Woolly mammoths. Sabre-toothed tigers. The dodo. There is one species we can’t allow to end up on this list of vanishing creatures: the bookworm.
In a world where screen time dominates a dwindling attention economy, readers are in serious danger of becoming a dying breed. Recreational reading among children and teenagers in the UK has fallen to its lowest point in two decades, with just one-third of eight- to 18-year-olds saying they enjoy reading in their free time – a 36 per cent decline since 2005. Adults are not much better: only around half of us regularly pick up a book, and even fewer parents like to read to their young kids.
But there are abundant benefits to reading. Young people who get into the habit of reading in early childhood are more likely to achieve high qualifications and upward social mobility later on; they’re more able to build empathy, develop their creativity and spark their imagination. Reading even makes you happier.
Fortunately, in 2026, the fightback has begun. This year, a major nationwide campaign is inviting people to fall back in love with reading. A Department for Education initiative, the National Year of Reading is supported by more than 60 partners, including literary sector charities, funders and pledge partners. Library cards for newborns; 72,000 new books distributed to those who need them most; a £27.5m package for libraries; libraries in Suffolk are even offering an amnesty for 15,000 overdue library books. It’s all about putting a stop to the bookworm extinction. Also working hard to promote the power of books is the Queen’s Reading Room charity, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this year and connects over 186,000 book enthusiasts across more than 180 countries.
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And yet for all the benefits of reading, sometimes life just gets in the way. But there are several tips and tricks to help you stay on track with your TBR pile. And who better to advise than some of the world’s leading authors and biggest bookworms?
Not sure where to begin? Helen Fielding, creator of Bridget Jones, recommends prioritising pleasure when it comes to reading (Getty)
Ian McEwan
If you think you’re not reading enough, start with a novella, that entrancing form, short enough to hold you, not long enough to overwhelm you. Instead of a list, here’s one: Reunion by Fred Uhlmann.
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Helen Fielding
Don’t google the Beckhams! Or do online shopping or look at your screens. Being hooked by a good book is like nothing else. You have to use your own imagination to do the things that video games, TV, movies and memes do. You have to make all the sights, sounds, smells and effects with your own mind. That’s what makes reading so absorbing, restful and good for the soul.
On that note, don’t read anything where you’re forcing yourself because it’s so heavy going. I ruined my love of Dickens for years by forcing myself to read Bleak House in two days at college because I’d failed to do my summer reading list. Read the books you enjoy – and mix in some classics. They’ve stood the test of time for a reason. And the stories can be even more complex and seductive than the Beckhams.
Salman Rushdie
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Reading is a habit. You need to form the habit. Pick a convenient time of day and pick up a book at that time for 15 minutes. Do it every day for a couple of weeks and hopefully you’ll catch the bug. Oh, and make sure it’s a book you enjoy. If you find you’re not enjoying it, discard it and try another one. The book doesn’t matter. The pleasure does.
All it takes is 15 minutes a day to form a habit, says Salman Rushdie (AP)
Andrew Miller
Top tip: a comfy reading chair by a good light, and with a little table for your tea and glasses. You might also wish to invest in an elegant reading robe (or two: one for summer, one for winter).
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Kate Mosse
Trust your instincts – reading should be fun, nourishing, life-enhancing, brain-expanding, so if a book isn’t speaking to you, put it aside and try something else. It doesn’t matter. A story that isn’t to your taste now will still be waiting for you when the time is right. Enjoyment is everything.
Ian Rankin
Carve out some time, put down your phone, leave a book in a strategic spot – sofa, bedside, bathroom – and pick it up rather than your device!
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McFly star and bestselling children’s author Tom Fletcher listens to audiobooks with his family during car journeys (Getty)
Tessa Hadley
Don’t ever think of reading as a duty. It’s a pure pleasure. Don’t wait till bedtime. Turn your phone off or leave it in another room. Make a cup of tea or pour a glass of wine (a small glass, you need to stay sharp), remove your shoes. Curl up in a comfortable armchair or on a sofa. Exit all the smallness of your life, move through the portal of your books into other worlds, other ways of seeing and thinking and feeling…
Tom Fletcher
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Reading doesn’t only include traditional books. Stories live in song lyrics, comics and graphic novels – and audiobooks are a brilliant way to listen on the go. Follow your curiosity, read what excites you and explore your interests, not what you think you should be reading, and shift your mindset about what counts. For example, listening to audiobooks during a car journey is a fun way for families to read books together when the calendar is packed.
