Bolton Council says brownfield sites and other available land are “not enough” to meet the borough’s housing needs over the coming years.

It has now proposed removing land from the Green Belt at four locations in its new draft Local Plan.

The biggest change would be around Royal Bolton Hospital, where Green Belt land would form part of the huge Health Innovation Bolton development.

Land would also be released at the Blackrod Employment Cluster, the Logistics North Extension and off The Alders in Tonge Moor.

The proposals come against the backdrop of significant housing pressures in Bolton.

The borough is expected to deliver at least 787 new homes every year, amounting to 15,740 between 2022 and 2042.

Just over 2,000 were delivered in the first three years, leaving a minimum of 13,717 still needed between 2025 and 2042.

There are also 21,479 households currently on Bolton’s housing register, according to the Local Plan.

The council estimates an annual affordable housing shortfall of 2,259 homes, while lower-priced properties cost around £135,000 – roughly 5.6 times the median income of residents.

Faced with those figures, the council officers say they have explored other options before proposing changes to the Green Belt.

It has reassessed brownfield sites, searched for unused and underused land within built-up areas, looked at building at greater densities and asked neighbouring councils whether they could help accommodate Bolton’s needs.

The Local Plan states: “The evidence is clear that the homes Bolton needs over the Plan period cannot be delivered on brownfield and other non-Green Belt sites alone.”

Brownfield development would remain a priority, but the council says many sites are more complicated to develop because of the cost of cleaning up land, viability issues and difficulties assembling sites.

This means some are expected to deliver homes later rather than earlier in the Local Plan period.

The council argues this creates the “exceptional circumstances” needed to alter Green Belt boundaries.

The most significant change would come at Health Innovation Bolton.

Royal Bolton Hospital (Image: Bolton NHS Foundation Trust)

The huge development around Royal Bolton Hospital would include 2,225 homes, a new primary school, health facilities and a major medical research and employment district.

The council says the site needs to be close to the hospital and Bolton Institute of Medical Science, while the homes would also help the borough maintain its required supply of housing land.

The other Green Belt releases are mainly aimed at meeting different development needs.

The Blackrod Employment Cluster, close to Blackrod railway station, would be used for new industrial and warehousing development, with a new vehicle access from Blackrod Bypass Road.

Green Belt land near Blackrod railway station earmarked for employment development. (Image: Google Maps)

The council says the site could bring new jobs to an area of Bolton which has not been a major focus for recent employment development, while its proximity to the railway would make jobs accessible by train.

The Logistics North Extension, near Junction 4 of the M61, would provide between 30,000sqm and 80,000sqm of new industrial and warehousing space.

Green Belt land north of Salford Road (Logistics North Extension) (Image: Google Maps)

Land off The Alders in Tonge Moor would meanwhile be allocated for 45 to 50 plots for Travelling Showpeople.

Green Belt land off The Alders in Tonge, proposed as a site for Travelling Showpeople. (Image: Google Maps)

The plan states around 40 of these would meet the need to relocate people from existing unsuitable plots, while between five and 10 would provide additional plots

Despite proposing the changes, the council describes Bolton’s Green Belt as one of the borough’s “most valued assets”.

It says it plays an important role in stopping towns and villages from merging and directing development towards previously developed land.

The draft plan therefore proposes releasing only land which the council says is needed to meet development requirements that cannot be accommodated elsewhere.

Developers using released Green Belt land would also have to secure improvements to the environmental quality and accessibility of the Green Belt which remains nearby.

Overall, the council has identified land capable of providing around 14,052 homes, slightly more than the minimum 13,717 still required.

Almost 5,000 would come from sites which already have planning permission, while 5,715 would come from major new allocations.

The council also argues that larger developments can bring something smaller housing sites often cannot – enough land and funding for new schools, healthcare facilities, transport improvements and green spaces.

The proposals form part of the draft Bolton Local Plan and do not themselves grant planning permission for development.

David Beckham was rubbing shoulders with royalty yet again as he and his sons posed with the Prince and Princess of Wales at the star-studded premiere of Tom Cruise‘s new film Digger on Tuesday night.

The former footballer, 51, was joined by Cruz, 21, and Romeo, 24, for the photo opportunity with the royals – while his eldest Brooklyn, 27, was unsurprisingly absent amid their ongoing family feud.

