As the hearse carrying PC Matt Blades, bearing the word ‘Dad’, made its way down Hutton Avenue in his hometown of Hartlepool today, the dignified silence was almost unnerving.

For minutes at a time, the only sounds audible above respectful whispers were the buzz of a drone filming this ceremonial funeral and the clip-clop of hooves from the four horses that led the procession.

Given the chaos which has gripped this part of north-east England in the weeks since PC Blades, 37, and his colleague at Cleveland Police, PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed in a head-on smash on the A66 in Middlesbrough, the respect shown by the hundreds of members of the public who gathered to pay their respects restored a little of one’s faith in humanity.

How different this scene was to those over recent days celebrating the lives of the five young men driving a car on cloned number plates who also died in the crash that killed the two officers.

During a ‘memorial’ service to Michael Cahill, 23, last month, five vehicles were set alight in Haswell, County Durham, and fireworks and flares were set off.

Other funerals to the five have seen young men hiding their faces behind balaclavas or hanging out of car windows.

It was little different today.

Just as more than 1,000 police officers quietly lined the streets to watch PC Blades’ coffin, draped in the Union Jack, carried into St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, a service for Cole Worthy, who died in the same crash, was being held nearby in Middlesbrough.

Police officers hug each other before the funeral of PC Matthew Blades 

A huge police presence with name badge tributes as mourners attend the funeral

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Pall bearers carry the coffin of PC Matthew Blades into his funeral in Hartlepool

Police attend the funeral of PC Matthew Blades at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church

A huge police presence as mourners attend the funeral of PC Matthew Blades in Hartlepool

PC Blades was one of two officers killed in a head-on smash on the A66 in Middlesbrough

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Remarkably, midway through his funeral at Teesside Crematorium, police received reports of a ‘disturbance’ and officers were called to the scene.

A 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault before the service resumed.

There were no such issues at the funeral for married father-of-two PC Blades, an armed response officer and former teacher who had served with Cleveland Police since 2015.

Many officers hugged before the procession arrived and even touchingly fixed one another’s lapels and straightened ties.

Some wore identity patches bearing the words ‘PC 2443 BLADES’ and ‘PC 3234 CLOUGH’.

Standard bearers waved flags representing every force from across the country before four pipers and a drummer processed in front of the funeral car and played Amazing Grace as the coffin was led inside the church. 

Emergency services representatives from the North East Ambulance Service and Great North Air Ambulance were also in attendance.

Among those paying their respects were Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller, policing minister Sarah Jones, Home Office minister Anna Turley, Conservative MP for Stockton West Matt Vickers and Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen.

Cleveland Police Federation paid tribute to PC Blades, who was known as Matty, and to the courage of his family.

A huge police presence as mourners attend the funeral of PC Matthew Blades in Hartlepool

The hearse carrying PC Matt Blades through Hartlepool today bears the word ‘Dad’

A police officer works with a dog in Hartlepool today as the funeral takes place

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Pall bearers carry the coffin of PC Matthew Blades into his funeral at the church

Police officers hug each other before the funeral of PC Matthew Blades in Hartlepool

Mourners attend the funeral of PC Matthew Blades at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church

Hundreds of police officers line the street at the funeral of their colleague 

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Some of the officers wore identity patches saying ‘PC 2443 BLADES’ and ‘PC 3234 CLOUGH’

Standard bearers represent every UK force at the service for PC Matthew Blades

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Lauren Somerville, chairman of Cleveland Police Federation, said: ‘The police family came together shoulder to shoulder today, arm in arm to remember our brave colleague PC Matthew Blades.

‘It was an honour and a privilege to attend today’s funeral on behalf of our colleagues across Cleveland.

‘His family have shown incredible dignity and bravery since those awful events in August and it was our privilege to play our small part in honouring Matt’s memory.

‘Matt was a devoted husband and father. An adored son and brother, son-in-law, and is remembered as the most fun uncle. 

‘He has been taken from his loving family far too soon and they remain squarely in our thoughts.

‘The support and love we offer them does not end today. We will always be there to take care of them.’