Jeanette Winterson
If there is any book you really loved… read it again! Then ask a friend for something they have enjoyed. Read that! Then choose something for yourself… Meanwhile, a short poem every day is like an espresso shot in the morning or a nightcap at bedtime. Try that too!
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‘Normal People’ star Daisy Edgar-Jones hops aboard the reading train ahead of her role in the new adaptation of Jane Austen’s ‘Sense and Sensibility’ (Instagram/Daisy Edgar-Jones)
Malorie Blackman
Read for pleasure with the emphasis on pleasure. Read what you love, what you care about, what challenges you, makes you think, makes you laugh or cry or feel. If you want to read graphic novels, books about hobbies or listen to audiobooks, then go for it. And enjoy!
David Mitchell
Keep a small fancy notebook on your bookshelf. On 1 January, write the name of the year – just “2026”. Every time you finish a book, write its ordinal number – 1st, 2nd, 3rd… 50th, etc. Do a deal with yourself – every year, you’ll finish more books than last year. You’re allowed to balance out a 900-page Dawn of Everything with a slim novella by Clare Keegan.
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Also, as you read, keep a pen close by. (A pencil is better but who carries pencils around?) Whenever you encounter something that you don’t want to forget, put a dot at the top of the page. Put another dot in the margin next to the line where the non-discardable something occurs. When you’ve finished the book, go through the book, looking out for the dots at the tops of pages; transcribe the “dotted somethings” into another notebook. By hand, with a fountain pen. Revisit them from time to time. If you know the author or can reach them on social media, share a few of your favourite dots. Trust me, it will enhance or even transform their day.
Lastly, when tempted to kill an hour on YouTube or a mediocre documentary on Netflix, remember that you will wish you could get those wasted 60 minutes back. Spend that same hour with a good book and you’ll feel mentally richer, less alone, smarter and that bit wiser.
The National Year of Reading campaign enters a troubling time for books, with literacy rates either stalling or declining across the Western world (Getty/iStock)
Elif Shafak
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Books are our beloved companions. I think it’s so important that we see reading as a continuous journey where we learn new things every day, sail to new horizons. When we dive into a novel, for a few days or weeks, we become someone else, we transcend the borders of the “self” and see the world through another person’s eyes, feel what they feel. We empathise with their sorrows, their joys, their dreams. Literature dismantles the duality of “us” versus “them”. This is a humbling exercise for the mind, for the soul.
Let’s read anything and everything that speaks to us – from cookbooks to political philosophy to literary fiction. I have never believed in that distinction between “highbrow literature” and “lowbrow literature”. Instead, let’s keep the curiosity of the mind alive and thriving. Let’s be intellectual nomads, constantly searching. That requires reading widely, both fiction and non-fiction. Across the board. If we are reading only one type of genre, or the same kind of books, it means we are not leaving our comfort zones. I find it very important that our reading lists be eclectic, diverse, connecting with multiple cultures, backgrounds, and traditions of storytelling.
As per Tessa Hadley’s advice, pour yourself a glass of wine (a small glass, you need to stay sharp) and dig in (Alamy/PA)
Tim Bouverie
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The best tip for reading more is to read great books by amazing authors – Austen, Dickens, Tolstoy, Waugh, Hemingway, etc. But having a dedicated reading time, such as before bed, or commuting to work – any time when you can ignore your telephone and concentrate – can also help. Smartphones are addictive and unwholesome. Reading, when pursued with energy and dedication, is addictive and wholesome.
Adam Weymouth
I’ve had some reading droughts since becoming a parent. Thrillers are often my way back: something inches thick with a hundred chapters. I can devour one in a fraction of the time it takes me to get through something more literary, and by the time I’m done, I’m back in the habit. Robert Ludlum is a particular favourite.
Robin Stevens
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The most important thing to me as an author and reader is the concept of fun. A book is a story – it’s entertainment – and I believe you should be looking for the kind of entertainment that truly makes your heart sing. What fun means to you is entirely personal, and nothing to do with how objectively pleasant a story might be (my own favourite genre revolves around at least one person being violently murdered), but as far as I’m concerned, that’s the only metric you should be judging your reading on.
BANGKOK (AP) — World shares advanced Thursday, while U.S. futures slipped as Iran launched more missiles at Israel on the sixth day of the war in the Middle East.
