The closure will affect a section of the A1237 Outer Ring Road at the approach to the Haxby Road roundabout, including part of Haxby Road itself.

City of York Council said overnight works will begin at 8pm on Monday, September 21, and are scheduled to finish by 6am on Saturday, September 26, weather permitting.

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Each morning the road will re-open at 6am unless there are exceptional circumstances, a council spokesperson confirmed.

Cllr Kate Ravilious, executive member for transport at City of York Council, said: “Haxby roundabout is the latest in a long list of works that have been completed this year, from pothole repair on residential side streets to resurfacing of major roads.

“We do know that these projects can be disruptive so in many cases, like this one, we are working overnight, reopening the road each morning, to reduce the impact on local residents and businesses.”

A full closure will be in place each night between 8pm and 6am, covering both directions of the A1237 between the Wigginton Road and Strensall Road roundabouts.

Alternative routes will be signposted, with the main diversion using Malton Road, Heworth Green, Lord Mayor’s Walk, Gillygate, Bootham/A19, and the A1237.

A spokesperson for City of York Council said: “Due to the capacity the A1237 holds for large vehicles, the council must offer a diversion able to cope with the size and weight that the road usually carries.”

The off-road cycle route between Wigginton Road and Haxby Road will remain open during the works.

A separate cycle diversion will connect the off-road route to Haxby Road, Hawthorn Terrace, Link Road, Huntington Road, and Strensall Road.

Letters have been distributed to residents and businesses, and diversion details have been shared with delivery networks and businesses at Clifton Moor, the council said.

The council reminded all drivers to follow the traffic management rules in place for the safety of workers and the public.

Emergency services will have access through the closure at all times.

On-site staff will be available to advise residents and businesses about access restrictions.

Cyclists and pedestrians will still be able to use the underpass.

Bus services will not be affected, and waste and recycling collections will continue as normal.

Street parking in the working area will be suspended during the closures.

Specific access needs can be discussed with site traffic management operatives, who will work to accommodate residents and businesses where possible.

Enzo Maresca has hailed the ‘fantastic job’ Michael Carrick has done at Manchester United and praised one of his summer signings ahead of the Manchester derby.

Manchester City head to Old Trafford on Sunday looking to maintain their 100 per cent start to the season and their place at the top of the Premier League table.

Though they have not beaten their local rivals at Old Trafford in three years, City will be fancied to win this clash after their impressive start to the campaign.

Conversely, United have won just one of their opening three league games and have had two days less to recover for the derby after playing in the Champions League on Thursday.

Carrick was appointed manager after a successful stint as interim boss following Ruben Amorim’s departure but some have already questioned how long the former United captain will last in the dugout.

But speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Maresca had nothing but positive things to say about his rival: ‘I think he is doing a fantastic job since last season.

‘He took over in a complicated, difficult situation. They finish very well.

‘This season, more or less, they’ve started in the same way. He is doing a very good job.’

During the summer transfer window, Carrick focused on rebuilding his midfield, signing Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba.

Santos is a player well known to Maresca through his time at Chelsea, though he only started the Brazilian nine times, thanks in part to the presence of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.

United paid Chelsea an initial £48million for the 22-year-old but he has had a tricky start to his Red Devils career.

After starting the opening day loss at Hull, he has been limited to cameos off the bench, with Kobbie Mainoo ahead in the pecking order.

But if Maresca is to be believed, Carrick has a real gem in his squad, with the City manager highlighting Santos’ great attitude on the training ground.

‘Andrey is a very good guy, first of all,’ the Italian said.

‘Polite, humble, hard-working. So, all the best to him. I can only speak very good about Andrey.’

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The defending champions claimed an impressive victory over the Clarke’s to set up a quarter-final meeting with Omagh, but are sweating on the fitness of a key player

Loughmacrory made light work of Dungannon in their first round replay on Thursday night , easing to a nine-point victory in O’Neills Healy Park.

Two of the Donaghy clan, Cathal and Gareth, scored four points from play each while Ruairi McCullagh chipped in with 0-5, including a two-point free.

