It was 2am when the phone rang and Fiona saw her 18-year-old daughter Zoe’s name flash up on her phone screen. Any trace of sleepiness instantly leaving her, she picked up the call to see Zoe and her new boyfriend Leo FaceTiming her from a club.

A few short months ago Fiona had been like every other mum sending her child off to university for the first time – fretting about whether she’d find friends, eat properly and cope with the coursework. But when she saw Zoe’s face, she realised she’d been worrying about the wrong thing.

‘I couldn’t really hear what she was saying, but she sounded almost manic. She was in a club with this boy. I’m not sure even now why they were calling – just to say hello, I think. It was clear they were both very worse for wear.

‘At first, I thought she was just drunk, but I’d worked in the City in the 1980s and I knew all the signs. Her pupils were huge and black, her jaw was moving strangely and she was tripping over her words. After just a few seconds, it was clear to me she was high on cocaine.’

Over the next week, around a quarter of a million parents will help excited children shop for Ikea kitchenware and pack up clothes for their first term at university. They may well know about the easy availability of drugs like cannabis and have heard of ketamine, the party drug sometimes known as Special K. But what they probably don’t know is how prevalent cocaine has become on Britain’s university campuses, and how easily accessible it is to students barely out of school.

A recent study carried out by Loughborough University covering students at 54 different institutions found that almost one in four (24 per cent) had used cocaine. The drug that used to be associated with ‘loadsamoney’ City financiers, 1990s supermodels and middle-aged dinner parties has so infiltrated modern student life, its presence is almost a given on a freshers’ night out.

‘Cocaine has never been more readily available. It’s never been purer and it’s never been more affordable relative to everything else we purchase,’ explains Harry Sumnall, professor in substance use in the School of Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University.

Even though it’s a Class A drug that carries a prison sentence of up to seven years for possession, Sumnall says that many students no longer see cocaine as a dangerous substance.

‘For many young adults, it’s still seen as less of a drug. It affects brain and behaviour, of course, but compared to other products, ones more well known for dependence and addiction, there’s a distance from the stereotypes and stigma around drug taking,’ he explains.

It’s a perception backed by the attitude of Archie, a 20-year-old from London who’s about to start his final year at one of the country’s leading northern universities. ‘Cocaine is everywhere,’ he says. ‘We all take it when we’re out drinking. Alcohol makes you sleepy but coke wakes you up,’ says Archie. ‘It means we can stay out for longer.

‘For a lot of people in my generation who were locked away as teenagers because of Covid, meeting new people is really stressful. But cocaine makes you feel great. It gives you the confidence to chat to anyone and that helps you deal with your social anxiety. 

‘It’s not that expensive really either, especially when you compare it to alcohol. A pint costs about £6 now and a cocktail can be more than £10. But for half a gram of coke you pay around £40 and that will give you around six lines – enough for a big night out between two or three friends,’ he continues.

While mum Fiona says her daughter had never been into drugs before university, Archie admits to trying cannabis and ketamine in his sixth form at school. Until he went to university, however, he barely ever saw cocaine. Now he takes it most weekends along with his college friends, and doesn’t view his level of use as a problem.

‘If I am planning a night out, I will usually try to buy some. At the time I love the way it makes me feel, although I will admit the come down is awful. I feel anxious and out of it for most of the next day, but it’s not that much worse than a hangover,’ he says.

This blasé attitude is in stark contrast to the reality.

According to private addiction and rehab specialists the Priory Group, mixing cocaine with alcohol is extremely risky. It can cause blackouts, impaired vision, vomiting and alcohol poisoning as well as feelings of aggression, anxiety and paranoia.

‘I’d noticed that Zoe seemed quite anxious. She was moodier and tired, but I’d put it down to a new environment and all the pressures of leaving home,’ explains Fiona.

Zoe had also lost weight – another common side effect of cocaine since it acts as an appetite suppressant. ‘I still feel guilty for not spotting the signs sooner,’ says Fiona.

Indeed experts warn that missing the warning signs of cocaine use can have serious consequences.

‘Even when used relatively infrequently, particularly if young people are susceptible, cocaine can have a significant impact on mental health and wellbeing,’ explains Professor Sumnall.

A 2023 study of UK students published in Brain Sciences supports this, reporting that anxiety, depression, perceived stress and insomnia were all linked to increased reports of substance use, including cocaine.

Professor Sumnall adds that every episode of drug use involves ‘risky’ choices, and often leads to impulsive behaviour that can put a young person in danger. A 2021 study of 3,520 UK university students found that cocaine was associated with not only riskier sexual practices but also more years as a student, lower grades, PTSD, ADHD and psychological or emotional problems.

