They didn’t expect to find it

Villagers have uncovered and restored a hand-built reservoir that is more than 150-years-old. Its discovery came about during construction for a new footpath in Orwell.

Following its discovery, volunteers began excavating the cistern by hand, according to Orwell Parish Council. However, this was later deemed “too dangerous”, so a speciality team emptied the well using a “Giant Henry Hoover vacuum the size of a refuse lorry”, the council explained.

The reservoir, built in the 1860s, was specially designed to catch rainwater from a house roof for use in washing and irrigating plants. It has been estimated it would have stored 9,000 litres of water.

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The three metre-deep structure, which was constructed of bricks and made at Wimpole, had been completely hidden where nobody was aware of its existence. This find, which was amid an ongoing water shortage, evidenced the innovative approach the Victorians took in building it.

Since then, volunteers have completely emptied the structure, partially restored the dome, and have created a special viewing platform. It was unveiled on Saturday (September 5) to the village.

The reservoir is located on land previously owned by the Diocese of Ely. Orwell Parish Council, working in partnership with the Diocese, has taken ownership of the land together with the adjoining Glebe Field. This will aim to preserve the five-acre site as green open space in perpetuity.

Fundraising enabled the parish council to acquire the land for the village. It also funded the council to plant trees and hedgerows, install a community picnic table and create a new footpath.

The funding has allowed the construction of a butterfly mound, and fences to be repaired and replaced. Newly installed kissing gates will allow people with buggies and mobility scooters to access the space.

Speaking about Glebe Field, Ely Diocesan Secretary George Woods, said that “this particular field in Orwell hasn’t been farmed for decades, and we decided that it would be far better if it was returned to the local community for use as a village amenity site”.

Britain’s rush to Net Zero means it will be luck rather than good management if the lights stay on this winter, a leading analyst has warned.

European nations face a series of energy shocks in the coming weeks thanks to the Iran war, record low gas reserves and a water shortage in Norway that threatens to cut crucial exports of hydro-electric power.

But Britain is uniquely vulnerable because the dash for wind and solar power and power station closures mean we now import electricity from our neighbours, said energy consultant and parliamentary adviser Kathryn Porter. 

‘We’ve put ourselves in a position where we can’t meet our own demand, particularly when the wind doesn’t blow,’ she told The Mail on Sunday. ‘We can cope with these risks individually, but combined they are a threat. It means we have to be lucky all the time.

‘Every single winter we’re making this gamble, and eventually we’ll lose. It could well lead to higher electricity prices and, if we finally run out of luck, blackouts.’

Her warning follows Ofgem’s announcement that the energy price cap will rise in October by £60 to £1,723, and experts have predicted that household bills are about to surge.

Shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie said the looming electricity shortage was ‘increasingly dangerous’ and urged Labour to resume drilling in the North Sea.

‘It is a threat to our security and prosperity,’ he told the MoS. ‘We’re more exposed than any other country – it’s deeply worrying.

‘It demonstrates the folly of failing to exploit our own resources. If we got the Jackdaw gas field up and running now, we could be pumping gas by Christmas.’

On Friday it was reported that a decision on whether to open the giant Jackdaw North Sea gas field near Aberdeen is likely to be postponed until after the Holborn And St Pancras by-election.

The seat is likely to be a race between Labour and the Green Party candidate, Zack Polanski.

Meanwhile, a National Audit Office report warns that delays to a £70billion upgrade to the national grid will cost consumers billions of pounds because the transmission system cannot cope with the rapid shift to renewables. The NAO estimates that attempts to decarbonise the grid by 2030 will add £1.9billion a year to bills.

Britain’s plight could get worse if, as feared, neighbouring governments prioritise domestic prices.

Norwegian politicians are already demanding export controls, arguing Norway should not be treated as ‘Europe’s battery’.

‘There’s a danger governments will prioritise their own consumers,’ said Ms Porter, who advises MPs on the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies. ‘They will stop exporting any spare capacity and the market will break down.’

This year’s heatwaves mean that reservoir levels are lower than for 20 years – and falling.

Britain’s ageing electricity infrastructure and the move away from traditional power stations to unpredictable wind and solar energy are adding to the problem.

In June, whistleblowers at the National Energy System Operator (Neso) claimed the national grid had been so short of electricity that, at one point, it breached safety limits, prompting an independent inquiry. One

Neso engineer told the MoS that power cuts are now a ‘mathematical certainty’.