Well-wishers in attendance spoke of how they felt a duty to pay their respects to a man who died ‘doing his job.’

Helen Byers, 65, a nurse from Hartlepool, said: ‘This was a young lad who lost his life looking after us all. It’s just tragic. I’m just glad there hasn’t been any trouble.

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The hearse had a white and red floral tribute which read ‘Dad’ on the roof for the father-of-two

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‘I was really upset when I heard what happened to him – somebody going out to do their job and then not coming home to a young family is absolutely tragic.’

Anne Roe, 60, a retired care worker, said: ‘They [the police] are heroes. I don’t come out of the house often these days but I had to come out for this.

‘I wanted to pay my respects and show they are respected.’

PC Blades, a football coach for youth teams, was a Manchester United fan and a regular at Old Trafford. His two young sons were mascots for the club’s first home game of the season.

His wife, Sarah, paid tribute to her husband the day after the tragedy which claimed his life.

She said: ‘No words will ever feel like the right words to honour our Matt – my beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father to our two young boys.

‘He was an adored son and brother, a perfect son-in-law, and the most fun uncle. He was loved beyond words by all his family and friends, and his loss has left a space that can never be filled.

‘He gave his life in the line of duty, protecting and serving others with courage, dedication and selflessness.

‘The pain of losing him is beyond words, and our lives will never be the same. Neither will the love he gave us ever fade.

‘Our children will grow up knowing what an incredible father he was and will always be, and I will carry his love, his memory and everything we shared with me always.’

The funeral for 17-year-old Cole Worthy was disrupted and police responded to reports of a disturbance inside the Teesside Crematorium service

A 39 year old man has been arrested at the funeral of one of five young men who died in a head-on collision with police on the A66, a tragedy that also claimed the lives of two armed officers.

The service at Teesside Crematorium for 17 year old Cole Worthy was thrown into disarray when officers were called to reports of a disturbance inside the venue. In the wake of the devastating crash, which claimed seven lives in total, it came to light that a property in a quiet residential street in Acklam, Middlesbrough, connected to the teenager had been deliberately rammed, causing significant damage.

Cleveland Police confirmed the arrest at the funeral on Wednesday.

Superintendent John Wrintmore said: “At around 12.30pm on Wednesday September 9, police swiftly attended to Teesside Crematorium following reports of a disturbance during a service taking place inside.

“A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault and has been taken to police custody. The service has since resumed.

“Officers will be in the area to provide reassurance.”

The funeral coincided with that of Pc Matthew Blades, 37, whose service was held in Hartlepool on the same day. He was an armed response officer whose marked police car was struck head-on by a VW Passat in the early hours of 22nd August.

His colleague Pc Tom Clough, 38, also lost his life at the scene.

Schools had closed early for previous funerals of some of the other young men in the Passat, igniting a political row, though they remained open during the ceremony for Mr Worthy. Cleveland Police had previously suggested that the occupants of the Passat may have been connected to organised crime.

The budget airline, which operates from airports across the UK, is set to upgrade its passenger experience with new, lightweight seats next year.

The seats will be installed on its Airbus A321neo aircraft, of which the company has been phasing in more since its arrival a few years ago.

What is the Airbus A321neo aircraft?

The A321neo is a modern, fuel-efficient aircraft that has been in service with Jet2 since 2023.

The aircraft has two engines and one aisle, with rows of seats on either side. It can carry up to 244 people, depending on its layout.

New engines and curved wing tips, known as “sharklets”, help reduce fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions compared with older aircraft.

The Airbus A321neo is also recognised as the most fuel-efficient aircraft in its class.

It reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per seat by over 20% and provides a 50% lower noise footprint compared to the current fleet average. 

The airline reached 30 operational A321neo aircraft by mid-2026, while documents show 124 more are scheduled for delivery by 2035.

Paul Southall, Head of Sustainability at Jet2, said: “Taking delivery of our 30th brand-new Airbus A321neo aircraft is a great milestone for Jet2 and demonstrates the investment we continue to make in our sustainability strategy.

