Similarly, reader Paul Isaacs, a dentist, believes that “squirting stuff between teeth isn’t that good at removing a sticky biofilm”.

“If we don’t clean between the teeth properly it’s a bit like only washing your left side in the shower,” he adds.

For Paul, it’s the technique that matters, not necessarily the technology. “Toothbrushes are a personal thing, you can do a great job with manual or electric, if you do it right.”

“Getting bits of peanut out from between the teeth is not effective cleaning when it comes to gum health, so water jets are second rate,” he says.

“The gold standard is mechanical cleaning, in basic terms if you don’t wrangle it off, the biofilm won’t shift.”

The readers tempted by Dyson

These readers, however, are more optimistic about this new technology and can see how it could become a sophisticated investment, remembering when the electric toothbrush was dismissed when it first launched.

As a Dyson enthusiast, reader Irena Stoynova, 41, from Hampshire, was excited to hear about the launch of the CameraJet: “It’s because of the trust I have in the brand.”

As the owner of a variety of Dyson products from the hair dryer, fan and purifier and vacuum cleaner, Irena has found their products to be “innovative, effective and reliable”.

“They are the best in class,” she adds. “I believe that if somebody is going to disrupt the market it is going to be Dyson.”

The Great British Schools Guide has released data naming the top 10 easiest and hardest secondary schools to get into in County Durham, ranked based on “an equal-weighted combination of catchment tightness and fullness relative to recorded capacity”.

The fullness percentage provides “an indication of demand” for places and does not mean a school is oversubscribed.

Here are the easiest and hardest secondary schools to get into in County Durham.

Does your child’s school feature on either of the lists? (Image: Getty)

Hardest County Durham secondary schools to get into

The Academy at Shotton Hall comes in first place on the Great British Schools Guide’s list with a fullness of 101%.

The school was given a rating of outstanding in its last OFSTED inspection, which was published in September 2024.

The school says it provides a “vibrant and stimulating learning environment” for its pupils.

Top 10 hardest County Durham secondary schools to get into:

1. The Academy at Shotton Hall – 101%
2. Seaham High School – 94%
3. Easington Academy – 105%
4. Hermitage Academy – 89%
5. Woodham Academy – 93%
6. Tanfield School – 102%
7. Belmont Community School – 94%
8. Park View School – 109%
9. Dene Academy – 78%
10. King James I Academy Bishop Auckland – 97%

Easiest County Durham secondary schools to get into

For the easiest school to get into in County Durham, Staindrop Academy has a fullness percentage of 69%.

The school was last inspected by OFSTED in October 2021 and received a rating of good in all of the categories judged.

The school aims to make all of its pupils feel “happy and valued” and wants them to “fulfil their potential and develop the skills and attributes to succeed in their next steps”.

Top 10 easiest County Durham secondary schools to get into:

1. Staindrop Academy – 69%
2. Teesdale School and Sixth Form – 71%
3. Durham Academy – 57%
4. Wellfield School – 90%
5. Wolsingham School – 99%
6. Framwellgate School Durham – 94%
7. North Durham Academy – 57%
8. Ferryhill School – 80%
9. Greenfield Academy – 68%
10. Bishop Barrington Academy – 74%

Do either of these lists surprise you? Let us know in the comments.

Prince George has arrived for his first day at Eton College accompanied by his proud parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales.

He walked in as both a king-in-waiting and a nervous 13-year-old about to embark on a thrilling new chapter of his life.

The second in line to the throne wore a dark blazer, shirt, tie and chinos with brown suede shoes. He and his parents strode briskly through Eton College’s historic quadrangle – known to pupils as School Yard – given the heavy rain.

The family emerged from the arch beneath Lupton’s Tower, the 16th-century gatehouse clock tower, and walked across the cobbled Yard.

The Waleses paused level with a bronze statue of Henry VI, the school’s founder, which sits in the centre of the quadrangle, to shake hands with Simon Henderson, the headmaster of Eton College, and Sir Nicholas Coleridge, the school’s provost, who serves as the chair of the governing body.

Prince William was smartly dressed in a dark suit, while Catherine wore an elegant green flowing dress and heels and carried a large umbrella.

William was the first to shake hands with the headmaster, then George, as the princess slightly hung back.

Prince William shakes hands with provost Sir Nicholas Coleridge, left, and headmaster Simon Henderson on Prince George’s first day of school 

Prince George arrives with parents Prince William and Catherine for his first day at Eton today

William is greeted by Sir Nicholas, the school’s provost and governing body chair

Advertisement

‘George welcome, good luck, enjoy,’ Mr Henderson smiled.