David finally received a knighthood from King Charles at Windsor Castle last November for his longstanding services to sport and charity and had made no secret of his wish for one beforehand.

David looked smart in his tuxedo for the Royal Film Performance of Digger held at the Odeon Luxe in Leicester Square. 

His dapper sons matched their famous father as they all posed with clasped hands during the photo opportunity. 

Meanwhile Princess Kate did not disappoint in a purple flowing gown by Jenny Packham with a daring gap at the back for the occasion.

Elsewhere on the night Cruise was the perfect gentleman as he guided Princess Kate down the steps to the cinema at the world premiere of the new film. 

The Prince and Princess of Wales dazzled on the red carpet as they joined the acting legend in London‘s Leicester Square.

While it’s hard to outshine Hollywood royalty, all eyes were on the future king and queen as they arrived for the Royal Film Performance.

There had been huge anticipation in advance of the princess’s latest red carpet look, and Princess Kate did not disappoint in her purple look. 

Her jewels were even more eye-catching, as she wore the Queen Mother‘s amethyst necklace paired with pearl earrings belonging to Diana, Princess of Wales, showed off to perfection with a heavy curled hairstyle pulled back at the side. 

The dazzling necklace had also been worn by Queen Camilla at the Royal World Premiere of Skyfall at the Royal Albert Hall on October 23, 2012. 

Prince William looked dapper in black tie, wearing a velvet evening jacket and highly polished shoes as he waved to the crowd, which had turned out en masse to watch Hollywood stars – and royalty – walk the red carpet. 

It was something of a reunion for the couple and Cruise, 64, who met at the UK premiere of his hit film Top Gun: Maverick in May 2022. 

They were pictured beaming as they chatted to the Hollywood legend ahead of the screening of his new film, as well as filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu.

David finally received a knighthood from King Charles at Windsor Castle last November for his longstanding services to sport and charity

Elsewhere on the night Cruise was the perfect gentleman as he guided Princess Kate down the steps to the cinema at the world premiere of the new film 

Princess Kate did not disappoint in a purple flowing gown by Jenny Packham with a daring gap at the back for the occasion

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Cruise stars as Digger Rockwell in the new satirical comedy film Digger

Cruise and the future king have also worked together at an event to support the London Air Ambulance charity. 

The star is even reported to have organised a special screening of the movie for the Wales family after hearing the prince was a huge fan of the 1986 original.

Speaking about the Prince and Princess before their arrival, Cruise said: ‘I just love them. They are lovely people and I have great respect for them.’

The star and the future king have also worked together at an event to support the London Air Ambulance charity.

He has said of William: ‘We have a lot in common. We both love England and we’re both aviators. We both love flying.’ 

Tonight, Cruise was the perfect gentleman, taking Princess Kate’s hand as he helped her down the stairs in her gown as she clutched a black purse, while William waved to the crowd.  

The premiere, hosted by Warner Bros and held in aid of the Film and TV Charity, saw William and Catherine greeted by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of London.

They were escorted down the red carpet by Marcus Ryder, chief executive of the Film and TV Charity, and chair Claire Tavernier where they were warmly greeted by Cruise and filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu.

Cruise initially stood with his hands clasped but then kissed the princess on each cheek. The group stood chatting for several minutes longer than planned, laughing and joking uproariously.

Mr Ryder joked to Cruise: ‘So, my one job was to introduce the Prince and Princess of Wales to you but you beat me to it.’

The royals were then introduced by Cruise to members of the cast and creative team, including Riz Ahmed, before he escorted them to the cinema, holding the princess’s hand as he helped her walk down the steps.

Inside the cinema, William and Catherine were introduced to a line-up of beneficiaries from the Film and Television Charity including Chloe Malone, 27, who only last year was sleeping rough and is still in temporary accommodation but is about to embark on a production course at the National Film and Television School thanks to the charity. She praised it for ‘saving’ her and thanked William for his work to eradicate homelessness. 

The Princess was also presented with a posy and a programme by Evie Peters, seven, while four-year-old Sahrae-Lea Herbert gave the Prince a programme. Both girls, who had been waiting excitedly for them, executed beautiful curtseys.

‘Thank you for my lovely flowers,’ Catherine said.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT An man made a ‘miracle’ recovery after an devastating car accident left him ‘internally decapitated’

One man had his “internally decapitated” head held on in a horror car crash until paramedics arrived and miraculously survived.