“These aircraft are more efficient, quieter and deliver a fantastic onboard experience, so this latest delivery is another important step as we continue to grow responsibly and take tangible actions on our sustainability journey.” 

Jet2 to introduce new seats on aircraft in 2027

Jet2 will introduce new seats with in-seat power on its A321neo aircraft from early 2027.

The airline said the next-generation lightweight seats would also provide improved space and comfort for passengers.

A Jet2 spokesperson said: “Delivering an award-winning onboard experience is central to everything we do, and our new A321neo aircraft are set to feature new seats as part of that commitment to customers.”

“We look forward to sharing more details in due course.”

The new seats will be installed in Jet2’s Airbus A321neo aircraft (pictured) (Image: Jet2)

What is the Jet2 luggage size and baggage allowance?

Jet2 gives every passenger a free 10kg cabin bag and a small personal under-seat bag as hand luggage allowance.

A large cabin bag can be up to 56cm x 45cm x 25cm and can go in the overhead locker

A small bag can be up to 40cm x 30cm x 20cm and fits under the seat in front of you.

Infants under two do not get a cabin baggage allowance.

Checked bags are not included and must be purchased as an add-on.

New routes from Jet2 in 2026 and 2027

Jet2 has already added exciting new routes to Samos and Palermo as of May 2026.

Samos is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, with hidden beaches, hillside villages and more.

Palermo is the capital of the Italian island of Sicily, with “time-worn buildings” and exciting markets full of local street food.

Jet2 is introducing a new route to Strasbourg from November 2026, which is described as feeling like “you’ve landed in a storybook”, with “timber-framed houses” and “quiet canals” to explore.

It is also introducing routes to Egypt from February 2027, Thassos from May 2027 and Tunisia and Perpignan & La Rochelle from Summer 2027.

What is your favourite place that you have been on holiday? Let us know in the comments.

Andy Burnham said Britain was standing up for the ‘underdog’ Palestinians today as he faced criticism over trade sanctions on illegal Israeli West Bank settlements.

The Prime Minister said the UK would always stand against ‘injustice’ as he faced MPs the day after sparking a row with domestic Jewish leaders and Benjamin Netanyahu‘s government.

Israel said it was closing a British consulate in East Jerusalem and banning a dozen MPs from entering the country in retaliation for a comprehensive sanctions regime targeting companies and individuals in the occupied area.

And Britain’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said the action announced by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband was just ‘gesture politics’ and would ‘further embolden those, at home and abroad, who use hatred as a weapon against Jews’. 

Mr Burnham is also waiting to see if the so-far silent Donald Trump will also launch reprisals. But tackling the backlash head-on at Prime Minister’s Questions, the premier told MPs Britain was showing ‘leadership on the world stage’ and that support for a two-state solution must be backed by action.

‘Britain has to stand for fairness against injustice. Where people are being bullied out of their homes, intimidated, we will always stand with the underdog and take what action we can to support them,’ he added.

Israel said it was closing a British consulate in East Jerusalem and banning a dozen MPs from entering the country in retaliation for a comprehensive sanctions regime targeting companies and individuals in the occupied area 

The Government is still waiting to hear Donald Trump’s reaction to the sanctions – which have been coordinated with other countries including Canada and France  

In an excoriating open letter, Rabbi Leo Dee – whose wife and two daughters were killed by Palestinian terrorists in the Jordan Valley in 2023 – accused Mr Miliband of ‘hypocrisy’.   

Kemi Badenoch joined the condemnation, saying the Government risked ‘fanning the flames of anti-Semitism at home’ in order to appease those deserting Labour for the Greens.

The Tory leader said Labour was ‘escalating its campaign against Israel, throwing British interests under the bus to win back Islamist and far left activist votes’.

The move was announced as the party gears up for battle in a by-election for Sir Keir Starmer’s former seat of Holborn and St Pancras, with Greens seeking to put Palestine at the heart of their campaign.

Countries including France and Canada coordinated their own sanctions with the UK in an effort to revive the push for a two-state solution.  