He claimed the engineers charged with keeping the grid stable are ‘flying blind’, armed with minimal information, yet obliged to deal with thousands of unpredictable wind and solar generators around the country.

Ms Porter said: ‘If this winter sees another long spell of high pressure – and no wind – like the one we’ve just seen in the summer, then Britain will be in an extraordinarily difficult position.

‘You don’t have to have too many things go against you for the grid to break down. Losing one big power station or one big interconnector would be enough.

‘Who, in the cold light of day, could honestly say this is a sensible way to run things?’

By GABRIEL MILLARD-CLOTHIER, POLITICAL REPORTER

Published: 01:17 BST, 13 September 2026 | Updated: 01:21 BST, 13 September 2026

By CAROLINE WEST-MEADS, AGONY AUNT, YOU MAGAZINE

Updated: 07:41 BST, 13 September 2026

Your rugby morning stories making headlines on Sunday, September 13.

Here are your rugby morning headlines for Sunday, September 13.

New Wales cap steals show

New Wales cap Kane James stole the show for Exeter during their Prem Cup victory over Bristol Bears.

Team-mate Olly Woodburn grabbed a hat-trick in the 45-21 victory, but back-row James – who made his Test debut off the bench against Argentina this summer – was perhaps player of the match.

The 21-year-old scored one try after bumping off Tobi Wilson with ease. Then, an explosive carry by James from a lineout laid the platform for Ethan Roots to score.

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James should have had a second try near the end, after Exeter’s scrum drove over the line. However, scrum-half Jake Murray snuck in to ground the ball at James’ feet.

“Kane just looks like he loves playing rugby, doesn’t he? Running at speed, running around, making tackles – there’s something exceptional about that young man. We’re very lucky he’s here,” said Exeter boss Rob Baxter.

“I thought he gave a lot of energy to the game today and was probably one of our real energy drivers.

“It’s a really good start to the competitive season. I’m really pleased with our attitude and how we came through things, because there were pressure moments in the game.

“We went down to 14 men when we were 10 points up, with a quarter of the game still to play, and those moments almost brought the best out of us.

“We could have looked around and thought, ‘This is getting a little bit tough now, what are we going to do?’ Instead, we upped our attitude and our effort, and I think that’s the most pleasing thing for me.

“There are still things we can improve. Our lineout was off at times, we got a little loose at a couple of breakdowns and gave away a couple of soft penalties. But you’re always going to have those things.

“My overriding feeling today is that we were pretty good. We had good attack, we were physical, we scored a lot of tries and at times we looked very clinical in the first half.

“Some of the tries were really well worked, while at other times we had to work hard for them. The scrum went very well, the maul went very well and, as I say, the lineout was a little bit shaky.

“Outside of that, most parts of our game held up really well. To concede only 21 points against a dangerous Bristol side, when you actually start to break the game down, is pretty pleasing.”

Springboks wrap up Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series

A relentless South Africa wrapped up Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series with a 43-28 victory over New Zealand in Baltimore.

Having already had one hand on the trophy after going into the final Test with a 2-1 lead, the Springboks ensured that the trophy would not be split as they added more silverware to their cabinet.

The back-to-back world champions outscored the All Blacks six tries to four in the United States, with Damian de Allende, Morne van den Berg, Malcolm Marx, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cameron Hanekom scoring for the Boks.

New Zealand once again showed their attacking side – with Codie Taylor, Will Jordan, Ethan Blackadder and Beauden Barrett all crossing – but it wasn’t enough.

The fourth Test had been halted in the first half due to a technical issue with the referees’ comms.

Both sets of players knelt together on the pitch afterwards to mark the end of a remarkable Test series, before Dan Carter and Schalk Burger brought the trophy onto the pitch at M&T Bank Stadium for Siya Kolisi to lift.

SRC starts with last-gasp thriller

Super Rygbi Cymru champions Llandovery were beaten by Pontypool at the death as the season got under way on Saturday.

Evan Lloyd’s 78th-minute penalty settled a thriller, with Pooler – who had finished bottom of the league last season – coming out on top in a 13-try thriller, winning 43-31.

Elsewhere, Aberavon saw off Bridgend 36-17, with wing Frankie Jones grabbing two of the Wizards’ six tries.