Brock Meister, 22, was in a car crash on a snowy day in January 2018, and the impact led to his skull separating from his spine.

The Indiana hospital which treated him said the gruesome injury was “universally fatal,” generally killing people immediately or soon after it happens, according to Nine.com.au.

However, Brock, who had already survived a brain tumor as a teenager, had a knight in shining armour. Brock had been on his way home from dinner with a friend in his car when the vehicle hit a ditch after skidding on ice and rolled over on to the passenger side.

His head shattered the glass, causing the devastating internal injury, before his friend pulled him back in. “Half my body was out the window,” Brock said. The car did a final flip back onto its wheels and came to a halt.

Luckily, a third friend, Ryan Topper, was following in his car and managed to get the vehicle’s jammed door open and call 911. He said: “Brock kept trying to get up and the only words he was saying were ‘my neck’ and ‘ambulance’,’” he said. “I knew that he was in some serious pain and that if it was his neck, I couldn’t let him get up and move.

“So I just put my hand over his chest and kept him from getting up. I kept talking to him, reassuring him everything was going to be all right, and that he’s ‘my boy Brock,’ not letting him move until the ambulance showed up.”

Doctors Memorial Hospital of South Bend where he was initially taken, discovered the injury via an X-Ray. Medics were shocked Brock was still alive following the separation of the skull from the spine – known as an internal decapitation.

Nuerosurgeon Dr. Kashif Shaikh, said: “I had to check twice to make sure I was looking at the right patient’s picture – it’s such an uncommon injury, and an even less common injury to survive.”

Complications also meant he was also struggling to breathe, and needed a tracheotomy. After special equipment and a second surgeon were found, medics carried out emergency surgery to reattach his head and spine, an operation has only been done a handful of times at the hospital.

One of the doctors involved had, by chance, also treated him for his brain cancer. First, they had to carefully get his head and neck back into line, before making an incision into the back of his neck and using plates, rods and screws, fix his head and neck bones back together.

After weeks in hospital Brock began to recover at home The only long-term effects have been difficulty using his right arm and pain in his lower extremities. However, he is expected to be able to lead a near-normal life.

“I have fought for my life this time around, and some days I feel like I still am,” Brock said. “It was kind of scary at first, but I have more movement than I thought I would, so that’s good. I’m just thankful to be here, so that’s all that matters.”

Brock posted to X later that March: “Thought I had a different outlook on life after the first thing I went through.. Now I really have a whole different outlook on life and I plan on living my life even more to the fullest, because tomorrow isn’t promised and that’s so true.”

Dr Shaikh said: “It will take some time for the body to heal and that can be a frustrating and painful process. But he is very young, has a great attitude, and he looks better and better each time I see him so I continue to be very optimistic.”

His mum Jenna said she knows how close she came to losing her son. “As a mom, I know, I truly know God was there that night and saved my child. Things easily could have been more tragic and my time spent with him could be at the cemetery. Our boy is a miracle.”

UK gardens struggling with damaged and yellowing grass can bring their dead lawns back to life and revitalise them if gardeners do four simple lawncare tasks now in autumn.

Following an unrelenting summer of blistering heat and scarce rainfall, many gardens across the UK are looking decidedly worse for wear.

Countless gardeners have been left grappling with brown, straw-like lawns, parched cracked soil, and drooping plants – yet early autumn actually offers an ideal opportunity for revival.

Fortunately, there are several straightforward methods to restore life to your struggling garden. With autumn providing the perfect conditions to address brown and yellowing lawns, implementing a handful of simple measures now will set your garden up nicely for both winter and next summer.

James Lewis, gardening experts from MyBuilder.com, explain: “Over the summer our gardens have been put through hell, with the hosepipe bans, hot weather, and lack of rainfall making this summer hard to keep our gardens full of life.

“The key this autumn is to give your garden time, don’t make any rash decisions. It will take time for your garden to regain strength. Some plants may take weeks, while others may take much longer, depending on the plants and how severe the damage is.”

4 jobs to do for lawns in autumn

Rake

The experts at James Lewis advise: “Rake out dead material, such as dead grass roots, stems and debris (thatch) that has built up over summer just below the surface, which will block moisture and nutrients from getting into the roots of grass.”