Asked today for his response to Israel’s countermeasures, Mr Miliband told Sky News: ‘I regret what the Israeli government has announced, but I’m proud of what we did yesterday and it was the right thing to do.’

Ed Miliband insisted he was ‘proud’ of the Government’s ban on trade with West Bank settlements despite a wave of anger

He said: ‘It will be damaging, that’s true, but we weighed up the costs and the benefits in advance of this.

‘And we did something very important. We talked to the representatives of the Palestinian people, the Palestinian prime minister, the representative here, and they both said to us with a very clear voice, you need to act from our point of view.’

He added: ‘I would prefer that Israel hadn’t announced what it did, but overall, I strongly believe that what we did, along with other international allies, was absolutely the right thing to do.’

Mr Miliband said he was ‘confident’ that security co-operation with Israel would continue, despite fears about sharing of intelligence about terrorism.  

Pressed on the chief rabbi’s criticism, Mr Miliband said: ‘I’m a proud British Jew and I don’t agree with the chief rabbi.

‘I have great respect for the chief rabbi, but I don’t agree with him.

‘And I believe that it must be possible to do what we did yesterday, which is to stand up for British values of the rule of law, of dignity for people, of the prevention of injustice, and do so in a way, as I did yesterday, to say to anyone in our country who holds British Jews responsible for the actions of the Israeli government: that is anti-Semitism, pure and simple.

‘And we all need to do more to tackle anti-Semitism. But I believe we can do that and stand up for British values.’

Britain’s Chief Rabbi (pictured on November 19, 2023) said a trade ban on Israeli settlements in the West Bank was ‘truly a dark day for British Jews’

Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar announced that the UK’s consulate in Jerusalem would be closed as part of a package of retaliatory measures.

He also said Israel would ban 11 MPs and a campaigner involved in what he claimed was ‘antisemitic and anti-Israel activity’ from entry to the country.

They include former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott.

Mr Saar said he had spoken to Mrs Badenoch and thanked her for her opposition to the ‘hostile Labour Government’s announcement’.

The Israeli retaliation came after Mr Miliband told the Commons that a ‘new approach’ was necessary because plans for the E1 development in the West Bank would render a two-state solution ‘unviable’ by ‘cutting through the heart of Palestine’.

He said more settlements had been approved under the four years of Mr Netanyahu’s government than in the previous 20 years and settler terrorism in the West Bank was ‘rampant’.

Legislation for the new regime could take up to nine months to put in place, Mr Miliband said, but he promised immediate sanctions against ‘extremist settlers who have supported or incited acts of violence’.

Mike Huckabee, the American ambassador to Israel, described the ban as an ‘irrational act’.

But in a more mixed response, US secretary of state Marco Rubio declined to comment on the announcement beyond saying the US would ‘obviously’ not follow suit, and Donald Trump has yet to comment.

Get your news delivered straight to you by 7am – sign up to our new Morning Mail newsletter for FREE. 

The actor and fomer Doctor Who star will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, October 21.

The charges relate to alleged offences between 2007 and 2016, which are connected to five women.

This follows an investigation by detectives starting in September 2025, when a man then in his 40s was first arrested in relation to the investigation.

A file of evidence was later presented to the CPS, who authorised the charges.

Noel Clarke charged with sexual offences

Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney said: “The women connected to these charges continue to receive support from specially trained officers.

“We urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault to contact police. The information you provide will be dealt with in the utmost sensitivity and we have trained investigators on hand to support you.”

Bethan David, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute Noel Clarke with two counts of sexual assault, three counts of voyeurism and one count of exposure.

“This follows allegations made by five women in connection to sexual misconduct that took place between 2007 and 2016.

“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to do so.

“We have worked closely with the Metropolitan Police as they have carried out their investigation into the allegations.

“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds everyone that proceedings are now active, and the defendant has the right to a fair trial. It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

A juror who voted to acquit Lindsay Clancy sensationally admitted that she changed her vote after being swayed during hostile deliberations with ‘big personalities’ in the room.