He then shook hands with Catherine before the provost introduced himself and they exchanged a few pleasantries

While there were clearly nerves on both sides, there were also smiles all round – although the heavy rain drowned out the sound of their conversation.

Catherine gazed at her eldest son proudly before Mr Henderson invited the family to get out of the rain.

The princess was seen placing a protective arm on her son’s back as the door was shut behind them. 

The Yard is the oldest part of the school alongside College Chapel, where pupils attend services three times a week.

After the welcome, George, William and Catherine were shown into the fourth form passage in the original school building, which is understood to house the world’s oldest classroom.

Like other families, the couple will help George settle into his new bedroom. Pupils from other years will return to Eton when the school starts tomorrow.

Following the brief photocall and the picture release, it is William and Catherine’s fervent wish that George’s education will take place away from public view.

Signs have been posted around Windsor warning the public not to photograph the pupils when they are moving around the sprawling campus of school buildings between lessons.

Kensington Palace announced in June that their eldest child would be attending the Windsor boarding school where fees cost more than £65,000 per year.

William struggles to close his umbrella as he and Catherine accompany George to Eton today

Advertisement

Catherine and William laugh with George as they arrive today for his first day at Eton College

George arrives with parents William and Catherine for his first day at Eton this morning

Catherine and William laugh with George as they arrive for his first day at Eton College today

It seems hard to believe that the self-assured young man in front of us was, only a few years ago, being introduced to the world by William and Catherine on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington – or pictured tousle-haired, his back pack almost as big as him, on his first day at nursery.

The photocall had been arranged for 11am, half an hour or so before the rest of his fellow ‘F Blockers’ – Eton shorthand for Year 9 students – arrived. 

It is the only time during the next five years George is likely to get any special treatment, and the decision was more about protecting the privacy of the other students.

All new pupils arrive in their own clothes before changing into Eton’s distinctive and historic uniform including black tailcoat, waistcoat and white tunic shirt.

Kensington Palace are set to release a photograph of that separately.

The prince and princess have made clear how grateful they are for the way the media and public have allowed all their three children to grow up and enjoy their education away from the spotlight, in return for regular pictorial updates and occasional public appearances, and hope this will continue for George as he moves through his senior school years.

Henry VI established the school in 1440, naming it Kynge’s College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore.

Alongside fee-paying students, provision was made for 70 ‘King’s scholars’ to receive free lodging and tuition. The tradition continues today with the school offering bursaries to pupils from less well-off backgrounds.

The young prince’s arrival at the exclusive public school varied markedly from his father’s first day on September 6, 1995.

Then, William, sporting a grey tweed jacket over matching smart trousers and a navy patterned tie, was photographed arriving at his boarding house in front of a large group of the world’s media and signing the register.

Prince George starts his first day of school at Thomas’s Battersea in London in September 2017

He was accompanied by his parents Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, who had by then been separated for three years, along with his younger brother, Prince Harry.

Only a small royal photographer rota captured such an historic moment in the now heir to the throne’s life.

Times change and, as royal aides now argue, it’s stressful enough joining a new school without doing it under the glare of hundreds of cameras.

Eton was always the front runner for William and Catherine when it came to choosing a senior school for their eldest child, but by no means a done deal.

The couple have been spotted checking out a number of boarding schools across the county, including Oundle in Northamptonshire and the princess’s own alma mater, Marlborough – although sources have indicated that the latter has always been a more likely choice for their daughter, Princess Charlotte.

What swung it was Eton’s proximity to the family’s ‘forever home’ at Windsor, Forest Lodge; the fact that the college has long experience of dealing with the complexities around high-profile students; and, of course, George’s own preference.

He is likely to be joined by a number of friends from Lambrook, the co-educational prep school in Berkshire he has attended with his siblings in recent years.

It also helps that William has genuinely fond memories of his own time there.

In an interview to mark his 18th birthday and imminent graduation from Eton, the heir spoke of how he had enjoyed attending Eton as ‘just another student’ and even admitted he’d ‘always liked the uniform’.

He also spoke of how much he had appreciated the support of staff such as his housemaster, Dr Gailey.

Ironically, given how synonymous Eton has become with royalty, it was something of a departure for William to even be sent there.

For centuries, generations of monarchs and their heirs were taught by tutors and had little experience of learning alongside their peers.

Princess Diana and Charles with William and Harry outside Eton on William’s first day in 1995

However both William’s grandfather and uncle on the Spencer side of the family had attended the school, while his mother also preferred its proximity to Windsor and London.