Deal with compacted areas

Areas subjected to repeated foot traffic will have become compacted, stopping water from penetrating the surface. Gardening specialists recommend using a fork or aerator to spike the ground, creating holes 10-15 cm deep, which will open up the soil and allow water and air to reach it, encouraging your grass to thrive and strengthen, reports the Express.

Reseed

The gardening experts add: “After raking out the lawn thatch, your lawn may look sparse or have bare patches. Adding grass seed and keeping the soil moist while the new grass establishes will create a thicker and greener lawn in just a few weeks.”

Keep mowing

Don’t put the mowers away just yet, the experts advise. Instead, carry on mowing until growth starts to slow.

Aim to raise the mower blades and cut your grass at a higher level to protect the soil and allow grass roots to recover, while letting the shorter clippings fall back onto the lawn, returning vital nutrients to the soil.

Give your garden time

Finally, while it isn’t strictly a gardening task, it’s a vital part of ensuring lawns bounce back – and that’s simply giving your garden adequate time to recuperate.

While achieving lush, green grass is the ambition for most homeowners, patience is absolutely essential when it comes to restoring your lawn this autumn.

The gardening specialists explain: “Your grass needs to regain strength and energy to grow and regain its original colour, so taking hasty long-term steps from the get go isn’t advisable.”

Several other areas green-fingered gardeners can concentrate on include watering sensibly. The gardening experts recommend: “Some water bans are still active, but if they have been lifted in your area, it’s wise to water early in the morning and later in the evening to prevent evaporation. This consistent moisture is key to help your plants recover, but ensure you don’t overwater them, as you can risk drowning them.”

Another method to boost your garden’s overall health involves resisting the temptation to immediately throw out plants showing brown leaves or looking wilted, as they may still bounce back. Instead, the gardening professionals advise being patient and watching for new green shoots before deciding something has perished.

Lastly, experts warn against over-tidying your outdoor area. Gardening experts at James Lewis state: “As counterintuitive as this sounds, giving your garden too much of a tidy can actually sweep away vital material that retains moisture for your lawn.

“Fallen twigs and leaves, for example, act as a natural mulch that traps water in the soil, keeps away harsh sun rays and improves the soil nutrients as it decomposes. Instead of removing every bit of dirt and debris, clear anything that looks like it could cause disease, while retaining enough cover to help protect your garden down the line.”

There has been a sharp increase in closures in the age range

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Criminals are still shifting dirty money through money mule accounts despite hundreds of thousands of suspect accounts having been shut down in recent years, the City regulator has said. A review by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found that firms have been closing an increasing number of suspected mule accounts.

Money mules help to move or disguise funds created from criminal activities. Reported offboarding, where firms closed suspected money mule accounts, rose over a three-year period to reach 238,396 in 2025, but slowed in the final year.

The total is up from 184,935 in 2023 and 233,269 in 2024. The accounts were registered to personal customers, businesses and others.

Most of them were held with retail banks and building societies. There were also signs that a growing number of account closures were linked to customers aged in their 40s.

Some 37,274 account closures in 2025 were linked to customers aged 40 to 49, up from 25,760 account closures among customers in this age group in 2024. The review document said: “Personal accounts represented around 92% of account closures for suspected money mule activity between 2023 and 2025.

“Account closures were highest among customers aged 26 to 39, while the sharpest increase was among customers aged 40 to 49. Customers aged 21 and under also represented a significant proportion of closures.

“Suspected mule account closures were more concentrated among younger customers at challenger banks, while retail banks reported a more even distribution across age groups.”

Where firms recorded gender, around two-thirds of suspected mules were men – a proportion which has been broadly stable over the three-year period – the review said. The FCA cautioned that the data has limitations because some firms did not collect data and some customers did not disclose it.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) estimates more than £100 billion is laundered through the UK or UK corporate structures each year – and money mule activity is one way criminals move these funds, by using people’s bank accounts to receive or transfer money on their behalf.

Often, the money mule may not be fully aware what is happening and they may have been enticed by an offer of some of the cash. But the consequences of laundering stolen cash can be significant, and people could end up finding it difficult to access a bank account or credit in future, as well as facing the possibility of a criminal record.

Some money mules may be recruited in what appears to be a “job offer” with the promise of quick and easy money. Or someone may ask for money to be moved on their behalf as a favour, giving excuses for why they cannot use their own bank account to transfer money.