The anonymous juror, who is the fourth to come forward following the murder trial, told CBS Boston that she had not kept up with the high-profile case before being summoned to court in Massachusetts.

She said her initial stance was to convict Clancy – and despite eventually voting to acquit the killer mother, the juror admitted she ‘maybe still believes’ Clancy should go to prison. 

The juror said: ‘Originally, I felt that she was guilty and she was criminally responsible for it.’ 

‘Maybe I still believe that [Clancy is guilty], in a certain way,’ she admitted. 

Clancy’s murder case for killing her three young children ended in a mistrial after the jury was deadlocked 11-1, with one holdout who refused to acquit her. 

The anonymous juror said that the lone holdout who refused to vote not guilty clashed with their fellow jurors almost immediately, and that ‘the majority of the room was trying to sway that person from the very beginning.’

She said she will ‘defend that individual’ for standing his ground during the tense deliberations, which allegedly included shouting that could be heard from other rooms inside the court.

The fourth juror spoke out soon after three others, foreperson Roni Carlson, Kellie Farina and Paula Devlin, came forward to publicly condemn the holdout who refused to change his vote.

Clancy was charged with murder after strangling her three children, Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan in 2023. She pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and her trial ended in a mistrial last week

Carlson claimed that the juror, a man who has not been named, ‘admitted he had reasonable doubt’ about Clancy’s guilt by reason of insanity, but he remained unmoved by the arguments with other jurors.

Could deaths have been prevented?

Hi, I’m Rachel Sharp, US Editor of The Crime Desk. 

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In our bonus podcast episode, we examine Lindsay Clancy’s complex medical history and explore the questions at the heart of this case. Click here, subscribe and listen.

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She said she was ‘so excited’ to acquit Clancy, before the holdout juror insisted, ‘but I’m still not going to say she’s not guilty,’ Carlson recalled to NBC Boston.

The anonymous juror told CBS News that despite the national attention and public debate sparked by Clancy’s trial, she was unaware of her case before her jury service because she ‘doesn’t watch the news.’

She described herself as the ‘perfect juror’ for Clancy’s trial, because she does not have children of her own to bias her views, and was reviewing the facts of the case for the first time in the courtroom.

The juror said she initially wanted to convict Clancy, and said she was left devastated by the evidence put forward about how Clancy strangled her three children, Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan, with exercise bands inside her Massachusetts home.

The worst of the evidence she was forced to review, the juror said, was audio of a 911 call made by Clancy’s husband Patrick when he discovered the bodies of his children.

‘I will never be the same after that 911 call,’ the juror said. The audio was played behind closed doors inside the courtroom and has not been released to the public.

She said she only learned about sick ‘conspiracy theories’ accusing Patrick of murdering his children and framing Clancy, and said those peddling the claims would feel differently if they had also heard the 911 call.

‘If these people could have heard that visceral, blood-curdling scream,’ she said. ‘It was horrifying.’

The anonymous juror said she was left devastated by the evidence in the case, including audio of a 911 call made by Clancy’s husband Patrick when he discovered the bodies of his children 

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Jury foreperson Roni Carlson previously told NBC Boston on Tuesday she was persuaded to find the mother-of-three not guilty by reason of insanity

While the holdout juror who refused to acquit Clancy was criticized by Carlson, Farina and Devlin, the anonymous woman said their claims that he was alone in his stance are not true.

‘This standalone juror was not the only one that was unwilling to see things from the other side, so I’m going to kind of defend that individual,’ she said.

‘There were some big personalities in that room, but at the end of the day, I feel like it just came down to an inability to move past your convictions.’

She said that her views on Clancy’s guilt evolved throughout the deliberations, as she initially wanted to convict her. 

‘I think this was a woman who was not mentally healthy, she was in the throes of a significant mental crisis,’ the juror said.

‘I really just felt like she was so deep in it that she couldn’t see her way out, and this was the only option.’ 

Ultimately, the juror said she voted to acquit Clancy because the prosecution failed to convince her of their case, and they did not produce a ‘smoking gun’ to send Clancy away.

