The limited-edition Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino transforms the cult autumn favourite into a chilled bottled drink for the first time, giving fans a new way to enjoy the iconic flavour without visiting a coffee shop.

Priced at £2.20, it will be available in Sainsbury’s, SPAR and other major retailers while stocks last.

Starbucks is expanding its ready-to-drink range with the launch of Starbucks® Matcha Latte and Starbucks® Strawberry Matcha Latte, alongside the limited-edition Starbucks® Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino® (Image: Starbucks)

The drink blends Starbucks coffee with smooth milk and the chain’s signature pumpkin spice flavour, wrapped in a bottle decorated with pumpkins and autumn leaves.

Alongside the seasonal launch, Starbucks has expanded its permanent ready-to-drink range with two new beverages priced at £2.

The Starbucks Matcha Latte combines milk with premium matcha for a smooth, earthy flavour, while the Starbucks Strawberry Matcha Latte adds a fruity twist to the popular green tea drink.

Charlotta Oldham, Marketing Director EMEA at Starbucks, said: “With these new additions to our ready-to-drink range, we’re giving consumers more choice than ever before. Our new Matcha Latte range celebrates the distinctive taste and ritual of matcha… while our Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino captures the comforting, nostalgic flavours that have become synonymous with the arrival of autumn.”

Starbucks launches nationwide illustration competition

Starbucks launches its new illustration club (Image: Starbucks)

As well as expanding its drinks range, Starbucks has launched a new nationwide competition giving customers the chance to have their artwork displayed across the UK.

The Starbucks Illustration Club invites people to turn one of the brand’s iconic takeaway cups into a piece of art by drawing directly onto it and sharing a photo on Instagram.

The competition is being judged by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Ilori, who will mentor the overall winner.

Starbucks is expanding its ready-to-drink range with the launch of Starbucks® Matcha Latte and Starbucks® Strawberry Matcha Latte, alongside the limited-edition Starbucks® Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino® (Image: Starbucks)

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The winning design will feature in a nationwide outdoor advertising campaign, while nine runners-up will also have their artwork showcased.

Research commissioned by Starbucks found 72% of Gen Z and Millennials consider themselves creative, while 79% of UK adults say creativity helps them express themselves.

Yinka Ilori said: “Creativity doesn’t have to start in a studio or with a blank canvas. It can begin with something as simple as an everyday object, a spark of inspiration or a doodle over a coffee.”

How to enter

• Buy any hot drink from a Starbucks store.
• Create an original illustration on the cup.
• Photograph your design.
• Share it on Instagram tagging @StarbucksUK.

The competition is open until 21 August, with winners announced on 7 September.

Labrinth was the quiet man – the mastermind producer and songwriter behind an endless stream of hit records, films and critically acclaimed TV scores. He was the golden boy, a go-to for pop stars like The Weeknd, Beyoncé, Madonna, and Rihanna. He was not someone known for making trouble. So it was a shock, earlier this year, when he posted an expletive-laden, all-caps message to Instagram announcing he was walking away from the US teen drama series Euphoria, his record label, and the entire music industry. “F*** COLUMBIA,” he wrote. “DOUBLE F*** EUPHORIA. IM OUT [sic]. THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT.”

That since-deleted post landed just a month before the much-delayed third and final season of Euphoria. The musician, real name Timothy McKenzie, had been enlisted by show creator Sam Levinson to score the first two seasons, then the third – only now Labrinth was to be joined by Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer. In early interviews, he seemed excited at the prospect, telling one journalist: “A lot of the compositions I’ve fallen in love with have been his, so it’s weird that I get to even just be in the presence of this scoring god.” But by April, he’d pulled his music from the show, and Zimmer received sole credit for the season three score.

If you’d been paying attention to Labrinth’s solo album Cosmic Opera Act I, released at the beginning of this year, you might have noticed allusions to his discontent long before the Instagram post. On the dark, dramatic “Implosion”, he observes in a menacing mutter: “And they mark us out of 10/ In a game we’ll never win/ Chasing all this fame/ Till we meet our bitter end.” What could he be talking about?