But the outcome can be even worse for some people as deaths from cocaine use are on the increase, with a 14.4 per cent rise in cocaine related fatalities since 2023 across all ages, including students. In 2021, Oxford University student Daniel Mervis died from a cocaine overdose after developing an addiction during his first year, while Bristol University student Lucy White died in 2018 at the age of 24 after a line of cocaine triggered a heart attack.

Hospitalisations have also surged over the past decade, especially cocaine-related mental health admissions, which tripled over a ten-year period to 2018.

In part, it’s down to a market awash with cocaine. UN figures show that global illegal cocaine production rose by 34 per cent in a single year to a record 3,708 tonnes in 2023 – and continues to boom. It’s also 44 per cent purer in quality today than it was in 2014, according to EU data – all of which creates a lethal cocktail.

A recent study carried out by Loughborough University covering students at 54 different institutions found that almost one in four (24 per cent) had used cocaine

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‘After that 2am phone call, I lay awake all night in state of blind panic,’ says Fiona. ‘I wanted to jump into the car and drive to see her, but the university is a five-hour drive away and I’m not a confident driver.’

Instead, the pair had a heart-to-heart on the phone the next day. ‘At first she was defensive and denied everything, but I kept pushing her until she broke down in tears and told me she had first tried cocaine during Freshers Week.

‘In hindsight it was obvious something wasn’t right. During her first term, she’d call home regularly. I had recently separated from her father, Mark, and she knew I was lonely in my empty nest, but as the weeks passed the calls became less frequent and typically she would only ring to ask me for money. I know how hard budgeting can be for students so I was happy to help. Now I realise I was funding her growing coke habit.’

Zoe’s drug use escalated when she started dating Leo, whose well-off middle class clique viewed cocaine as an essential part of a fun night out. Zoe didn’t ever buy the cocaine herself, but got it from Leo’s friends, they would either order it via social media like a Deliveroo for drugs, or buy it from friends of friends.

‘Not everybody who takes drugs has the confidence to get drugs,’ says Professor Sumnall. ‘They may be worried about the consequences of buying directly, but if they buy through somebody they know or a friend of a friend, that reduces the risk in their mind.’

Archie’s experience was similar. ‘At home I had smoked weed and tried ket (ketamine), but I’d never really seen cocaine until I went to university. In the student bars and clubs it’s easy to find someone to buy from.’

The SOS report found that almost half (44 per cent) of respondents believed students take drugs to fit in with their peers and 12 per cent agreed they had tried drugs because people around them were taking them and they wanted to fit in.

Zoe admitted to her mother that, as a state school girl, she had struggled to find her way at a university full of posh, private school kids.

‘That really broke my heart as I’d felt the same way among the rich City boys in the 80s and I hated the idea that Zoe had been put under the same pressure to fit in. I’d always been open about dabbling with cocaine when I was in my 20s and I’d hoped that would put Zoe off. But it seems like some things never change.

‘By the time she called me from the club she was taking cocaine multiple times every weekend. She felt low, anxious and exhausted all the time, but said the only thing that made her feel better was to take more of the drug. My heart ached for my beautiful girl – if only she could have told me sooner I could have helped her before it got so bad.

‘When Zoe came home I was tempted to make her stay at home and drop out of her course. I was terrified she would get even worse if she went back. But Zoe was determined to continue her studies. She agreed to see the student wellbeing team and ask for help. And amazingly she did. She saw them every week on campus and she could call them whenever she needed to. It was a lifeline for her get back on track.

‘But it wasn’t easy for her. I visited much more often to check on her. I think she got sick of me, but I wasn’t going to let any more danger signs pass me by. She broke up with Leo and built a much healthier friendship group who didn’t do drugs. The worst she gets up to now is a few drinks in the student bar.’

‘She’s about to start her second year now and I can finally sleep easy as I know she’s safe and is unlikely to touch drugs again, even if she had to learn her lesson the hard way,’ says Fiona.

‘It might not make me a “cool” mum to say this, but while students might not see the harm in cocaine, drugs are dangerous, particularly for young, vulnerable students away from home for the first time. Zoe was lucky nothing worse happened to her, but not everyone is.’

Fiona hopes that by sharing her story other parents will act faster when warning bells start to ring. But she recognises that it’s a hard balancing act for parents as their children move away from home. ‘I feel like such a bad mother for failing to quiz her about her behaviour changes, but I also knew I had to let go and allow her her independence. I suppose I didn’t want to be a burden to her as she was spreading her wings, but I took it too far and clearly neglected her.’

All names have been changed.

