As war exposes the fragility of global energy supplies, communities are showing how clean power can be local, affordable and owned by the people who use it
If you’d not met the man, and I asked you to picture a ‘Reg Platt’, what would spring to mind? A retired gas fitter? A dogged constable in a Hercule Poirot drama? Almost certainly not a buzzing entrepreneur, with grizzled rock star good looks, who’s driving a revolution in solar power across the rooftops of east London.
So much for nominative determinism.
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His company, Emergent Energy, is breaking new ground by enabling a local authority – in this case the London borough of Hackney – to bring clean, green electricity to its council home tenants. In doing so, it’s exploiting recent changes in electricity regulations, which allow locally generated solar power to be supplied directly to nearby households.
Reg Platt’s work with Hackney council is turning social housing into a network of clean power stations. Image: Sam Bush
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It works like this: Hackney commissions Emergent to install solar power on the sprawling flat roofs of its council flats. Emergent manages the resulting array as a ‘micro grid’, billing residents directly for their electricity use, and exporting surplus power – generated when local demand is low – into the National Grid. The resulting earnings means it’s possible to reduce residents’ typical overall bills by around 15%, not insignificant at a time of spiralling energy costs.
To date, Emergent has installed solar PV across 28 blocks, benefiting 800 residents. “It’s the single largest deployment in the social housing sector,” says Platt, “and the only such project that’s been delivered with zero government funding towards the capital costs. The system pays for itself.”
It appears a win-win for all concerned: residents get cheaper power, Hackney owns the assets and recoups its investment through electricity sales, and Emergent has a business model that is poised to expand across the country. As Platt points out, there are 5m flats in the UK, of which 2m are – like the ones in Hackney – social housing. Not all will be suitable for this approach, but a healthy proportion should be. It’s set to transform the prospects for bringing affordable solar power within reach of millions of Britons, a potential recognised when it won the 2025 Ashden Award for Breaking Barriers.
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Of the 5m flats in the UK, like these in Sheffield, many could be suitable for solar, says Platt. Image: Ben Elliott
Born and raised in the Kentish outskirts of London, the young Platt was more artist and activist than entrepreneur. He was working as a musician but drawn to environmentalism under the influence of James Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis. Radicalised in the early 2000s amid anti-capitalist protests and the Iraq war, he also got involved in the climate movement and helped set up a Transition Towns-style group in Brighton, where he was living at the time.
But Platt soon decided that it was “never going to achieve the sort of change needed relative to the scale of the problem. So, I flipped my career: music became more of a hobby, and I did a master’s in environment, science and society”.
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That led to work on personal carbon trading with the Royal Society of Arts, and then with the Institute for Public Policy Research, delving into climate and energy policy. By his own admission, Platt wasn’t initially a natural thinktanker. “I had to work 50% harder than all those Oxbridge people to write those reports.”
It’s the only such project that’s been delivered with zero government funding towards the capital costs. The system pays for itself
But the musician in him gradually found out how to imbue his writing with a creativity that stood out from the crowd. It came in handy when his work on electricity markets coincided with a surge of interest in green energy, boosted when Ed Miliband became leader of the opposition Labour party. “Energy was huge news, and I was in the thick of it, in the press the whole time.”
A policy wonk despite himself, then, and an influential one too, helping shape Labour’s 2015 manifesto. But not as yet an entrepreneur. So, what changed? “I met my wife when I was 30. She’s an entrepreneur [who runs her own fashion brand], and I was just blown away by the scale of the ambition, the potential … I learned that there’s this thing you can do: start a business. It was amazing.”
Fired up, Platt started making plans, leveraging all his accumulated energy knowhow in a drive to work with local authorities on renewables. After a spell pursuing similar goals with green energy company OVO, he made the leap of faith to set up Emergent in 2016.
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Platt sees the future of energy as local, shared – and already here. Image: Sam Bush
Now that the Hackney scheme has provided the all-important proof of concept, Emergent is poised to expand, exploiting an energy landscape that is ripe for disruption. “We have this highly centralised industry, yet all the technology is becoming more and more distributed and decentralised, and AI just turbocharges everything.”
