Sir Jeremy was promoted to assistant director-general in May 2025, as part of a broader leadership shake-up. He joined the WHO as chief scientist in 2023, after almost a decade at the Wellcome Trust.

Along with Dr Tedros, the director-general, and other senior figures, Sir Jeremy was closely involved in implementing a painful down-sizing of the WHO following the US departure.

Historically, the US had been the agency’s top donor, and the funding cuts have hit the agency hard.

It has committed to slashing nearly a quarter of its global workforce and shrinking its headquarters in Geneva. Under a new organisational structure, 10 divisions were merged into four.

Sir Jeremy was responsible for one of these: Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control.

Speaking in March, he said: “2025 was a very difficult year. When you imagine any organisation – public or private – reducing its workforce by 30 per cent, it is extremely painful. Many institutions usually do this gradually: 10 per cent one year, another 10 per cent the next. Doing it all in a single year was awful, and the organisation lost many good people. Human resources did their best.

“I participated in the architectural overhaul and organisational redesign of WHO,” he added in an interview with the Swiss daily, Le Temps. “It is far from perfect, but the reform we have undertaken is as strategic as possible to ensure the organisation is better adapted to the health challenges of the next 20 years.”

While Sir Jeremy’s position at the WHO was a senior posting, working at the WHO, like other parts of the UN, can be frustrating, owing to its structure and governance.

The WHO is beholden to member states and is subject to enormous pressure at international level, which determines its funding stability, influences outbreak investigations, and tests its ability to act on issues that require consensus, such as the pandemic treaty.

But it is also riven by internal politics, and at the moment several senior officials, including several regional directors, have stepped back from their roles to campaign for Mr Ghebreyesus’s job as head of the organisation. His second and final term as director-general will end on August 15 next year.

It was also the location of a queen’s execution

Just a few miles over the Cambridgeshire border near Oundle, marks a site of major importance in Tudor history. Fotheringhay Castle is the remains of a large, medieval motte-and-bailey castle.

Although nowadays, there is very little left to see except a large mound of grass-covered earthworks – but it still remains a significant historic landmark. The castle, located north of Oundle, was likely founded around 1100 by Simon de Senlis, the Earl of Northampton.

The mound was once the site of a remarkable castle with an illustrious history. It overlooks a crossing point on the River Nene and it also acted as a royal palace and a prison from the 13th century.

Following its founding, the castle was under royal control, hosting a number of notable historic figures including King Henry III, Edward II, Richard III, and it was a favoured residence of several Dukes of York.

The castle was particularly famed as the birthplace of Richard III in 1452. Likely the most notorious Royal to spend time at the impressive castle was Mary Queen of Scots. She was the great-granddaughter of King Henry VII and first cousin once removed to Queen Elizabeth I.

She inherited the throne at just six days old when her father died. She briefly became queen consort in France before returning to Scotland. Mary had once claimed Queen Elizabeth’s throne as her own and was considered the legitimate sovereign of England by many English Catholics.

Seeing her as a threat, Queen Elizabeth I had her confined in various castles and manor houses across England. Following nearly 18 years in captivity, Mary was found guilty of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth.

On the evening of February 7, 1587, Mary was told she was to be executed the next morning. She spent the last hours of her life in prayer, distributing her belongings to her household and writing her will and a letter to the King of France.

She was beheaded on a scaffold in the Great Hall, which was draped in black cloth. It is believed that Mary was not beheaded with a single strike as the first blow missed her neck.

Her request to be buried in France was refused by Queen Elizabeth I and her body was eventually taken to Peterborough Cathedral in July 1587 for burial. However, it was later reinterred in Westminster Abbey.

During the latter part of the Elizabethan period, the castle fell into disrepair despite its importance. The castle was later dismantled and only the grass-covered earthworks and some masonry remains.

Tina McDermont, from Washington, had hoped for a four-day break in Spain on August 30 with her husband, but tragedy struck on August 19 when her teenage son Billy lost his life in an accident

A grieving mother was denied a Ryanair refund for her Newcastle to Alicante flight after her 18-year-old son died in a tragic accident – because he passed away “too early”.