The sisters of the man arrested as part of the investigation into the Putney Pusher have accused the Metropolitan Police of being ‘negligent’ in their handling of his case – and claimed a DNA test will clear his name. 

Nicholas Brandram, a 44-year-old private banker, was under suspicion of being the jogger who pushed a woman headfirst into the path of an incoming bus on Putney Bridge, south-west London, in May 2017.

His family have insisted he was innocent and ‘took his own life after months of immense pressure’ caused by the investigation.

Today, his sisters Alexia Hicks, 40, and Sophie Voelcker, 45, accused the police of dragging out the process that could have proved their brother’s innocence.

They claimed that Mr Brandram had offered to ‘pay to have it [a DNA test] done privately’ two months ago to speed up the process, but officers told him not to because ‘they will have the results within four weeks’. 

They said: ‘His mental state had deteriorated so much that every day was becoming difficult.

‘And the problem is, one of the officers said that the DNA test results are ”any day now” – and then only a couple of days, I believe, before his death, he said: ”Actually, we can’t even give you a date any more.” So it just was going on and on.

‘We cannot understand – and it is really adding to our heartache – that the police still will not just carry out what, presumably after three months, is just not a difficult test.

‘What is heartbreaking is [that] about two months ago, Nick and his lawyer said ”look, we will pay to have it done privately” to sort of speed up the process, and they said: ”No, no, no, they will have the results within four weeks. We promise you”.

‘And I think privately it wasn’t that much difference in time. Over two months later, there’s still no result.’ 

Today, his sisters Alexia Hicks, 40, (pictured) and Sophie Voelcker, 45, said their family had put ‘faith in the justice system’ but felt let down 

Mrs Voelcker, 45, in this morning’s interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme 

Nine years ago, police released dramatic CCTV footage of the moment this jogger appeared to push a woman into the path of an incoming bus on Putney Bridge 

The sisters claimed the officers investigating their brother ‘were negligent’ and had ‘failed Nick and society’ in their duty of care.

They added: ‘We put faith into the system, the justice system. We put faith into the Metropolitan Police. We wanted them to carry out their investigation because we’re so sure that Nick is innocent. Nick was sure he was innocent. The police know he’s innocent.

‘Therefore, we thought, we don’t need to pay for a DNA test – surely the police will just conduct their own test, they’ll release the [no further action] letter, as they kept assuring my brother. But we can’t understand why they won’t do that.’

In a separate interview, Mrs Hicks described Mr Brandram’s deteriorating mental health in the week before his death. 

‘He said a couple of days ago that this investigation was murdering him. Day by day, he was slowly being murdered,’ she told The Guardian through tears. 

The former Army officer had been released but was still under investigation when he was found dead at home on Tuesday.

After his arrest in June, police searched his £1.4million house in Chiswick, west London, and rearrested him for possession of Class A and Class B drugs – believed to be cocaine and cannabis.

Mr Brandram – a grandson of Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark, who was the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria – was a director at HSBC’s private bank before being suspended after his arrest.

His family yesterday protested his innocence and blamed the Met for his death.  

In a statement, they said: ‘There was no forensic evidence linking Nick to it, no evidence placing him on Putney Bridge at that time, and no credible evidence that he was the man shown in the footage. In fact, the evidence proved the opposite.

‘Despite that, the police chose to arrest Nick rather than invite him to attend for interview. They searched his home and the Met Police Press team then released information which inevitably led to speculation and Nick being identified in subsequent reporting.’

Mr Brandram was a director at HSBC’s private bank before being suspended after his arrest

The jogger approaching the pedestrian during the morning rush hour on Putney Bridge

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The runner was seen appearing to push the victim into the path of the incoming vehicle. The driver swerved and missed the woman’s head by inches

Mr Brandram was a decorated former British Army captain who served with the Scots Guards in Iraq, Bosnia and Afghanistan

The family added: ‘For Nick, the consequences did not disappear. He was left for months carrying the stigma of an appalling allegation which the police themselves clearly recognised was unsupported by the evidence.

‘He lived with the shame, anxiety, humiliation and extraordinary pressure created by a wholly unnecessary investigation.’

They said the police were repeatedly asked to end their investigation and warned about the impact it was having on Mr Brandram’s mental health, saying: ‘Even then, the investigation was not brought to an end. As a result, Nick is dead.’

Chief Superintendent Dan Knowles – in charge of policing for south-west London – said yesterday that the investigation ‘remains ongoing’.

He added: ‘Our thoughts are with Mr Brandram’s family and friends at this deeply distressing time. 

‘We recognise the significant impact his death will have on those who knew and loved him. We also understand the strain that being subject to a police investigation can place on individuals and their families.

