Jamie Carragher was ‘surprised’ Andoni Iraola did not sub off Florian Wirtz at half-time after the Liverpool star’s ‘really poor’ performance against Bournemouth.

An Alexander Isak goal was the difference at the Vitality stadium on Sunday as Liverpool won 1-0 on Iraola’s first game back at his former club.

The Reds remain unbeaten this season and move up to sixth in the Premier League but it was another difficult game, with players still struggling to adjust to their new manager’s tactics.

Among those is Wirtz, 23, who has largely underperformed since his then-record £116million transfer from Bayer Leverkusen last year.

Though he did play a part in the winning goal, Carragher was incredibly unimpressed with the attacking midfielder’s performance in the first-half.

‘That’s the third time Wirtz has got balls in simple areas and he has to do better,’ the Liverpool legend said on Sky Sports. ‘Simple passes, simple controls.

‘Wirtz has been really poor again. It’s just nothing. Nothing is happening there at all.

‘In the main, people have been understanding of his situation. He’s new to the league and Liverpool were poor last season.

‘When you come for that price tag, people want goals and assists.’

And when the teams reemerged after the break, Carragher expressed his shock as to why Iraola hadn’t hauled off the German international.

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027 ranks Durham as the North East’s top university and names it University of the Year for the region.

Durham sits well clear of every other university in the region and remains one of Britain’s most prestigious institutions, known for its academics, historic setting and strong graduate employment prospects.

Its academic reputation was also reflected with a record 22 subjects ranked among the world’s top 100 in the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject, including three in the top 10.

Despite dropping three places from third to sixth nationally, Durham remains one of the country’s top-tier universities.

Durham University ranks best in North East and sixth in the country in Times Good University Guide 2027. (Image: Durham University)

Durham University (Image: Durham University)

For students weighing up their options closer to home, the guide also reveals how other North East universities fared in the national rankings.

Newcastle University was the region’s second highest-ranked institution, placing 30th nationally and fifth in the North and North East rankings.

Northumbria University followed in 52nd place nationally, securing seventh spot in the regional table.

Northumbria University (Image: Supplied)

Teesside University was ranked 68th in the UK, placing eighth across the North and North East, while the University of Sunderland came 106th nationally and 13th regionally.

The annual guide ranks universities based on teaching quality, student satisfaction, graduate prospects, continuation rates and entry standards.

Teesside University (Image: Supplied)

University of Sunderland (Image: Supplied)

Helen Davies, editor of The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, said: “What shines through more than ever this year is an emphasis on preparing students for future careers.

“Universities have tailored their campuses to suit hands-on learning with mock courtrooms, simulations of clinical settings and trading floors.”

The latest rankings cement Durham’s position as the North East’s leading university and a top choice for students across the UK.

The ‘ageing’ swimming pool was built in the 1970s

New details have been revealed for a multi-million pound upgrade set to take place on a city centre swimming pool. In July, Peterborough City Council approved £794,000 of funding to help towards a major refurbishment of the Jack Hunt swimming pool in Netherton.

This funding will contribute towards the £3.8 million refurbishment of the “ageing” pool, which was built in the 1970s. The Keys Academies Trust, which oversees Jack Hunt School where JLS star Aston Merrygold went to school, has now submitted plans for the pool upgrade.

The purpose of the plans is to provide a “purpose-built fitness suite alongside improved changing facilities”. The plans added: “The development encourages physical activity for pupils whilst also making the facilities available for community use outside school hours, extending health benefits beyond the school population.”

The applicant also believes the upgrade represents a “sustainable development by improving existing educational and sporting facilities within an established school campus.”

As part of the upgrade, the applicants propose to change the inside of the existing changing facilities to improve the layout and functionality in accordance with Sport England guidelines.

The other proposals are:

• Erection of a first-floor extension above the existing changing facilities to provide a new fitness suite over both floors;
• Installation of new windows and doors to the existing single-storey building;
• Re-cladding of the existing single-storey building to complement the proposed extension and reflect the appearance of more recent additions across the school campus;
• Associated external hard landscaping works to match existing.