Tina McDermont, from Washington, had been looking forward to a four-day Spanish getaway on August 30 with her husband. However, on August 19, her teenage son Billy tragically lost his life in an accident.

Understandably devastated, Tina cancelled their holiday and contacted Ryanair customer support to inform them and request a refund. She had hoped to use the £350 owed for both tickets towards Billy’s funeral expenses.

Under Ryanair’s terms and conditions, passengers may claim travel credit if someone on the booking or an immediate family member (partner/parent/child only) dies within 10 days before the scheduled flight.

Tina was left “disgusted” when she discovered she wouldn’t receive any money back – purely because Billy had died 24 hours outside the policy’s timeframe.

She explained: “Billy’s death was a massive shock. He’d just turned 18. I could never have travelled and gone abroad. I just wanted to be at home with my family around me. I’m arranging my son’s funeral. There’s no way I could go. I thought when I got in touch with Ryanair there wouldn’t be an issue”.

Tina revealed Ryanair requested a copy of Billy’s death certificate, but she found the entire process increasingly distressing during an already heartbreaking period. “I thought we’d get that money back and put it towards Billy’s funeral and then I hit these barriers because of this 10-day policy that I hadn’t been aware of.”

She also revealed the struggle she faced trying to complete the claim form on Ryanair’s website.

“It was raw emotion all the time. It wouldn’t let me complete the form,” she said. “I looked at the terms and conditions and thought ‘That doesn’t really make sense.’”.

“I opened a chat on the app and they told me to ‘no show’ so I could get a letter off them and you can go to your travel insurance and claim off them. I thought ‘That’s passing the buck’.”

Tina claims she was subsequently informed she was ineligible for a refund as Billy’s passing had fallen outside the airline’s 10-day bereavement window.

“If he’d died a day later, I would’ve got my money back. It’s disgusting and petty.

“It was like a slap in the face. It should be done by a case by case basis. It’s a blanket policy, but it isn’t human. I felt very insulted. He wasn’t meant to die. It was a tragic accident, so surely there should be special circumstances. I was devastated. Everybody I’ve dealt with has been compassionate except for them. They’re greedy.”

For Tina, though, this goes far beyond the financial loss of a cancelled holiday. “It’s not about the money. It’s the principle. £350 for a huge company like Ryanair is chicken feed. It’s made the grieving process worse. I’m a mother who’s grieving. It felt very personal and I know the terms and conditions are not.”

Describing the ordeal as “deflating”, Tina is now urging the budget airline to rethink its approach to bereavement cases and introduce more compassionate provisions for extraordinary situations.

“Ryanair needs to change their policies. There needs to be a special circumstances clause for close relatives like children. Have a bit of heart and compassion.”

She added: “I’ll never fly with them again.”

The airline, however, has refused to budge on its stance, insisting Tina did not qualify for travel credit under its current rules. A spokesperson said: “Ryanair’s bereavement policy allows passengers to apply for travel credit where the death of an immediate family member occurs within 10 days of their scheduled flight departure.

“As this bereavement occurred outside of that period, this passenger was not entitled to travel credit. This passenger was provided with the documentation required to submit a claim through their travel insurance provider.”

By ED HOLT

Published: 12:16 BST, 12 September 2026 | Updated: 16:56 BST, 12 September 2026

An 88-year-old woman has been found dead at her home as police arrest a man, 36, on suspicion of murder.

Thames Valley Police rushed to a home in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, at around 2.20pm on Thursday following reports of an ‘unexplained death’.

Inside a property on Appleford Drive officers found the body of Jill Gant.

A murder investigation has been launched which led to the arrest of a 36-year-old man, from Abingdon, on suspicion of murder.

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He remains in police custody. 

The force said that Ms Gant’s family have been informed and they are being supported by specially trained officers.

 Ms Gant’s family have asked for privacy at this time.

Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Brangwin said the police’s thoughts ‘remain with Jill’s family’.

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Pictured: Jill Gant the 88-year-old victim who was found dead on Thursday afternoon

Pictured: Appleford Drive in Abingdon. Thames Valley found Ms Gant’s body in a property on the road

He also warned residents to expect a large police presence in the area. 

The detective continued: ‘I understand that incidents like this will cause concern in the community but we are investigating the death as a priority and there is an increased police presence in the area.

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‘At this early stage we do not currently believe there is any threat to the wider public as we have made an arrest and we are not looking for anyone else, at this time.’

Anyone with information is urged to contact police by calling 101 or making an online report via the force’s website quoting reference 43260472268.

EXCLUSIVE: The Electoral Commission has confirmed it will look into hospitality heaped on Nigel Farage and senior party figures in Dubai last January by mega-rich supporters

Nigel Farage faces being embroiled in another investigation after Reform was accused of failing to declare donors who paid for glitzy fundraising events in the Middle East.

The Electoral Commission has confirmed it had received a complaint over hospitality heaped on Mr Farage and senior party figures in Dubai last January by mega-rich supporters.

Fresh scrutiny over Reform’s finances come after Scotland Yard confirmed this week that it was investigating separate allegations the party broke foreign funding laws.

The latest furore centres on whether Mr Farage should have declared lavish hospitality he received during a two-day trip in May 2025, according to an investigation by Babelfish.

One event was a reception hosted by the Binghatti family, who are among the largest property tycoons in the emirate. Hussain Binghatti Aljbori is ranked by Forbes as one of the richest men in the Middle East, with a £1.8billion fortune. The other was a lunch reportedly paid for by Indian billionaire businessman Sunny Varkey, according to Bloomberg News. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing from the Binghatti family, or Mr Varkey.

Neither the party nor Mr Farage have declared donations covering the cost of these events. The Electoral Commission has confirmed it will review the evidence after a complaint from Labour MP Phil Brickell.

UK political parties must check whether any donation worth over £500 is from a “permissible” donor – including UK voters and companies – and must declare any donations worth more than £11,180.

After Labour MP Phil Brickell wrote to the Electoral Commission calling for a probe into the trip, the commission has now confirmed that it will review the evidence.

In his letter, the Bolton West MP said: “These reports appear to raise a straightforward question of electoral law: were goods, services or hospitality provided to Reform UK in connection with these fundraising events, and if so, were they donations which were properly recorded and reported to the Commission?”

Speaking to this newspaper, he added: “We need to understand if this is just a case of a couple of bad apples – albeit ones that haven’t fallen very far from the tree – or if there is a systemic culture of obfuscation, secrecy and, essentially, cheating, within Reform UK.”

Mr Vince said: “Nigel Farage has put democracy in Britain up for sale to the highest bidder – he clearly does not care where the money comes from – but we should. Ultimately all of this just reinforces the case for a total ban on donations to political parties in Britain”.

An Electoral Commission spokesperson said: “We can confirm we have received a letter from Phil Brickell MP regarding Reform and fundraising in Dubai. The Commission reviews all information it receives and is considering this matter under its regulatory remit.”

Reform UK did not respond to requests for comment.

There is perhaps no batsman in Test history as accustomed as Joe Root to walking in with the scoreboard reading “not many for two” and his team in a tight spot.

That is where Root found himself once again soon after 11am on Saturday. His team were two for two, with both openers out for ducks, and the problems of the third evening bleeding into the fourth morning. A chaotic and patchwork Pakistan team suddenly believed Mohammad Abbas could inspire their defence of 130.

A familiar position for Root, sure, but not the young man at the other end, the rookie No 3 Jordan Cox. Together, they eased England out of a creeping crisis with such aplomb that the target was chased swiftly enough that the few thousand at Edgbaston were refunded 50 per cent of their ticket prices because so few overs were bowled. When Cox hit the winning run, a scrambled single into the off side, Root’s relief was palpable. His team had been tested, and he felt they would be “better for it”.