‘The investigation remains ongoing. Following Mr Brandram’s release under investigation, it was made clear that enquiries would continue while officers progressed outstanding lines of enquiry and forensic examinations. This remains the position, and further investigative work is ongoing.

‘Investigations of this nature, particularly those involving complex evidential and forensic work, can take a number of months to complete as officers gather and assess all available evidence.’

The Met has referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC), as is required when someone dies following contact with police. 

Mr Brandram – a grandson of Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark, who was Queen Victoria’s great-granddaughter – was a director at HSBC’s private bank before being suspended after his arrest

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An IOPC spokesman said: ‘We have received a mandatory referral from the Met Police relating to prior contact officers had with Nicholas Brandram, who was sadly found unresponsive and declared deceased on September 15.’

On Wednesday, a Met spokesman said officers and ambulance staff were called to Mr Brandram’s property at 7.15pm on Tuesday. 

‘Sadly, a 44-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene,’ they added. ‘His next-of-kin have been informed. At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious.’

Mr Brandram, who had been married twice and has a three-year-old child, was a decorated former British Army captain who served with the Scots Guards in Iraq, Bosnia and Afghanistan.

In 2012 he was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his military service. A year later, he appeared at City of London Magistrates’ Court after colliding with a female cyclist on Hyde Park Corner.

Mr Brandram crashed his 1948 Harley-Davidson into the woman then drove off without leaving his details or checking if she was hurt, the court heard. 

He pleaded guilty to a count each of driving without due care and attention and failing to stop after a road accident. He received five penalty points, a £200 fine and was told to pay £105 compensation.

The former soldier outside City of London Magistrates’ Court in 2013. He crashed his Harley Davidson into a cyclist outside London’s Hyde Park and drove off without stopping

The Putney Pusher incident took place on May 5, 2017, at about 7.40am. A woman was walking north on Putney Bridge when the jogger approached her from the opposite direction.

There was plenty of room for him to run around her safely but instead he shoved her on to the road – directly in the path of an oncoming bus going at 12mph.

Thanks to the rapid reactions of the driver, Oliver Salbris, the bus missed the unidentified victim’s head by inches and she survived largely physically unscathed.

The jogger returned in the opposite direction about 15 minutes later, passing the victim again while she was being assisted by passers-by on the bridge, ignoring her calls to stop.

The application is part of a wider scheme to support the existing livery business.

A proposal to introduce four holiday cabins to an equestrian site south of Minishant has been given permission in principal.

The applicants at the centre of the proposal are Victoria and Nigel Howard, from the Deer Valley Equestrian, and the application is part of a wider scheme to support the existing livery business.

The site relating to the holiday cabins plan is located at Laigh Grange Farm, Minishant. Agents in the proposal is Ayr-based Donna Kennedy Architecture and Design.

A supporting statement said that, if approved, the applicants aim to purchase of four two-bedroom lodges to be sited adjacent to an existing shed, incorporating a sheltered location but with far-reaching views of the local countryside.

Lodges would sit adjacent to the field with horses, sheep, etc for guests’ enjoyment. Guests would have access to a major part of land for walking, playing, etc and would have ease of access into Minishant village and local walks.

“Together, these would further strengthen the business offering,” the supporting statement reveals.

The report continues: “The owners are looking at ways to improve and grow the existing business and have identified a 24/7 presence on site as being a key consideration when horse owners choose accommodation for their animals.

“The business would be able to improve service to existing users and attract new clients by providing an improvement to the overall security of the site with a 24/7 presence.”

The identified site is located off the A77, near Hogg’s Corner, to the south of Minishant.

In approving the application, in principal, council papers read: “The provision of holiday accommodation is considered to complement the existing equestrian operation, enhancing the long-term viability of the enterprise while contributing to rural economic development and the visitor economy.”

Jemima Goldsmith was 21 when she married Imran Khan in a gold salwar-kameez that saw her wholly embrace her then-husband’s culture – but at 52, her choice of wedding dress was a love letter to herself.

The film producer wowed in a custom Oscar de la Renta gown, which experts say cost at least £100,000, as she exchanged vows with multi-millionaire financier Cameron O’Reilly, 62, on Saturday.

Her ‘dreamy’ dress featured a tiered skirt with sheer panels and a strapless bustier – and had delighted fans the world over gushing that Jemima’s outfit broke the mould for what midlife brides should wear.

‘There can be a tendency for brides in their 50s and beyond to gravitate towards more modest styles or conservative silhouettes, but your wedding day is one of the few occasions where you can truly embrace the fantasy,’ stylist Lisa Talbot told the Daily Mail.

