A female PE teacher has been found guilty of sex offences against a teenage boy, after previously admitting preying upon two female pupils, it can now be revealed.

Bronwen James, 30, was convicted of having sex three times with the male pupil – whom she insisted called her ‘miss’ – including while they watched Wimbledon together.

It can now be disclosed that James previously pleaded guilty to a raft of further offences against two female pupils while she was teaching.

She admitted nine charges relating to the further two victims on the first day of her trial at Winchester Crown Court, where she was today found guilty of four counts of sexual activity against the male victim.

The verdicts came after 12 hours and three minutes of deliberation. 

She was released on conditional bail, but will be remanded in custody on September 14 to be sentenced at a future date. 

After the verdicts were delivered by the jury, Judge James Bromige told the court: ‘There are multiple victims so I am duty bound to consider dangerousness. There are two other female victims at the same time.’ 

At the start of her career, James received a warning while she was teaching at the £54,000-a-year Seaford College for giving her personal mobile number to a pupil.

She was allowed to continue working and went on to strike up sexual relationships with the three pupils.

Former PE teacher Bronwen James arrived at Winchester Crown Court today

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Wiltshire Police said James, 30, engaged in sexual communications with a 13-year-old female pupil, then had sex with her when the girl had turned 14.

James then had sex with a 16-year-old male pupil. Both were pupils at Bitterne Park School in Southampton, where she was teaching at the time.

Then, she moved to Hardenhuish School in Chippenham, Wiltshire, where she had sex with another 14-year-old schoolgirl.

She was arrested in August 2023 and went on to commit further offences against one of the students while on bail.

The court heard that James organised meetings with her male victim at Bitterne Park School on Snapchat and picked him up so they could kiss in the car as part of their ‘sexually charged relationship’.

She also used Snapchat to groom one of her female victims, against whom she went on to commit sexual offences in the back of her car.

The other girl would be collected by James in her car and taken to the teacher’s home, where ‘sexual activity would take place’, the court previously heard.

Following today’s verdict, Bethany Adams of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: ‘Bronwen James was trusted to educate and protect children. Instead, she used that trust to groom and sexually abuse three students.

‘James manipulated her victims with calculated precision, exploiting her position of authority to isolate them and normalise the abuse. This was not a lapse in judgement; it was a sustained pattern of predatory behaviour against children in her care.

‘The courage shown by James’s victims in coming forward has been instrumental in securing this conviction. I hope it gives them, and their families, some measure of justice.’

Bronwen James, 30, became ‘flirtatious’ with the teenage pupil and invited him to her home for sex up to four times, jurors were told 

The teacher has been on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of four counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust, which she denied

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During the one-week trial, jurors heard that James told her male victim that she ‘loved him’ and ‘wanted to move away’ with him.

The boy – who cannot be named for legal reasons – told the court that he was ‘groomed’ by James but at the time thought it was ‘great’ and made him feel like he was living ‘a teenage boy’s dream’.

In police interview footage played to the court, the boy claimed James liked him to call her ‘miss’ when they were alone together.

‘I always called her “miss”, I don’t know why, I think it was her little fantasy or something,’ he said.

The boy said that they ‘always used to flirt in lessons’ before they met up in her car, which soon progressed to having sex at her house. He said: ‘At the time I was overwhelmed. It was great but, looking back at it, it was wrong.’

Describing the first occasion at her home, he said: ‘She was coming to me on the sofa, head in my lap, watching TV, her dog was there as well, just relaxing, then I leaned in for a kiss.

‘We were kissing, then things progressed, I said “Shall we go upstairs?”, she said “yes” and we had sex. She got naked and I got naked and that’s how it went.’

The boy added that in class James, whom he described as ‘quite attractive’, would slip him vapes in his coursework.

He also described how James told him that she loved him over the phone while she was standing outside a nightclub with other teachers at her leaving party. He added: ‘I thought she cared about me.’

Prosecutor Edward Culver had told jurors the case was about ‘a teacher who exploited her position’ to engage in sexual activity with one of her students.

‘She flirted with him, exchanged messages with him, took him to her home and she had sex with him,’ he said.