Labrinth laughs when I bring up those intriguing lyrics. “I was definitely in a transition period,” the 37-year-old says. “I think every artist has been in that place where they’re like, what the hell is all this? As I’m getting older, too, I feel like everything you were conditioned to find important is actually kind of stupid.” We’re meeting at a smart cocktail bar in King’s Cross. For a while, it seemed unlikely that this interview would happen – I was initially told that Labrinth was “done” talking about Euphoria, about all of it. But then he released another album, Cosmic Opera Act II, in May – four months after its predecessor – and it felt like he did, in fact, have more to say.

I would have understood if he were cagey from the beginning, given recent events. Instead I find him to be relaxed, upbeat, and very funny. Labrinth was raised by gospel-loving parents in Hackney with his eight siblings; he’s maintained his London cool despite flitting between here and the home he shares in LA with his wife and three children. Cool being the operative word: it’s a heatwave day, but the fashion-forward Labrinth looks effortless in an all-black ensemble and tinted shades, like a chic scientist. He’s excited at what he feels is a new era for the music industry, with fewer gatekeepers: “They were like, ‘Play ball, bitch, follow these rules…’ I think that doesn’t exist in the same way.” Now, he thinks, it’s more of an even playing field, at least in the sense that artists are freer to release music how and when they want.

This was where Cosmic Opera Act I – his first solo album in three years – came in. He began writing it years ago, inspired by his love of Star Wars and composer John Barry, famed for his James Bond soundtracks: “I was always messing around with scoring, and I wanted to make a record solely on my laptop, by myself.” Clearly, he had a lot to get off his chest. His disillusionment with the industry creeps into Cosmic Opera’s jittery, ominous sound, but it is also glaringly evident in the lyrics, which call back to when he first started, and where he finds himself now. His career took off in 2010 with Tinie Tempah’s Brit Award-winning debut single “Pass Out” – which he co-wrote and produced – he was then signed to Syco, the record label owned by reality TV svengali Simon Cowell. A string of chart hits followed, from his debut solo single “Let the Sun Shine” to further Tinie collaborations, “Frisky” and “Earthquake”.

“I’ve got mad respect for the guy,” Labrinth says of Cowell. “The way he shows up [for artists] is very different to what people saw on TV. He’s got foresight – he sees potential, even if it’s something far from what he knows.”

Cowell’s gut instinct proved correct. Labrinth quickly became one of the most in-demand figures in the industry, writing songs on The Weeknd’s Grammy-nominated breakthrough Beauty Behind the Madness, and an Oscar-nominated entry on the 2019 Lion King soundtrack. Early fans likely associate him with a throbbing, synth-heavy sound – the same one he brought to the Euphoria score – but he also excels in a fragile, piano-based vulnerability. His 2014 single “Jealous” was so moving that Adele used it to make her cry while shooting her “Hello” music video. “Snot going everywhere,” she told one interviewer. “I can’t cope with that song. You could play it at my kid’s birthday and I’d burst into tears.”

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Levinson clearly recognised his talents too, inviting him to score what would become a cultural phenomenon that made Labrinth an international star along with the show’s cast – Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi. The show generated plenty of controversy for its depictions of drug use, nudity and violence, but it was praised for its acting and, of course, the music. Labrinth won an Emmy for “All of Us”, featuring vocals from Zendaya, and brought her out to great fanfare at Coachella festival in 2023.

So where did it all go wrong? He knew the question was coming, but suddenly Labrinth falters, unsure of how much to say. “I think I got tired of everything – that industry stuff we were talking about, the way people approach doing business,” he says slowly. Working on season two was also a very different experience to season one: more money, more people, more pressure. “It’s just the way everything was handled wasn’t great for me, and I got frustrated with that because I’ve seen that in music and film,” he says. “Let’s be clear, when I work for someone, I work for them, so how they want to use the music doesn’t matter.” It’s everything outside the creative process that he dislikes: “Going to an awards ceremony and everyone’s either high or s***-faced, in their suit and tie, and they’re all drained.”

At the time, he meant it when he said he was quitting: “For real like, I’m finished with this s***, I’m gonna go sell coconuts in the Caribbean and never talk of being an artist again,” he says. “But I think I was very angry [about the Euphoria situation], and my wife was like, ‘Babe, just take a minute’.” He praises her for reminding him about what really matters, asking him, “‘Why do you want to be bigger?’ Like, I don’t know, because loads of people told me I should want to be bigger?!”