‘I think we need to move away from this idea that women over 50 should automatically choose something more modest or conservative for their wedding day. There’s a difference between dressing your age and being defined by your age.’

Together with fashion expert Caroline Baxter, Lisa has shared the midlife celebrity wedding dresses that were a hit and those that missed the mark…

Naomi Watts

Naomi Watts was 54 when she married Billy Crudup at a New York City courthouse three years ago, as she celebrated a ‘growing recognition that women’s stories don’t end at a certain age’. 

The Impossible actor broke the news that she was ‘hitched’ on Instagram after she posted a photo of herself and her husband posing on the steps of Manhattan courthouse.  

The British-Australian actress stunned in a $7,400 white Oscar de la Renta Sweetheart Water Lilly Guipure dress and captioned the post: ‘Hitched.’

The floor-length gown featured stunning guipure lace, and Naomi paired the sleeveless ensemble with Gianvito Rossi gold heels, an Anita Ko pear diamond choker, and a bouquet from a local deli, Harper’s Bazaar reported. 

The overall effect is ‘very pretty, but it doesn’t say wedding to me,’ said Caroline. While the sleeveless dress has ‘all the romance’ of an Oscar de la Renta creation, it’s too casual to be bridal. 

‘It’s almost like she went too far the other way because she was older,’ Caroline continued. 

Verdict: The dress is perfect for a holiday in the Hamptons, or even a picnic in Central Park, but it’s a miss if you’re planning on wearing it to the altar, Caroline declared. 

Mel B 

Mel picked an ivory pearl-embellished gown with a strapless corset that was custom-designed for the singer by British bridal designer Josephine Scott

Mel B was every inch the blushing bride as she shared a kiss with her husband Rory McPhee after their wedding at St Paul’s Cathedral in London last July. 

The Spice Girl, then 50, opted for a traditional white wedding at the cathedral, followed by a lavish £28,000 post-nuptial celebration at The Shard.

On her big day, Mel wore an ivory gown with a strapless corset that was custom-designed for the singer by British bridal designer Josephine Scott. The dress also included a sheer-illusion jacket and a flowing veil to complete the look. 

Ahead of the wedding, Mel B seemed inclined to ditch her famous leopard print attire when she admitted she wants to feel ‘regal and very proper on her big day’. 

Caroline agreed that the dress ‘reflected Mel B’ because it’s ‘larger than life’; the detachable jacket with a high neckline attached to the bustier is covered in a constellation of pearls for a bit of bling. 

However, Caroline felt that the jacket was the one element that didn’t work. 

‘I’m going to be honest, I don’t like it,’ she told the Daily Mail. ‘The sheer does not work. It’s two different styles joined together. She might have put on the dress and felt it was a bit boring.’

Verdict: The jacket doesn’t look like it’s part of the dress and the bling feels like an afterthought, she said. ‘I feel like Mel B was trying to be demure but then got a bit bored and wanted some sparkle.’  

Jemima Goldsmith, 52

Jemima said ‘I do’ in a silk mesh dress with a princess-length hemline, strapless bodice and a delicate veil adorned with crystals

Jemima Goldsmith was the picture of pure bridal bliss in the first photographs from her church wedding to Cameron O’Reilly this weekend. 

The film producer, 52, married multimillionaire financier Cameron, 62, during a traditional church ceremony this weekend, as her sons, Sulaiman, 29, and Kasim, 27, from her first marriage to Imran Khan, walked her down a candle-lit aisle.

Every detail of the wedding – from the flowers to the profiterole-laden wedding cake – was breathtaking, but it was Jemima’s sheer Oscar de la Renta gown that stole the show. 

Jemima said ‘I do’ in a silk mesh dress with a princess-length hemline, strapless bodice and a delicate veil adorned with crystals. She finished her bridal ensemble with heart-shaped slingback heels from Maison Alaia. 

Commenting on her look, stylist Lisa Talbot told the Daily Mail that Jemima is a ‘wonderful example of why age shouldn’t dictate how a bride ‘should’ dress’. 

Lisa said Jemima’s Oscar de la Renta gown, which would have been worth over £100,000, feels like it’s straight out of a ‘fairytale, and that’s the point’.

‘Her dreamy Oscar de la Renta gown feels romantic, feminine and completely fairytale, and that’s the point. 

‘Jemima hasn’t dressed for her age; she’s dressed for herself and the moment. She looked beautiful because the dress reflected her personality and the magic of the occasion, rather than being constrained by an outdated idea of what a bride in her 50s should wear.’

Caroline also suggested the crystal-embellished veil was intended to be a hair adornment or accessory rather than a traditional bridal veil. 