‘There was not a single moment throughout that presentation of that case that you could say, ‘Oh yep, 100 percent I’m certain she did it,” she recalled. ‘There is too much gray area.’

Reddington and Clancy in court as Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial last week

It comes after Clancy’s lawyer Kevin Reddington spoke on Good Morning America earlier this week, where he pleaded with President Donald Trump to consider pardoning Clancy, describing her as a good person.

Reddington said: ‘I’d like to say that perhaps Donald Trump, who felt compelled to speak out about this case.

‘Mr President, I hope that you would consider this young lady, the type of person she is, what she’s been through, and consider a pardon.’

Reddington also described her as being ‘intelligent’ and ‘hardworking,’ while describing the strong bond he has with Clancy.

‘I do feel a very strong bond with Lindsay because of the type of person she is. She’s such a wonderful, wonderful person.’

George Stephanopoulos questioned the lawyer about his remarks at the end of the trial in which Reddington said he ‘crushed’ the prosecution, asking if he regretted them.

He added: ‘I don’t regret saying it at all. I think that the defense was very strong and I think it went in very well.

‘I think I perhaps could have been a little more circumspect dealing with [prosecutor] Tim Cruz, and instead of saying I crushed him, I could I have said I did a good job.’

Reddington then said that he was open to reaching a deal with Cruz, the District Attorney, so that Clancy did not need to go through another trial.

‘I’m willing to listen to Tim [Cruz]. I’ve known Tim for 30 years. I hope, however, after this trial, that he would revisit that issue and we could work something out that will be acceptable for both sides,’ he added.

Moments before boozed-up stars at the National Television Awards afterparty were kicked out by staff after 1am, one couple quietly slipped out together ahead of the crowds.

BBC Morning Live co-hosts Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones, who have spent a year denying rumours of an off-screen romance, made a beeline for the exit.

In an exclusive picture obtained by the Daily Mail, Helen, 43, can be seen gathering up the skirts of her £750 strapless Solace London gown as they left the O2 Arena’s exclusive Amex Lounge side-by-side.

Her co-host, 48, kept his head down in an obvious attempt not to draw attention to their joint departure.

Alas, tongues were already wagging because the two of them had let their guard down and partied alongside TV executives, the cast of last year’s I’m A Celeb, Love Islanders and a very single Joey Essex.

Onlookers watched as the couple chatted intimately together at the star-studded party.

Helen and Gethin, who have spent a year denying rumours of an off-screen romance, appeared together at yesterday’s TV awards ceremony at the O2 Arena

‘Helen and Gethin were the talk of the town; they were all over each other, there was no hiding it,’ said one.

‘It was like they couldn’t be apart. He would move and then she would, always looking where the other was and always within three metres of the other’s orbit.

Eventually, after we saw for ourselves that they were rather enamoured with one another, we decided to approach them.

So far, they have refused to engage in any talk about the status of their relationship.

The usually smiley and charming Gethin became visibly cagey and even a little uncomfortable at our questions. He refused to discuss any romance with Helen.

She, meanwhile, laughed the questions off. Minutes later, perhaps fearful that too many people had seen them together, they left the building together and with no other friends or colleagues in tow.

A source close to the couple inside the BBC confirmed to us: ‘Gethin is adamant about denying the rumours whereas Helen thinks they should just let it all come out.’

Despite their evident chemistry on the Morning Live sofa, our picture of Helen and Gethin is the first time anything beyond a friendship has been captured between the couple since Helen joined the show in 2023.

It was in 2020 that the Beeb began searching for two permanent presenters to host its new breakfast show with the hope of finding the next Richard and Judy.

Another hugely popular married couple like Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan – who launched ITV’s This Morning back in 1988 and defined chatty morning television for a generation – were exactly what BBC bosses wanted if they were to win a ratings war with their long-running ITV rivals.

It was agreed that, despite not being together, Helen and Gethin had enough in common to make it a success: both had presented Blue Peter and had taken part in BBC’s flagship Saturday night show, Strictly, so were already known to a large section of their key audience.