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Meanwhile, Emergent’s ability to deliver solar direct to poorer communities while actually saving them money is a living reproof to the likes of the Reform party, whose members still pour scorn on net zero and green energy in general. So, what about taking his proven concept into the belly of the beast, and setting up solar in a Reform-controlled council area? “Now that’s an interesting idea”, he muses. “How do we do that? I need to think about that …”
Fire in the grassroots
Three more schemes that capture the potential of community energy
1) People Owned Power
Imagine an entire street as a clean, green power station. That’s the vision captured by activists and filmmakers Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn, who set out to see if it was possible on their home street in Walthamstow, east London. The duo’s Power Station film documents their effort to make it happen in their own home, and bring the neighbours along, too.
It echoes and amplifies the work of People Owned Power, founded by energy entrepreneur Howard Johns, which helps householders and groups of neighbours use a mixture of solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, insulation and electric vehicle chargers to dramatically cut their reliance on mains electricity. On average, this is reduced by 80%, while some homes are able to generate 120% of their needs, allowing them to export a surplus to the grid while enjoying ‘zero bills’.
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As Johns puts it: “Long-term, we are building the social infrastructure for a decentralised, flexible energy system. Where communities can share energy locally; for a cleaner, more resilient and fairer future.”
2) Repowering London
Across the capital, another trailblazer is helping communities access solar power. Repowering London’s schemes range from a pilot supplying local electricity to residents in Brixton, to community-owned solar projects stretching from Lambeth in south London to Barnet in the north. To date, Repowering London has supported 12 local groups across the capital to form community benefit societies – the same co-operative structure that owns Positive News.
One of the most striking is in the borough of Newham, which has one of the highest rates of fuel poverty rates in England. Community Energy Newham has successfully installed solar panels on a number of the borough’s schools and libraries, generating power for pupils and users. It is also working with partners to deliver community-owned heat generation, retrofit support and employment for local people, giving communities the opportunity to own and benefit from their energy systems.
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3) OffshoreWind4Kids
Offshore wind is that seemingly rare thing: a British success story. It produces a little under a fifth of the country’s electricity, and as numbers of windfarms grow, not only in the UK but across the world, so do the prospects for more rewarding careers in the sector.
With that in mind, OffshoreWind4Kids is helping children and young people learn all about the technology and its potential, and even have a crack at making their own (scaled down) offshore equipment.
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An independent non-profit based in Belgium and supported by the industry, the scheme is now operating across more than 20 countries. Its Floating Wind Challenge, where students compete to design and build the best floating wind support structure, attracts teams from across Asia, Europe and the Americas.
Currently, young people aged 16 and 17 can marry or form a civil partnership with parental consent
Child marriages are to be banned in Northern Ireland as new legislation would raise the legal age of marriage from 16 to 18.
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Finance Minister John O’Dowd has introduced the new legislation to the Assembly which will raise the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership to 18.
Currently young people here aged 16 and 17 can marry or form a civil partnership conditional on parental or equivalent consent. The Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill will raise the minimum age from 16 to 18. In addition, temporary arrangements have been in place which permit belief marriages, such as humanist ceremonies, to proceed in the same way as religious marriages. This new Bill will make belief marriage arrangements official and permanent.
For the period 2020 – 2024, there were 183 marriages where at least one partner was under 18. Provisional figures available for 2025 show there were 13 marriages where at least one partner was under 18
Speaking following the introduction of the Bill on Monday, Finance Minister John O’Dowd said: “The legislation introduced will help to better safeguard our children and young people.
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“Child marriage can increase the risk of forced marriage and can deprive children of education and other essential life opportunities. Girls, who are more frequently married as children than boys, are especially at risk.
“Organisations such as the United Nations and local stakeholders recommend raising the minimum age for marriage from the present 16 to 18.