Charles was also known to have had a less than happy time at his own Scottish alma mater, Gordonstoun – although other members of the Royal Family subsequently went there and adored it – and was content with the choice.

It also enabled William to spend time with his beloved grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, and he still fondly talks of being able to regularly wander over to Windsor Castle to seek tea and sage advice.

William and Catherine have also gone on to break with tradition when it comes to their own children’s education.

George first attended a little £5.50-an-hour Montessori nursery school, Westacre near King’s Lynn in Norfolk, when his parents were based there while William was working as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance Service.

When the family moved back to Kensington Palace in 2017, George and Charlotte were enrolled at Thomas’s Battersea – a very popular but not overly posh private London prep school.

In 2022, all three youngsters moved to Lambrook, a delightful but low-key day and boarding school in Berkshire, where George has regularly stayed overnight in preparation for Eton.

He is said to be a hugely outdoorsy, sporty boy, who has shown a talent for triathlon and sailing – and is obsessed by flying.

His time at Eton will, hopefully, be among the happiest years of his life, allow him to develop away from the spotlight and develop a tight-knit circle of friends that will support him for many decades to come.

The college was founded in 1440 as a charity feeder school to provide free education for 70 poor boys before they progressed to King’s College, Cambridge.

Prince Harry sets off for his first day at Eton in 1998. He attended the school until 2003

It has since become one of the most lauded public schools in the world, educating generations of British and foreign aristocracy and, in recent years, home-grown monarchy.

Former alumni include no less than 20 former British prime ministers, writers George Orwell, Aldous Huxley and Ian Fleming, as well as actors Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston and Damian Lewis.

Recent decades have seen a concerted effort to open up benefits of an Eton education to pupils from a more diverse background, with around 20 per cent on bursaries or scholarships.

The Good Schools Guide says it is an establishment that is chosen by people ‘despite its name, not because of it’ and insists: ‘Eton’s got normal families and normal children doing great things.’

Its fees remain, however, an eye-watering £65,000-plus a year and there is an enviable 7:1 pupil to teacher ratio.

And it is also still renowned for its traditions including the classic uniform of a black tailcoat (£165) with matching trousers (£65), waistcoat (£50) and white tunic shirt (£22).

Facilities remain first class with superlative music, drama and sports departments. As well as rugby and football, the school still boasts unique traditions such the ‘Eton wall game’.

All boarders have private rooms from their first day in one of 25 distinctive boarding houses run by the house master and dame.

Kensington Palace have broken recent tradition and chosen not to share the name of George’s house.

Teachers are known officially as masters, but colloquially as ‘beaks’.

The Waleses – who famously admit they have refused to give their children mobile phones – will no doubt be delighted with the school’s phone policy: just a Nokia brick phone for boys such as George in Year 9 with very limited use.

The 20-year-old also benefited from a perfectly-timed (from his perspective at least) mid-race virtual safety car when Lance Stroll retired his Aston Martin, which allowed Antonelli a cheap stop to switch to fresh mediums while Russell stayed out on used hards. But at some point you just have to take your hat off to the youngster.

Antonelli was irresistible. He had already surged from 19th on the grid to 12th by the time the red flag came out at the end of lap 2. He was up to sixth a couple of laps after the race resumed. And by lap 18 of a 53-lap race, he had passed Russell for the lead for the first time. That is some going.

Having caught up to Russell, the two Mercedes drivers engaged in an entertaining battle for a few laps, the pair of them yo-yoing in and out of the lead before Russell got past Antonelli on lap 23 and managed to make it stick.

But the key moment of the race came on lap 27 when Stroll stopped at the first chicane and the VSC came out. For Antonelli, the decision to switch to fresh mediums was clear. He was going to struggle to make it to the end of the race. Far better to drop a few positions and fight back on fresh rubber.

For Russell, it was far trickier. He was in the lead of the race. He was on hard tyres which he knew could get to the end of the race. And he also had the problem of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who at the time he was struggling to shake off.

Mercedes chose to keep Russell out there. In hindsight, it may have been the wrong decision. Had he stopped at that point, he would at least have stayed ahead of Antonelli, and on the same tyres. By staying out, he kept the lead but found himself relentlessly hunted down by the Italian.

By lap 49, the Italian had caught up to him. Antonelli botched his first attempt at reclaiming the lead, going wide onto the gravel at the first chicane. But he made no mistake one lap later as Russell was once again left licking his wounds.

Constant scrolling can create more problems than you think.

Many of us are guilty for sitting on our phones or tech devices for hours on end after a long day of work. While it can be an easy way to relax, being on your phone “too much” can actually be having an affect on your health.