He’s still with his record label, but he’s not spoken with Levinson since. Interviewed by Rolling Stone, the director said he “didn’t know” what had happened and praised Labrinth as “an incredible collaborator… who really built the foundation of the sound of Euphoria.” But he added that he’d decided to take a different approach to the film’s soundtrack in season three.

Labrinth shrugs when I quote this back to him. “Everyone does their press run how they do it,” he says. “I’m not looking for anyone to validate what I’ve said. I’m not trying to cover anything up or save myself. I said what I said.”

There’s a song on Cosmic Opera Act II that I adore, “Bouncy Castles & Trampolines”, that expresses a yearning to get back to a more innocent time: “Whatever happened to being young and careless?/ Super Soakers and figurines/ Keep me young, please keep me dreaming.” On the same album there’s “Prostitute”, containing the lyrics: “Money on the dresser/ I’m a prostitute/ No Vaseline/ This is how they do.” He giggles when I tell him that lyric made me shudder. His wife had the same reaction: “That’s how visceral it is, though, right?” he asks. “We’re literally being pimped out by the same people supposed to [help] us.”

He planned on taking a break, but there’s no way he can sit still for long. He keeps a Korg synthesiser next to his bed. “I keep creating projects that I’m excited about, and there’s the same old big s*** – collaborations, whatever,” he says. “I feel very focused on making something that feels meaningful to me.” He still wants to see change in the industry, a world where artists make things and collaborate for the fun of it, not because they’re trying to further their own careers. “We need to rewire the way artists even think about all of this,” he says. “Everyone’s thinking about how to turn themselves into a franchise or a legacy, turning their passion into a business. If you made no money off this, would you still want to do it? You need to ask every artist that question.” But I don’t need to ask Labrinth that. I already know the answer.

‘Cosmic Opera Act II’ is out now

If you are looking for somewhere new to try this summer, you could take a trip to Seaham to test out The Lookout.

The café can be found at the Seaham Harbour Marina and could be a perfect place to stop off for some lunch.

The Lookout says it is “confident you won’t find a better view in the North East”.

What is The Lookout in Seaham like?

The Lookout prides itself on offering “great” coffee that can be tailored to each person’s preference.

As well as hot coffees that are ideal for a chilly winter’s day, the café also offers iced coffees, fruit drinks, and iced matcha lattes that come in a range of flavours to help cool you down in summer.

Alongside drinks, you can grab something to eat at the café, such as a breakfast roll to start the day off right, or paninis and hot carvery sandwiches.

For those looking for something sweet, the café has homemade scones and cakes with flavours to match each season.

If you want to watch the sea or soak up some sun while enjoying your meal, you can sit in the outdoor area, which is known for having some of the best views in the North East.

What do visitors say about The Lookout in Seaham?

Reviewers on Tripadvisor praised the café for being a great spot all year round with some of the best scones in the North East.

One reviewer said: “Amazing sea views from this super friendly café down on the marina.

“They welcomed us and our dog with kindness and efficiency delivering our breakfasts quickly and exactly as we’d ordered.

“Very nice, hot coffees.

“The offer of snacks too for our dog.

“An excellent experience all round and very good value too.”

Another reviewer said: “Occasionally I meet friends here and without fail, the staff are lovely, and the food and drink always consistently good.

“In the winter the cafe is lovely and cosy and in the summer it’s delightful sitting outside overlooking the beach.

“A special place.”

Will you be visiting The Lookout in Seaham this summer? Let us know in the comments.

Drones are becoming increasingly popular in a technologically advancing world, but that doesn’t mean they can fly anywhere

Seeing a drone hovering above your garden can be an unsettling experience, particularly if it happens more than once. Whether you’re relaxing outside or spending time with your family, many people are left wondering whether their neighbour is actually allowed to fly it there.

While drones are legal to own and fly in the UK, there are strict rules governing how they should be used. Whether a neighbour has broken the law depends on factors including where the drone is being flown, whether it is being operated safely, and if it is capturing images or video in a way that breaches privacy laws. According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), drone users must always fly safely and responsibly.

The CAA’s Drone Code says operators should keep their drone within visual line of sight and fly no higher than 120 metres (400ft). They must also respect other people’s privacy and be aware that individuals may have concerns about drones flying close to their homes or gardens.