The future for the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.2%. The S&P 500 future was down 0.1%.
Uncertainty about the war in the Middle East has been rattling financial markets, with most taking their cues from what the price of oil is doing.
“Yesterday’s bounce in risk assets already looks less like a turning point and more like a classic relief rally in a market that briefly inhaled before realizing the room was still on fire,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.
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Crude prices climbed early Thursday, with Brent, the international standard, gaining 1.8% to $82.87 per barrel. U.S. benchmark crude jumped 2.1% to $76.31 per barrel.
The war brought a fresh wave of attacks by Iran on Israeli and American bases. Iran warned the United States would “bitterly regret” torpedoing an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean and a religious leader called for “Trump’s blood,” while Israel said it had begun a “large-scale” attack on Tehran.
In Germany, the DAX regained lost ground, rising 0.2% to 24,253.24, while the CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.3% to 8,194.80. Britain’s FTSE 100 added 0.4% to 10,609.63.
In Asian trading, South Korea’s Kospi took back much of its historic losses from a day earlier, jumping 9.6% to 5,583.90. It had gained as much as 12% earlier in the day as investors hunted bargains, triggering temporary trading halts.
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The government announced emergency measures for the economy after the benchmark fell by the most ever in a single day on Wednesday. President Lee Jae Myung urged officials to activate an emergency financial package worth 100 trillion won ($68.5 billion) aimed at calming market volatility.
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index gave back some early gains, closing 1.9% higher at 55,278.06.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng climbed 0.3% to 25,321.34 after Chinese Premier Li Qiang opened the annual session of the National People’s Congress with a report that set the annual target for economic growth this year at 4.5% to 5%. A draft budget put the increase in military spending at 7%, down from 7.2% in recent years.
The government pledged to support the sluggish domestic economy and spur more consumer spending, but did not announce any major new stimulus.
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The Shanghai Composite index gained 0.6% to 4,108.57.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.4% to 8,940.30, while New Zealand’s benchmark rose 0.6%.
Taiwan’s main share index gained 2.6%.
On Wednesday, U.S. stocks got a boost as oil prices steadied, albeit temporarily. A report that said growth for U.S. businesses in the real estate, finance and other services industries accelerated last month at the fastest pace since the summer of 2022 also helped.
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The S&P 500 rose 0.8%, erasing much of its losses since the war with Iran began. The Dow industrials added 0.5% and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.3%.
Another report suggested U.S. private sector employers stepped up hiring last month, a potentially hopeful signal for a more comprehensive U.S. government Friday about the overall job market.
Investors are worried over how long the war with Iran could last, how high inflation may go because of more expensive oil and how much damage that might do to corporate profits.
Wall Street also got a lift from Big Tech stocks as Amazon rose 3.9% and Nvidia added 1.7%. Because they’re among the biggest stocks in the U.S. market in terms of total value, their movements carry more weight on the S&P 500.
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Wednesday’s strong reports on the economy were welcome news for the Federal Reserve, whose job it is to keep the U.S. job market healthy and inflation low. The Fed’s job has become more difficult because of the jump in oil prices, which is pushing upward on already high inflation.
In other dealings early Thursday, the U.S. dollar rose to 157.16 Japanese yen from 157.07 yen. The euro fell to $1.1623 from $1.1636.
The dollar has advanced against other currencies partly because the U.S. is viewed as facing less risk from the war than other countries, analysts said.
“When the world becomes less certain, capital gravitates toward the deepest pool of liquidity available,” Innes said, adding that the dollar “remains the market’s preferred storm shelter.”
Emma Raducanu believes her style of tennis has been “coached out of me” and has suggested she could “tap into a few people” for guidance in the short-term rather than appointing a full-time coach.
Petchey was part of Raducanu’s team for her run to the Miami Open quarter-finals last season, and will offer Raducanu guidance at Indian Wells along with his TV commitments for Tennis Channel.
Raducanu has employed several full-time coaches since winning the US Open in 2021, and told BBC Sport that she is not necessarily in a rush to employ another.
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“I have had a lot of people telling me what to do, how to play, and it hasn’t necessarily fit,” Raducanu said ahead of her second-round match, having received a first-round bye.
“So I want to come back to my natural way of playing. That takes time to relearn because that’s something that has been coached out of me a little bit.
“I don’t necessarily want to have one coach in the role because anyone I bring in is straight away going to be scrutinised – even if it’s a trial.