“I am therefore convinced of the need for change, particularly given that almost every respondent to the consultation supported raising the minimum age.”
The Minister continued: “For several years, belief marriages have been permitted through temporary arrangements. This Bill will now put belief marriages on a permanent legal footing, giving them the same statutory recognition as religious marriages.”
The character first hit our screens in November 2025 as Will Driscoll’s (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) athletics coach, though it soon became clear that there was something much more sinister going on.
It transpired that Megan had been grooming Will, which was why he had been so reluctant to leave Hull for Weatherfield – especially when Megan made it clear that she wasn’t prepared to embark on a long-distance relationship.
However, seeing how much the move was upsetting Will, Eva Price (Catherine Tyldesley) and Maggie Driscoll (Pauline McLynn) decided to pay Megan to make the journey to Manchester regularly to continue Will’s athletics training.
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It wasn’t long before Megan secured a job at Will’s school and moved to Coronation Street permanently.
In recent weeks, she has been fighting to keep her secret under wraps after Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan) worked out what was going on – and that Will wasn’t Megan’s first victim.
Megan has gone out of her way to scare Sam into keeping quiet, from stealing his essays to threatening to expose him as a ‘creep’.
Will Driscoll is not Megan’s first victim (Picture: ITV)
With his grades affected by her tampering, Sam took to abusing ADHD medication, hoping it would help him study.
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After collapsing and ending up in hospital because of it, Sam finally confessed Megan’s crimes to Eva and Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson), and Megan was arrested after Eva and Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker) went to the police.
It can’t be easy to play such a disturbed villain, but fans have praised actress Beth Nixon for her performance in the role.
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Taking to social media site Twitter/X, they called for her to be recognised with awards for her portrayal of the ‘deplorable’ character, as they praised her ‘believable’ performance.
I will say Beth Nixon has upped her game in this storyline. She’s done a great job of portraying the dual personality of Megan’s malicious and twisted ways and balancing it out with the cordial teacher #Corriepic.twitter.com/QLs4Cp4PiX
tonight’s corrie was soooo good, i can’t get over just how good beth nixon is. gutted the BSAs aren’t going ahead this year cause she deserves her flowers
Megan marks the first TV role Beth has played, having graduated drama school in 2021.
She previously revealed that she had auditioned for the role of Lauren Bolton, which was ultimately won by actress Cait Fitton, as well as another character involved in that storyline.
‘This is my first TV job, but not the first time I have auditioned for Corrie,’ she explained. ‘I auditioned for the part of Lauren Bolton and then for a girl who was giving Lauren a hard time at the mother and baby unit.’
Beth clearly hasn’t taken the responsibility of playing a role like Megan lightly, and revealed that she had done a lot of research for the storyline.
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‘The writing is brilliant and the research team have been working with Barnados, so much of the work has been done for me but I have read newspaper reports about court cases involving female teachers that are very similar to what Megan is doing.
‘There have been a few high profile cases, every situation is different but it brings it home that this is something that is happening in the real world. Hopefully someone who doesn’t realise what is happening to them, that they are being groomed, might see this storyline and realise that what that person is doing is wrong and illegal.’
Hunt’s stunning run for world silver came six years after she alerted the world to her potential as a record-breaking junior.
But, between those headline moments, injuries disrupted the start of her senior career, including a ruptured quadriceps in 2022 – while attempting to manage an often frictional relationship between her sporting ambition and studies.
Hunt would not improve on the 22.42-second run – which smashed the under-18 200m world record in 2019 – until last summer, before going faster still by running 22.08 in Japan at the end of a season where she also recorded 60m and 100m personal bests.
Continuing her development under coach Marco Airale in the northern Italian city of Padova, Hunt’s immediate target is improving on her fifth-place finish at last year’s world indoors.
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The 60m is her least-favourite event – her 5ft 10in (1.78m) frame makes getting out of the blocks quickly challenging – but a necessary focus to benefit her performances over the longer distances.
