North Yorkshire Police wanted York magistrates to order that 4th Avenue Shop in Tang Hall remain closed for three months.

Julie Dalzell, for the force, claimed that the shop was selling illegal cigarettes and tobacco at cut price sales, that there was a risk to children and that girls had been subjected to unwelcome attention from staff.

The allegations were opposed by solicitor Kashif Khan, speaking on behalf of the shop which is owned by Mohammed Latif Ahmad.

He said the shop and its staff denied the allegations and that the police case only amounted to suspicions, not evidence.

“You cannot go on suspicion to close a man’s business and his livelihood for any period of time, let alone three months,” he told the court.

Magistrates agreed and rejected the application for a closure order.

The closure notice fastened by police to the shop on Wednesday (Image: Newsquest staff)

The shop, which had been closed under a temporary closure notice on Wednesday, can now reopen.

Ms Dalzell claimed that the authorities had made test purchases in September 2025 and on September 19, and received tobacco and cigarettes that did not comply with the law.

She alleged that trading standards officers on October 25 had found 25 pouches of illegal tobacco and 104 packets of illegal cigarettes concealed on the shop premises.

Mr Khan said Mr Ahmad had only taken over the shop in November 2025 and that there was no evidence before the court about the illegal nature of the tobacco and cigarettes.

He said no hidden illegal tobacco and cigarettes had been found on Wednesday’s raid.

Police in Tang Hall on Wednesday (September 23) (Image: Newsquest)

Ms Dalzell alleged that on Wednesday a member of staff had given his keys to a vehicle in which police had found illegal products.

The claim was disputed by Mr Khan who said the vehicle was unconnected to the shop and no staff member had handed over their keys.

Ms Dalzell claimed there was risk of exploitation of children through the shop’s activities because a school was nearby.

“There are reports as well of young girls being subjected to abuse and potentially harassment as a result of people working at the premises,” she alleged.

Mr Khan said the police had not produced evidence to support their claims and magistrates should totally disregard a particular police statement put before them because of what he said were problems with the way it had been composed.

Members of Darlington Borough Council’s planning committee gave the green light to Homes by Esh’s scheme for land at High Faverdale Farm on Wednesday.

The development will deliver 230 homes on a site known as Burtree Cell CH and forms part of the wider Burtree Garden Village project, which is expected to bring forward around 2,000 homes over the next two decades.

Dale Morris, technical director at Homes by Esh, said: “We have been working closely with Darlington Borough Council to answer an important housing need across the borough.

“Following on from the planning approval for 130 new homes at Burtree last month, our focus remains on bringing forward high-quality, design-led homes in Darlington, and contributing positively to the long-term vision for the garden village.”

(Image: Lovell)

The approved scheme includes a mix of two, three and four-bedroom properties, with 46 earmarked as affordable homes.

Plans also feature areas of open space, landscaping, drainage infrastructure and links to walking and cycling routes.

The application had been recommended for approval by planning officers, who said it would make an important contribution towards Darlington’s housing growth and support the long-term vision for the garden village.

Burtree Garden Village is planned to include a new primary school, community centre, pub, health facilities and employment land alongside housing.

It follows a decision earlier this year to grant permission for 130 other homes within the garden village.

Only two public comments were received on the application, with concerns raised about local road infrastructure and potential noise from neighbouring industrial buildings.

If anyone needs a friend on Coronation Street, it’s Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin).

The troubled teen’s life has been turned upside down when her decision to try consensual strangulation during sex with Dylan Wilson (Liam McCheyne) resulted in disaster.

As a result, Betsy collapsed at home suffering a stroke that put her in hospital, caused by a blood clot resulting from neck artery damage.

Unfortunately, the story didn’t end there. The stroke completely stripped Betsy of her independence, affecting her ability to speak clearly as well as her mobility.

Now she is forced to rely on twenty-four-seven care from her two deeply worried mums, Carla and Lisa Connor-Swain (Alison King and Vicky Myers). Even her best friends like Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton) treat her like she’s wrapped in cotton wool.

Sadly, Betsy’s independence isn’t the only thing her stroke has taken from her. Now her entire future is up in the air. Prior to the accident, she was going to study fashion in London and had big catwalk dreams. Now her condition makes her chance of attending college seem increasingly bleak.

Despite physical progress, Betsy continues to have the ups and down that come from living with a serious condition that affects day-to-day living. An outing to the Bistro with Lauren recently led to a mortifying moment whenaccidentally knocked over cutlery, leading Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) to suggest that a mortified Betsy was drunk.

This makes it all the more heart-warming to see Betsy’s friends and neighbours step in to offer support and help make he dreams come true.

Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon) has already treated her to a manicure to cheer her up, while Sally Metcalf (Sally Dynevor) showed Carla a website for a fashion course at a local college that might suit Betsy. Carla thought it was a great idea, even organising some fashion work experience for her step-daughter at Underworld.

Sadly, as previous mentioned, Betsy has her down days. It seems she’s due one in upcoming episodes of Coronation Street, where one Weatherfield resident comes to her aid.

Betsy heads to work at the factory, hoping to get some practice before her college interview.

But it’s far from plain sailing as Betsy struggles at her machine, Sean Tully (Antony Cotton) offers to help her.

This is particularly significant seeing as Sean is Dylan’s father, and has previously refused to accept that his son could be responsible for her injury, going so far as to suggest that she must have cheated. How will Betsy react to this assistance from Sean?

The next day. Lisa accompanies a nervous Betsy to her college interview. Will Betsy be ready for this next step?

MORE: Dylan tormented as Betsy is devastated by Debbie’s joke in Coronation Street spoiler video

MORE: New Coronation Street spoiler videos confirm devastating reveal of deadly illness

MORE: Betsy’s utter terror in Coronation Street as pain suggests another stroke

Wales return to Nations League action tonight as Craig Bellamy’s side face a daunting trip to Lisbon to take on Portugal.

The Dragons are back in League A after winning promotion in the previous campaign, with Bellamy eager to build on the progress made during his first two years in charge.

Portugal provide the ultimate test, with Cristiano Ronaldo and a host of international stars standing between Wales and a positive start to their latest Nations League campaign.

Bellamy’s future was a major talking point during the summer after interest from Burnley, but the Wales boss has reaffirmed his commitment to the national side and can now focus fully on the task ahead.

Wales have been hit by a number of injuries, with Harry Wilson, Karl Darlow, Joe Rodon, Dylan Lawlor and Nathan Broadhead all unavailable for this international window.

Wales’ clash with Portugal kicks off at 7.45pm tonight and is being shown live on BBC One Wales and S4c, with coverage also available on BBC iPlayer.

We’ll have all the build-up, team news, live updates, analysis and reaction throughout the evening.

Portugal XI: Costa; Neto, Veiga, Dias, Mendes; Vitinha ,Fernandes, Cancelo; R Neves, Ronaldo, Felix.

Subs: Silva, Soares, Dalot, Araujo, Tavares, Palhinha, Ramos, Silva, Conceicao, J. Neves, Trincao, Leao.

Wales XI: Ward; Williams, Cabango, B. Davies, Dasilva; J. James, Sheehan, Ampadu; Koumas, Johnson, Brooks.

Subs: Cornell, King, Mepham, Burns, Cullen, Moore, Roberts, Norrington-Davies, Harris, Thomas, D. James, Colwill.

Scroll down for live updates…

A young woman was found dead in a hotel room after swallowing poison in the company of a stranger she met online, a court has heard.

Aimee Louise Elif Walton, 21, bought the illegal substance for $269 on several occasions between June 2022 and September 2022.

She was discovered unresponsive in Slough, Berkshire, on October 14, 2022 after reportedly struggling with her mental health following the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in her delaying her studies.

Ms Walton, from Southampton, was one of 79 victims from the UK known to have died as a direct result of purchasing poison from Kenneth Law, who sold 1,200 packages to 40 countries across the world from Canada-based websites.

Law, 61, previously pleaded guilty to 14 counts of aiding suicide, all relating to Canadian victims.

Although he was not formally charged with the deaths, the 79 UK victims also form part of the wider Canadian case into his offending.

Ms Walton’s sister, Adele Zeynep Walton, recorded her victim impact statement in a video which was played out in court in Ontario, Canada, on Thursday.

In her statement, Adele Walton said her sister was not found by a friend, as previously reported, but died in the company of a stranger she had met in an internet forum where people discussed ending their own lives.

Aimee Walton, left, with her sister Adele Zeynep Walton. Aimee Walton was discovered unresponsive in Slough, Berkshire on October 14, 2022

Ms Walton ‘died in a strange place, in a strange city, in the company of a stranger’, her sister said

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The man ‘had flown from America to be with her when she died’, and had been staying with her for 11 days prior to her death, she said.

‘She died in a strange place, in a strange city, in the company of a stranger,’ Adele Walton told the court.

‘You only need to listen to the recording of the emergency call to know how much she suffered during the last moments of her life.’

Authorities previously informed the victims’ families Law would not face criminal proceedings in the UK because of the potential for the accused to challenge the extradition under ‘double jeopardy’ laws.

Adele Walton, along with other family members of the British victims, previously criticised the decision, saying ‘doors have been shut’ for families seeking justice.