The extension is proposed to be a two-storey building, with the roof extending from the established sports hall.

The fitness suite will be accessed through the existing school campus. However, for the public it will be accessed via the main school reception.

The reception area will be managed until 9.30pm. Parking on the school site and access from Bradwell Road will stay the same.

Campaigners say the upgrade works was decided ‘without full and comprehensive cost benefit analysis of all options’

Loch Lomond’s Bonnie Banks risk being ‘severely damaged’ by plans to upgrade the A82, according to a conservation group.

Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs is speaking out about the Scottish Government’s proposed revamp of the stunning lochside route.

The Scottish Government believes the best option to improve the route is to create a ‘low road’, a proposal which would widen and straighten the A82 as it runs along the iconic water’s edge.

But the “significant engineering works” at the lochside put the area at risk, according to campaigners. Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs say the ‘low road’ decision was made “without full and comprehensive cost benefit analysis of all options”.

The group’s chairman, John Urquhart, said a fresh report by Greenspace Scotland, that measures the monetary and health value of Scotland’s Blue Spaces, has backed up its position on the proposals, writes the Helensburgh Advertiser.

He said: “Greenspace Scotland has reinforced the argument we have been making for several years that the Scottish Government’s plans for the A82 upgrade risk severely damaging one of the last stretches of Loch Lomond’s Bonnie Banks which can readily be accessed and enjoyed by the public.”

The proposal would see “significant engineering works” along the side of the loch, with the road widened and straightened in the process.

Mr Urquhart said the work could destroy “bluebell rich temperate oak rainforest, rocky headlands and attractive shingle beaches”.

He said similar upgrades south of Tarbet, had resulted in the “once beautiful shoreline” being replaced with a heavy rock armour used to protect road edges. The group say a “holistic approach” inspired by the Pass of Killiecrankie is the better option.

They want to see a new route, a ‘high road’. above the railway line, bypassing Ardlui and Tarbet, leaving the current road in place for “locals, as well as for visitors walking and cycling and accessing the loch.”

Mr Urquhart said this would create a “straighter, faster and safer route”, providing stunning views over the loch while also resolving serious road safety concerns in Ardlui and Tarbet, saying the Falls of Falloch car park could be “completely re-imagined”.

Transport Scotland says the A82 is a “vital artery” for communities and many sections of the road date back to the 1920s, meaning it is much narrower in places than it would be if built today.

The government body says it will ensure future upgrade “fits within the area’s outstanding landscape” and environment and “maintains the renowned beauty of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park” whilst minimising disruption.

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By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

Published: 11:27 BST, 20 September 2026 | Updated: 15:14 BST, 20 September 2026

Labour’s Bridget Phillipson hit back today at Manchester United’s ‘tax exile’ co-owner Jim Ratcliffe after he claimed the UK is ‘on the slide’.

The founder of chemicals giant Ineos, who moved to low-tax Monaco from the UK in 2020, said Britain is in decline because of high taxes and immigration.

Ms Phillipson, the Labour Party chairman, has now become the latest Government minister to push back against Sir Jim’s remarks.

She claimed the multi-billionaire had lost the ‘moral high ground’ about making ‘pronouncements’ about the UK by deciding to become a ‘tax exile’.

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‘I do think you lose the moral high ground in the argument you make… by making these kinds of pronouncements while choosing to make decisions that he is within his rights to make to become a tax exile,’ Ms Phillipson told the BBC‘s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

‘And of course, he was also someone, as I understand it, who was a big supporter of Brexit. That was over a decade ago now, but we’ve seen the impact of Brexit on our economy.’

Labour’s Bridget Phillipson hit out at Manchester United’s ‘tax exile’ co-owner Jim Ratcliffe after he claimed the UK is ‘on the slide’

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Ms Phillipson, the Labour Party chairman, said Sir Jim’s had lost the ‘moral high ground’ over making such remarks because he has chosen to become a ‘tax exile’

Ms Phillipson added: ‘That’s why this Government is committed to making sure we do have a better trading relationship with the EU, which will be a central part of how we make sure we do see stronger growth.