The Clarke’s, in stark contrast, failed to score a point from play in the first half with their opening score arriving after 10 minutes via a Leo Hughes goal.

However, they were unable to match their heroics from the first game when they fought back from being eight points down to claim a draw with four late goals.

It wasn’t all plain sailing for the holders.

They are sweating on the fitness of defender Arnoldas Macilduskas ahead of next weekend’s quarter-final clash with Omagh after he was forced off with a knee injury early in the second half.

St Teresa’s manager Marty Boyle is hopeful that the injury isn’t as serious as first feared with Macilduskas able to leave the ground unaided, albeit with his right knee strapped up.

“Arnie (Macilduskas) picked up a wee injury there so we just have to see what it is. “We’re hopeful enough, so we just have to see – fingers crossed.”

Boyle was reasonably satisfied with his side’s display in tough conditions as rain lashed down during the second half as Loughmacrory kept their foot firmly on the gas, extending their six-point half-time lead to nine by the full-time whistle.

“Job done – that’s what replays, that’s what Championship football is about,” added Boyle.

“But when it goes to a replay, it becomes even more important then. Listen, there was nothing flash or fancy about it. It was just about getting over the line.

“The players led a lot of the chatting this week. They weren’t happy with a lot of aspects of Saturday and on themselves. It was all about getting the attitude right from the start and I think they definitely brought the attitude from the start.”

While Loughmacrory were impressive in all departments, Dungannon will rue a series of missed opportunities with leading attacker Paul Donaghy having a tough day at the office.

The former Tyrone panelist scored 0-5, but just one from play as he was well marshalled by Loughmacrory skipper Nathan Kelly.

“It sort of goes without saying that Nathan’s always outstanding. That’s the type of player Nathan is,” stated Boyle afterwards.

“Nathan is outstanding every week, plain and simple. Not only is he outstanding as a player, but outstanding as a person and as a captain. I can’t speak highly enough about him.

“What he does for the group, for the players, for the management, for the community, you know, it’s unbelievable. That’s why he’s the captain of this team.”

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YSL’s Libre Intense is one of the best perfumes for autumn thanks to its ‘rich, warm and long-lasting’ scent, and it just got slashed by 21%, bringing it down from £120 to £95

As the seasons change, so too do our beauty needs. But it’s not just our skincare or the type of foundation we like to switch up when autumn rolls around; it’s our perfume, too. Whilst summer is all about light, fresh and zesty fragrances, autumn is perfect for bringing in warmer, cosies scents that feel a little richer and deeper and suit the mood of the season perfectly.

One perfume we can’t get enough of each autumn is Yves Saint Laurent’s Libre Intense, which is a great transitional scent. Like most luxury designer perfumes, the YSL fragrance is usually on the pricey side, with a 50ml bottle costing £119. However, Sephora has currently slashed it by 21% bringing it down to just £94.45, whilst the 90ml bottle is now 15% off, reducing it from £165 to £139.45. The 30ml isn’t currently on sale but is priced at £81.45, meaning you can get the 50ml bottle for just £13 more.

READ MORE: Charlize Theron was spotted buying this anti-ageing £15 PDRN under eye cream in Korea

READ MORE: Stacey Solomon wore this exact ‘elegant, sensual and long lasting’ perfume for the NTAs

Apart from being a great deal, the Libre Intense perfume is exactly the kind of fragrance that’ll take you from summer into autumn and winter, combining brighter citrus and floral notes with deeper scents. The top notes are tangerine, bergamot and lavender, whilst the heart notes are jasmine sambac, orange blossom and orchid accord. It finishes with base notes of tonka bean, vanilla, amber gris and vetiver, which are what give it that added warmth and richness.

Although you could absolutely wear this as an everyday perfume for autumn if you prefer bolder scents, Libre Intense also makes a great evening fragrance that you can wear all year round. It has a creamy, smoky trail which is ideal for date nights and formal events, and you can alter how intense it is by spraying it either directly onto your skin for a more powerful aroma, or by spritzing it onto hair accessories and scarves for a lighter scent trail.