The FCA said criminals will sometimes move fraudulent funds through a long chain of multiple accounts. Fraud proceeds were often cashed out after moving through two to five mule accounts. By this stage, payments may be harder to detect and trace, underlining the importance of disrupting activity as early on as possible.

When cashing out, card payments were used to make lots of low-value transactions in some cases. Cryptocurrency cash-outs tended to be lower in volume but higher in value, the review said.

Some accounts had been used repeatedly for mule activity before firms shut them down and had also been used for fraud, pointing to an established criminal infrastructure rather than opportunistic, isolated incidents, the FCA said. Firms should make sure they understand how criminals move funds between accounts, both within their own institution and externally, the regulator added.

The review said: “Timely intelligence-sharing between firms can help identify linked accounts, recurring cash-out routes and laundering methods, so they can detect and disrupt mule activity earlier.”

Steve Smart, executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the FCA, said: “Money muling is a crime and it’s not victimless. It makes it harder to recover stolen cash and helps criminals move and hide the proceeds of serious offending.

“People should be wary of contact out of the blue, including via online channels, asking them to funnel money through their account as they could face prosecution. It’s good that financial firms are taking action on mules, but banks, law enforcement, technology companies and consumers all have a role to play in stopping people being drawn into criminal activity.”

The FCA said people should never give sensitive financial details to someone they do not know and trust. It added that it will continue to monitor firms’ approaches through supervisory work, to ensure they are responding to evolving money mule threats.

Andy Burnham is reviewing Labour‘s Chagos deal after incurring Donald Trump‘s wrath during their first meeting last night.

The Prime Minister was forced to look on stony-faced as the US President rounded on the ‘terrible deal’ to hand sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius.

Asked about Mr Trump’s comments later, Mr Burnham said he had ‘inherited the situation and we need a resolution’, adding: ‘It’s critical to safeguard the future of the base, and that matters to us for security reasons, but also clearly to the United States as well.’

The PM risked a further backlash from Washington by opening the door to fighting the next election on a pledge to rejoin the European Union.

Mr Burnham also suggested that the 2016 referendum result had been manipulated by ‘outside forces’. 

In the past, President Trump has described himself as ‘Mr Brexit‘ and has singled out the EU for tougher trade tariffs.

Government sources voiced relief that Mr Burnham’s first face-to-face meeting with his volatile counterpart, at the UN General Assembly in New York, had not descended into the kind of slanging match seen with other world leaders.

But the PM was forced to sit and watch as Mr Trump savaged the deal to hand the Chagos Islands to China ally Mauritius – and pay £35billion for the privilege.

Donald Trump on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on Labour’s ‘terrible deal’ to surrender the Chagos Islands in his first meeting with Mr Burnham

Speaking to reporters en route to New York, Mr Burnham had said he was ‘determined’ to see through the deal, adding it was critical to the long-term operation of the UK-US base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Indian Ocean archipelago. 

He said he would ‘work towards a resolution’ with the President, whose agreement is needed.

But Mr Trump said the PM had failed to change his mind, saying: ‘I don’t support it. I think it’s terrible. It was a terrible deal. 

‘They [Mauritius] all of a sudden say they have ownership. Somebody has ownership that never showed up before after decades and centuries. I think it’s ridiculous.

‘No, we were talking about that, and [the islands are] strategically very important. Very important. You know, we had to send our B2 bombers… back home to Missouri [after a bombing raid on Iran], as opposed to flying for a short period of time.

‘It’s amazing how strategic it is, and I think the Prime Minister is going to be looking at it.’

Mr Burnham nodded in agreement and replied: ‘Yeah.’

Senior Tory MP Alex Burghart told the Daily Mail: ‘Keir Starmer did huge damage to Britain and Andy Burnham is picking up where he left off.

‘In the space of 24 hours, he has backed giving away the Chagos Islands and opened the door to rejoining the EU. Apparently, he can find money for Mauritius and Brussels, but not for our Armed Forces. 

‘This is a double surrender by Continuity Keir. He just wants to keep fighting old battles.’

Reform UK’s Nigel Farage said: ‘Burnham has no fresh ideas in his head, it is a continuation of the Starmer double surrender. 

‘If Burnham won’t start putting British interests first, a Reform government will.’

