A woman’s suspected endometriosis turned out to be a cancer so rare it required nine of her organs to be removed during ‘the mother of all surgeries’.

Claire Gerring, 42, was referred to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford with the suspected condition, where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere, after an ultrasound in November 2022 and was put on the waiting list in May 2023 for an investigative laparoscopy.

But after intense pain on her right side, a positive faecal immunochemical test – which looks for traces of blood in your stool – led to a colonoscopy.

Doctors discovered her appendix was inverted and a CT scan revealed she had malignant tissue on the organ and needed investigative surgery.

A biopsy in May 2025 confirmed she had stage four Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP) – a rare cancer that typically originates from a tumour in the appendix.

She was referred to Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, one of only two hospitals that specialise in PMP.

The cancer in her appendix had ruptured, meaning there were other nodules in the rest of her body. In July 2025, Claire – mum to sons Oscar, 15, and Spencer, 14 – had a ten-hour operation to remove nine organs: her appendix, gallbladder, spleen, uterus, cervix and both ovaries and fallopian tubes.

She also had removed her greater omentum (a double layer of fatty tissue covering the lower abdominal area), belly button, peritoneum lining and part of her bowel. Her liver was also partially cut away, her diaphragm scraped and her bladder stripped.

In July 2025, Claire – mum to sons Oscar, 15, and Spencer, 14 – had a ten-hour operation to remove nine organs: her appendix, gallbladder, spleen, uterus, cervix and both ovaries and fallopian tubes

After four and a half weeks in hospital, she was discharged and has been left with bowel problems, but now has no evidence of disease. She will be monitored for the next 20 years.

Claire, a hairdresser from Wantage, Oxfordshire, says: ‘I felt really quite scared and quite alone after my diagnosis.

‘When you’ve got a rare cancer and it’s not something you’ve heard of before, there’s not a lot of people to talk to about it.

‘I was told by surgeons before my operation what they will remove. It’s a lot to process. It’s quite scary, but I’m lucky I had professionals who knew what they were doing. It’s called the mother of all surgeries because of the severity of it.’

She added: ‘Recovery is a slow process… if you have your appendix out the recovery time is six to eight weeks. I’m still grateful, it’s a small price to pay. Basically what they say is you’re never back to your old self, you just get used to the new you.’

Now a year into her recovery, Claire’s focus has turned to fundraising for charity Pseudomyxoma Survivor, throwing a masked ball last month.

On the night, she said: ‘I just feel my main purpose for doing this is raising awareness about the rare cancer and Pseudomyxoma Survivor. I feel so passionate about giving back to this charity who stepped in and helped me at the point in life when it felt uncertain and alone.’

‘They also support research and have recently given £100,000 towards a research project called ‘The Beacon Project’. They are creating a blood test to detect the cancer and recurrence way before CTs can even pick it up.’

She has raised £16,002 through Just Giving and other events.

Maddy Lomas, trustee at Pseudomyxoma Survivor, says: ‘We are incredibly touched by the effort and generosity behind this fundraising event. What makes it even more special is that it has been organised by someone who knows first-hand what it means to face a diagnosis of PMP.

After four and a half weeks in hospital, she was discharged and has been left with bowel problems, but now has no evidence of disease. She will be monitored for the next 20 years

‘Having received support from Pseudomyxoma Survivor during her own journey, Claire has now turned that experience into an opportunity to give back and support others who are walking a similar path.

‘For a small charity, the £16,002 raised is incredibly significant and will have a lasting impact.

‘For a rare disease like PMP, every person who learns about the condition helps to increase understanding and could make a life-changing difference by helping someone recognise the signs, seek support, or feel less alone following their own diagnosis.’

A fundraising campaign set up by the Cleveland Police Federation for the families of two officers killed in a head-on collision

A GoFundMe page established for the families of two Cleveland Police officers killed in an A66 crash in South Bank has surpassed £200,000 within hours. The fundraising appeal, organised by the Cleveland Police Federation, has attracted more than 4,100 donations to date.

PC Tom Clough, 38, and PC Matthew Blades, 37, lost their lives in the collision during the early hours of Saturday morning, close to Middlesbrough. The officers died when their police vehicle collided with a Volkswagen Passat travelling on the incorrect side of the carriageway, with all five occupants of that vehicle also perishing.

Read more: Two officers killed in A66 crash pictured as families issue heartbreaking tributes

The federation has posted this message on the fundraising page: “PC Matt Blades and PC Tom Clough were both dedicated and committed Police Officers who left their families and went to work to serve their community and protect the public.

“Tragedy struck these two brave Cleveland Police colleagues in the early hours of 22nd August 2026, and they paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. They did not return home to their families, and they leave behind heartbroken loved ones who will struggle to come to terms with the loss of their loved one.

“Cleveland Police Federation are supporting and will continue to support the families of Matt and Tom at this unfathomable moment. We are asking for help to support the families of our two colleagues, to assist them in any way as they try to navigate this traumatic time.”, reports Teesside Live.