“I might feel the pressure to stick with them, even if it’s not necessarily the right decision. I would love to have a coach that works well, but I don’t think it’s necessarily going to be easy to find one person and they are going to check every box.”
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Before splitting up with Roig, Raducanu said at the Australian Open that she wanted to “re-evaluate” her game and lamented that she had lost her tennis “identity”. She hinted at fundamental differences with Roig and his instructions.
“I definitely have my mind open to it,” she said. “It’s just that I would rather someone not come in and tell me ‘let’s do this’, and I disagree with it but have to listen to them. So far Alexis has been really good, but I am definitely going to tap into a few people here and there.”
The landmark Channel 4 documentary is a firm favourite amongst true crime fans as it follows detectives in a local police force as they investigate major crimes. Often following a case from start to finish, detectives are seen in the race against time as they uncover horrific truths in their search for justice.
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Having first been released in 2014, 24 Hours in Police Custody fans eagerly await new instalments to be released on Channel 4, with fresh episodes being released earlier this year.
After several weeks of the show being replaced on the television schedule, a two part instalment was aired last night on Channel 4, with both episodes released back to back. However, it may have been familiar to some viewers already as it was a repeat.
Titled 24 Hours in Police Custody: The Butcher of Suburbia, it delves into the 2024 murder of a 74-year-old woman. Viewers witnessed detectives investigate the killer who dismembered and hid her body, initially claiming she had moved away.
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For part one, the broadcaster teased: “The landmark series brings us the gripping inside story of the murder of a 74-year-old woman – and the killer’s macabre efforts to conceal her death.”
Part two continued: “The suspect admits to the murder of a 74-year-old woman. But a deeply disturbing tale that shocks experienced detectives has only just begun.”
Despite it being a repeat, viewers were left feeling sick after tuning in, with one person writing on social media: “Just vile and sick.”
Another said: “What an evil monster he is, that poor woman, this is absolutely horrific.” A third added: “My god what an evil sicko.”
Previously, when the episodes were first aired, one disgusted viewer said: “Omg that episode of 24 hours in police custody – the butcher of suburbia is HARROWING.”
Another added: “#24hoursinpolicecustody is undoubtedly one of the best programs on TV. The Butcher of Suburbia…the chilling calmness, openness, honesty about killing and chopping up a 70-year-old lady. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything quite like it.”
Viewers may be wondering when episodes will next be released on television screens. However, in disappointing news, the documentary series does not appear on the television guide next week, instead, Channel 4 will premiere its adaptation of A Woman of Substance on Wednesday, March 11, at 9pm.
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24 Hours in Police Custody can be streamed on Channel 4 online.
For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.
The following article contains spoilers from the episode of Coronation Street dated March 5. It hasn’t aired on ITV1 yet, but can be viewed on ITVX.
Jodie Ramsey (Olivia Frances-Brown) could be about to take action to keep someone quiet in Coronation Street, as a Weatherfield resident has made a massive discovery about her.
The character, introduced to us during Corriedale, has spent the past couple of days at the hospital supporting David and Shona Platt (Jack P Shepherd and Julia Goulding), who were there for baby Harper’s operation.
Initially, Jodie and the rest of the Platt clan were in the hospital lobby waiting for news on Harper. However, when David and Shona learnt that their daughter had suffered a bleed, a stressed David told everyone to leave.
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Jodie stayed behind because she wanted to try to get closer to David. Whether this worked or not remains to be seen, but she did give David a hug, and he told her that she cannot tell anyone about it.
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While in the corridor, Jodie bumped into a mum who assumed that Harper was her daughter.
Jodie had to think on her feet in today’s episode, as the mum crossed paths with her again.
Prior to this, Shona and David discovered that Jodie had spent the entire night at the hospital with them. They thought it was a bit strange, but their exhaustion meant neither of them had the energy to grow suspicious.
When Jodie bumped into the mum, she happily chatted about Harper’s operation and once again pretended that she was her daughter. To Jodie’s shock, though, Shona was overhearing the entire thing.
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David and Shona have spent the past couple of days at hospital with Harper (Picture: ITV)
Jodie quickly claimed that the mum wasn’t very well mentally, and went along with her assumption that she was Harper’s mum because it was easier. Shona was far too tired to wonder if Jodie’s story was true, which meant she had got away with it.