Under the terms of Labour’s deal with Mauritius, Britain would hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and then pay to lease back the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia 

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Mr Burnham tried to frame the meeting as a positive one, insisting of Mr Trump: ‘I can certainly work with him. It was a very encouraging meeting.

‘We’ve established a good connection in the discussions we’ve had, and that very much came through today: a lot of common ground on the cost of living, we agreed around the conflict in the Middle East and the importance of bringing an end to it, getting the Strait [of Hormuz] open, and obviously making sure that Iran doesn’t end up a nuclear power. So lots of agreement there.’ 

Mr Burnham also sparked fears that he may fight the next election on a pledge to rejoin the EU – abandoning the ‘red lines’ set out in Sir Keir’s 2024 manifesto.

Asked by reporters if he was considering the prospect, he replied: ‘Our focus at the moment is on a UK-EU summit which we hope will take place later this year.

‘And as I said, my immediate priority is to build on the good work that Keir did in rebuilding bridges. Because those bridges were broken in the early part of this decade. And Keir did a good job in re-establishing that relationship.’

Ahead of talks last night with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Mr Burnham said a new deal with Brussels would ‘further boost the British economy’.

He also suggested voters had been misled into voting to Leave in 2016, saying: ‘I’m reflecting on that last decade. 

‘What we’ve experienced is when that turbulence comes when outside actors seek to manipulate, to distort facts, influence the British democratic process.’

Mr Burnham’s first foray onto the international stage seemed fraught with danger, with Britain at odds with the US on issues ranging from Palestine to AI.

But Mr Trump said the so-called Special Relationship was ‘more up’ following the departure of Sir Keir, with whom he fell out spectacularly over the Iran war.

The President said: ‘I think you’re up. Well, they’re more now than they were with your last Prime Minister, let me put it that way. I think right now, based on my relationship with your Prime Minister, Andy, I think we’re doing very well.’

He also seemed to feign ignorance about Labour’s sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, rather than putting Mr Burnham in a tight spot. The PM, who once described Mr Trump as ‘poisonous’, told him it had been ‘great to be with you’.

Earlier this week, Mr Burnham told his counterpart from Mauritius, Navin Ramgoolam, that he would do ‘everything possible’ to make the Chagos handover happen. 

Downing Street said: ‘The Prime Minister underlined his commitment to working with Mauritius and the United States on a way forward that secures the operation of the base and protects UK national security.’

But the Mauritian government went far further, saying: ‘The British PM reiterated his commitment to continue doing everything possible, together with the US, to achieve ratification of the treaty.’

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch asked: ‘Why can’t Andy Burnham do ‘everything possible’ to bring down the cost of welfare, or do ‘everything possible’ to fund defence properly? 

‘Why is giving away this territory such a priority for Labour that they are willing to give away billions when there’s little money for anything else?’

On the Falkland Islands, Mr Burnham said the UK ‘will stand firm in the face of any threats’ to their sovereignty after Argentina’s president Javier Milei escalated tensions over the archipelago. 

Former army tank driver Danny Mavor is aiming to raise £100,000 to help people like himself with severe paralysis known as Tetraplegia.

An army war veteran who is paralysed from the neck down has embarked on an incredible 79 mile charity challenge using a wheelchair controlled entirely by his chin.

Tetraplegic Danny Mavor will attempt to travel from Fort William to Inverness in just three days finishing up in the Highland capital on Friday

He served with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in Iraq as a tank driver and gunner, and was paralysed from the neck down following a motorcycle accident in 2019.

The Glaswegian will take on the world famous Great Glen Way tackling extremely rough Highland terrain in his specially adapted all-terrain wheelchair.

The challenge aimed to raise £100,000 for Regain, the charity which supports people living with tetraplegia.

Danny, who is based at the Erskine veterans care home complex in Bishopton, has a severe cervical spinal cord injury, is in constant pain and has extremely limited movement.

Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is the partial or total loss of use in all four limbs and the torso.

Danny says he wants to raise vital funds for other tetraplegics and demonstrate that their is still life after spinal injury.

He said:”My life changed in an instant when a motorcycle accident left me a tetraplegic, paralysed from the neck down.

“Since then, I have had to adapt to a completely different way of living

“Now, I am preparing to take on the biggest challenge of my life. I know it is going to be incredibly hard. It will test me physically and mentally in ways I cannot fully prepare for.