James organised meetings with the pupil on Snapchat and picked him up so they could kiss in the car as part of their ‘sexually charged relationship’, the court was told

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She was teaching at Bitterne Park School in Southampton at the time of the allegations involving the teenage boy

Giving evidence during the trial, James told jurors she felt she was immature and wanted to be liked but denied flirting with the 16-year-old pupil and going on to have sex with him.

She suggested the teenager had made up the allegations to look ‘cool’ in front of his mates, but admitted lying to police about being in touch with him because she ‘didn’t want it to blow up’.

James said she had a ‘very relaxed’ teaching style which included joking with the students but denied that it was ever sexual.

She said: ‘It was never of a sexual nature. Just joking around about different things.

‘There were some inappropriate comments.

‘It goes back to the point that I didn’t want to damage the student-teacher relationship that I had gained with the class and I wanted them to like me.’

Jurors were told James had previously ‘received a written warning for exchanging text messages’ from her former school, Seaford College, where she worked between 2018 and 2019.

Seaford College is a £54,000-per-year boarding school in West Sussex.

An investigation was launched into her relationship with the boy at Bitterne Park after a screenshot of messages between them was shared in a WhatsApp group.

In his closing remarks, prosecutor Mr Culver said: ‘There’s no mystery in this case. Bronwen James had sex with (the pupil) on a number of occasions. That’s the central truth of this case.

‘Each piece of evidence from the defence case does not make sense unless you accept that central truth, otherwise we live in a world of mystery to the point of ridiculousness.

‘It’s not Mills and Boon. It was, at the time, a teenage boy’s dream. A PE teacher wanting some attention and adoration so she would feel better, and him the dream of sex with a teacher.

‘The truth of this case is so clear – that they were in a sexual relationship of some kind and had sex at her address.

‘The truth of these allegations is that this teacher, when she had the chance to do so, breached the trust given to her by entering an improper relationship.

‘We don’t know why she did it. The thrill, the control, the power, the attention. She craved that attention, the adoration, the sense she was right.

‘And who better than an infatuated teenage boy to exploit and make her feel better?’

Glamorous racegoers upped the fashion stakes as they brought the glitz and glamour to the Betfred St Leger Festival in Doncaster today.

Female revellers kicked off Ladies Day in brightly coloured, shoulder-baring dresses and descended on the racecourse to make the most of the glorious sunshine before the season changes. 

For the opening day, guests showed off a dazzling array of dresses that were both elegant and experimental, combining classic fascinators and floral headpieces with edgier looks. 

One attendee opted for a monochrome look, as she paired her scarlet dress – with an interesting ruffle neck detail – with a dramatic hat in the same colour. 

Another picked a pale pink, off-shoulder dress with a headband as she excitedly took photographs at the festival that attracts thousands for four ‘thrilling days of action and excitement’ in racing.

It is the oldest race currently run under the rules of horse racing and is the final leg of the Stayer’s Triple Crown.

Female revellers donned brightly coloured, shoulder-baring dresses and descended on the racecourse to make the most of the glorious sunshine before the season changes

Kicking off the event, guests opted for outfits which were both elegant and experimental, combining classic fascinators and floral headpieces with edgier looks

One of the highlights of the British racing calendar, St Leger festival typically opens with Ladies Day as attendees spend weeks picking out their outfits so they are dressed to impress. 

This year, several guests delivered striking single-colour looks, with one attendee matching her navy blue polka-dotted dress to a fascinator in the same shade. 

Another repeated the same outfit formula in butter yellow, which has been a popular colour this summer. 

A third racegoer turned heads in a printed floral dress and a grey hat decorated with pink flowers that beautifully contrasted her silver locks. 

Tomorrow it will be the men’s turn to show off their race day looks on what is known as Betfred Gents Day when racegoers can also enjoy live entertainment, delicious food and drink, and plenty of memorable moments’, according to the website. 

One of the highlights will be the Doncaster Cup, the oldest race still run under official rules. 

This year marks the 250th anniversary since the first running of the famous Betfred St Leger Stakes, with day three expected to attract ‘the leading stables from across the country’ for the prestigious race.