Jodie’s ‘trophy box’ discovered
Meanwhile, at the Platt home, Lily (Grace Ashcroft-Gardner) was searching for some schoolwork. During this, she came across a box in a cupboard. Curious, she opened it and spotted the cut out of Bernie Winter’s (Jane Hazlegrove) face, which was stolen by Jodie a couple of days ago.
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When Jodie returned from the hospital, Lily confronted her aunt about the box. The teen had also noticed Brian Packham’s (Peter Gunn) book inside, and wondered why she had stolen it along with the picture of Bernie.
Jodie has previously told Lily that Shona won’t ever love her as much as Harper, because she isn’t her daughter (Picture: ITV)
Jodie did a very good job at covering up the truth and told Lily that she nicked the book because she wanted to stick up for her niece, as Shona and David never do.
Jodie asked Lily if she was going to keep quiet, and was thrown when the youngster said she wasn’t sure.
Left alone, Jodie had a dark look on her face, but is she going to do something to Lily to ensure she doesn’t tell anyone about the box, which seems to have items from her past victims inside?
New figures show more than 2,700 investors were “within touching distance” of ISA millionaire status in 2022-23 – and strong market gains since then mean many are likely to have now crossed the seven-figure mark.
Data obtained from HM Revenue and Customs via a Freedom of Information request shows around 5,070 people had Individual Savings Account (ISA) pots worth £1 million or more by April 2023.
But that may only tell part of the story.
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Further breakdowns requested by investment app Plum reveal:
1,240 ISA holders had between £950,000 and £999,999
1,530 investors held between £900,000 and £949,999
4,700 savers had pots worth £800,000 to £899,999
With stock markets rising in recent years, many of those investors may now have exceeded £1 million.
Nearly 60,000 savers above £500,000
The HMRC data also shows 59,970 ISA holders had balances between £500,000 and £999,999 in 2022-23.
Plum said a significant proportion of these investors could realistically join “millionaires’ row” within the next decade — assuming they remain invested and benefit from compounded growth.
Rajan Lakhani of Plum said: “Few people could ever have imagined that when the ISA launched, it would one day be creating tens of thousands of millionaires.”
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The milestone highlights the power of long-term investing.
Figures released in December by The National Lottery showed that since its launch in 1994, more than 7,700 millionaires have been created. It previously said 365 millionaires were made in 2025 alone.
But financial experts say investing offers something different: control.
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Maike Currie, vice president of personal finance at PensionBee, said: “What these figures tell us is the power of compounding and the importance of control – you can’t plan to win the Lottery, but you can plan to invest.
Not everyone will win the Lotto – most won’t.
Likewise, not everyone will be born into wealth, marry it or receive a life-changing inheritance.
But investing is within the reach of ordinary earners and ISAs are one of the most powerful tools we have to democratise that opportunity.”
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With the end of the tax year approaching, Currie said the figures are a reminder to use annual ISA and pension allowances before they reset.
“You don’t need luck – you need time, discipline and the decision to start,” she added.
For tens of thousands of investors already sitting on six-figure ISA balances, the leap to seven figures may be closer than they think.
And for everyone else, the message from experts is clear: while lottery wins grab headlines, steady long-term investing may be quietly building far more millionaires in the background.
As the war in the Middle East continues to rage on, The News’s former chief reporter Tom Cotterill found himself in the middle of the mayhem. Writing from Tel Aviv, Tom, who is now The Telegraph’s defence editor, describes his journey into Israel as Iranian missiles flew overhead.
A Brit living in Turkey has sent a message to holidaymakers amid the conflict in the Middle East. She said she’s not afraid, despite the “serious war” that’s breaking out
A Scottish woman, known as Your Lassie in Turkey on TikTok, recently posted her thoughts after she started receiving comments from people making assumptions about the conflict in Iran. She had a key message for Brits.
Speaking on Wednesday (March 4), she said: “There was an Iranian missile intercepted today. Now, I’ve read lots of different stories, and different news reports. Some reports are saying the missile was rogue, that it was heading for Cyprus, but then came in towards Turkey.
“I’ve heard that it was directly coming for Turkey, I’ve read a load of different things, so I don’t know what is 100% accurate, but what is accurate is that NATO did actually manage to intercept it over a believed Turkish airspace.
“Some people are saying it didn’t reach Turkish airspace, but it was intercepted anyway, so I’m going to go on to talk about that. A few things I would like to highlight here.