‘But on that point about growth and business, we are seeing strong signs in terms of business investment.

‘We have seen good levels of growth within the economy. Is there more to do? Absolutely, and that’s what the Chancellor (John Healey) will be determined to set out.’

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Sir Jim had claimed Britain ‘was a fantastic place’ but is now ‘on the slide’ and that he has ‘no confidence’ in the country.

‘We had the greatest empire in the world. We were a great people. We won two world wars. We’re good, honest folk,’ he told the BBC’s Big Boss Interview podcast.

‘But unfortunately, at the moment, I think the UK is on the slide. It’s quite difficult to see how we arrest it.’

Asked what issues politicians should focus on, Sir Jim said immigration was ‘clearly one’ as well as high taxes.

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Ms Phillipson is the second Labour minister to criticise Sir Jim over his comments.

Treasury minister Torsten Bell suggested in a social media post on Saturday that Sir Jim has a ‘patriotism problem’.

He claimed Sir Jim ‘hates his own country while complaining he doesn’t get big enough subsidies from it’ and ‘laments the hit to manufacturing driven by a Brexit he supported’.

Earlier this year, Sir Jim told Sky News the UK had been ‘colonised by immigrants’ before he said he was sorry if those remarks had ‘offended some people’.

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Speaking to the BBC, John Dighton, who was evacuated from Pavilion Court, said that he was told to leave his flat at about 19:00 on Saturday.

The 50-year-old said: “We don’t know how long we will be out for but we have grabbed stuff for a couple of days.

“The worst thing is the not knowing. We are at a hotel over the road from the flats.”

Ross Honeycomb, 39, was staying at the hotel with his family and told the BBC on Saturday how they were woken by fire alarms at about 01:00.

He said: “I thought I was dreaming, it was horrifying.

“We looked out and there was smoke billowing from the underground car park. Later we started hearing explosions.”

Kevin Crawford, 91, and his wife Kathleen, 82, said they had booked in for a two-week stay at the hotel.

The couple, from London, told the BBC that they were in their room on the sixth floor when they heard a fire alarm.

“We saw the fire but we thought the fire brigade had it under control,” said Kevin.

“We managed to sleep through it. At the time, we didn’t realise how bad the fire was.”

The council’s chief executive, Susan Priest, said on Saturday: “The extent of support of organisations, including Three Hills, Morrisons and the Salvation Army, has been amazing and helped to ensure that visitors and residents were looked after, supported and had food and hot drinks.

“This was an extremely difficult day, firstly for the hotel guests and this evening for our residents who have had to move out of their homes.”

In a statement issued today (September 20), Bev Craig said Greater Manchester was remembering Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daubly, as well as everyone affected by the antisemitic attack on October 2 last year.

The mayor described the incident as “an act of terror against Jewish people on the holiest day of the year, targeted simply for being Jewish”, adding that it was “a dark day for our city-region and one we should never have to face again”.

Paying tribute to those affected, Ms Craig said her thoughts remained with the families and loved ones of Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daubly, those who were injured, and the wider congregation of Heaton Park Synagogue.

She said Greater Manchester had a “deep history of unity” and stressed that an attack on one community was “an attack on us all”.

The mayor also said the city-region remained committed to challenging hatred and tackling antisemitism, while continuing to support those still living with the impact of the attack.

In her statement, Ms Craig said: “Today, Greater Manchester remembers Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daubly, the survivors and everyone affected by the appalling antisemitic terror attack at Heaton Park Synagogue one year ago.

“This was an act of terror against Jewish people on the holiest day of the year, targeted simply for being Jewish. A dark day for our city-region and one we should never have to face again.

“Greater Manchester is a place with a deep history of unity, and an attack on one of our communities is an attack on us all.