Contrary to a common misconception, homeowners do not automatically own all the airspace above their property. However, that does not give drone operators unrestricted permission to repeatedly hover over private gardens or fly in a way that could endanger people or property. The CAA says pilots must fly responsibly and avoid creating a risk to others.

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Privacy is another important consideration. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) says anyone using a drone fitted with a camera should consider their data protection responsibilities if they capture identifiable images of people outside their own household, particularly where recordings are shared or used beyond purely personal purposes.

If you believe a neighbour is using a drone to harass you or deliberately invade your privacy, the issue may extend beyond aviation rules. Depending on the circumstances, repeated behaviour could amount to anti-social behaviour or harassment, and concerns can be reported to the police if a criminal offence is suspected.

Official guidance recommends trying to resolve disputes with neighbours informally where possible before escalating matters. If the problem continues, keeping a record of when the drone is flown, where it was operating and any photographs or videos may help if the matter is investigated by the relevant authorities.

It’s also worth remembering that simply seeing a drone fly over your property does not necessarily mean any laws have been broken. Much depends on how it is being flown, whether it is creating a safety risk and whether there is evidence of unlawful recording or persistent nuisance.

Although drones are now a familiar sight across the UK, operators are still expected to follow strict safety and privacy rules. If a neighbour repeatedly flies a drone over your garden in a way that creates a risk, invades your privacy or forms part of a pattern of harassment, there are official routes available to report your concerns.

By SAM MERRIMAN, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

Published: 00:32 BST, 8 August 2026 | Updated: 05:50 BST, 8 August 2026

The Green Party deputy leader who said Palestinians have a right to ‘fight back’ on October 7 has called for fewer people to be referred to the Government’s anti-extremism scheme.

Mothin Ali said that Prevent ‘sweeps too many innocent people into the security state’ after figures showed a record number of referrals to the flagship counter-terror programme.

Last night a former Prevent counter terror officer slammed the Green co-deputy leader’s ‘uninformed’ comments and warned they will ‘hinder national security efforts’.

A Reform UK spokesman said: ‘Prevent is already unfit for purpose, opting to prioritise the “far-right” over Islamic extremism which poses a real and immediate danger to our national security. 

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‘The fact Mothin Ali has still yet to be referred to Prevent for his extremist comments is evidence of that.

‘It’s no wonder he wants to scale back this programme in case it actually starts doing its job.’

Former Prevent officer Ghaffar Hussain said that ‘by definition’ the scheme is designed to ‘support those who are innocent yet at risk of being susceptible to extremist influence’.

He added: ‘Security is not just about dealing with criminals, it is also about going upstream and putting in place interventions that prevent criminality. These types of uninformed comments only hinder national security efforts.’

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Mothin Ali, Deputy Leader of the Green Party, is interviewed on the first day of the Green Party Conference in 2025

Rachel Millward, Zack Polanski and Mothin Ali arrive for the Green Party Conference at Bournemouth International Centre in October 2025

Mr Ali – who apologised after saying that Palestinians have a right to ‘fight back’ after the Hamas terror attacks on October 7 – acknowledged that violent extremism is a ‘real threat’.

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But the Green councillor for Leeds, 44, said that ‘dragging more and more children into a counter-terrorism programme is not the solution’.

‘British Muslims have long warned that Prevent is heavy-handed, undermines trust and sweeps too many innocent people into the security state,’ he added.

Mr Ali – who also caused controversy when he shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ after being elected and has described Gaza as ‘the world’s biggest concentration camp’ – said ‘counter-terrorism resources should be focused on genuine terrorist threats’.

He suggested that Prevent resources could instead be diverted to teaching, youth work, social work and mental health support.

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Mr Ali added: ‘We can’t defeat hate and radicalisation by treating vulnerable children as security threats and making entire communities fear the state.

‘Approaches that stigmatise communities and erode trust risk deepening the alienation that extremists seek to exploit.’

His comments came after new Home Office figures this week showed that a record 10,293 referrals were made to Prevent for 9,957 people in the year to September.

The scheme saw referrals rise 39 per cent from 7,408 in the previous 12 months. This is the highest number of referrals in a single year since records began in 2015.

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Of the total referrals, just 860 (8 per cent) related to concerns of Islamist extremism, while there were more than 2,100 (20 per cent) over suspected ‘Right-wing extremism’.

It comes more than two years after a highly critical official report accused Prevent of applying a ‘double standard’ regarding Islamism.