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“It’s extremely serious. Turkey has got a bit of a tricky balancing act to do. We’ve got a very long border with Iran. There’s been over 500 years of stability, there’s never been any direct problems between Turkey or Iran.
“The Turkish government and the Iranian government actually have a really good relationship. It’s very pragmatic, but there’s very strong economic and trade ties between both countries.”
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She also pointed out that Turkey is a NATO country, and that the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has a “very good” relationship with President Trump. Even though she describes Turkey as being “in the middle”, she also noted it’s a country that doesn’t want conflict.
She told people Turkey is “not involved in the conflict”, and life is currently as normal in the destination. In other words, people may have a very different idea of what it’s actually like there, as she feels safe at the moment.
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“Until we’re told otherwise, it’s safe to come to this country, and it’s safe to fly” she added. She said if the airlines are operating, and the government say it’s safe, there is generally no need to worry about travelling.
One person replied to her video, saying: “Love your videos. Our whole family will be visiting Turkey in June, we all love it. There are 14 of us!”
Another added: “Yes, you do know exactly what is going on, you are there. My husband is Cypriot, he called his mother in Cyprus this morning and Cypriot families are worried. Hope all is ok. Stay safe.”
A third replied: “To be honest, it’s very scary. I feel nowhere is safe now. Can change hour by hour. No point in worrying about it. Just need to get on with our lives until told otherwise.”
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Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: “Thanks for these updates. Our family will be visiting Turkey in June and looking forward to it. Been visiting Turkey for 20 years.”
What is the current travel guidance for Turkey?
As of March 5, the government website states: “FCDO advises against all travel to within 10km of the border with Syria due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism.
“Regional escalation poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption.”
British nationals should:
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Read if you’re affected by a crisis abroad – GOV.UK. This includes guidance on “how to prepare for a crisis” with suggestions on what you might include in your emergency supplies and “what to do in a crisis”
Follow advice from the local authorities
Sign up to FCDO Travel Advice email alerts
Monitor local and international media for the latest information
Stay away from areas around security or military facilities
Keep your departure plans under review, and ensure your travel documents are up to date
If you are advised to take shelter, stay indoors or find the nearest safe building or designated shelter. An interior stairwell or a room with as few external walls or windows as possible may provide additional protection
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The parking measures in North Berwick have proven controversial and would allow just 45 minutes of free parking in the high street.
Residents of a seaside town are at war with new parking meters with 40k worth of damage caused by vandalism before they are even switched on.
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Around 30 out of 40 new machines in affluent North Berwick have been spray painted with graffiti, smashed and even covered in glue – before they have collected a penny.
Some of the meters around the plush town have been defaced with stickers featuring the campaign slogan “Resist”.
However just weeks before the new parking laws are set to come into effect damage has been caused to the machines already.
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The parking measures have proved controversial and would allow just 45 minutes of free parking in the high street.
Drivers in the area would then be charged £1 for up to 75 minutes and £2 for up to a maximum of 90 minutes.
The new rules were due to start this week but that has now been put back to April.
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Locals say a 7000 strong petition calling for them not to be installed was ignored by council bosses.
One local said: “There are only a couple of weeks when it’s busy in the summer, the rest of the time, it’s fine as it is, so it’s really just moneymaking.
“The way the council snuck it through wasn’t very good
“The charges aren’t required. There are plenty parking spaces. Nobody can condone vandalism, but everybody hopes they don’t get caught.
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“I think they should take away the charges. There was a petition that got about 7000 signatures – the towns only got a population of 10,000 – and they ignored it. It’s totally undemocratic.”
Another said: “In my view, it’s not a significant amount of money they’re charging for it, and it should keep traffic flowing through the high street.
“I don’t think it’ll impact businesses that much – I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I don’t agree with the vandalism at all, I think it’s out of order.”
Jane Leason, from Yorkshire but regularly holidays to North Berwick in motorhome and thinks the campaign is “hilarious.
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He said: “It’s a lovely place. If you stop cars coming through and put restraints on people, the businesses will suffer.
“I think the ‘Resist Campaign’ is so funny. It’s our demographic. Older people know how to fight for things and they’re not going to put up with too much.
“Councils think they can wear people down, but they can’t wear older people down. Yes it does get busy during the summer – we know, we come here in the summer – but places like this need tourists to come.
“And during the quiet seasons, locals just want to enjoy their lives as they are, not pay for tourists.
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Robert Leason said: “This shows the council needs to listen to what the local people are saying.