“Every donation, every share and every message of support will help Regain change lives. I want to raise funds to support other tetraplegics, people who are facing the same life-changing spinal injuries as me. I also want to show that life doesn’t end after a spinal injury..”

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Danny’s supporters will use a harness to help him some difficult sections of terrain but otherwise he will ride the whole journey on his wheelchair – completing 25 miles a day.

Anyone wishing to donate can do so at: https://www.justgiving.com/page/dannys-big-challenge-2026

What to buy when building emergency food stores

1) Tinned foods

2) Dried foods

3) Carbs

4) Snacks

5) Dairy

6) Extras

7) Water

What not to buy

1) Anything bulky

2) Anything fresh or perishable

What meals can I make with this food?

Ken Cooke’s Every Day is an Adventure is released on Saturday, September 26 with a signing by Ken in St Lawrence Parish Church in Lawrence Street.

Friends Amanda Stirk and Gillian MacDonald wrote the book and have both known the veteran of the D-Day Normandy landings since they were girls, as the women’s parents travelled in the same circles as Ken and his wife Joan.

Recommended reading:

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‘The memory of York Normandy Veterans is never far away’

Ken Cooke recently had the Freedom of the City of York conferred upon him in an event at The Guildhall (Image: City of York Council)

Their work started from a conversation the two friends had with Ken whilst he was gardening at his home off Hull Road one day earlier this year.

Gillian said: “We were saying he had had such an interesting life that someone should write a book about it.

“It just evolved from there – initially it was going to be a small undertaking, but it grew and grew.”

She said her own mother and father, who have now both passed away, would spend long hours chatting to Ken and Joan after their retirement, adding that her father always said “what a lovely chap” he was.

Ken is well-known and admired for the contribution he has made to keeping the memory of York Normandy Veterans alive in and around the city he has lived in for most of his life.

He still attends and speaks at dozens of educational events each year to help ensure the sacrifices made during the Second World War are not forgotten.

Ken Cooke, 100, said it was a “pleasure” talk to the young people at Millthorpe School in November last year (Image: Newsquest)

Gillian said: “This is why he was so enthusiastic about the book.

“It’s another way of educating people about the war.

“He’s extremely grateful for the life he leads and loves giving talks to the young and the elderly and also enjoys all his duties as an ambassador for other organisations in York very much.

“Ken spoke about his life to us and we recorded it. 

“Amanda typed it up and the book is all Ken’s words, none added, not taken away.

“We regard him as our hero.”

Amanda said she lived opposite Ken when she was young and played with his son Stephen who is the same age as her.

She said she can remember Ken and his wife going to Christmas parties at their house where he was “the life and soul of the party.”

Gillian said she’s also known Ken through her husband Peter who worked at Rowntree’s in Haxby Road, where the two men worked together. 

The two friends said they think Ken’s secret is his zest for life and his interest in everything that is going on in the world.

Mrs MacDonald added: “He is also a very kind man.

“He rings up his late veteran friends’ widows for a chat which they really enjoy.

“We were surprised at Ken’s energy and enthusiasm for all things new.

“He is extremely humble and thankful for his good fortune in life – he just takes everything in his stride.”

At first, 50 copies of the book were set to be printed for friends and family but after a suggestion by Ken’s friend of 16 years – and secretary of the Normandy Veterans Association – Nick Beilby, that number increased tenfold, with all profits from sales of the book going to a veterans’ charity.

An audiobook is also being prepared.

Nick Beilby said: “Readers are going to find out about the real Ken Cooke, not just the veteran, and how deeply embedded he is with the life of the city.”

The book launch for Ken Cooke : Every day is an Adventure is from 10am to 1pm on Saturday, September 26 in St Lawrence Parish Church, Lawrence Street.

The new Prime Minister used his 21-minute speech to the UN in New York – seen by many as his first major international diplomacy test – to address a huge range of issues

Andy Burnham gave a wide-ranging first speech to the UN where he attacked Russia, called for Middle East peace, announced new policies, and promised world leaders they can ‘count on us’.

Burnham’s mission to the UN headquarters in New York was seen as his first major test in international diplomacy, only being named Prime Minister eight weeks ago. In his trip across the Atlantic, the PM has done marathon meet-and-greets, rubbing shoulders with global figures like Donald Trump, Ursula von der Leyen, and Anthony Albanese before taking to the general assembly stage.