‘The question for our own country is simpler still: who here will examine how the British state let this happen, and what it will do so that no other family goes through it?’ Adele Walton previously said.

‘A foreign sentencing hearing cannot answer that. Only a statutory public inquiry can.’

Law sent a total of 330 products to the UK, with 286 individuals receiving the products, according to the National Crime Agency.

Aimee Walton with singer-songwriter and music producer Pharrell Williams – of whom she was said to be a huge fan

Photo issued by Peel Regional Police of Kenneth Law, 57, of Mississauga

The court previously heard Law was the sole owner of four companies, with one firm’s website offering a ‘set of instructions’ and advertising 40-minute telephone consultations for $150 (£111).

The court in Ontario also heard how Law would occasionally frequent an online forum where users discussed ending their lives and he would post under the pseudonym ‘Greenberg’ to direct people to one of his websites.

The maximum sentence for aiding suicide in Canada is 14 years – the same for encouraging suicide in the UK.

It is understood the sentence in Mr Law’s case is likely to be more than 14 years because of the number of victims and the nature of the offences.

• For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org 

The Beast from the East ravaged much of the UK and Europe in February and March 2018, bringing severe storms, snow showers and bitter winds. But as the climate changes, rising average temperatures will affect the severity of extremely cold weather like this.

In our latest study, my colleagues and I have considered how cold spells – defined as extended periods of extremely low temperatures between November and March – have changed since 1980.

We found that cold spells such as the Beast from the East are becoming less frequent and intense across the northern hemisphere. We also found that certain regions are experiencing less persistent cold spells, or more localised cold spells.

Across the entire northern hemisphere, cold spell days have decreased by about 20 days per decade. In Europe, regional cold spells are declining in frequency by nearly one day every year.

Large-scale cold spells in the northern hemisphere occur as a result of cold air intrusions, caused by the meandering of the polar jet stream. Characterised by a flow of strong winds in the upper troposphere, this jet stream acts as a barrier containing the cold air within the polar regions.

However, when the polar jet stream meanders, the barrier is disrupted, allowing cold air to move towards the equator. This causes surface temperatures to drop.

Since the Arctic is more sensitive to climate change, with temperatures in this region rising at a faster rate than the rest of the world, many early theories suggested that this could lead to more frequent and intense cold spells.

But our study shows the reverse effect. Across the northern hemisphere, cold spells are becoming milder as overall temperatures rise, with their intensity having decreased by 0.3°C per decade. In the same manner, cold spells in Europe are becoming 0.6 to 0.9°C warmer per decade. Similar warming rates are also found in North America and in East Asia.

The persistence of cold spells in northern North America and southern Europe is decreasing by about a tenth of a day each year. Likewise, the area covered by cold spells in northern North America is getting smaller every decade.

A change in temperature variability

We have also explored how these cold spells would be affected if the long-term temperature rise related to climate change were removed. Under this scenario, we considered how the leftover effects related to changes in temperature variability – calculated by removing the long-term temperature rise – are affecting cold spell behaviour.

In most cases, the cold spells showed no detectable change when the background temperature rise was removed. However, in northern North America under this scenario, cold spells were still found to become less severe.

So, our study reveals that in northern North America, cold spells are becoming significantly less frequent, intense and persistent even when the impact of climate change is removed from our calculations.

We suggest this is related to temperature variability decreasing in North America due to sea ice loss – an effect highlighted in previous studies. In other words, the sea ice loss is potentially causing the cold extremes to warm faster than hot extremes.

Our results show that as temperatures continue to rise, the cold spells experienced a few decades ago are becoming rarer across much of the northern hemisphere – and that cold, snowy winter days of the past are becoming increasingly uncommon for many people.

Work is well underway on the new ‘traditional Irish’ bar

A new pub has been tipped to open in Belfast City Centre.

The bar is set to be called The Meeting House and the owners have now hinted at an opening date.

According to job listings for the new bar, it will be located between Ann Street and Crown Entry, taking over the space from Love & Death, which closed in December 2023 after operating for 15 years.

The space has been vacant since then, but the Beannchor group have big plans to bring life back into the bar very soon.

It comes alongside wider work on the street, which will see a number of changes and openings in the next few months.

The Meeting House will be closely connected with the new Indian-inspired restaurant Ru, which will take over from Little Wing when it moves next door.

Owners of the new bar are on the hunt for staff for the new pub, and have given prospective employees a bit of a hint as to what to expect. According to the listings, the pub “will be a ‘free-house’ pub with a focus on traditional Irish music and its unique historical location.”

They have also confirmed it will be connected to Ru, saying that “the pub will also be complemented by an adjoining Indian-inspired 60-seat restaurant, ‘Ru’.”