“The council is too big and too remote to listen to what people are saying, but now people are saying “you need to take notice of us.”
Alana Anderson, owner of Madame Butterfly, local business added: “I’ve been here eighteen years and when I first heard about the meters, I was terrified. I’m still terrified.
“You read social media and see people saying they won’t come to North Berwick again, and the council aren’t doing anything to reassure business owners.
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“I don’t live in North Berwick, and I don’t know where I’m going to park. It’s a tricky place – people might just get in their fancy cars and go to Tesco.
“I don’t think vandalism is the answer, however I’m not really surprised. I do think it’s taking it a wee bit far, because I don’t think they’re going to change the council’s mind.
“They’ve put the machines in, and they’re not going to take them down. The vandalism won’t get us anywhere. It’s delayed it for a couple of months, but I don’t think it’ll get us anywhere. I think it’s fighting a losing battle.”
Andy Robertson, local resident – “After the holiday season is over, there’s loads of spaces to park.
“I have family that live outside Glasgow, and they have cars – where are they going to park? They’re not just coming for half an hour or an hour, so I’ll have to buy three parking tickets.
“The vandalism is just stupidity – it’s just extra money. The machines will need to be repaired, and where is that money going to come from? It’ll be us.
“The council are going to do what they’re going to do. They are the power and they’re going to do what they think they should do.”
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Carol Smith, local resident said: “I’m against the meters. The parking is only an issue during the summer months when all the visitors come.
“I think it’s unnecessary and it’s causing issues for people on residential streets who don’t have drives. I think it will cause chaos.
“I think the vandalism is wrong. I sympathise with the feelings behind it, but I think it’s just going to cost us more money to get them repaired.
“I don’t think the council has listened to the residents at all. I’ve heard stories of people saying they’ll never set foot in North Berwick now.”
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East Lothian Council leader Norman Hampshire told the BBC: “The council budget can’t afford to employ traffic wardens and the income from the parking charges will allow us to employ them.
“If people think by vandalising the machines they will stop the parking charges coming in, we will bring them in. We need to do this.
“North Berwick is a small town, some people will know who is responsible for the vandalism and Police Scotland are confident they’ll be able to apprehend the people responsible.”
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IPS UK that installed them described the vandalism as “totally extraordinary”.
Managing director Freddie Jones told the BBC: “We have experience of commissioning thousands of parking meters across the whole UK over a number of years.
“We have never seen the sheer volume and extent of the vandalism which has taken place in North Berwick.
“For a project of this type, it is completely unprecedented.”
John Wellwood, of North Berwick Community Council, said it was pushing for a legal review of the measures and the process of implementing it.
He said: “We don’t condone the vandalism; in fact we condemn it.
“But the strength of feeling in the town is massive.
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“This is what everybody is against and we can’t find anyone who is trying to support it apart from the council.
“Everything we have tried has been blocked by East Lothian Council. So I can understand the frustration people are feeling”.
Insp Alan King, of Police Scotland, said the vandalism had caused great expense to the “public purse” while councils were “bearing what are harsh economic times”.
East Lothian Council said the delay was not due to the vandalism.
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East Lothian Council leader, Councillor Norman Hampshire told the BBC those responsible for defacing the machines would have “action taken against them”.
“The council budget can’t afford to employ traffic wardens and the income from the parking charges will allow us to employ them,” he said.
“If people think by vandalising the machines they will stop the parking charges coming in, we will bring them in. We need to do this.
“North Berwick is a small town, some people will know who is responsible for the vandalism and Police Scotland are confident they’ll be able to apprehend the people responsible.”
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The council described the designs as ‘bland’ and ‘repetitive’
Plans to build nearly 30 homes in a small village with “limited services” have been refused. The Cambridge Housing Society submitted plans to East Cambridgeshire District Council to build 27 affordable homes on land west of Ely Road in Little Thetford.
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The homes proposed were 23 rented and four shared ownership homes. These included: six one-bed flats, three one-bed bungalows, seven two-bed houses, a pair of two-bed houses, four two-bed bungalows, four three-bed houses and one four-bed house.
The housing association said the plans provide “100% affordable housing” with a “balanced mix” of “high quality” homes. These plans have now been refused by the council.
In stating its decision for refusal, the council said that the “affordable housing need for Little Thetford had been assessed and met through a previously approved scheme”.