Longer term, she hopes to become a contender over 400m as part of a bid to win as many as four Olympic medals in 2028, an achievement which, she says, would see her become “an icon”.
But, away from the track, Hunt is also keen to ensure she plays her part in encouraging more athletes to pursue a degree by setting up a scholarship, similar to the initiative by British rapper Stormzy to support black students studying at Cambridge.
“I didn’t want to take the easy way. That’s not me and that doesn’t inform anything I do. I have to always try and be the best every single day,” says Hunt.
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“Talking about it opens it up a lot more and enables more women and girls from an athletic background to be able to get there.
“It’s about having a conversation and helping them be more confident.”
Karen O’Brien, Regional Chief Pharmacist for NHS England in the North West, recommends that any repeat prescriptions needed in the days over the four-day Easter weekend are requested by Wednesday, 25 March.
This is to give plenty of time for medications to be prescribed by your GP practice and dispensed by your community pharmacy.
GP practices and community pharmacies will have limited opening hours over the Easter period, and many will be closed across the weekend from Friday 3 April to Monday 6 April.
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This will make it more challenging for patients to access medicines at short notice.
Running out of necessary medicines and using emergency or urgent services over the Easter break can add pressure to already busy services. In some medical conditions it can be dangerous for patients to be without necessary repeat medications.
Over the Easter bank holiday, the NHS 111 phone service for the North West typically receives hundreds of additional calls from patients who have forgotten to order their medicine.
There will be community pharmacies open throughout the Easter period, who are available to support people with medicines matters, minor illnesses and health queries.
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Karen said: “Knowing how much of your medications you’ll need across the Easter weekend and planning ahead for your repeat prescriptions means people can enjoy their weekend without worrying about their medication.
“Running out of your usual medication can have serious consequences, especially if you use them to manage a heart condition and breathing problems or a health condition such as diabetes and epilepsy and is the last thing you want to do while your friends and family are together. Keeping your medicine cabinets stocked for simple ailments will also help and your community pharmacy can advise with this.”
Dr Paula Cowan, GP and Regional Medical Director for Primary Care for NHS England in the North West, advised: “If you take regular medications for a long term health condition and if you need a repeat prescription in the week leading up to Easter or over the Easter period, please remember to always request your repeat via your practice or the NHS app at least six working days in advance.
“This is particularly important ahead of bank holiday weekends and allows your practice and pharmacy to have your repeat ready in time for you. Please help us to help you and avoid any gaps in your medication.”
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She added: “The easiest way to order repeat prescriptions is by using GP online services, via the NHS App or through your GP practice website. If you do not have access to GP online services, you can phone your GP practice to order prescriptions.”
Police carried out searches in the weeks and months following the 32-year-old’s disappearance
10:46, 19 Mar 2026Updated 10:54, 19 Mar 2026
An inquest has opened into the death of a 32-year-old man who was found dead after going missing from his home in Cambridgeshire.
Matthew Hallam, 32, from Guilden Morden, died on December 6, 2025 following his disappearance.
Mr Hallam was reported missing from his home in Thompson Meadow, Guilden Morden on July 11 last year.
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Cambridgeshire Police carried out searches in the weeks and months following the 32-year-old’s disappearance. On Saturday, December 6, a body was found in the woods in the search of Mr Hallam.
The Area Coroner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Simon Milburn opened an inquest into Mr Hallam’s death today (Thursday, March 19) at Vantage House in Huntingdon.
The inquest heard that a post mortem examination determined that Mr Hallam’s provisional cause of death was by hanging. Coroner Milburn said that Mr Hallam’s place of death was in Royston.
Coroner Milburn adjourned the inquest until June 17, 2026.
Apple is urging users to update their iPhones after the discovery of new spyware that can take over phones running older versions of the iOS operating system.
The powerful software exploit can steal information from potentially hundreds of millions of users, said cybersecurity researchers at Lookout, iVerify, and Alphabet’s Google.
It is unclear how many iPhones are vulnerable to the spyware known as Darksword, a type of malware designed to secretly steal information from mobile devices.