A similar powerful scent that’s brand new this autumn is Phlur’s Vanilla Canyon , which is £99 for a 50ml bottle. This combines sweet vanilla and wild honey with more earthy notes like oak wood, plum, patchouli and tonka, giving it a deep woody, amber scent that’s great if you like to make an impact.

If you’re after something a little lighter and sweeter for everyday wear, the Pumpkin Crème Eau de Parfum from Le Monde Gourmand is just £28 for 30ml. It’s cosy and warm without being too heavy, with notes of pumpkin spice, nutmeg, sandalwood musk and frothed milk all combined to create a scent that’s good enough to eat.

However, the Libre Intense is a classic scent that’s been a proven hit with fragrance fans over the years. It currently has over 2400 five star reviews from Sephora customers, giving it a 4.8 star rating.

One person said: “Love, love, love this one! Libre Eau De Parfum Intense is bold, elegant, and absolutely captivating. It lasts beautifully on my skin and has that perfect statement-making presence. Definitely one I’ll keep coming back to.”

Another wrote: “YSL Intense is such a beautiful fragrance! It’s rich, warm and long-lasting without being too overpowering. I always get compliments when I wear it, and it lasts for hours. Definitely one I’d recommend if you love a deeper, more intense scent.”

Whilst a third agreed: “Smells amazing. Last long. Can be worn in any occasion. Had this in 10ml bottle and I like it so much so I purchased the 100ml bottle.”

As with any perfume, Libre Intense wasn’t a scent for everyone, with one person saying: “Meh. Smells like rum. I can’t explain it but it just does. It smells bad if you smell it on yourself or your clothes after a day. They say perfume works differently on everyone depending on their body’s heat so it could smell great on you if you like this kind of scent. I didn’t like it at all!”

And someone else agreed: “Nice smelling perfume. More suited for nights out or special occasion as quite strong.”

But others loved it, saying: “Absolutely obsessed with YSL Libre Intense This is my second time buying it because I love it that much. The scent smells so classy, rich, warm, and long-lasting. I always get compliments whenever I wear it. The vanilla and floral mix is perfect — not too sweet but still very feminine and luxurious. Definitely one of the best perfumes I’ve ever used.”

With her age-defying glow and enviable physique, Amanda Holden has never been one to blend into the crowd – least of all when it comes to her wardrobe.

The glamorous Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) judge is known for her colourful co-ords, glittering gowns and figure-hugging mini dresses, but she’s equally fond of plunging necklines, sheer fabrics and figure-hugging latex.

And true to her ‘no holden back’ motto, Amanda isn’t afraid to embrace barely-there dresses that leave little to the imagination. 

Some of her most daring looks, however, have caused quite a stir beyond the TV screen. 

The mother-of-three, 55, has racked up hundreds of viewer complaints to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom over the years, thanks to the risqué outfits she’s worn while sitting on the BGT judging panel.

However, Amanda has previously defended her bold fashion choices while encouraging others to also ‘have a little fun and be a little daring’ in an interview with HELLO!

She’s also hit back at the idea of ‘dressing for your age’, revealing that her family, including daughters Lexi, 20, and Hollie, 14, fully support her style. 

From a ‘very clingy’ wet-look dress to a seductive cut-out number that offered a cheeky glimpse of her derriere, Amanda has donned multiple ‘naked’ dresses over the years – including the looks that sparked the biggest Ofcom backlash and the outfits one expert thinks should have stayed hung up in the wardrobe. 

At the 2026 National Television Awards, Amanda once again went for maximum impact in a daring, shredded Barbie-pink dress, teamed with tiny bows, silver heels and loose curls

During the 2020 semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent, Amanda wore a plum-coloured Suzanne Neville dress featuring a lace corset-style bodice and thigh-high split

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Amanda has ‘gone more risqué over the years, such as when she opted for a side-split dress for an episode of BGT in 2016

Speaking to the Daily Mail, digital PR manager Natasha Cooper said: ‘Amanda Holden is one of the many celebrities that have been sporting the naked dress trend on red carpets to television, and she has smashed it for the most part. 