But 18 months later it appeared the Beeb had found what it was looking for as the Mail’s Katie Hind revealed the rumours they were enjoying more than just an on-screen partnership.

One source revealed the pair were ‘very happy together’.

Indeed, a week earlier the pair had been spotted leaving a spa close to Gethin’s home in Cheshire – 110 miles from Helen’s home in Cumbria – where onlookers reported that they were ‘all over each other’. Helen was also seen leaving the venue with a suitcase.

Despite rumours of the relationship emerging more than a year ago now, sources have been waiting patiently for the pair to go public with their romance

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Priya Jaswal, a single lady fresh out of Love Island, ‘spent the first half of the afterparty looking around for Aidan Murphy and the second half on the sofa with Joey Essex’, said one onlooker

They had been spotted after filming for Morning Live at BBC headquarters in Salford, too, leaving on a motorbike together and heading for breakfast in Manchester city centre.

What makes their story so much more enthralling is that they have both had their hearts broken in the past.

Cumbria-born Helen was left devastated when her husband of eight years, rugby player Richie Myler, walked out on her in April 2022, just four months after she gave birth to their third child, Elsie.

Richie quickly moved on with Stephanie Thirkill, the daughter of Leeds Rhinos president Andrew Thirkill, the club he played for from 2017 until 2023. Former Radio 5 host Helen announced on Instagram that Richie had ‘left the family home’.

Meanwhile, Cardiff-born Gethin struggled for some years to get over his 2011 split from fellow Welsh star, opera singer Katherine Jenkins.

Despite rumours of the relationship emerging over a year ago now, sources have been waiting patiently for the pair to go public with their romance and finally tell viewers about their relationship.

Perhaps our picture will give them the nudge they need.

Or they should take a leaf out of Olivia Attwood and Pete Wicks’s book as, despite being co-hosts on KissFM, they have made no bones about hiding their relationship.

But the reality star couple avoided the Press at the event and the afterparty, as it seems they are not ready to answer difficult questions about their romance, which appears to have begun less than two months after Olivia’s split from footballer Bradley Dack.

Instead, the pair are happy to be affectionate for the cameras without being questioned.

Love was indeed in the air at the party; a single Joey Essex, 36, stalked around the room and eventually found a single lady fresh out of Love Island: Priya Jaswal.

Priya, 25, left the ITV villa last month and has already split from her on-screen partner, Aidan Murphy.

An onlooker said: ‘She spent the first half of the afterparty looking around for Aidan and the second half on the sofa with Joey Essex.’

BBC bosses would no doubt love a similar dynamic on their Morning Live sofa.

It was a typically boozy affair at the annual afterparty, with guests glugging wine and beer from the free bar as they enjoyed a sparse selection of food with the option of either mini pulled-pork burgers, or churros.

While many let their hair down and indulged, Holly Willoughby and her This Morning successor Cat Deeley were two who scurried away after the ceremony.

A man has died following an incident on the M60 in Greater Manchester – all traffic was stopped between junction 10 (Trafford Park) and 11 (Eccles) clockwise

A man in his 40s has died following an incident on the M60 in Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said officers were called to reports of concern for a person’s welfare on the motorway near the Trafford Centre.

All traffic was stopped on the clockwise carriageway between junctions 10 at Urmston and 11 at Eccles at around 7.30am on Wednesday. A large emergency services response was seen at the scene, including multiple ambulances.

In an update issued this afternoon, GMP confirmed a man in his 40s had sadly died following the incident. A report will be prepared for the coroner.

The motorway remained closed for around an hour while police carried out enquiries, the Manchester Evening News reports.

For mental health support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.

The 50-year-old actor is known for Kidulthood and Star Trek Into Darkness

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Noel Clarke has been charged with sex offences after five women made allegations against the actor. The 50-year-old from Kensington, central London, is accused of two counts of sexual assault, three of voyeurism and one of exposure between 2007 and 2016, and will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on October 21.

Metropolitan Police confirmed the charges were brought after an investigation that began in September 2025.

Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney said: “The women connected to these charges continue to receive support from specially trained officers.