They had won his first series since returning to the captaincy 3-0, but not without a scare at the last. The scorecard will record this as a routine England eight-wicket win and, for the most part, it was. But England were rattled by Razaullah, a 21-year-old who spent the first two Tests of this series in Mardan, in the mountains of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan. Having bowled quickly, he wreaked havoc on the third evening with his 63-ball 81, taking England from the brink of an innings victory to an awkward chase.

Razaullah’s partner with the bat was Abbas, who provided England with an almighty fright on the fourth morning. First ball, Ben Duckett was caught behind. The ball was angled in, demanding that it was played, then nipped slightly away, taking the edge. Duckett’s trudge off was glacial, with his curious Test summer over. He has scored England’s only century of the season, but failed to make fifty otherwise. In this series, he has averaged just eight.

When choosing to drive between Manchester and Sheffield, on paper, it should be a picturesque journey.

The Snake Pass offers stunning views of the Peak District National Park and a smattering of quaint village stop-offs. But the reality can be very different.

Many commuters know the route can be as treacherous as its serpentine name suggests, with steep slopes and sharp corners.

Funnily enough it was actually named after the Snake Inn, rather than its snake-like appearance. The pub was later renamed the Snake Pass Inn, after the Snake Pass.

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The road, also known as the A57, is notoriously littered with problems. It is regularly shut in winter when heavy rain or icy weather makes the route hazardous.

The common occurrence of crashes and maintenance work also means it can often be closed off. Earlier this year work at Doctor’s Gate meant the road was shut for three weeks in June.

These problems are why there are growing calls for a long-term fix for the Snake Pass. Previously, Prime Minister Andy Burnham called for the route to be considered key national infrastructure – meaning the government would take responsibility for the road.

Currently, Derbyshire County Council is responsible for the upkeep of the route, but there is a question whether they have the financial resources to keep up with the demands of the crumbling road.

The local authority was given government cash injection of £7.6m last year to help deal with the series of active land slips at Doctor’s Gate, Alport, Gillott Hey and Wood Cottage. This government funding was a one-off though, and it costs Derbyshire County Council millions every year to maintain the long, winding road.

They have estimated the overall cost for all four active land slips to be around £100m, which is a cost they can’t afford.

The High Peak MP Jon Pearce has been campaigning alongside the mayors of Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire to spark long-term change for the route that bisects his constituency.

Mr Pearce said: “Snake Pass is not just an important road for the High Peak. It is a vital route connecting the core northern cities of Manchester and Sheffield, and its continued neglect has consequences for communities, businesses and the wider northern economy.

“I have been clear that we cannot simply allow the future of this road to be managed through endless piecemeal repairs and temporary closures.

“That is why I have been working to make the case for the A57 at both a regional and national level. I helped to bring together the Peak Partnership, ensuring that local leaders and partners can work together to make the strongest possible case for investment in the area.

“I am also continuing to work with the East Midlands Mayor, alongside the Mayors of Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire, to make the case for a long-term solution for Snake Pass.

“The Prime Minister himself previously argued, in his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, that Snake Pass should be considered key national infrastructure. As Prime Minister he is now in a position to deliver on that ambition.

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“The Labour government has already provided more than £7m of funding to Derbyshire County Council for Snake Pass. That funding should be helping to address the serious challenges facing the road and secure its future.

“However, despite receiving this money, the Reform-run county council has still not delivered the action needed. Residents understandably want to know when they will see real progress and how the funding already provided is being used.

“I will continue pushing for Snake Pass to be recognised as nationally important infrastructure. But in the meantime, Derbyshire County Council must step up, take responsibility and make effective use of the significant funding it has already received.”

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The county council says they are actively working to maintain the road. This maintenance work includes wall repairs at Doctor’s Gate, inspections along the route, road patching, safety barrier upgrades, white lining improvement for visibility and removing overhanging vegetation.