Verdict: Everything about Jemima’s bridal look was a hit, she concluded. ‘She won.’ 

 Mel C 

In stark contrast to her Spice Girls namesake, Melanie Chisholm’s satin slip dress was simple and understated.

Designed by Victoria Beckham, the sleek ivory gown featured a dramatic open back and minimalist silhouette, with the hidden blue embroidery stitched inside as a discreet nod to her and Chris Dingwall’s first ceremony in Sydney earlier this year. 

Mel C had the words ‘Sydney’ and ‘7.6.2026’ embroidered in blue into the inside of her custom Victoria Beckham wedding gown as her ‘something blue’, commemorating the date and place where she and Dingwall officially became husband and wife.

Sporty Spice kept her accessories simple, carrying a delicate bouquet of white flowers while letting the gown take centre stage. 

The strapless dress showed off Sporty Spice’s ‘incredible upper arms’, said Caroline, noting the look reminded her of the Narciso Rodriguez 90s slip dress Carolyn Bessette wore when she married JFK Jr.

Verdict: ‘The two are so similar,’ she said, noting the classic VB design ‘suits Mel C perfectly’. Another big win. 

Queen Camilla 

For the civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, Camilla picked an ivory silk chiffon dress designed by Anna Valentine, complete with a scalloped trim, tailored coat and Philip Tracey hat.

Queen Camilla and King Charles’s wedding day in 2005 was more low-key than the monarch’s previous nuptials to Princess Diana at London’s Westminster Abbey.

For the civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, Camilla picked a grey silk chiffon dress designed by Anna Valentine, complete with a scalloped trim, tailored coat and Philip Tracey hat.

She has since repurposed the famous gown – albeit with some slight modifications – for state visits and official engagements, proving its versatility. 

In 2007, she broke with tradition by wearing the dress for the opening of the National Assembly for Wales.

Her Majesty also wore the Anna Valentine design during Camilla and Charles’ state visit to Italy last year during an appearance at the Italian Parliament. The outfit now features additional embroidery details by the King’s Foundation artisan Beth Somerville.

According to Lisa, the elegant dress is a ‘great example of how you don’t need a traditional white gown to look beautiful on your wedding day’.  

Verdict: The Queen’s outfit was ‘elegant, understated and suited her personality’. She knew what worked for her and didn’t feel the need to transform herself into a traditional bride, Lisa concluded.  

India Hicks 

Earl Mountbatten’s granddaughter, who was a bridesmaid at the King’s first wedding to Lady Diana Spencer, was a vision in an ivory tulle Emilia Wickstead dress with an A-line skirt

King Charles’s goddaughter India Hicks was  54, married David Flint in a ‘very conventional’ ceremony in Oxfordshire five years ago. 

Earl Mountbatten’s granddaughter, who was a bridesmaid at the King’s first wedding to Lady Diana Spencer, was a vision in an ivory tulle Emilia Wickstead dress with an A-line skirt. 

It had taken 17 months to complete the design as India later said it was ‘a dress that felt perfectly at home in a church deep in the English countryside’. She completed her bridal outfit with a pair of white satin shoes by Christian Louboutin and carried a bouquet arranged by Pulbrook & Gould London.

While India ultimately walked down the aisle inside Brightwell Baldwin Parish Church wearing a veil, she candidly told British Vogue that she ‘debated’ wearing one in the days before the ceremony. 

‘I had debated wearing a veil, the symbol of virginity, because let’s face it, I had lost that a while ago. But it also felt like a simple, very bridal gesture,’ India explained in an article for the magazine.

The look was reminiscent of Grace Kelly’s famous wedding gown created by MGM’s Oscar-winning costume designer Helen Rose, said Caroline. 

Like Jemima, India understands couture and ‘what works for her’, she continued. ‘They’re not relying on people to tell them what works, because they are so confident in their own choices and they know what suits them.’ 

Verdict: A real hit! The look feels ‘personal, effortless and very much connected to her own style’, Lisa added. ‘It’s a lovely reminder that being a bride doesn’t mean you have to suddenly become someone else.’  

Nancy Shevell 

The pair exchanged vows during an intimate civil ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall 15 years ago, and the beaming bride’s Stella McCartney outfit was ‘stunning’, Caroline added

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Nancy Shevell delivered a masterclass in midlife bridal dressing with her simple, elegant and iconic ivory ensemble when she married Paul McCartney in 2011, said Caroline.

The pair exchanged vows during an intimate civil ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall 15 years ago, and the beaming bride’s Stella McCartney outfit was ‘stunning’, Caroline added. 