READ NEXT: Yom Kippur: What the holiest day of the Jewish year means

“My thoughts remain with the families and loved ones of Melvin, Adrian, those who were injured, and the wider congregation of Heaton Park Synagogue.

“We stand with you in remembrance and solidarity, knowing that words are not enough, and we are committed to acting to stamp out the pernicious rise of antisemitism.

“Myself and the Deputy Mayor will continue to work with Greater Manchester Police and our partners across our city-region to keep our communities safe, challenge hatred and support those still living with the impact of that horrific day.

“Melvin and Adrian, and the congregation of Heaton Park Synagogue, will always be in our hearts.”

He was a member of one of America’s most influential bands, helping provide the soundtrack to the 1960s with iconic harmonies that inspired what became known musically as ‘California sound.’ 

The veteran musician joined the legendary group at the height of its fame and went on to spend more than six decades performing alongside his famous bandmates. 

As a singer, songwriter and keyboardist, he became part of a pop phenomenon whose hits helped define an era. 

He later enjoyed success as a songwriter in his own right, even winning a Grammy for a 1975 hit song written for another superstar singer. 

Now 84, the music legend, who earlier this year announced he was stepping away from touring with the band after 60 years, was spotted during a rare outing in Montecito, California. 

Can you guess who it is? 

The 84-year-old looked sprightly and upbeat as he stepped out for a relaxing morning in the coastal enclave

It’s Beach Boys legend Bruce Johnston. 

Johnston can be seen in exclusive Daily Mail photos enjoying a leisurely breakfast in the upscale Santa Barbara coastal town earlier this month. 

He looked sprightly and cheerful as he stopped by the Montecito Coffee Shop on September 8, dressed casually in a T-shirt, black pants, sneakers and a black cap. 

He opted for a healthy start to his day, ordering oats, fresh berries, along with an orange juice and a coffee. 

Johnston appeared to be in an outgoing mood, happily chatting with fellow customers inside the restaurant as well as staff outside, according to an onlooker. 

He reportedly even shared stories from his extraordinary past and showed off old photographs of himself alongside various celebrities. 

Bruce Johnston had spent about six decades touring and performing with the Beach Boys. They are pictured performing at Dodgers stadium in 2012 

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Beach Boys icon Bruce Johnston was snapped stopping by the Montecito Coffee Shop on September 8, exclusive Daily Mail photos show 

Johnston was dressed casually and comfortably in a graphic T-shirt, pants, and a cap 

Onlookers described Johnston as outgoing and chatty, happily engaging with fans and staff at the restaurant 

However, one aspect of the morning apparently left Johnston less impressed. 

The singer was overheard complaining that the cost of the food had become way too high after he hadn’t visited the coffee shop in more than a year. 

The rare outing comes after Johnston announced he was stepping away from touring with the Beach Boys after nearly six decades. 

He shared the news in a statement to Rolling Stone magazine in March, revealing he will continue working as a songwriter. 

‘It’s time for part three of my lengthy musical career!’ he told the magazine at the time. 

‘I can write songs forever and wait until you hear what’s coming! As my major talent beyond singing is songwriting, now is the time to get serious again.’ 

Johnston joined the Beach Boys in 1965 and made significant contributions as a songwriter, singer, and keyboardist; pictured in 1987

The Beach Boys, made up of Mike Love, Carl Wilson, Brian Wilson, Bruce Johnston, and Al Jardine, are credited with helping define the sound of the 60s

Co-founder Brian Wilson, pictured with the band at the launch of the Disney+ documentary film about the Beach Boys, died in June 2025

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Johnston added that he is also working on ‘developing a speaking-engagement chapter’ of his career that will involve appearances and events. 

‘I am excited to join the Beach Boys for performances on special occasions and will see everyone at the Hollywood Bowl as we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday,’ he added. 

‘This isn’t goodbye, it’s see you soon. I am forever grateful to be a part of the Beach Boys musical legacy.’ 

