tampon commercial 20 years after I’m dead. I would like to avoid that.’

He also took a step back to give a wider perspective on his fears around its use in the creative industry; he posed that the ‘revolution in the industry’ was ‘going to hurt us in a lot of ways’.

The Oscar winner warned: ‘If you’re a visual effects supervisor, you’re going to have trouble coming up because that’s going to be a lot of jobs taken away.

‘Probably about 30 per cent of the jobs. I don’t know what the real number is, but there’s going to be a big number of jobs that are going to be taken away, and we’re kind of on our back foot on it. We’re not taking the lead on it.’

His worries about his likeness being out of his control under the thumb of AI after his death are echoed by Williams’ family, as mentioned.

In their statement explaining their return to social media, they wrote: ‘Making that space [online] into one where people can find authentic clips and photos of him is one of the best ways we’ve now found to fight back against rampant AI abuse of his voice and likeness on here.’

As for the Ocean’s 11 star, the threat of AI, and his existential concerns over popping up in a tampon advert in two decades, aren’t the only pressing issues he was quizzed on.

When asked about the current state of US politics, which is well into its second Trump administration, he said: ‘Look, I’m always very optimistic about things, and we’re at a moment in time that’s unfortunate – I think that’s an understatement.

‘I do believe that we’re going to get through all of this,’ adding he hopes the 2028 election will mark a ‘restoration into some normalcy’.

A Reform councillor said the public ‘deserve to know what is happening to one of our most important public buildings’.

A major update has revealed a surprising new plan for a historic Stockport library that’s been shut for more than a year.

Stockport Central Library has been closed since May 2025 after maintenance works and repairs had to be carried out in the building. It has remained shut ever since despite petitions and calls for it to reopen.

Library services in Stockport town centre have since been operating out of the massively popular Stockroom in the Merseyway Shopping Centre. This has had more than one million visitors in a year.

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However the library’s likely future has been revealed after Reform councillor Shaun Regan put in a Freedom of Information request to the local authority.

He said he had ‘been pressing the council for clear answers’ in a Facebook post because the public ‘deserve to know what is happening to one of our most important public buildings’.

He said the request revealed the council plans to renovate the Grade II-listed library as the new home of the Stockport Music Service which is currently based in Bedbury. The service works with schools, families and wider partners to provide opportunities in all areas of music education across the borough.

Coun Regan said: “I welcome the news that Central Library will be brought back into public use. Moving the Music Service into the town centre could give young musicians a fantastic new home while protecting an important part of Stockport’s heritage.

“However, I will continue pushing for the details. Residents need a clear timeline, the expected cost, an opening date and confirmation of how much public access will remain.

“We also need to know what will happen to the existing Bredbury site. Will it remain part of the service, be repurposed for another community use, be sold or left empty?

“The council must communicate better and be more transparent about its public buildings. Residents should not have to rely on Freedom of Information requests to discover whether valued community assets will be protected, converted or left to deteriorate.”

In response, a Stockport Council spokesperson said: “Central Library is expected to become the future home of Stockport Music Service. We look forward to sharing more information with residents as plans progress.”

It’s understood the move has been delayed due to the need to carefully relocate Stockport’s archive collections into a purpose-built facility in Stockroom. This is because the archives require specialist handling and have to be moved with the utmost care to protect historical records about Stockport.

Previously the Liberal Democrats who run the council said the central Library ‘will remain open, publicly-owned and run as a library service’ after they took control of the council. The promise was that after Stockroom was finished, the central library would be refurbished and retain a library of 2,500 books.

Previous costs for the project was touted as being in the region of £4.3m with £2.1m being spent on repairs to the building. In June 2026, Labour MP Navendu Mishra pressed for an update on what was happening with the library.

He previously said: “A clear timeline for the building’s reopening is urgently needed. I recall when Labour ran Stockport council, the Stockport Liberal Democrats were openly critical of the council when plans were floated around Stockport Central Library.”