The knee-length dress featured a V-neck collar and long sleeves, as Paul’s daughter previously said she was inspired by the silk dress Wallis Simpson wore when she married the Duke of Windsor. 

American heiress Nancy, who was 51 at the time, wore little makeup and accessorised with a white flower worn in her hair. 

To Caroline, the dress felt ‘very 70s’ when the Beatles were at the height of their popularity in what may have been a sweet nod to the groom.  

Verdict: Lisa felt the look was ‘elegant and understated’. There is something to be said for knowing when you don’t need to add more. Caroline agreed that it was ‘definitely a win’. 

Jerry Hall 

Jerry, with her son James, 30, arriving for her wedding at St Bride’s Church on Fleet Street in March 2016

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Former supermodel Jerry Hall turned to her friend and celebrated designer Vivienne Westwood to create a one-of-a-kind ensemble for her church wedding to Rupert Murdoch. 

The pair were married at St Bride’s Church on Fleet Street in March 2016, with Jerry, then 59, photographed emerging from a Range Rover with her son James on her arm. 

Jerry, who was previously married to Mick Jagger, said ‘I do’ in an ice blue silk dress, with a net overlay and matching sleeves. She finished the look with a pair of silver Roger Vivier shoes with a bedazzled buckle, headband and face veil. 

However, Caroline felt that the shoes did not work with the dress, and pointed out the shiny hosiery made the bride’s legs ‘look really reflective’. 

The silhouette didn’t work for Jerry, she added, noting the bride looked ‘uncomfortable’. 

Verdict: ‘When a dress doesn’t feel like you, whether you’re 20 or 50, it’s not going to work,’ she added. Jerry’s look felt like a miss, Caroline added. 

Robert Sinclair, the boss of London St Pancras Highspeed, said: “We’ve stepped up significant patrols, we’re working with our own security teams, and the British Transport Police have significantly increased their patrols and the number of people they have round the station to prevent this activity.”

It was whilst living in Spain, that he hosted his own live radio show on both Real Radio International and with Big FM and brought in a worldwide audience on air and the internet. In the meantime, Billie appeared on stage with the ADHOC Theatre Company and Viva TV Spain over a 12-year period. Along with a few famous friends and local actors, Billie wrote, co-produced and appeared in the feature film The Cucaracha Club, before returning to the UK.

(Image: Billie Anthony Gaddes)

Becoming an author in retirement was a natural progression, having written both stage and film scripts, notably that of The Cucaracha Club.

Starting the Captain Torregoon stories had been something in the planning for a long time. The spy trilogy of The Cucaracha Club is currently being written.

Billie is currently involved with the Gainford Drama Group.

Find out more:

Captain Torregoon and the Mystery of the Forward walking crab

(Image: Billie Anthony Gaddes)

A Cascade of Treachery

(Image: Billie Anthony Gaddes)

Plenty of opportunities to impress

A fly-tipper was caught in the act dumping waste by a secret GPS tracker hidden in a discarded hot tub.

Kacper Kruk was fined almost £2,500 after being tracked discarding waste next to household bins by council officers in a sting operation.

The 26-year-old was investigated by Wakefield Council after people reported paying what they believed to be a legitimate waste company, only for Kruk to illegally dump their rubbish.

Kirklees Magistrates’ Court heard that officers deliberately set up Kruk by posing as a customer and asking him to pick up rubbish from a property in Castleford, West Yorkshire in April.

Investigators hid a tracking device in the lid of a hot tub to be disposed, marked so it could later be identified.

Kruk accepted £200 for the job after he and another man collected the waste in a white van, providing officers with his business card before driving off with the hot tub.

His vehicle was tracked to Wakefield where he was found to have disposed of the rubbish next to standard household wheelie bins.

A second sting operation saw Kruk quote £400 for another waste removal, only to be apprehended by officers when he arrived.

Kruk admitted he did not have a waste carrier’s licence needed to carry out his work.

He leaded guilty to charges of depositing controlled waste without an environmental permit and transporting controlled waste without a licence.

The rogue businessman was ordered to pay a total of £2,421, including a £480 fine, £1,456 court costs and £292 compensation to the council.

Illegal waste dumping has become a organised criminal business across the UK, with more than 10,000 reports of suspected waste crime received by the Environment Agency last year.

Yorkshire received the second largest number of complaints at 1,068 suspected crimes reported, surpassed only to the West Midlands on 1,542 reports.

Among high profile cases in the county was a huge illegal dump of several thousand tonnes of mixed household and commercial waste on a piece of land on Midland Road in Bradford.

Waste crimes are thought to cost at least £1billion to the UK economy each year, with some £150million in landfill tax avoided by fly-tippers annually.