‘A particular hit was the collection worn on BGT – in particular the white dress – as it is definitely on the riskier side. However the colour complemented her as well as the one-shoulder style and really shows how confident she is in her body, which is refreshing to see.’

However, Amanda has ‘gone more risqué over the years and has experimented with sheer, lace fabrics and slits’ as she attended the recent NTAs in a pink slashed dress that raised eyebrows. 

‘In her recent appearance at the NTAs, she was spotted in a pink slashed dress, which is an example of how the trend doesn’t completely have to be everything out, and if the dress was short, I think it would be another discussion.

‘There is also another side to this on how appropriate these outfits are and what blurs the line, especially on national TV,’ Natasha added. 

‘The black dress that Amanda wore in 2017 was definitely one of the most risqué of her looks and one that I can see why people thought it was a lot. Not only did it have a lace detail, but it was a huge deep V-neckline, which is definitely an item that could easily have a wardrobe malfunction.’ 

In what was arguably her most infamous BGT look, Amanda wore an £11,000 Julien Macdonald gown that plunged dramatically to her navel and featured a cut-out panel extending towards her lower back, revealing a cheeky glimpse of her upper buttocks. 

The dress triggered a deluge of Ofcom complaints; while initial reports estimated this at 216, later figures recorded 663 complaints. The dress turned out to be the most complained-about TV moment of 2017 at that point. 

During the 2016 season of BGT, judges Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon drew 90 Ofcom complaints over their revealing outfits

In 2018, Amanda also wore a sheer white gown covered in floral embellishments, with the  detailing providing enough coverage while leaving much of the underlying silhouette visible

Another particularly striking look was a sheer, asymmetric Ziad Nakad gown with a dramatic sweeping train

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Amanda also caused a stir at the 2015 BGT final in a dramatic Tony Ward gown inspired by Frozen and Cinderella.

Thanks to its plunging neckline, the dress prompted around 90 complaints to Ofcom, with a further 100 viewers complaining directly to ITV – although the regulator eventually decided the dress was appropriately covering and did not warrant an investigation. 

A year later, Amanda was back in the headlines after wearing another low-cut gown during a BGT semi-final.

The outfit, worn before the 9pm watershed, generated 19 complaints to Ofcom but the watchdog once again decided there was no need for a formal investigation.

During the 2016 season of BGT, judges Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon drew 90 Ofcom complaints over their revealing outfits, with controversies including Amanda’s keyhole bodysuit and sheer skirt in May that year. 

However, Ofcom chose not to launch a formal investigation, concluding that the wardrobe choices met general viewer expectations and did not breach the UK broadcasting code. 

At the 2018 Pride of Britain Awards, she wore an elaborate gown by Basil Soda that had a full floral skirt and a purple bodice with full cleavage on display. 

In 2018, Amanda also wore a sheer white gown covered in floral embellishments, with the strategically placed detailing providing enough coverage while leaving much of the underlying silhouette visible.

The following year, Amanda appeared on an episode of BGT wearing a white and multicoloured floral design with a sheer spider-web covering her chest, designed by Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran. 

In October 2023, Amanda Holden attended The Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards at The Roundhouse sporting a royal blue dress with a cord and net overlay and feathered tail

Amanda has previouly appeared on BGT in an ultra-clingy gold wet-look dress that created the illusion of being almost painted onto her body

Another of Amanda’s looks included a shaped silver corset dress, with the top section formed into a unique, armour-like bodice with a plunging neckline

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 The revealing nature of the dress prompted nine complaints to Ofcom, before  another dramatic look – this time by designer Saiid Kobeisy – caught viewers’ attention thanks to its extremely low neckline shortly after. 

It resulted in 34 complaints to Ofcom, with Amanda reportedly joking that her breasts seemed to become the show’s ‘biggest talking point’ every year.

One of Amanda’s most talked-about looks came in 2020, when she wore an off-the-shoulder Celia Kritharioti gown with a plunging neckline. Some viewers claimed they could see her nipple as Amanda’s outfit resulted in 235 complaints to Ofcom at the time. 