‘The final day of the festival, the Betfred Sunday Funday, showcases great horse racing,’ the website says.

Guests enjoying glasses of bubbly in brightly coloured dresses as Ladies Day got underway

A third racegoer turned heads in a printed floral dress and a grey hat decorated with pink flowers that beautifully contrasted her silver locks

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One of the highlights of the British racing calendar, St Leger festival typically opens with Ladies Day as attendees spend weeks picking out their outfits so they are dressed to impress

This year, several guests delivered striking single-colour looks, with one attendee matching her navy blue polka-dotted dress to a fascinator in the same shade

Two years ago, the King and Queen made a historic visit to Doncaster racecourse to watch their chestnut colt, Desert Hero, at St Leger. 

While one might think the Windsors are regulars on track, that is not the case. For them to be on Town Moor, then, on an overcast autumnal afternoon – an occasion far removed from the pageantry of Ascot in June – made this a hugely significant moment.

It comes after racing enthusiasts flocked to Berkshire for the Big Ascot Food and Wine Racing Weekend, a two-day late-summer fixture before the season draws to a close.

While a strict dress code is enforced for Royal Ascot, which is attended by the King and his family, no formal rules apply to guests inside the Queen Anne Enclosure during the Big Ascot Food & Wine Friday Raceday.

Hats are optional for most; however, headpieces are encouraged inside the King Edward VII Enclosure.

Although not as well known as Royal Ascot, this two-day affair gives attendees the chance to watch emerging racing talent while indulging in sumptuous food and wine. 

Since he died so young, there is precious little footage of Cochran. Young chooses to feature melodramatic inserts of actors playing Cochran and his mother to bring to life words exchanged in letters and interviews, ultimately an effective technique as the film steers towards its tragedy. But the talking heads are the real gold here. Family members recall how this kid from Minnesota was a bright, cheeky kid with a natural gift for music who joined bands straight out of high school and quickly became a star – but always stayed close to this mother. Fans recall their interactions with him, and hint that sex was right there with rock n roll in Cochran’s world (you also feel ‘Don’t Forget Me’ was probably just a cute, heart-string tugging thing to write for fans, who were crazy for his heartbreak songs and heartbreaking looks).

Nick Mohammed has been named host of the new stage show The Traitors – Acts Of Betrayal on London‘s West End.

The Ted Lasso actor, 45, was a contestant on The Celebrity Traitors, where he reached the final but lost to fellow comedian Alan Carr.

The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman formally swore Mohammed in during a video filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, where the BBC show is filmed.

In the video, Winkleman says: “Nick Mohammed, you stand before me. You have been chosen to take this game to the West End. Eight shows a week, no retakes, no edits, no mercy.”

She then pronounces him host and hands him a cloak.

At the end of the clip, she jokingly says: “I’m out of a job.”

Written by John Finnemore and directed by Robert Hastie, The Traitors – Acts Of Betrayal is a cycle of five new plays, each playing out an entire game of The Traitors, traitors chosen, players banished and murdered, a winner crowned, in one evening.

Nick Mohammed said: “At first, I didn’t want to believe that a series of fictional plays based on The Traitors could ever contain as many brilliant twists and turns as the real thing – or be quite as compelling. But John Finnemore has crafted an absolute masterpiece: a cycle of five plays that are each as funny as they are moving, and of course, deeply, deeply unpredictable!

“And under the direction of the brilliant Robert Hastie, I couldn’t be more delighted to be joining such an original and wildly ambitious show.

“To take on Claudia’s role, as it were, is not just a privilege but a real challenge as an actor – I simply don’t have enough hair! But I will do my utmost not to disappoint.

“Either way, this time round, I promise not to let down the whole nation right at the very end. Now let the game begin…”

The production also does something television cannot: it answers the question of who would have won if different players had been chosen as the Traitors.

From Monday to Friday, the story begins identically but takes five different paths. Characters banished or murdered early in one version emerge victorious in another.

On Saturdays, the audience decides who will wear the cloak, and their choice determines which of the five plays unfolds that day.