Cardiff came away from west Wales with a victory, having beaten Carmarthen Quins 27-17.

Last season’s runners-up Ebbw Vale started their campaign with a comfortable victory over Swansea, winning 40-12 at Eugene Cross Park.

And Newport defended the SRC Challenger Shield with a 34-25 victory over Newport.

England shrug off slow start to register dominant win over Australia

By Duncan Bech, Press Association Rugby Union Correspondent

England recovered from a poor first-half to storm to a 48-15 victory over Australia with Abi Burton emerging as the star at CorpAcq Stadium.

Trailing 10-5 at the interval, the Red Roses burst into life with their set-piece initially turning the tables before they cut loose to finish the WXV Global Series opener with eight tries and a 39th consecutive Test win.

In their first outing since being crowned Grand Slam champions by beating France in May and first with the new smaller 4.5 ball being trialled in the women’s game, they took time to blow away the cobwebs with their high error count before the break leading to frustration.

Australia deserved to be ahead after controlling the breakdown and showing resilience in defence and they even played 10 minutes of the first-half with 14 players after Samantha Wood was sent to the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on.

But in the 47th minute England’s pack took charge with May Campbell finishing a line-out drive before they made an ominous statement with a dominant scrum.

It ignited their attacking game with captain Meg Jones then dotting down a low kick through by Holly Aitchison, who was winning her 50th cap on her ground, to begin the stampede of tries.

Wings Mia Venner and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald were among those to breach the Australian whitewash but the world champions’ standout figure was Burton, the blindside flanker who bagged their first try as part of an impressive all-round display.

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Disability Rights UK has raised major concerns over the Timms Review’s draft recommendations for PIP eligibility changes

Some disabled people could be treated less favourably under proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment, campaigners have warned.

Disability Rights UK raised concerns about plans for a revamped PIP system after the Timms Review published its draft recommendations. The organisation said there were some positives in the proposals, including a commitment that PIP will remain a non-means-tested benefit. But it warned there were ‘major concerns’ about plans which could see the benefit move away from being entirely cash-based. The review states that ‘cash will remain the foundation of the award’, but adds that ‘some awards will also include services and other non-cash support’.

This could mean some people being offered services or other forms of support rather than receiving the full value of their award in cash. The proposals include dividing support into ‘cost categories’, with examples including ‘equipment and aids; mobility and transport; clothing and bedding’.

Disability Rights UK said the language used in the draft recommendations was ‘vague and ambiguous’ and left ‘much room for speculation and interpretation’ over whether some disabled people would be treated less favourably than others.

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It is particularly concerned about people with conditions which may be less visible or harder to assess. The organisation pointed to the forthcoming Fonagy report on ADHD, mental health and invisible impairments.

It also highlighted the Government’s recent £3million plan for community mental health support, saying this raised questions over whether groups who already struggle to qualify for PIP could be negatively affected by the proposed reforms.

The campaigners said: “The problem of vague language and proposals runs throughout the draft recommendations.”

They also highlighted what they described as ‘almost complete silence’ on a proposed new eligibility framework for a replacement for PIP. There is also no indication, they said, of whether a new benefit would apply to existing claimants as well as new applicants.

One proposal is for a ‘light touch’ initial assessment, which Disability Rights UK fears could become a ‘tick-box exercise’ that divides impairment groups and sends people down different application pathways. The review does contain a series of proposals designed to improve the experience of applying for and receiving PIP.

These include better guidance, more respectful language, improved reasonable adjustments and an advocacy service for people who need help navigating the system. There are also plans to reform assessments and decision-making, including a new PIP assessment framework to govern how decisions are made and appealed.

The review recommends greater transparency around decisions and a review of how supporting evidence is used. Disability Rights UK said the proposed move towards improving support for people with fluctuating impairments would be welcomed by many.

It said the current points-based system ‘doesn’t capture the needs of people with fluctuating conditions’. The warning comes amid evidence that the public may not support cutting disability benefits.

The latest NatCen Social Attitudes Survey, published on September 8, found that 49% of the public believe there should be more spending on disability benefits, even if this led to higher taxes. Only 7% backed reducing disability benefit spending.

The report said the findings suggested that proposals to reduce disability benefit spending ‘could carry political risks’.

Disability Rights UK said this should be a ‘wake-up call for Government and the media to stop the continued and unfounded attacks on Disabled people and the welfare bill’.