Issuing a warning that some people may want to cut back on their phone usage, ITV’s resident doctor Amir Khan has taken to social media to share his advice.

While he does admit that phones have become a regular part of our daily lives, from keeping in contact with family, checking the news or streaming a new show, it can also be doing more damage than you think.

Taking to TikTok yesterday (September 7), the NHS GP has shared a few ways too much time phone use can affect your health. In the clip, he said: “Phones are amazing. We depend on them for lots of different things and for many people they are a lifeline. But constant scrolling can do more to your body than you think.

Below are five science-backed effects that may make you think twice about spending extra time on your phone after a long day.

Five ways excessive phone use can impact your health

1. Digital eye strain

Otherwise known as computer vision syndrome, spending too much time on your devices can have an impact on your eye health.

According to Dr Amir, your blink rate can drop up to 60 per cent when you stare at screens. Drying out the surface of your eyes, this can cause headaches, blurred vision and eye fatigue.

To combat this, he recommends taking a break every 20 minutes and to go outside in nature. This will help as your eyes will be able to switch between focusing between items that are nearby and far away.

2. Tech neck and posture changes

The GP said: “Tilting your neck forward by 60 degrees to look at your phone increases the load on your neck to around 27kg. That is like carrying a seven-year-old on your neck all day.”

Over time, this can lead to muscle strain and could potentially change the curvature of your spine. Along with taking regular breaks, you should aim to do some neck exercises.

3. Sleep disruption

The blue light from your phone screen can suppress melatonin, which signals when it is time to go to sleep. Dr Amir warns that even 30 minutes of phone use before bed can delay you falling asleep, as well reduce deep restorative sleep.

4. Mental Health

The Good Morning Britain doctor adds: “Multiple studies link high screen time with increased rates of anxiety, depression and reduced life satisfaction, especially in teenagers and young adults.”

Due to constant notifications on our phones, the brain is kept in a state of alert which stops it from resting. It is important to keep meeting up with friends and family in person to keep the connection strong rather than staring blankly at your screen.

5. Reduced physical activity

Quite self explanatory, the more time we spend on your phones the less time we are engaging in physical activity. Constant sedentary behaviour has been linked to a variety of worrying health conditions, such as obesity, higher risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

These concerns can also arise even if you exercise later in the day. The doctor advises moving regularly as “sitting is the new smoking”.

By SABRINA PENTY, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER

Published: 09:20 BST, 8 September 2026 | Updated: 11:44 BST, 8 September 2026

A donkey handler has violently attacked a female activist protesting against the use of the animals to transport tourists on the Greek island of Santorini.

The woman was among a small group of German activists demonstrating on the Karavolades steps – a steep, scenic route where donkeys and mules are used to carry holidaymakers – when the incident unfolded. 

Footage appears to show the activist walking away from a man brandishing a stick when he suddenly raises his hand toward her, hits her in the face and pushes her against a wall. 

The woman then lets out a scream and falls on to the paved steps as other activists yell: ‘Don’t touch her!’

Advertisement

She is then seen screaming and crying as onlookers rushed to her aid. 

Separate footage taken before the incident shows a group of donkey handlers surrounding the group of activists and telling them not to take photos, as one man appears to shove a camera out of a woman’s hands. 

One man is seen holding a stick, while another yells at the activists to leave and threatens to call the police. 

The activists are part of the animal rights group Peta. The organisation condemned the incident, which occurred while a small group of female activists were protesting at the steps.

Advertisement

Footage shows the moment a donkey handler attacked a German Peta activist in Santorini

The shocked woman was seen sitting on the steps crying and covering her face after the attack 

Video grab shows one of the donkey handlers holding a stick as he tells the group of activists to leave

Advertisement

Peta Germany said the men ‘destroyed their protest signs and tried to prevent them from filming further’, adding they ‘roughly grabbed the young women, insulted them and forced them down the steps. At times, they pushed them against a wall. One of them punched one of the young women in the face.’

‘The animal rights activists wanted to make a statement against the exploitation of donkeys as “tourist taxis”. On Santorini, donkeys are forced to drag travellers up the 500 steps from the port of Fira to the town in sweltering heat. The Peta activists planned to demonstrate to locals how to climb the stairs in an innovative and animal-friendly way using robotic legs—so-called exoskeletons,’ it added. 

Peta Germany also said it will file criminal charges against the donkey drivers who attacked the activists, and has asked tourists who witnessed the incident to get in touch.  

For decades, donkeys and mules in Santorini have made countless journeys up and down hundreds of cobbled steps on the cliff-side path that leads to the town of Fira.