Amanda dismissed speculation, explaining that the shape people had mistaken for a nipple was caused by the boned corset underneath, according to Entertainment Daily. 

But the complaints kept coming;  during the 2020 semi-final, Amanda wore a plum-coloured Suzanne Neville dress featuring a lace corset-style bodice and thigh-high split. 

The episode attracted 896 Ofcom complaints overall, although Amanda later clarified that 136 of those complaints related specifically to her dress. 

Amanda later took to Instagram to share she was baffled’ by the outcry as she told her followers: ‘Just to say this dress got a tiny 136 complaints out of the 896 we apparently got that night.

‘Surely there are more terrible and important things to write about…don’t you agree? I’m baffled why it’s still going on.’

Appearing on BGT in 2023, Amanda went full dominatrix-glam in a vivid yellow latex corset and matching skirt by Atsuko Kudo, complete with a dramatic train. The outfit was so figure-hugging that it became one of the most talked-about looks from that year’s live shows.

In October 2023, Amanda Holden attended The Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards at The Roundhouse, sporting a royal blue dress with a cord and net overlay and feathered tail.

More recently, Amanda appeared on BGT in an ultra-clingy gold wet-look dress that was dubbed her ‘most risqué dress yet’ as it created the illusion of being almost painted onto her body. 

On an episode of BGT last year, Amanda wore a plunging white custom gown by Saint Hendrix with a dramatic neckline and midriff detailing, teamed with a matching headpiece structure.

The dress drew a massive response online and added to the series’ ongoing discussions regarding her bold fashion choices on what viewers deemed a ‘family show’. 

During a Heart Breakfast broadcast in 2025, Amanda actually appeared to look naked on camera after wearing a strapless peach-coloured dress that almost disappeared against her skin tone. 

Spotting herself on the monitor, she joked that she’d wondered whether she’d forgotten to put her clothes on.

Commenting on Amanda’s love of ‘naked dresses,’ Natasha said there are ways to make them look stylish. 

‘To make the naked dress trend subtle but stylish, I would always say to focus on one area to accentuate and make the focal point.

‘Balance sheer fabrics and details with smart layering (like a blazer) and intentional undergarments, which can make an outfit feel really put together and still stylish.’

Speaking to members of the press, including HuffPost UK, later that night, Amanda admitted that she’d been deliberately avoiding her friend and frequent co-star for days so she didn’t blurt anything out about what was in store.

“I basically got on the red carpet the earliest I’ve ever done it,” she admitted. “I tried not to call Alan for at least a week, and I ran onto the red carpet at about six o’clock, which is unheard of. But I thought, ‘if I see him, I’ll say something’.”

Alan agreed: “We talk all the time – and we’ve had rosé together, and that’s like truth serum! Once we have rosé everything comes out. I know her PIN, I know her blood type…”

He then recalled: “I’m there [in the audience] and I see the silhouette and I think, ‘oh, that looks [like Amanda]’ – because I never saw you here, that’s why [I never suspected anything]. And then I’m like, ‘oh, it’s me, isn’t it?’. And then [Paloma] pops out of the coffin!”

“I looked out there [in the crowd] and saw people [I had] interviewed, runners and producers who are now getting NTAs themselves,” an emotional Alan later shared backstage. “It all came together in one big thing and I think that’s why I got a bit upset.”

HMRC has issued new letters to the Treasury Committee this month updating it on two major errors

HMRC has issued apology letters this month outlining updates on two significant errors that have affected large numbers of UK taxpayers. The letters, sent in September to Dame Meg Hillier, Chair of the Treasury Committee, detail how the UK’s tax-collecting authority made serious mistakes in two key areas, and address the matter of payments or repayments for those affected.

John-Paul Marks, First Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive at HMRC, sent the letters ahead of a committee hearing this week. In the first letter, he provided an update on errors relating to an HMRC child benefit compliance exercise.

It emerged in March this year that HMRC had relied on flawed Home Office travel records to conclude that thousands of parents who had travelled abroad for holidays or work were fraudsters, resulting in child benefit payments being halted for 23,800 families late last year.