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It affects users running an older version of the iOS operating system, released between March and August 2025 (versions 18.4 to 18.6.2).
An estimated 220 to 270 million iPhones still run on older iOS versions, according to researchers.
Analysis from the three companies shows the iPhone hacking tools have been focused on several groups: Ukrainians targeted by Russian intelligence; Chinese cryptocurrency users; and people in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Malaysia.
On 3 March, Google and iVerify revealed details of a separate powerful iPhone spyware tool called Coruna, which was linked to Russian intelligence groups and Chinese cybercriminals.
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Darksword was found on the same servers that suspected Russian operators of Coruna have used.
Researchers said the two hacking tools indicate a flourishing market for malware. Darksword can steal data, including emails, usernames, passwords, photos, and even cryptocurrency wallets.
Lookout described it as “highly sophisticated” malware, which “appears to be a professionally designed platform”.
An Apple spokesperson, Sarah O’Rourke, said the two tools only work against devices running older versions of Apple’s operating system, reinforcing the need for people to apply updates regularly.
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“Keeping software up to date remains the single most important thing users can do to maintain the high security of their Apple devices,” she said.
John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab, a University of Toronto-sponsored cybersecurity lab, told NBC News: “The barrier to entry for widespread, devastating mobile attacks has been decisively lowered… it’s clear this problem is only going to grow.”
“The scary takeaway for regular users is they can’t spot this attack,” he added.
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Apple’s latest operating system, iOS 26, was released in September and protects users against both hacking campaigns, according to the company.
Last week, Apple made the unusual move of releasing a special update for iPhone users with older devices that cannot handle a full upgrade to iOS 26, specifically to block hackers from using the hacking tools.
But Dilip Jajodia, the company’s owner, has warned that they have encountered issues in transiting their balls, which are stitched in south Asia before being distributed from his factory in Walthamstow.
“We’ve got a major crisis right now with this bloody Gulf war nonsense,” Jajodia told the Daily Mail. “We’ve got to ration clubs by giving them 50 per cent of their balls at the start of the season, and then manage the problem.
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“We’ve got plenty of stuff in the factories in the subcontinent ready to go, but the airlines are not taking the freight, because there’s a logjam.
“The rates have gone up, too. A box of 120 cricket balls would be charged normally by airlines at about $5 (£3.76) a kilo. The last quote I got was $15 a kilo. Most of the stuff goes through the Middle East, but if you’ve suddenly got rockets flying around, you’ve got a major problem.
Dukes have warned of a shortage of balls (Getty Images)
“I heard the other day somebody flew something from Pakistan to Sri Lanka, which is another route out. Human beings will find ways. It might well be very expensive, but you’ve got to find a way to do it. Eventually, the couriers might have to charter flights.”
The new County Championship season is due to begin on 3 April, with preseason fixtures already underway.
Dukes will produce the only ball used in English red-ball cricket this summer after the ditching of an experiment that saw a Kookaburra ball employed in a number of rounds.
Ramadan, the annual month-long stint of fasting practised by Muslims before Eid, is drawing to an end.
Those practising have fasted from sunrise to sunset, allowing no food or drink to pass their lips until the evening meal of iftar. This year, Ramadan is poised to wrap up on March 19, so Eid al-Fitr 2026 will fall on March 20.
Why do Muslims fast for Ramadan?
The ritual occurs on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is done to bring believers closer to God. Fasting for the month highlights the preciousness of things that are usually taken for granted — like food and drink (yes, even water).
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How will London’s Muslim community celebrate Eid?
Following the traditional period of abstention, Eid is celebrated with huge parties across London and beyond, with lots of feasting, dancing, and of course, gift-giving.
While cash presented in decorated envelopes is the usual offering for children and teens (sparing you the headache of sourcing the latest toy that’s sparking joy in the playground), if you’re looking for a more considered present to spoil friends and family, I have rounded up the best gifts to give right now.