Advertisement

The plight of the donkeys, which are marched from fields at dawn in hot temperatures, has been condemned by locals and tourists but the practice continues. 

In recent years, there has been an increase in donkeys suffering spinal injuries, saddle sores and exhaustion, while images on social media showing overweight tourists riding donkeys have sparked anger. 

A five-cabin cable car was introduced on the island leading to donkeys being used less frequently by travellers ascending the steps.

When the volcanic isle became a popular tourist hotspot, attracting up to 17,000 holidaymakers each day from cruise ships, demand for the donkey rides increased again.

Advertisement

The animals walk up in lines of two to ten, offload at a ‘donkey station’ just before the summit of the steps and then return for their next load, often bumping into walkers or squeezing them into walls that look over steep drops.

In recent years, thousands of people have signed petitions calling for the use of donkeys to carry tourists to be banned. 

Wayne Rooney believes Michael Carrick has been ‘left short’ by Manchester United’s hierarchy after the summer transfer window.

United focused on bolstering Carrick’s midfield options in the summer window as the club spent around £150 million on the signings of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba.

A move for Lewis Hall was also considered but United opted not to submit an offer to Newcastle United, who had no interest in selling the 22-year-old left-back.

Rooney feels United needed to sign a left-back to provide support for Luke Shaw and also insists a new striker was required to ease the burden on Benjamin Sesko, who is yet to start a Premier League game this season.

‘I just felt, and the Everton game showed me what I felt as well, they [United] were the better team, had a lot of control in the game, but a lack of a No.9, so for whatever reason Sesko is not fully fit, he missed pre-season,’ Rooney said on Stick to United.

‘Lacking a No.9, full-back position in terms of competition for places.

‘I thought Luke Shaw was really good [against Everton], possibly could have got closer for the first goal but I thought he played really well, and that connection with Rashford was good.

‘But I think with Dalot and Mazraoui coming on, for a team who want to compete and compete at the top end of the Premier League, great getting back in the Champions League but you want to get in the Champions League and try to compete as well. Are we going to win the Champions League? Probably not, you never know but probably not.

‘But you want a squad of players who are going to compete and I think Michael has been left short on that.

‘Luke is not going to play every game, Dalot and Mazraoui coming on at left-back, again, we’re seeing too many players player in unfamiliar positions to them. And I think that’s where the club should have went out and got players to help.

‘You would certainly be asking questions. I know Michael has come out and said he’s happy with the players they’ve got in. I don’t think any manager is happy, you always more more, more players and help for your team on the pitch.

‘The back line I don’t think is the strongest. Harry Maguire is probably the first-choice centre-back, then you’ve got Martinez who has got his injury problems, Heaven, who has got a lot of potential and I really like but it is potential and we’ve not seen enough of him. Full-back area is a big concern.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE: Troy Deeney mocks £64million Arsenal star who Mikel Arteta cannot coach

MORE: Manchester United snap up teenage prospect from Liverpool

MORE: John Terry singles out Chelsea captain Reece James for criticism after Arsenal defeat

If Ashe can help 23-year-old Shelton earn his first career win over Alcaraz, there is guaranteed to be an American player in the final.

Home stars reaching the men’s semi-finals has not been uncommon this century, but only Taylor Fritz has reached the final – two years ago when he lost to Jannik Sinner – since Roddick was beaten by Roger Federer in the 2006 final.

Tiafoe, who is seeded 11th, lost to Fritz in another all-American semi-final and was also eliminated by Alcaraz at the same stage in 2022.

Now the 28-year-old is aiming for a third opportunity to reach his first Grand Slam final.

Tiafoe reached the Cincinnati final last month and, thriving off the energy of the New York crowd, has maintained his momentum.

On what it is like to receive such support, he said: “It’s an out-of-body experience, no question. No real explaining that type of feeling.

“It’s like you’re not even touching the ground at one point. Energy is so high, and it seems like the level of play matches that.”

While Tiafoe is one of the sport’s great entertainers, 22-year-old Michelsen is more understated.

The world number 46 admits he has been happy to fly “under the radar” at Flushing Meadows while the likes of Tiafoe, Shelton, Fritz and Tommy Paul soak up the attention.

But earning a place in a Grand Slam quarter-final for the first time, and not dropping a set on his way, means Michelsen will find himself under the spotlight on Ashe.

“First, second, third rounds, all matches I’m feeling nerves. It’s a human experience,” he said.

“But it’s just about going out there and managing them to the best of my ability. I feel like I’ve done that very well.”