Even with signposts telling drivers to take the more northerly route through Woodhead Pass, around 300,000 people use Snake Pass annually.

The responsibility for the road will carry over to the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) when Derbyshire County Council is officially abolished in 2028. The EMCCA are expected to have bigger pockets financially, but the new combined authority will have a larger road network to cover.

Councillor Charlotte Hill, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for highways, said: “We recognise the importance of the Snake Pass but it presents us with complex challenges due to its underlying geology along with the topography of the surrounding area and exposure to severe weather.

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“With a number of active landslips along the route, it’s crucial we focus on finding a long-term solution that addresses these issues safely and sustainably. The provisional estimate to investigate and repair these landslips is in excess of £100m which is beyond our means and why we continue to lobby for more funding.

“We welcome the renewed impetus in finding solutions and we are working with the East Midlands Combined County Authority on a delivery plan with the expectation that extra funding will be forthcoming.

“However, it is wrong to suggest that the county council isn’t taking action and we recently completed a feasibility study for the Doctors Gate landslip and now have agreement to repair it using some of the £7m Department for Transport Roads Scheme grant, alongside installing safety measures, and we’re finalising the designs for that work.

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“Snake Pass is an important part of our network and we are also actively working on repair options for all the other landslip sites including Woodhouses (Cowms Moor), Alport and Gillot Hey.”

The Department for Transport (DfT) has signified no intention of taking over responsibility for the upkeep of Snake Pass. DfT pointed out they have dished out £24 billion to maintain and improve motorways and local roads across the country over the next four years.

It is understood that the EMCCA is in receipt of £2bn of devolved Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding for the period 2025/26 until 2031/32.

A DfT spokesperson said: “While it is Derbyshire County Council’s responsibility to maintain this iconic road, last year we announced a £7.6m boost to make life-saving improvements on the route.

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“We are also providing the East Midlands Combined County Authority with £2 billion in Transport for City Regions until the 2030s so they can invest in their local transport network, wherever they see fit.”

Para-Northern’s Emma Flood and Lorna Hartley spent the night at Ye Olde Kings Head in Chester after years of wanting to investigate the centuries-old building.

Emma and Lorna (Image: Emma Flood)

The pair previously told The Bolton News they were hoping for a scary night – and while Emma admits much of their stay was surprisingly quiet, there were a few moments which left them searching for an explanation.

Ye Olde Kings Head, on Lower Bridge Street, has become renowned for its ghost stories and is home to My Haunted Hotel, where visitors investigate the building before spending the night there.

(Image: Emma Flood)

Cameras monitor the hotel around the clock, meaning unusual sights and sounds can be checked from a control room.

One of the first things to catch Emma’s attention was what sounded like a man breathing in one of the rooms.

She said: “I did hear a breath in one of the rooms.

“The hotel has got 24-hour surveillance cameras filming all the time and you can ring through on the walkie-talkie to the control room.

“He checked and he could hear it.”

There were other people nearby and Emma said she considered whether the noise could have come from one of them.

However, she said nobody appeared to be doing anything which would explain the loud breath.

Things became stranger when the group moved into an area associated with stories of the building’s past as a brothel.

A sudden bang came from the floor above.

Emma said: “We were all in the brothel area and went, ‘What the hell was that? What’s above us?’

“They said, ‘That’s room five, where all the dolls are.’”

When the group went upstairs, one of the dolls had fallen over.

(Image: Emma Flood)

Emma and the others tried jumping around near it to see whether vibrations or movement could cause it to fall again – but it stayed put.

She said: “There’s no way around it, it just falls.

“We stood in front of her and jumped up and down and she wouldn’t move.”

(Image: Emma Flood)

Emma and Lorna later settled down for the night in room three – and there was one feature which immediately made them uneasy.

The bedroom was filled with mirrors.

Emma said she and Lorna avoid having mirrors in bedrooms because of a paranormal belief that they can act as “portals”, particularly while people are asleep and at their most vulnerable.

(Image: Emma Flood)

She said: “You shouldn’t have mirrors in your bedroom.