The stage production begins previews at the Gillian Lynne Theatre on May 11 2027, with opening night on June 8 2027.

Tickets are on sale now at thetraitorsonstage.com.

By ELEANOR MANN

Published: 14:08 BST, 10 September 2026 | Updated: 14:27 BST, 10 September 2026

Cleveland Fire Brigade were called to Sheraton Street in the Oxbridge area of Stockton around 8.30pm on Wednesday (September 9).

The fire is understood to have been behind the former Old Moor Pub building, which has been closed and left derelict since 2012 according to CAMRA.

A spokesperson for Cleveland Fire Brigade said: “We were called at 8.31pm to an incident at Sheraton Street, Oxbridge, Stockton.

“One fire appliance was in attendance from Stockton.

“The stop call was received at 9.07pm.”

The cause of the fire has yet to be confirmed.

The Old Moor pub was damaged by a fire in 2004, when part of its first-floor ceiling collapsed as crews tackled the blaze.

Cottage pie is a classic British dish, but it can be tricky to get the beef mince sauce right but there one simple everyday ingredient that can help transform the flavour of the filling without much effort.

Cottage pie makes an ideal dinner for September, as we begin preparing plenty of hearty meals now that temperatures are dropping and we’re spending more time inside. This quintessential British dish is relatively straightforward to prepare, requiring only a flavoursome beef sauce, mashed potatoes and a generous layer of cheese to achieve a crispy topping.

Nevertheless, those attempting cottage pie for the first time often end up with a watery or lacklustre meal due to using incorrect ingredients. While most concentrate on cooking the beef mince and vegetables when preparing cottage pie, the sauce is where most of the flavour resides, and achieving the proper consistency can prove challenging.

Fortunately, Chris Collins, founder of Don’t Go Bacon My Heart, has shared a straightforward method to perfect the sauce while simultaneously enhancing the pie’s taste – you simply need to incorporate gravy granules.

Chris said: “Here’s the secret weapon to this recipe – gravy granules. Not only will gravy granules help along with the thickening, but they’re going to turn the mince layer into a beautifully rich gravy as well. Win-win!”

Mince and vegetables naturally contain substantial moisture, meaning that adding beef stock can introduce excessive liquid that won’t evaporate during cooking.

This frequently results in a cottage pie sauce that’s excessively thin and runny, which both waters down the flavour and makes eating rather difficult.

Gravy granules may seem basic, but they are a crucial component, as they assist in binding the beef layer of the pie together more effectively.

Incorporating gravy granules will also contribute additional seasoning and a more intense gravy flavour to the pie, resulting in a far more satisfying taste without requiring any complex culinary techniques.

How to make a better homemade cottage pie

You will need:

For the beef layer:

• 1kg of minced beef
• One large white onion (diced)
• Two medium carrots (diced)
• 150g of mushrooms (diced)
• Two cloves of garlic (minced)
• 120ml of white wine
• 600ml of beef stock
• Four tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
• Two heaped tablespoons of gravy granules
• One tablespoon of tomato puree
• One teaspoon of dried thyme
• One teaspoon of dried rosemary
• One bay leaf
• Salt and pepper

For the mashed potato layer:

• 2kg of baked potatoes
• Three heaped tablespoons of butter
• 250g of grated cheese
• 120ml of cream or whole milk
• A quarter teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Method:

To start, pour a little oil into a deep pan set over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, mushroom and garlic, then cook until all the vegetables have softened.

Subsequently, add the beef and cook until it is thoroughly browned, using a wooden spoon to break up the mince within the pan.

Pour the wine into the pot and allow it to simmer for five minutes, enabling the beef to absorb all the flavour. Then, add the gravy granules, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, rosemary, thyme, and the bay leaf.

Season with salt and pepper before bringing the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook the beef for 45 minutes until the sauce transforms into a rich, thick gravy.

Once the sauce has reduced and is ready, transfer the beef into a large baking dish. Allow the dish to cool for a minimum of 15 minutes prior to adding the mashed potatoes.

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To prepare the mashed potato layer, fill a pot with cold salted water and add the potatoes. Place over a medium-high heat and boil the potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes until they are fork tender.