Johnston joined the band in 1965, replacing co-founder Brian Wilson on tour. Wilson died in June 2025 at the age of 82. 

Johnston made significant contributions to the band as a vocalist and a songwriter – writing hits ‘Disney Girls,’ Deirdre,’ and ‘Tears in the Morning’, before his temporary departure in 1972. 

He rejoined the band in 1978 and remained a member until quitting in 2026.

The move leaves co-founder Mike Love as the last original member still in the Beach Boys. 

Johnston also saw success as a solo artist, most notably writing Billboard number one hit ‘I Write the Songs’, for Barry Manilow, in 1975, which went on to win a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1977. 

The Beach Boys were featured in 2024 Disney+ documentary film, which traced the band from humble family beginnings and featured never-before-seen footage as well as exclusive interviews with Brian Wilson, Mike, Al Jardine, David Marks, and Johnston, among others. 

ITV’s new drama The Blame starring Michelle Keegan and Douglas Booth tackles misogyny that can be found in the UK police force

Deeply offensive messages sent by serving police officers in a group chat are the basis of a storyline featured in ITV‘s gripping new drama starring Michelle Keegan.

Six-part series The Blame, based on the 2023 book of the same name by Charlotte Langley, starts off when the body of a young woman is found in a small town where DI Crane (Michelle Keegan) and DI Radley (Douglas Booth) work.

The duo team up to uncover what happened to a teenage figure skater, Sophie Madsen, and discover “a tangled web of lies, institutional cover-ups and a moral compromise”.

The show tackles misogyny that can be found in the UK police force, and the official synopsis confirms that Keegan’s DI Crane “must navigate both a murder investigation and the treacherous politics inside her own team”.

It also depicts actual text messages from the real-life Metropolitan Police group chat scandals, in which multiple investigations exposed deep-rooted and systemic racism, homophobia, and sexism, dismissed as “banter”, poisoning the country’s top police force.

Speaking about The Blame at ITV Showcase 2026 earlier this year, actor Douglas Booth explained: “There was a Panorama about the Charing Cross WhatsApp messages and texts that are completely sickening, and that was a bit of a basis and model for this group chat to let this toxic behavior spread and rot the department.”

He added: “Every single character in this show is trying to be a good person and nearly all of them are touched by some sort of institutional failure and hold some form of moral injury.”

An official investigation was launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which exposed the highly damaging revelations involving officers based at London’s Charing Cross Police Station who shared deeply offensive, racist, misogynistic, and homophobic messages on WhatsApp and Facebook.

First exposed globally in a landmark February 2022 report by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the scandal triggered widespread public outrage and directly contributed to the resignation of Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick.

The IOPC’s Operation Hotton uncovered a toxic culture within the station’s impact team between 2016 and 2018, which officers routinely dismissed as “banter”.

The watchdog noted a pervasive culture of bullying where good officers were too intimidated to challenge or report their peers. The initial 2022 report led to multiple fast-track misconduct hearings, resulting in several officers being sacked, forced to resign, or barred from policing.

Secret filming aired during BBC’s Panorama Undercover in the Police revealed evidence of racism, misogyny and officers revelling in the use of force at Charing Cross.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said at the time: “Enquiries were immediately launched by our Directorate of Professional Standards into allegations of criminality and misconduct by officers and staff based at Charing Cross Police Station.The behaviour as reported is disgraceful and rapid steps to secure evidence and protect the public have also been taken.

“In addition, we are scrutinising more widely the leadership and culture within these teams, led by Professional Standards and senior leaders, to root out any further failings. The leadership of these teams failed to create the right culture that identified warning signs or generated confidence in junior colleagues to report. This is one of the reasons we are taking such assertive exceptional action.

“The Met’s leadership has been very clear that it will not tolerate behaviour that fails to meet the organisation’s standards of professionalism and integrity.”

The Blame airs Sunday, September 20 on ITV1 at 9pm

A pensioner has avoided jail after she sprayed ant poison into her terminally ill neighbour’s eyes over a parking row and told him ‘no one would believe him’ because she was elderly.