“When you’re asleep you’re at your most vulnerable, so you’ve got to be very careful.”

Nevertheless, the pair put in their earplugs and went to sleep.

At around 4.30am, Lorna woke to discover a torch had fallen over.

Emma said: “Realistically, she may have moved it in her sleep, so we can’t say for definite.

“We’re still waiting for them to look at the footage.”

The following morning, after the other visitors had left, Emma and Lorna carried out another investigation.

They headed into room six, where a rocking chair sits inside a pentagram on the floor.

(Image: Emma Flood)

The room is associated with stories of a woman named Heidi who is said to have fallen to her death from a window.

Emma and Lorna began asking questions and said they were met by footsteps, creaking floorboards, knocks and taps.

Emma said: “We started getting responses – footsteps, creaking, knocks and taps in the room.”

Yet despite Ye Olde Kings Head’s reputation, Emma described the night as relatively quiet overall.

(Image: Emma Flood)

And with spooky season around the corner, the Chester hotel is far from the only building which has left the Bolton investigators with questions.

One experience which Emma recently visited was an old mill off Cherry Tree Lane in Bury, dating back to 1876.

Para-Northern was invited to investigate the building before it was sold – and Emma’s verdict on that night was simple.

She said: “That was just insane.”

The team reported hearing what sounded like a woman’s voice, bangs around machinery which had not been touched for months and, at one point, somebody apparently whistling.

In the boardroom, the group also repeatedly heard what sounded like knocks on a table.

One person was taking part in the Estes Method, where an investigator wears headphones and listens for potential responses without being able to hear what the rest of the group is saying.

Emma said: “He even took his headphones off and said, ‘Is someone banging on the table?’”

Things did not get any less unsettling when they ventured into the cellar.

Emma said motion sensor lights repeatedly came on and the team’s devices were activated.

She said: “I felt really uncomfortable down there.

“Anything lurking in the cellar isn’t going to be good.”

Two men who had previously worked at the mill also joined the investigation and, according to Emma, were unable to explain some of what was happening.

Inside the Bury Mill (Image: Emma Flood)

Experiences at the mill and another investigation in Bacup have even changed the way Emma and Lorna approach supposedly haunted locations.

Instead of always referring to spirits in the past tense, they have begun to wonder whether those they are attempting to contact might perceive things very differently.

Emma said: “Do they think we’re the ones that are dead?

“To them, could it still be real life?”

There will be plenty more opportunities to put that idea to the test as Halloween approaches.

(Image: Emma Flood)

Para-Northern, which was established in 2017, is due to investigate the Greater Manchester Museum of Transport on October 2, having previously visited the venue.

A Masonic hall in Bolton is next on the list towards the end of October, followed by an old theatre in November.

For Emma, it is the combination of the unexplained and the history behind the buildings which keeps drawing her back.

She added: “Honestly, it’s so fascinating.”

Rylan Clark was issued a warning from Vernon Kay as the duo co-hosted coverage of Radio 2 in the Park in Stirling, prompting the former Family Fortunes host to apologise.

BBC Radio 2 stars Vernon Kay, 52, and Rylan Clark teamed up on Saturday afternoon for a broadcast from City Park in Stirling, Scotland, with the duo introducing live music from Texas, Lulu and Jack Savoretti at Radio 2 in the Park.

Unfortunately, Rylan, 37, may have already managed to irritate the festival’s headliner Chaka Khan, 73, who is taking to the stage this evening, prompting Vernon to apologise to her live on air.

While informing listeners that the singer would be performing at 8pm, Rylan echoed “Chaka Khan”, recreating the iconic introduction to her classic track I Feel for You.

Vernon swiftly intervened to reveal that fellow BBC Radio 2 presenter Michelle Visage, who counts the “Queen of Funk” among her friends, had previously reprimanded him for making the identical reference.

He warned Rylan: “You can’t say that apparently, Michelle told me off, as did the rest of the BBC Radio 2 team,” to which an unrepentant Rylan cheekily responded: “Well, they’re not here!”.