Teasing an opening date, they have said: “Opening this Autumn, The Meeting House will be a welcome addition to Belfast City Centre.” They are hoping to add a “vibrant, music-focused pub” to Belfast’s already bustling nightlife scene.

The move is part of a £14 million development project currently underway on the busy city centre street. Beannchor are currently transforming former retail and restaurant units into a new hotel complex.

Plans show that the new site will include a 41-bedroom hotel with a bar and restaurant, which will be connected internally to the current Little Wing location.

The new bar alongside Ru will be operated by the Beannchor group, which owns the likes of The Merchant, The National, Dirty Onion, and Little Wing.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here

When someone buys a drug illegally, they cannot be sure exactly what is in it.

More than one in three samples submitted to the Welsh Emerging Drug Identification Service (Wedinos) where the buyer had said what substance they believed they had purchased, contained something other than what they expected. Between April 2025 and March 2026, 36.6% of samples submitted to Wedinos did not contain the expected substance.

These findings illustrate how the illicit drug market is often defined by substitution, where the name, appearance or packaging of a drug may tell us surprisingly little about what is actually inside it.

One of the most concerning findings in the latest Wedinos report is the identification of a new group of synthetic opioids known as “orphine analogues”. Synthetic opioids are chemically produced drugs that can have effects similar to opioids such as morphine and heroin.

Orphine analogues are highly potent types of synthetic opioids, meaning they can have powerful effects at very small doses. That creates a particular risk when someone believes they are taking heroin but is actually consuming a different, potentially more potent substance.

The findings are particularly concerning because orphine analogues were identified alongside veterinary sedatives in samples submitted as heroin. The significance is not necessarily that this particular combination has a unique or established toxic effect, but that someone believing they have bought heroin may instead be exposed to multiple unexpected psychoactive substances, making the effects and risks much harder to predict.

The concern is not confined to Wales. The UK parliament has been told that orphines had been implicated in at least 22 deaths. The government has added seven of the substances to the list of class A drugs according to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

The problem, then, cannot simply be described as people choosing to use a new synthetic opioid. In some cases, people may have no idea that it is present.

Substitution is occurring across different parts of the illicit drug market. Wedinos continues to identify nitazenes, another group of highly potent synthetic opioids, in the samples they receive.

Novel benzodiazepines, synthetic central nervous system depressants, have been found in products sold as diazepam, commonly known by the brand name Valium. And products sold as THC, CBD or cannabis vapes have contained synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs), sometimes known as “spice”.

The result is a market in which people buying illicit drugs cannot necessarily rely on the usual cues used to identify them, like the name, colour, tablet shape, packaging or claims made by a seller.

Many of these products had been bought through illicit online routes, including fake pharmacies. They could look identical to legitimate medicines despite containing something other than the advertised drug.

Fake medicines

This is where it is useful to distinguish between an illegal drug and a counterfeit medicine. An illegal drug may be purchased knowing that it is an illicit substance. A counterfeit medicine is different because it’s deliberately manufactured and packaged to look like a legitimate pharmaceutical product.

The danger is that people may not realise they are taking an unknown substance at all. They may believe they are taking diazepam because the tablet and packaging look convincing.

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The same problem is appearing in the illicit cannabinoid market. Wedinos found that 43% of THC, CBD or cannabinoid vape samples submitted to the programme contained spice rather than what consumers expected.

These are not ordinary nicotine vapes from legitimate shops that have unexpectedly been contaminated. They are illicit cannabinoid products, purchased through illicit routes and sold as THC, CBD or cannabis-related products. In other words, someone may believe they have bought a particular cannabinoid product but instead receive a different psychoactive substance.

Substances known as spice are designed to act on the same cannabinoid receptors as cannabis but can produce much stronger and less predictable effects.

When used in vape liquids, their effects can be rapid and intense, including severe anxiety, panic, hallucinations, psychosis and seizures. Someone can believe they are buying cannabis but instead receive a completely different psychoactive substance.

Why is this happening?

There is no single explanation for why substances are being substituted. Illicit drug markets respond to factors including price, availability, supply chains, policing and changes in legislation. New psychoactive substances can also emerge quickly, particularly when existing compounds become controlled or harder to obtain.

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Drug checking services like Wedinos provides an important form of harm reduction by analysing individual samples and identifying what they contain. Such data can reveal emerging substances and substitutions that might otherwise remain invisible. But drug testing has limits. A test tells us what was identified in a particular sample and cannot guarantee that another tablet, powder or vape from the same seller or batch contains the same substances.

Drug checking is not a guarantee of safety. But it can reduce uncertainty. And as illicit drug markets become more complex, that information is becoming an increasingly important part of harm reduction.