The review found the role of Islamist ideology had been ‘misinterpreted, misunderstood, or even overlooked’ by officials, who prioritised countering far-Right activity above tackling Islamism.

A celebration of the pub’s success took place at the Gait Inn at Millington, near Pocklington.

Publicans Harriet and Daniel, who took over the Gait Inn five years ago, were on hand to receive the certificate from branch stalwart Suart Barkworth. He wasn’t alone as he had a group of CAMRA colleagues there to enjoy the evening.

Chris Tregellis, branch Chairman, had arranged a bus to visit the pub and other local attractions.

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Chris added: “We all enjoyed the evening as the Gait is certainly worth the trip out to Millington for food and excellent beer.  

“Stuart had nominated the pub as it’s one of his favourites and we all enjoyed the Wensleydale and Theakston beers on offer. And the food!

“It’s one to try when out in the Pocklington area.”

Harriet and Dan outside the Gair Inn at Millington (Image: Pic supplied)

Earlier, Stuart said of the 16th Century pub: “Set in beautiful countryside in the Yorkshire Wolds near the famous Millington pastures and Millington woods. For summer, outside there is a good size partially covered beer garden with great views of the Wolds. In winter the wood burning stoves make it warm and cosy.”

He continued: “The bar has three regular cask beers and changing guest beers from local breweries.  Hearty home cooked food is very popular. Regular events include quiz nights  fish Fridays. A beer festival is held each July. The Gait Inn is popular with locals and visitors. It richly deserves the York CAMRA pub of the season award for Summer 2026.”

Landlord Dan Morgan said thanked CAMRA for their support and said the presentation night went very well, with plenty of locals adding to the CAMRA members.

He wasn’t sure if publicity surrounding the CAMRA award has boosted trade, saying summer is always busy. He also praised his staff for helping deliver success for the family-run village pub.

The popularity of the Gait Inn is borne in online reviews.

TripAdvisor awards the Gait Inn 4.5 stars out of five, based on 235 reviews, ranking it 173th out of 793 York restaurants.

The most recent awarded five stars said: “Fifteen friends pre booked our food. Everyone said the food was excellent and the service was excellent as well. Great choice of dishes , good portions so much so we could not manage dessert! Thanks for looking after us Friday and see you all again soon.”

Google awards 4.7 stars out of five, based on 547 Googe reviews.

The latest awarded five stars and said: “Brilliant little pub good value. Lovely food and beer. Great staff.”

At least three people, including a child, have been killed in overnight Russian attacks near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

In the early hours of Saturday missiles hit east of the capital and witnesses reported hearing powerful explosions just days after strikes across Ukraine killed 21 people.

Falling debris damaged apartment buildings and cars, while a fire broke out at a separate building, the head of the regional military administration Timur Tkachenko said. He added that three others had been wounded in the ballistic missile strikes.

Emergency crews were also fighting fires at a building and fuel tank in Kyiv, Mayor Vitaly Klitchko wrote on Telegram.

Ukraine’s state emergency service DSNS shared photos showing garages, a business and a building on fire in Kyiv, adding: “The number of victims is being clarified.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Serbia for his first visit after raising concerns about Ukraine’s capacity to fend off Russian missile attacks due to depleting interceptors stockpiles.

Earlier in the week, Zelensky said delays in receiving anti-ballistic systems from partners leads to “horrific casualties and destruction”, saying that having a stronger interceptor capability “could have saved lives” in recent deadly assaults.

The president later said the supply of interceptors from allies had been “significantly reduced” this year.

It came after Ukraine hit two oil refineries deep inside Russia along with Moscow-linked vessels in the Black Sea, which Zelensky said was intended to limit oil revenues used by Russia to “finance” its war in Ukraine.

Recent mediation talks have faltered, leading to an escalation of attacks between both sides.

The young driver also nearly crashed into cars when driving on the wrong side of the road

A dangerous driver who led police on two high-speed pursuits has been jailed. Cambridgeshire Police spotted Adam Abdellouche, 19, driving a silver Vauxhall Astra which they believed to have false number plates in Broadway, Peterborough on September 18, 2024.

Officers tried to stop Abdellouche, but the 19-year-old turned left into Granville Street and sped away at 55mph in a 30mph zone. He continued to speed along Dogsthorpe Road and he tried to get away from a pursuing officer.