His 21-minute-long speech saw the PM launch a blistering attack on Russia, announce a new security deal with the US on AI, repeat calls for a two-state solution in the Middle East, and launch two major domestic policies. These are the six things we learned from Andy Burnham ’s first speech to the UN.

Burnham slams Russia’s ‘insidious campaign’

It did not take long to see who the villain of his speech was going to be: Russia. He launched a scathing attack on Kremlin interference in British affairs as Putin’s delegation watched on.

The PM said: “Russian agencies have used every means at their disposal to spread lies and disinformation and prey on people’s fear. They’ve used bots and fake websites. Falsified newspaper articles. Forged the branding of 28 British organisations – including universities and the BBC.

“They’ve amplified far-right narratives. And we have evidence that they tried to interfere with the 2019 General Election.”

He added Putin’s government spends ‘£1.3 billion’ on ‘manipulating information’.

“We also know that they have tried to stoke tensions and unrest in the wake of horrific events,” Burnham continued. “The idea that anyone would try to use such things to their advantage is just repulsive – but it is what they do.”

Russia has previously been accused of using illicitly acquired documents about UK-US trade talks to try to influence the 2019 contest. Chillingly, the Russian delegation showed little emotion when Burnham put these charges to them.

New ‘National Centre for Information Defence’ planned

Burnham moved from his attack on Russia to announcing two policies to combat disinformation from Moscow. The ‘architecture’ for doing so is creating a new National Centre for Information Defence that will tackle online lies and deepfakes damaging British interests, he said.

The new unit is initially being led out of the Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet, with the new centre working alongside intelligence agencies, government departments, the police and social media companies. After raising the ‘insidious campaign’ orchestrated by the Kremlin, Burnham said the new unit will be necessary as ‘AI will multiply the threat’ already posed by bad actors online.

Burnham to unveil ‘10 year plan for Britain’

The second anti-disinformation policy comes in the form of a new decade-long plan for the country set to be revealed later this year, Burnham added.

The plan will focus on getting more people into work — especially young people — and easing the cost-of-living crisis for most people, he said, but he did not announce any specific measures on-stage. It appears Burnham is selling this new plan as a response to insecurity.

He said ‘security starts in every home’, and he believes getting more people in work means they are less susceptible to falling foul of misinformation online. He said: “Part of the challenge is to lift our people up and create the opportunities they need. When inequalities grow too wide, our societies are at greater risk.

“So we will work to make life more affordable for people. That will be at the heart of a new 10 year plan for Britain that we will bring forward later in the year.”

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AI deal with US agreed as Burnham pitches UK as ‘honest broker’

Just hours after first meeting Donald Trump, Burnham announced a new national security deal with the US as part of a section of his address which touched on AI fears. He told delegates: “I am announcing today that we are developing a new AI defence partnership with the United States to protect our critical national infrastructure.”

Details of the deal have not been revealed. In a long section on AI, Burnham went on to say that ‘AI will also be a source of disruption to the way we live and work’, so he wants the UK to act as an ‘honest broker’ to draw up ‘a single set of global principles and standards’ for the development of frontier AI.

Two-state solution must stay ‘alive’ for Gaza

As his speech began to end, Burnham turned his attention to the Middle East, and renewed calls for a two-state solution in Gaza.

He condemned Hamas’ 2023 attack on Israel as ‘utterly horrific’, but then said of Israel’s response in the years since: “Far too many people have died, including so many children. Far too little aid is getting in, and it has gone on for far too long.”

That was why the UK ‘banned trading goods with illegal settlements, recognised the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory is unlawful, and sanctioned those taking part in the construction of illegal settlements’ earlier this month, he said. But Burnham looked to the future and said the two-state solution must ‘stay alive’.

He added: “We want to see the suffering and death finally come to an end. We want to see Israeli and Palestinian people living side by side in peace and security. And we will do all we can to keep the hope of that possibility alive.”

‘Britain is back… count on us’

Burnham’s opening gambit was to tell the world ‘Britain is back’ — and after 20 minutes, he clarified what that meant. World leaders can ‘count on’ the UK in the years to come, he said.

He concluded his speech by saying: “You can count on us to stand up for those long standing British values of fairness and justice.

“Count on us to fight racism, discrimination and the abuse of power wherever we see it. Count on us to bring people together.

“Count on us to meet fear and division with unity and hope.”