From luxe hampers and beauty treats to deluxe boxes of dried dates, fruit and chocolate that the whole family can chomp through, there’s something for everyone in my Eid gift guide. I’ve found options galore, whether you’re celebrating in person or you’re planning to send a delivery to their door.
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A warm Eid Mubarak to our readers who are celebrating.
Alton Towers is set to open the world’s first Bluey themed ride for families later this month – here’s everything we know so far about the new attraction at CBeebies Land
Visit Bluey’s first coaster at CBeebies Land(Image: Stoke Sentinel)
If the Bluey theme tune has become background music in your home, then you may want to plan a trip to Alton Towers, as the resort is set to open a brand new ride celebrating the Heeler family later this month.
The new rollercoaster in CBeebies Land will open on March 28, and although the theme park has remained tight-lipped about exactly what’s on offer, they have revealed it will be inspired by the show’s beloved ‘Grannies’ episode.
In fact, designers watched Bluey for 180 hours; to bring the world’s most famous blue puppy’s world to life, the creative team involved in the project watched more than a full week’s worth of Bluey episodes back-to-back.
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Now, Alton Towers has shared 7 key facts you need to know about what they are promising will be a “giggle-filled adventure”…
Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies! is inspired on one of the show’s most popular storylines, in which Bluey and his sister Bingo morph into mischievous alter-egos Janet and Rita.
The ride opens on March 28 in CBeebies Land, and families can book stays at the Bluey themed hotel rooms too if they want a fully immersed break.
You can play games while you wait: the ride’s queues are full of interactive zones and games like Keepy Uppy and fairy ring dancing to keep the whole family entertained while you wait to go on the coaster.
There are Easter Eggs… or Easter dogs: Attentive riders can also pass time by looking for the mysterious Long Dog character, who is hidden in different parts of the attraction.
You can visit Bluey’s home: before the ride begins, guests are welcome to take pictures inside Blue’s house, as the Heeler family home was recreated inside the park.
The design team watched episodes over ten times: designers watched 154 episodes in total to get a full grasp of the show, but certain moments needed revisiting – over 10 times – to make sure every detail was captures.
The ride offers light-hearted fun, but its structure is made of 550 cubic metres of concrete and 55 tonnes of steel, all there to keep everything safe and in place.
To pay a visit, book a short break at the Alton Towers Hotel and enjoy a stay that includes the ultimate Bluey sleepover in the UK’s only Bluey-themed rooms, at the CBeebies Land Hotel.
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The decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title is “abject” and “we have to denounce it” a senior figure at African football’s governing body has said.
Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in January’s final but the Confederation of African Football (Caf) overturned the result on Tuesday because Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest when hosts Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty.
Play resumed after a 17-minute delay, and Brahim Diaz’s penalty for Morocco was saved and the game went to extra time, where Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored the winner.
Following an appeal by the Moroccan Football Association (FRMF), Caf ruled that by walking off the pitch Senegal had forfeited the match, with the “result being recorded as 3-0 in favour” of Morocco.
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Augustin Senghor, a Caf executive committee member and former head of the Senegalese Football Federation, told BBC World Service’s Newsday: “In a situation like this, we have to fight against injustice.
“Football is fair play, football is played is on the field, not in offices.
“What happened with Caf was unacceptable.
“When you see a committee taking such a decision in violation of our rules, in violation of the Fifa laws of the game, to take the trophy and give it to Morocco, I think it is something very abject.
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“We have to denounce it.”
The FRMF said in a statement on Wednesday that the Caf verdict “upholds respect for rules that are necessary for the proper functioning of international competition”.
It added: “This decision helps to clarify the framework applicable to similar situations in the future and contributes to the consistency and credibility of international competitions, particularly African football.”
But Senghor believes that the decision was made after pressure from the FRMF.
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“Senegal will fight because what happened is happening for the first time in the story of African football, in world football,” he added.
“I am sure that if we [appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport] then we will win and the trophy will never leave Senegal. It is clear in my mind.”
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