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Twenty women have undergone unnecessary mastectomies, while others suffered significant harm while under the care of an NHS trust. 

Patients have described the shock they felt when they were told the removal of their breast could have been avoided, leaving them with both psychological and physical pain.  

Out of 514 cases reviewed by the County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT), 315 have been found to have suffered harm, with 77 of them significantly harmed. One patient is known to have died. 

Steve Russell, who has recently taken over as CDDFT’s chief executive, told the BBC he apologises ‘unreservedly’ for the harm caused by the trust.

‘There are no words I could use to convey how personally distressed I am and my colleagues are for those outcomes and the harm that those women have experienced,’ he said. 

‘What happened was utterly unacceptable.’

The trust has also identified missed or delayed cancer diagnoses that led to some of the patients subsequently seeing their cancer spread, said Mr Russell.    

Denise Howarth, 51, from Consett, County Durham, is one of several women who have been notified by the NHS that their mastectomy was unnecessary.

She said: ‘I was just in shock, then ended up in tears on the phone. I can’t believe what you’re saying. It’s all good and well an apology. It can’t give me my breast back’.

After discovering a lump in her breast, Ms Howarth was diagnosed with grade 1 cancer in 2023. 

She underwent a lumpectomy, then a mastectomy, as well as eight rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

However, in September 2025, she received a call from the NHS, which was quickly followed by a letter from CDDFT, to tell her she could have been offered a second lumpectomy rather than full breast removal.

Another woman, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted the trust’s helpline about a mastectomy she had undergone in 2021 after being told earlier this year that the procedure could have been avoided.

The former NHS worker said she had trusted the people she considered colleagues to make the best decisions for her. 

‘You go to work to do your best, don’t you?,’ she said. ‘So why would I think that anybody else wouldn’t?’

She added that she now feels ‘mutilated’ by the operation and says the mistakes made are ‘absolutely unforgivable’. 

The consultant overseeing the pair’s cancer was Amir Bhatti, the CDDFT’s clinical lead for breast services between 2013 and 2024. 

Mr Bhatti has now been suspended from carrying out clinical practice but is still employed by the trust on full pay.

CDDFT is carrying out an internal review of breast cancer cases between January 2023 and February 2025, alongside the cases of 640 former patients who contacted a dedicated helpline.

It is understood that a decision on whether to extend the scope of the review to look at cases dating back to 2015 is imminent. 

This means that up to 10,000 medical records could be reopened.  

The National Crime Agency says it is now working with Durham Police to investigate the allegations by former patients to determine if criminal offences have taken place.

Last year, the BBC reported that the trust had been paid almost £6million to breast cancer diagnostic clinics and surgery companies run privately by Mr Bhatti.

Amir Bhatti, the CDDFT’s clinical lead for breast services between 2013 and 2024, has now been suspended from carrying out clinical practice but is still employed by the trust on full pay

However, concerns were raised in a 2025 review, in which governance specialist Mary Aubrey said outsourcing patient appointments had created financial incentives which were potentially ‘a risk to clinical standards’. 

Mr Russell argued that payment per service is not uncommon in healthcare but said that the trust has ended this arrangement for breast cancer services. 

The review also suggested patients were potentially treated by locum consultants who were not competent.

It noted that Mr Bhatti had repeatedly voiced his concerns about trust delays in obtaining vital diagnostic equipment.

When approached, Mr Bhatti said: ‘I am grateful for the opportunity to respond, but I remain committed to the ongoing trust investigation, and it would be inappropriate for me to discuss this whilst proceedings are ongoing.’ 

Concerns were also raised by the Royal College of Surgeons in a report last year, which claimed that breast cancer cases had not been discussed properly in multi-disciplinary team meetings. 

The trust said it is fully cooperating with the investigation by Durham Police and the National Crime Agency.

A support group where women can share their experiences is meeting at  Beamish Football Centre in the town of Stanley, with the group now putting its focus on calling for a public inquiry.

One of the group’s organisers, Lynn, says she has been told by the trust that her breast removal was unnecessary.

‘I didn’t realise how many ladies lived so near me that had been affected,’ said Lynn. ‘I’m just totally overwhelmed.’

The Department of Health and Social Care said their thoughts are with the women and families affected by these unacceptable failings in care. 

It said the trust was working urgently with NHS England, the Care Quality Commission and independent experts to address what had happened and to ensure that all future patients receive safe care. 

• Breast Cancer Scandal: Exposing the Harm will be available on BBC iPlayer and broadcast on BBC One in the North East & Cumbria at 7:30pm on Friday September 18