It called instead for a social security system that is ‘fair and truly meets our needs’. The organisation also highlighted research involving 2,000 PIP recipients. Only 16% said PIP covered all of their additional costs.

Separate research into the so-called Activity Trap found that 80% of disabled people were worried about being physically active because they feared losing their benefits. Campaigners say this fear can discourage disabled people from taking part in activities because they worry that doing so could be interpreted as evidence that they no longer need support.

Disability Rights UK and the Activity Trap study back the Commission on Social Security’s proposed Additional Costs Disability Payment as an alternative to PIP. They say it should retain a payment, regardless of employment status, which helps cover the additional costs disabled people face because of ‘living in an inaccessible society’.

They also want ‘adversarial, tick-box assessments’ replaced with personalised support and independent advocacy. And they argue that ‘proper financial support – paid in cash’ should be linked to a wider vision of dignity, independent living and full participation in society.

Sophia Kleanthous, Campaigns and Policy Officer at Disability Rights UK, said: “The Government has consistently failed to properly include Disabled People’s Organisation’s in decisions and processes that affect us.”

She also criticised the lack of notice given over ‘significant updates and decisions during the Timms Review process’. She said the Government had failed to ‘co-produce any part of the Review with DPOs despite promises to do so’.

The next stage will see the draft recommendations considered by disabled people, disabled people’s organisations and charities through a series of round-table discussions.

Residents claim it is now ‘the best road in Britain’ after work to fix it

Potholes in a Cambridgeshire town had become so bad passing vehicles would set off car alarms, residents have claimed. Residents in March have praised the work that’s been done to repair roads after major concerns.

The county council is undertaking an “innovation trial” to find a long-term solution to repairing peat-affected roads and have allocated sections of roads to try new treatments. The first of these is a section of Upwell Road in March, from where it meets Sixteen Foot Bank up to Trinity Farm.

Deep soil mixing, chemical stabilisation and the use of alternative lightweight materials are being used to strengthen the road’s foundations. Alongside this, a section of Upwell Road from the roundabout with Cavalry Drive to Binimoor Road has also been resurfaced, and residents said it is now “the best road in Britain”.

Martyn Cross said: “It’s excellent, really, that’s all I can say – it was getting terrible with potholes but they’ve done a great job. That’s probably the best road in Britain now.”

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The 66-year-old said parts of the country roads are in a “terrible state” where there is an especially high amount of peat. Peat soil lies underneath 40 per cent of Cambridgeshire, but in Fenland this is 97 per cent, with nearly all roads affected, according to the council. They said that repairing roads built on peat can cost four or five times as much as repairs to conventional roads.

Alastair Morton said the resurfacing of Upwell Road is “fabulous” and everyone is pleased with the end result. The 60-year-old said: “It was horrendous out there, there was so much rattling when trailers went past that my car alarm went off twice.”

George Saule, 69, said: “It’s made a lot of difference – all they need to do now is stop those great big lorries going through.” Malcolm Gray said the roads were “never designed” for the weight of the vehicles that drive on it today.

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The 76-year-old said: “If you walk or drive around here, you will see that the telegraph poles all lean away from the roads.” He said a long-term solution to address the foundations of the roads would save the council money rather than doing patchwork repairs.

He said: “It would cost money, but in the long-run it would pay for itself and potentially save lives because driving down here is dangerous. If you aren’t aware of the situation you could easily end up in a dyke.”

Cllr Alex Beckett, chair of the county council’s highways and transport committee, said peat-affected roads are one of their “biggest challenges”. The Lib Dem councillor said the trial will test three different techniques on the same road to figure out what works best on cost and longevity.

At the start of construction in August he said: “We’ll be learning from this and taking that evidence directly to government to make the case for a fairer funding settlement that reflects the unique challenges we face. It’s all part of our drive to get Cambridgeshire’s roads back on track.”

The road improvement project is being funded through a £1.5m grant from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority. Mayor Paul Bristow said he was “pleased” to see the trial get underway and that it’s “essential” to find effective solutions to the challenges of peat-affected roads.

He said: “Getting Cambridgeshire and Peterborough moving means investing in infrastructure that is resilient and fit for the future. By finding better solutions for roads affected by peat soils, we can reduce disruption, improve reliability and make the most of available funding by investing in approaches that deliver long-term results.”