“We urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault to contact police. The information you provide will be dealt with in the utmost sensitivity and we have trained investigators on hand to support you.”

Bethan David, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute Noel Clarke with two counts of sexual assault, three counts of voyeurism and one count of exposure.

“This follows allegations made by five women in connection to sexual misconduct that took place between 2007 and 2016.

“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to do so.

“We have worked closely with the Metropolitan Police as they have carried out their investigation into the allegations.

“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds everyone that proceedings are now active, and the defendant has the right to a fair trial. It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

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By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

Published: 10:39 BST, 9 September 2026 | Updated: 14:17 BST, 9 September 2026

Andy Burnham today insisted he’ll be ‘relentless’ in defending the Falkland Islands as Argentina continues to ramp up sanctions over the British overseas territory.

The Prime Minister said he would ‘always respect the rights of the Falkland Islanders to choose to be British’ amid the escalating tensions with Buenos Aires.

It came after Argentina launched more sanctions against oil exploration in the South Atlantic archipelago.

Officials in Buenos Aires said they had initiated sanctions proceedings against 15 new subjects, after previously taking action against 45 people and companies last week.

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The Argentinian government has also presented a criminal complaint against Israeli energy company Navitas Petroleum and its executives for operating in the Falklands.

Javier Milei, the Argentinian President, has moved to enforce a crackdown on oil exploration around the Falklands after reiterating his country’s claim on the islands.

During Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch claimed Argentina was threatening the Falklands due to Labour’s ‘weakness’ over the Chagos Islands.

She pointed to the decision by Mr Burnham’s predecessor Keir Starmer to ‘surrender’ sovereignty of the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius as part of a deal estimated to be costing UK taxpayers £35billion.

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As she challenged the PM over the Government’s failure to set out when it will commit 3 per cent of GDP to defence spending, Mrs Badenoch said: ‘He won’t fund the military.

‘What he is funding though… Keir Starmer’s £35billion surrender of the Chagos Islands and its crucial military base. That is British sovereign territory.

‘This is a weak decision and it is no wonder that Argentina is now threatening the Falklands.

‘We need to project strength, we need to show that British sovereign territory is non-negotiable.’

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In response, Mr Burnham said:  ‘We will not surrender our base at Diego Garcia. We are in discussions with the US about that, we will always respect the rights of the Falkland Islanders to choose to be British.

‘That will never change under this Government, and we will be relentless in defending that.’

The renewed tensions over the Falklands have come after US President Donald Trump hinted the US would not help the UK in a future conflict over the archipelago.

But the UK Government has dismissed Mr Milei’s posturing and insisted Britain’s commitment to the Falklands is ‘absolute and unshakeable’.

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Argentina has further stoked tensions over the Falkland Islands by launching more sanctions against oil exploration in the South Atlantic archipelago

Javier Milei, the Argentinian President, has moved to enforce a crackdown on oil exploration around the Falklands after reiterating his country’s claim on the islands

Argentina this week filed the criminal complaint against several Navitas subsidiaries and partners operating in the Falklands, along with their corporate directors.

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Mr Milei’s administration alleges the firms violated Argentine law by holding oil and gas licenses issued by Britain in the North Falkland Basin.

The South American country’s government has also announced plans for new laws to intensify punitive action against firms involved in drilling activities in the Falklands.

In a 2013 referendum, the Falkland Islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a British overseas territory, with 99.8 per cent voting in favour and just three votes against.

Although the US is formally neutral, Washington provided support for Britain’s campaign to retake the islands after the Argentinian invasion in 1982.

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It sparked the Falklands War which saw 255 British service deaths in just over 70 bloody days. It also led to the deaths of 655 Argentinians and three Falkland Islanders.

Following a televised national address by Mr Milei last week, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said in a post on X: ‘The UK’s position on the Falkland Islands is unwavering.

‘The Islands are British and will remain so because that is the overwhelming position of the Islanders.

‘Their right of self-determination is paramount, grounded in international law and we will resolutely uphold it.’

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