It was subsequently discovered that the Home Office had failed to log their return journeys and, in certain cases, had incorrectly recorded individuals as having left the country despite never having boarded their booked flights, the Guardian reported.

Around 13,800 households were later found to have had their benefits wrongly suspended. The final “success rate” of the scheme — revealed as 40% on 13 March by Mr Marks to the Treasury Committee — laid bare the scale of the blunder.

In his latest letter updating the committee on the failings of that exercise, which can be viewed here, he said: “HMRC has a responsibility to use data effectively to protect public money and tackle error and fraud in the benefits system. However, that must be done in a way that is fair, carefully controlled and with proper safeguards for customers. I agree with the NAO’s [National Audit Office’s] findings that errors were made in the initial use of the data and intend to implement all of the recommendations they have set out.

“The NAO report recognised that the activity identified significant levels of non-compliance and helped prevent incorrect Child Benefit payments. It also highlighted shortcomings in HMRC’s implementation of the expanded exercise and the impact this had on some of our customers.

“The report acknowledged that HMRC responded within 2-4 weeks to make changes to the intervention process following problems emerging in the first rollout. Where HMRC confirmed customers as still eligible for Child Benefit, we apologised for the disruption caused and reinstated awards, with payments backdated to ensure that they received their full entitlement.”

He went on to state that HMRC has moved this compliance exercise from ‘hypercare’ – meaning extra attention is paid to it – back into a controlled business-as-usual process.

State pension HMRC errors explained

In the second letter – which can be seen here – he addressed the committee chair on a historical error in the taxable State Pension figures used in certain tax calculations. An incorrect State Pension figure was used in PAYE end-of-year reconciliations and this fed through into Self Assessment pre-population information and Simple Assessment calculations.

HMRC said when admitting the issue in July that this had resulted in a difference between the correct State Pension figure for tax purposes and the figure actually used in the calculation. In his letter this month, he said: “Since my previous letter, HMRC has made progress addressing the issue, firstly fixing forward to ensure these errors do not occur again, and secondly on correcting recent years for customers in future.

“On 25 August, HMRC implemented the change needed to ensure that future annual reconciliations for PAYE and Simple Assessment customers use the correct State Pension figures. These customers account for the substantial majority of those affected. We also expect to correct the pre-populated figures for Self Assessment customers who have not yet submitted their 2025–26 returns during September. We will correct the position for those that have already filed their 2025-26 return soon after.

“This should resolve the problem for 2025-26 and prevent it recurring in future, and we will monitor this carefully and can provide a further update if helpful. Looking backwards, we will identify affected customers and correct their tax positions for recent years, without requiring them to make a claim.

“This proactive exercise will cover the tax years from 2020–21, the maximum period for which the available data enables us to identify and correct cases reliably and efficiently. As a result, we estimate that approximately 3.2 million customers will receive tax repayments totalling around £19.3 million.

“Repayments will be made through PAYE coding adjustments, credits to Self Assessment accounts or, where necessary, other payment methods such as payable orders. We expect to complete the majority of corrections and repayments during the 2026–27 financial year.

“If customers believe they were affected in earlier years and have the necessary evidence, they can ask HMRC to review their position. These requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. I am sorry that this error occurred and recognise the impact on affected customers. As set out in my earlier letter, we will also conclude an Internal Audit review, ensuring the lessons are identified and applied in future.”

You can contact HMRC here. The Treasury committee met this week. You can see the full hearing here.

Filmmaker Paul Berriff, now 80, described an “apocalyptic scene” as buildings and vehicles burned around him after two passenger planes were flown into New York’s World Trade Center by Islamist extremists.

The September 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington killed 2,977 people, and Northallerton-born Paul considers himself lucky to be alive.

Paul, then 55, was in New York with a UK team filming a TV series about animal-cops in September 2001.

He was at the office at 8.45am on September 11, 2001, when he heard an aeroplane had hit the World Trade Center, initially assuming it was a light aircraft.