Sally Beaney, 75, ‘revelled in making other people’s lives very difficult’ and robbed her cancer-stricken neighbour Matthew Perry of ‘precious’ years after they were embroiled in a dispute over a shared driveway.

What started as a parking dispute turned into Beaney’s ‘obsession to control’ the parking situation outside their homes and ‘culminated’ in her spraying ant-killer in her neighbour’s eyes.

Mr Perry, who has ‘late-stage cancer‘, was left with swelling on his eye from ‘minor chemical burns’ and a ‘mild corneal injury’, a court heard.

But Beaney taunted her victim that nobody would believe him, because she was a ’75-year-old woman’, while he was a ‘young 6ft1in man’.

The pensioner admitted causing assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Mr Perry in Southampton on October 13 2025.

Beaney appeared at Southampton Crown Court where she was handed a 12-month sentence suspended for two years and ordered to work unpaid for 100 hours.

She also had a restraining order imposed.

The court heard that Mr Perry moved into the address next door to Beaney with his wife Lucy and their two children around 15 years ago.

Prosecutor Gaylene Coles said: ‘Mr Perry and (Beaney) are neighbours who share a driveway.

‘For 15 years he believed he could park by the property.

‘In June 2025 there was an issue between them with a lawnmower. After that notices began to appear about parking in the wrong place.

‘He realised his mistake and parked in the road.

‘She began to block his parking and would leave objects out to block his parking.

‘She would leave plant pots out throughout the summer months.’

The court heard that victim Matthew Perry moved into the address next door to Beaney with his wife Lucy and their two children around 15 years ago.

Beaney taunted her victim that nobody would believe him, because she was a ’75-year-old woman’, while he was a ‘young 6ft1in man’.

Beaney would also film the family from her home and would shout at them as they came and went, the court heard.

Her antisocial behaviour escalated on October 13 2025, when, out of the blue, she sprayed ant-killer in Mr Perry’s eyes as he left the home.

Mr Perry was rushed to hospital where he was told he had minor chemical burns to his eyes and needed to take antibiotics and pain killers.

Speaking about his ordeal at the sentencing hearing, Mr Perry said: ‘It’s difficult to write this as admitting that Sally Beaney has had such an impact on our lives is exactly what we believe she wants to happen.

‘She’s told us before that nobody will believe us because she’s a 75 year old woman and I’m a young 6ft 1ins man.

‘I woke up with pain every morning for months and had to use antibiotics. If I did not have first aid training I wouldn’t have had treatment straight away, I would’ve had to wait for the ambulance to arrive and the damage would have been a lot worse.

‘She is someone so obsessed and erratic that she’s impacted every aspect of our lives. The last years of our lives have been taken from us.

‘A home should be a sanctuary but even coming and going has been ruined.

‘If she’s willing to assault me, what could she do to my young son if he did something she didn’t like?

‘The stress of dealing with her has led me to have a catastrophic terminal cancer diagnosis. I was told if it had been noticed earlier it could have been treated but I didn’t have the time to think about it.

‘We feel totally trapped. We’ve been waiting for what she’ll do next. Even after being charged she has continued.

‘My partner leaves the house recording on her phone in case she does something.

‘Before Sally Beaney started her campaign against us we were a happy hopeful family. She’s left our property unsellable. It’s a catastrophic impact on any family.

‘Due to her behaviour we inquired with past neighbours and even her family and they said this was normal for her. They said she revelled in making other people’s lives very difficult.’

Defending Beaney, Edward Armitage said: ‘In essence this is a dispute between two neighbours that has very regrettably spilled over into something more. She’s asked me to apologise on her behalf.’

Passing sentence, Judge Nicholas Rowland said: ‘You have no previous convictions. For some reason you have waited until this age to commit this offence.

‘Obviously this case calls for a prison sentence – the only question is whether I suspend it. And it seems that due to the guidelines I have no option but to suspend it, but it is very serious.’