Vernon maintained: “Well, you don’t want a clout from Visage! She’s really good friends with Chaka. I didn’t know that [we couldn’t say] Chaka Khan…”

“Can we not do that now?” Rylan asked, prompting Vernon to reiterate: “No, she don’t like it!”.

Rylan then quipped: “Well I shouldn’t have been on air for the past six weeks!” Recalling how he’d made the exact same mistake, Vernon said: “I know, tell me about it! I think I introduced her on Tracks Of My Years as… Chaka Khan. Sorry Chaka, we love you to bits!”.

This wasn’t the first apology Vernon had to make during the show, as he also had to say sorry about Texas frontwoman Sharleen Spiteri’s use of colourful language during her festival performance.

Vernon opened his show with Rylan by stating: “Once again, apologies for the language. It’s a bit too early for that! Sharleen was on one this morning!”.

The former Family Fortunes presenter later shared his worries about creating further mayhem during the live show, adding: “The thing is, is when you’re in this kind of atmosphere, it does feel like a school trip, you’re so excited, the adrenaline kicks in and you forget where you’re going!”.

“Let’s just not do a Sharleen, alright? That’s all we’ve got to remember,” Rylan replied, with Vernon agreeing: “Exactly! She’s already got us out the gate in a bad way. But apart from that, it was a stunning performance!”.

BBC producers also aired an apology onscreen when Sharleen unexpectedly swore. The singer, 58, seemingly thought any swear words would be bleeped out by the BBC when she shouted: “F*** this!” during a lunchtime performance, which was also being live streamed on BBC iPlayer.

An apology then appeared on screen reading: “You are watching Radio 2 In The Park Live. We apologise if you’ve been offended by anything in this stream.”

Two nuns who have been left short of a four-figure sum have been trying to work out what happened after two men allegedly left their guesthouse without paying their bill

Two nuns were left over €1,000 out of pocket after two men allegedly fled their guesthouse without paying. Said nuns, the Discalced Franciscan Poor Clare sisters of the Convent of La Purisimia Conception, ran the business out of the village of Marchena, located south east of the Spanish city of Seville.

According to reports, two men checked in to the venue situated next to the Church of Santa Maria on Wednesday September 2^nd, before leaving a week later. The bill was due to be paid just before the end of their stay on Monday, September 7^th.

However, the two men, who claimed they worked for a company based in the Vega del Guadalquivir region, a claim later found to be false, were nowhere to be found. The nuns went upstairs the next day to find the room empty of both the men and their belongings.

Furthermore, it has also been alleged that as well as taking their own belongings, the two men took the keys to their room, and the keys to the entrance gate and main door.

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According to the nuns the two men, who were staying at the guesthouse for the first time, had paid for a room as well as dinner and lunch, costing them €913 plus 10 percent VAT to bring their total to €1,004.30 (£861.89).

Following the occurrence, the religious community has reported the incident to the local police in a bid to find the men. It has since been reported that the guesthouse where the two men stayed had CCTV fitted and shows them in the area at 11.30am on the Monday.

In a further twist, a quick search of the company they claimed to work for revealed it was actually located in Almeria.

ABC Sevilla reported that the two men had given the nuns their supervisor’s contact details, whom they claimed would not only settle the bill, but also stay at the guesthouse for two nights.

Attempting to get the bill paid, the convent’s superior, Sister Susana, called the number, but said the man hung up when he realised it was the convent calling about the bill.

As a result, they have not received any form of response. The venue the nuns run is not a large business, and helps to serve a low income community.

The pair also produce Christmas carol albums and prepare takeaway food whilst trying to maintain their life at the venue.

On the website for the Santa Maria Inn, the 13 rooms are described as being “comfortable” and suitable places “for rest, prayer, and study”.

Furthermore, alongside the air-conditioned rooms, there is a “multi-purpose hall available for various cultural events with a capacity of 80 people” and “a dining room”.