Speaking to The Press ahead of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Paul said his “news instinct kicked in” and he drove to the scene with his camera crew after the first plane hit.

“On the way down, we began to see the two towers,” he said. “Both of them were on fire; the second plane had just gone in — so we knew then it wasn’t a light aircraft.”

Paul started filming as he watched firefighters run into the towers over a period of around 25 minutes.

“None of us knew it was likely to collapse at all,” he said.

Paul remembered hearing a “loud explosion”. “And I swung my camera around just to see the top of the South Tower beginning to peel away. It was like a massive umbrella just fanning out.

“Firefighters started shouting, ‘Run, run, run’, but I stood there with my sound recordist looking through the small view finder on my camera as half a million tons of concrete was hurdling towards me.

“I stood there for a couple of seconds. That’s quite a long time, but the buildings at the time were some of the highest in the world so it was taking time for all the debris to descend.”

• Read next: ‘Utter dismay’ – ex-York firefighter on arriving at Ground Zero after 9/11 attack

After another two seconds, Paul told his sound recordist to run, and they fled as debris continued to “hurtle down” towards them.

“As I was running I kept the camera running — it was over my shoulder still filming — I couldn’t see what was going on, but I could hear it,” he said. “It was just like an avalanche but not of snow, just concrete and everything else hurtling towards us.”

After 10 seconds of running, “all I remember was my camera leaving my right hand in slow motion. Then everything goes black.”

The Twin Towers in New York after the attack on September 11, 2001 (Image: Paul Berriff)

Paul was knocked unconscious for about 35 minutes when the debris hit him.

“I was lying there when the North Tower came down on top of me as well,” he said. “The next thing I remember — and I thought it was a matter of seconds, obviously it was a lot longer — I gained consciousness and everything was just black — blacker than the blackest night.

“I couldn’t see a thing. My eyes were full of all this gunge, my mouth, my nose, my ears — it was just like a cement paste.

“I could hardly breathe — I was hot and sweaty. The ground around me was on fire, stuff around me was burning — I could hear things still falling, but I couldn’t see anything.”

Paul Berriff at Ground Zero in September 2001 (Image: Paul Berriff)

Paul crawled until he felt the side of a car, then another.

He followed the parked cars which he believed led to the Hudson River.

“I suddenly thought, I don’t think I’m going to make this,” he said. “That was the first time in my career that I thought, this is it.

“Because I couldn’t breathe at all — I was gasping and gasping and trying to get this gunge out of my ears, my eyes, nose, mouth — it was everywhere. And everything I touched was burning hot.”

‘I must have been the first alive person right in the epicentre of it all’

Paul continued to crawl — still hearing things crashing and falling around him — until he got to the third car, when the visibility started to clear to around 20 yards away.

He saw an empty ambulance with its red light flashing, then followed the cars down the street.

After another five seconds of crawling, he stood up and said “everything was just deathly silent”.

“The building to my right was on fire from the ground floor to the top — all 24 stories,” Paul recalled. “All the fire trucks in front of me were on fire, and ambulances and police cars.

“And in the distance, I could see bits of the building embedded in the road.

“… I must have been the first alive person right in the epicentre of it all. I couldn’t see anybody else — it was just me.”

Paul returned to his apartment near the Twin Towers and reunited with his uninjured crew.

Paul then realised he had a “gash” on his head and was taken by paramedics to hospital on Staten Island.

“All of us that escaped that day thought it was great,” Paul said. “We’d all escaped death as thousands of others and first responders died around us.”

‘Something like that shows how fragile we all are’

Only about six of the 28 firefighters who had been with Paul at the base of the towers survived, as described in an earlier account.

Paul thought the cut on his head was his only injury. About five years ago, he learned that first responders and others who were in the area had developed coughs and illnesses linked to breathing in Ground Zero dust.

A routine hospital visit about three years ago revealed problems with Paul’s lungs.

Tests revealed he had pulmonary fibrosis — a rare, incurable condition in which the lungs become scarred, making it harder to breathe — which Paul said was caused by inhaling the dust on September 11, 2001.