The council added: “The application site is adjacent to Little Thetford, however, the village has very limited services and facilities, resulting in residents having to leave the village for the majority of their daily needs.”
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The council also said the plans would cause “harm to the character” of the area. The designs of the homes were also seen as “repetitive and bland”, and would bring “poor quality design into the countryside”.
For anyone who may have moved to these homes, the council thought they would be affected by noise. There was also not enough information on how highways would be affected, as well as “insufficient” information on the watercourse.
Initially after the plans were submitted, they received 48 public comments and these were all objections. On resident in Dewsbury Gardens a junction at the front of the village was “dangerous enough”, and adding more traffic would make it “even more dangerous”.
Another person in Watsons Lane believed there wasn’t a “need” for the homes. One resident in Chapel Close mentioned that the village had “very limited amenities” and an “unreliable bus service”.
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They added: “With the addition of 27 dwellings and 61 parking spaces within the development this would cause significant congestion to an already dangerous junction which has visibility constraints.”
A five-year-old boy from Cambridgeshire died after an allergic reaction at school in December 2021. His mother has welcomed new government requirements for mandatory allergy training and adrenaline pens in schools.
Katie Green and Jasmine Norden Press Association Education Correspondent
08:00, 05 Mar 2026
A mother, whose five-year-old son tragically passed away following an allergic reaction at school, has expressed her support for new measures aimed at safeguarding children with allergies.
Helen Blythe, whose son Benedict died at Barnack Primary School, near Peterborough, in 2021, said that the new requirements will make it “less likely for other families to go through what we’ve been through”.
The government has unveiled statutory requirements for schools, replacing the previous non-statutory guidance on protecting children with allergies. Under the proposed measures, currently under consultation, schools will be required to provide mandatory allergy awareness training for all staff, keep spare allergy pens on hand for emergencies, and establish comprehensive plans to support children with medical conditions.
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These requirements, set to be implemented in September, follow campaigning efforts by the National Allergy Strategy Group and families, including Helen and Peter Blythe. The guidance will stipulate that schools should have individual healthcare plans for pupils with medical conditions.
For instance, a child with epilepsy should have a plan detailing seizure types and emergency procedures. Speaking to the Press Association, Mrs Blythe said: “This is something we’ve campaigned for for a long time as a family. It’s been a hard campaign, both work-wise and emotionally.
“These measures will make it less likely for other families to go through what we’ve been through. And for Benedict his memory will be etched into the history books and into time.
“We’ve always said that his life mattered and his death should matter too. And in this it does, it’s his legacy, and that means a lot.”
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The Blythe family have been campaigning for the introduction of Benedict’s Law to mandate allergy safety in schools for four years. The new protections were not in place when Benedict joined his school, Mr and Mrs Blythe said.
Minister for early education Olivia Bailey said: “No parent should have to send their child to school worried that a life-threatening allergic reaction won’t be handled swiftly. We have listened to the families and organisations who have campaigned tirelessly on this issue, and we are acting.
“These new requirements will give parents the confidence that every school has the training, the plans and the equipment in place to keep their child safe.”
Benedict died following accidental exposure to cow’s milk protein at his school. An inquest found the school didn’t follow all the measures in place to prevent the fatal anaphylactic reaction, and that there were risks of contamination and delays in administering an adrenaline pen.
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A prevention of future deaths report said initial investigations into Benedict’s death focused on him having eaten a McVitie’s biscuit that he had brought in from home on the day he collapsed. It was later established that the biscuit was not the cause of Benedict’s anaphylactic reaction, and an inquest concluded that he had likely been given cow’s milk protein in his bottle during break time.
In her report, coroner Elizabeth Gray stated that the failure to retain Benedict’s vomit or preserve evidence at the scene meant samples could not be tested, which could have helped to identify what caused Benedict’s reaction at an earlier stage.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the school leaders’ union NAHT, welcomed the new guidance, but emphasised that schools need funding to ensure they have the staffing capacity to fulfil duties and can provide specialist health support where necessary.
He added that some specialist health support, where more complex provision is required, cannot be delegated to school staff even with training, and schools need clarification about what to do in these situations.
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He said: “Expecting schools to stock ‘spare’ adrenaline auto-injectors for use in emergency situations appears a sensible step, as is training staff to use them effectively. However, the government need to be confident that there are sufficient stocks maintained across the country to ensure each setting can keep a sufficient share of adrenaline auto-injectors.”