As he drove, Abdellouche failed to give way and nearly crashed into other vehicles, before mounting a pavement, driving along it and crashing into a wall. He ran from the scene and was later arrested.

Abdellouche was released on bail while an investigation took place. However on April 10 this year, officers tried to stop him again near Tallington in Lincolnshire. An officer was concerned that Abdellouche may drive through a level crossing to get away, so he parked his vehicle to block the road and illuminated his blue lights.

Abdellouche made an immediate right turn, cutting across the wrong side of the road, mounting a grass verge and sped along Stamford Road. He drove at more than 120mph as he tried to get away. He also ignored keep left signs and drove the wrong way around roundabouts. Officers deployed a stinger to end the pursuit, with the vehicle stopping on the A15 between Glinton and Werrington.

When Abdellouche was searched by officers, he was also found with a knife. Abdellouche, of Allexton Gardens, Welland, Peterborough, admitted to two counts of dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving without a licence and possession of a knife in public.

On Tuesday (August 4) at Cambridge Crown Court, he was jailed for 23 months and disqualified from driving for four years.

DC James Walker-Harrison said: “Abdellouche clearly had no consideration for the risk he put others in as he persistently drove dangerously in his failed attempts to get away from officers. Thankfully nobody was injured during these two incidents where he recklessly drove at high speed. I’m pleased he has now appeared in court and been jailed for his actions.”

Former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, a prominent Democrat who lost the presidency to Donald Trump in 2016, has warned of one Republican attack on progressive members of her party that will be “very effective” in the midterms.

After progressive Abdul El-Sayed’s victory over centrist congresswoman Haley Stevens in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, Clinton suggested that Republicans will baselessly label him as a “communist,” and it will work to dissuade voters.

“The real fight will be how do we make sure that people who voted for Haley feel comfortable voting for Abdul El-Sayed, and how do we get Independents to feel comfortable?

“And you can see that it’s not just about Michigan, but the Republican messaging is communist, socialist. It’s going to be a very effective attack,” Clinton told Kara Swisher during the journalist’s Pivot podcast with author Scott Galloway.

Trump was quick to celebrate El-Sayed’s election win, calling it “Great news for the Republican Party.”

“El-Sayed, a Communist loser who hates Jews and Israel, is the projected winner in his race with the Socialist…Now, the Dumocrats crazy policies will only get worse!” he wrote on Truth Social Wednesday.

Despite the pro-Israel group AIPAC spending tens of millions on Stevens’ campaign, El-Sayed — a former public health official who has accused Israel of genocide in its war against Hamas in Gaza — narrowly beat her in Tuesday’s race. Israel has vehemently denied allegations of genocide.

When Swisher probed further on whether labeling a politician a communist is an effective attack, Clinton said, “That’s the attack that Trump is leading with and I assume they’ve tested it and I assume that they have reason to believe that it’s effective or they wouldn’t be beating the drum on it.”

“It’s not just him. [Vice President JD] Vance has done it. Others are doing it. They are trying to bring back scare tactics about our candidates, and it didn’t work in New York. [New York City Mayor Zohran] Mamdani was elected, and there was a lot of money spent against him,” Clinton said.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist who has been commonly misstated as a communist, won his election in November against a member of the Democratic establishment, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Two democratic socialists whom Mamdani backed in the June primaries in New York, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez, also won their races.

The 40-year-old sent sexual messages to someone he thought was a teenage girl

A convicted sex offender who sent explicit messages to someone he thought was a teenage girl has been sent to prison. Daniel Coleman, 40, contacted the account in May 2025, not knowing it was a decoy run by an online child abuse activist group.

Despite the “child” telling him she was only 13 years old several times, he proceeded to strike up conversations of a sexual nature before arranging to meet her. Despite not using his real name, officers traced the IP address of the profile back to Coleman and he was arrested.

Coleman, of Bishops Road, Peterborough, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, breach of a sexual harm prevention order, inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, and failing to comply with Sex Offenders Register Requirements.

He was sentenced to four-and-half-years in prison at Cambridge Crown Court on July 31. PC Alex Neill, who investigated, said: “Coleman is clearly a risk to children. Protecting young people from harm is one of our top priorities and we will do all we can to bring offenders to justice.”

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