Doctors gave him five years to live, but Paul said he was “still holding on”. “My consultant sees me on a six-month or yearly basis and says I’m doing alright at the moment. So I’ll keep my fingers crossed.”

Paul Berriff now (Image: Paul Berriff)

US health officials said illnesses linked to dust and smoke from the towers’ collapse had claimed more lives than the nearly 3,000 killed in the attacks.

“It had taken 20 years for it to manifest itself,” Paul said. “Virtually everybody I know that was there that day — and others living in the area that were first responders — have all got these terminal illnesses.

“… It just shows you — we all escape our day but there’s a big sting in the tail of it all.”

But ultimately, Paul said he was “lucky that day” in September 2001.

The experience, he said, “brings it home to you that you’ve got to live every day as you find it and enjoy every day and every single minute. Because you just don’t know what’s coming either from above or behind you.”

“It has changed me,” he added. “I enjoy life and appreciate life every day now because I think something like that shows how fragile we all are: we walk a thin tightrope.”

The distressing sight was spotted by a member of the public out walking on Thursday morning.

A headless marine mammal, believed to be a seal pup, has washed up on Girvan beach.

Ayrshire Live can reveal that the distressing sight was spotted by a member of the public out walking on Thursday morning.

It’s understood that the gruesome find was discovered near the entrance to Stair Park.

Members of the public, particularly dog walkers, are being advised to stay away from the pup’s body.

One man said on social media: “Dead baby seal without a head on the beach, it’s very upsetting so avoid. It’s near the Stair Park entrance. I am currently reporting this to Scottish Marine Animal stranding.”

Another said: “My dogs were very interested in this a few days ago. A headless seal pup.”

One woman added: “That’s horrific.”

A spokesperson for the University of Glasgow-based Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, said: “We are already aware of this and have this logged in our database.”

A spokesperson for South Ayrshire Council confirmed that members of their grounds maintenance will remove the dead seal today (Friday, September 11).

The new Christmas Penguin bar is inspired by the popular McVitie’s Penguin biscuit.

Made of creamy milk chocolate, the seasonal snack features a chocolate cream centre and crunchy Penguin biscuit pieces.

New Christmas Penguin bar launches at UK supermarkets

The Christmas Penguin bar is available at Morrisons for £1 but is on special offer for just 70p until December 24 when ordered online.

The launch has sparked excitement among fans, with one shopper simply commenting: “Need!”

Another said: “These look good!

“Like [malteser] reindeer but [with] biscuit pieces in.”

McVitie’s Penguin bars are now labelled as “chocolate flavour” rather than “chocolate,” due to a reduction in cocoa content.

The change was made by parent company Pladis in response to rising chocolate costs linked to climate pressures.

The festive Penguin forms part of McVitie’s largest-ever Christmas range, which includes three further Christmas treats that the biscuit brand unveiled earlier this year.

These include the Tasties Festive Selection, a box of 33 biscuits in nine varieties, and the Victoria Classic Selection, a luxury assortment of nine different biscuits.

McVitie’s has also brought back its Gingerbread Flavour Milk Chocolate Digestives for a third year, offering a seasonal twist on the classic Digestive.

Rare Cadbury chocolate bar returns to UK supermarkets

In other festive food news, a fan-favourite Cadbury bar has also returned to supermarkets for the Christmas season.

The Cadbury Dairy Milk Winter Mint Crisp, a limited-edition favourite in the months leading up to Christmas, combines classic Dairy Milk chocolate with crispy mint pieces.

It’s now available in supermarkets once again, with Tesco selling the 350g bar for £5 or £4.50 with a Clubcard.

Morrisons is offering it for £6, or £4.75 with a MoreCard, while Ocado and Iceland are both selling it for £5.

Fans have welcomed its return, with one calling it their “fave of all time.”

Another said: “It’s a shame it’s not sold all year round but I think my waistband would be sorry if it was.”

The Winter Mint Crisp is part of Cadbury’s wider Christmas range, which also includes festive favourites like Dairy Milk Buttons Smash Baubles.

What is your favourite festive chocolate? Let us know in the comments.