Once the potatoes are cooked through, drain them using a colander and leave them to stand for five minutes to allow excess moisture to evaporate. Skipping this resting stage risks the topping of your cottage pie turning out soggy.

Next, return the potatoes to the pot and incorporate the butter, milk (or cream) and half of the cheese. Mash thoroughly before seasoning with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

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Carefully spoon the mashed potato over the beef mince, scatter over the remaining cheese and transfer to the oven for 25 minutes. The finished cottage pie should emerge beautifully golden, bubbling and wonderfully rich in flavour.

Lunchtime in London is about to get even better, with iconic sandwich chain Jersey Mike’s planning a British Invasion this autumn.

Known for its ‘fresh sliced, authentic Northeast-American style sub sandwiches on fresh baked bread’, Jersey Mike’s has been a favourite in US households for more than 60 years.

It recently clinched the top spot as America’s most popular fast-food chain, ending Chick-fil-A’s impressive 11-year streak.

And now the franchise, which operates over 3,000 locations across the US and Canada, is officially coming to the UK.

Marking the launch of the brand’s ‘European expansion’, the sandwich chain will be opening a store on Argyll Street in the West End, with plans to open an additional three central London locations.

Described by Nick Jonas as ‘the greatest sandwich [he] ever tasted’, could Jersey Mike’s really give fast-food royalty Subway a run for its money?

What is Jersey Mike’s?

For anyone who isn’t familiar with Jersey Mike’s, one of the reasons it’s remained such a firm favourite among Americans is because of its focus on fresh ingredients.

Similarly to Subway, customers are invited to line up and watch as a member of staff freshly prepares their chosen sandwich right in front of them.

Whether it’s different meats, cheeses, lettuce or additional toppings, everything is of high quality.

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For each sub, you’ll typically have a choice of two sizes: regular or giant. You can then decide whether you’d like your sandwich hot or cold.

Finally, you’ll be asked whether you’d like your sub prepared ‘Mike’s Way’ – which translates to onions, lettuce, tomatoes, oregano, salt and ‘the juice’, a signature blend of red wine vinegar and olive oil.

Some of the most popular items on the menu are the #7 which is a Turkey and Provolone sandwich and the #13, the Original Italian, which consists of prosciuttini, cappacuolo, salami, and provolone.

A superior sandwich…?

With a massive cult following online, Brits will undoubtedly be excited to sample what some Americans have deemed the most ‘superior’ sandwich out there.

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In a subreddit dedicated to the Jersey Mike’s fandom, one user wondered if it was the brand’s dedication to ‘simple and quality ingredients’ that made it so delectable, another theorised that there must be some ingredient in there that keeps him coming back for more – admitting he ‘craves a JM every week’.

And in a battle of the subs, the New Jersey franchise seems to be the clear winner for some customers.

@educationalad85 shares: ‘We have a Subway 0.4 miles from my house and were happy for decades. Our son-in-law raved about JM’s being much better. We eventually tried it and have never had Subway again.

‘JM’s has much better meats, cheese and bread. Even their oil and vinegar tastes better to me’.

Now, this isn’t to say that Subway is about to be knocked off the podium completely – one user on TikTok, @lyaah, recently revealed she regularly ‘dreams’ about their chocolate chip cookies.

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However, industry analysis reveals they’ve experienced somewhat of a decline in recent times – largely due to the fact that some customers don’t feel as though the quality (or size of the sandwich) matches the menu’s hefty prices.

So, while a jam-packed sub from JM could still cost Brits upwards of £12, could it be worth it for the end product?

While an official opening date is yet to be announced, hungry Londoners can expect to get their hands on a fresh sub by ‘late autumn’.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk

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One of the pilots on board the Amazon Air cargo plane that overran a Miami runway and killed five people urgently warned the aircraft was going ‘too fast’ moments before the disaster, cockpit audio revealed. 

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) shared a transcript of the plane’s cockpit audio on Wednesday, revealing the pilot’s frantic state just moments before the crash on September 6. 

The audio showed one of the pilots called for a ‘go around’ as the aircraft began its landing, in an attempt to abort the maneuver, and data showed the plane’s brakes were released and throttles engaged just 15 seconds before the crash, the NTSB said.

The pilot cautioned that they were going ‘too fast’ to make a safe landing, but the panicked call came too late, and the aircraft crashed and veered off the runway just five seconds later, the NTSB said. 

The aircraft then crashed through a fence and into a van owned by an airline cleaning company, killing all five workers inside the van. The victims were identified as Rolando Aleman, 55, Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53, Julio C Pineda, 75, Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53, and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47. 

The NTSB has not released the full audio, but said Wednesday that the pilot ‘made additional comments regarding the aircraft’s excessive speed throughout the remainder of the recording’ before the crash.

Earlier this week, the pilots on board the aircraft were named as Jaime Felipe Silva Molina and Joseph Carroll. The pilots survived, and NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said they were interviewed after their release from hospital with minor injuries. 

The contents of their interviews have not been revealed, and the investigation into the tragedy remains ongoing.

The pilots on board the aircraft were named as Jaime Felipe Silva Molina (left) and Joseph Carroll (right). They survived the crash

The pilot of an Amazon Air cargo plane that overran a Miami runway and killed five people urgently warned the aircraft was going ‘too fast’ moments before the disaster, cockpit audio revealed

The pilot cautioned that they were going ‘too fast’ to make a safe landing, but the panicked call came too late, and the aircraft crashed and veered off the runway and crashed into a van, killing five people

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The NTSB said on Wednesday that evidence suggests the pilots of the aircraft knew they had botched the landing moments before the crash, but left it too late to perform a ‘go around’ and re-try the landing.

Alongside one of the pilots making multiple warnings that they were going ‘too fast’, electronic systems on board the plane also blared several warnings beginning a minute before the crash, officials said. 

Chihoon Shin, the lead investigator into the crash, said at a press conference that the plane was traveling at 182mph when its nose landing gear first touched down. 

The pilots did not apply the brakes for another seven seconds, and the left-side of the main landing gear did not touch the runway for another four seconds.

The data showed that the pilots severely botched the landing, Michael O’Donnell, a former Federal Aviation Administration investigator, told the New York Times, describing the touchdown sequence as ‘really bad.’

‘The nose should not hit first,’ he explained. ‘That is an unstable approach right there, and that really tells me that the go-around should have been executed a lot sooner, and they weren’t in total control of the aircraft.’

The NTSB said on Wednesday that evidence suggests the pilots of the aircraft knew they had botched the landing moments before the crash, but left it too late to perform a ‘go around’ and re-try the landing

The aircraft  crashed through a fence and into a van owned by an airline cleaning company, killing all five workers inside the van

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The NTSB data showed that 15 seconds before the audio cut off in the crash, the plane’s brakes released and the throttles increased, indicating that the pilots attempted to reverse the landing at the last second and attempt the ‘go-around.’

At that moment, the plane was moving at 138mph, Shin said, and the ‘throttles increased to values consistent with go-around thrust.’

Shin said the pilots did not re-apply the brakes until 11 seconds before the recording cut off, and they allegedly never deployed the aircraft’s speed brakes or thrust reversers, both of which could have helped slow the plane.

Homendy said that investigators are still looking into how close to the end of the runway the plane was at these moments, and that is ‘something we still have to determine.’ 

O’Donnell told the Times that the plane would have been moving at roughly 200 feet per second during those crucial final seconds when the brakes were released.

‘If you do the math, that’s a lot of runway that went by while they were doing that,’ he said.

The Boeing 767 slammed into two vehicles as it tried to land on the tarmac on Sunday

Shin said that when the recorder stopped and the plane crashed, the aircraft was still moving at 75mph.

Steven Arroyo, an aviation expert and retired United Airlines pilot, told the Times that the newly released audio timeline suggests there was indecision or confusion in the cockpit over whether to abort the landing at the last moment.

‘You either land or you go around,’ Arroyo said.

‘You don’t land, attempt to go around and then get back to landing again, unless there was some mechanical malfunction.’