“Any funds raised will be split equally between their two families to be used as they so wish. Please note this is the only official fundraising platform from Cleveland Police Federation.”

The heartbroken family of PC Clough shared this tribute: “He was our hero with a fantastic sense of humour. He jumped into action whenever needed, and was willing to help anyone for any reason.”

The heartbroken wife of PC Blades also said: “No words will ever feel like the right words to honour our Matt, my beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father to our two young boys. He was an adored son and brother, a perfect son-in-law, and the most fun uncle.”

Donations can be made to the GoFundMe page here

The Monday letters page joins in on the PS5 physical media console boycott, as one considers the irony of the Xbox 25th anniversary.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Join the movement
Well, I’m currently on the weeklong PlayStation 5 boycott. I’m still very annoyed about Sony stopping making discs and want to make my voice heard.

I’m lucky enough to have an Xbox Series X and Switch, as well as the PlayStation 5, so I’m sure I’ll find something to play.

I only bought the PlayStation 5 about a year ago. I rather think if Sony had announced the ending of discs before I’d purchased the console I don’t think I would have bought it.

I hope there’s other readers of GC who are doing the same boycott, as well as a good number around the globe.
DB

First impressions
I played The Duskbloods network test over the weekend and I was pretty impressed. Before I get into it, I will say that in terms of graphics it’s very good. It basically looks at least as good as Elden Ring and I don’t think anyone would guess it was a Switch 2 game if they just watched a video. I’m sure if you analysed it and whatever you’d know but I was impressed.

At first the game seemed to be a bit of generic From game, with the monster that beats you in the first few minutes, and the basic controls and everything. But I started getting into it and I really like the jumping, which is very extreme.

It’s quite complicated in terms of the rules but then so was Elden Ring Nightreign, so I’m sure it’ll find its fans. I don’t know if I’ll buy it, but I’m interested.
Munson

Worse case scenario
I don’t know what new to say about these GTA 6 leaks except: wow! I have never seen this happen with any game ever. I’m sure there’s been a few things, like the Marvel’s Wolverine hack, but this is on another level completely.

On the one hand you’d expect ‘fans’ to make the most effort for the biggest game, but on the other hand you’d expect Rockstar’s security to be absolutely watertight. And apart from the hacks a few years ago, which didn’t really say much, it has been.

Now though… I mean who knows what will have been announced by the time you read this?! I would love to be a fly on the wall at Rockstar right now because they will be absolutely furious, they will be through the roof. And I can’t blame them to a degree, because this really isn’t the way we would should be learning about this stuff.
Johnson
PS: If this happens to the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake, I think Nintendo will just cancel it then and there, they won’t be able to cope with a leak like that.

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Regional variations
Came across an interesting article where they discuss a breakdown of physical and digital in various countries.

What was most surprisingly is you have more than 50% of some games being bought physically rather than digitally in the likes of France and Australia, including Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Resident Evil Requiem, while others are significantly less.

So either these regions sales/revenue are too little for Sony to care about or they’ve not looked at the data objectively and could be in for a rude awakening.

Makes Sony’s decision to completely cut off physical discs all the more baffling when they could’ve let publishers decide on a game by game, region by region basis.
Anon

GC: The link you sent us didn’t work but we think it’s probably this article.

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Time-consuming decisions
I would be perfectly happy with a playable Zelda section in Ocarina Of Time but I don’t see how it could be particularly long without ruining the feel of the game. Maybe for a new dungeons-like area that Link can’t go into, but at the end of the day I can’t see it being anything other than a gimmick.

For me, the biggest question is what to do about Hyrule Field. As you said in your article, if you keep it the same it’s going to be tiny but if you make it big like Breath Of The Wild it’s going to really change the look and feel.

I think that is the way to go though, and Nintendo will probably figure out a compromise that works. To be honest, this is why I don’t like remakes though. All this time and effort on something that already exists, I’d rather just have something new.
Rigird

Third party discs
I am a big collector of physical games and films/TV series, so I will be taking part in the PlayStation Blackout this week, I have even uninstalled the PlayStation app and un-subscribed from the PlayStation YouTube channel for the week! I buy a lot of indie games physically and re-releases of old games on PlayStation 4 and 5 physically, such as the Rocket Knight games and Zombies Ate My Neighbours. As well as newer releases on physical and PlayStation VR2 games on physical.

As we know, Sony prints all the physical PlayStation discs and companies like Limited Run Games, Super Rare, Lost in Cult, and iam8bit – as well as many other companies. What happens with film releases? Who prints the discs for the various companies like Criterion, Arrow, 88 Films, etc.? Do these companies print them themselves or is there a company printing them for them, like Sony does for all the PlayStation discs?

Couldn’t Sony let a third party print the physical discs so these companies that rely on selling physical copies of games, like Strictly Limited Games, Limited Run Games, Red Art Games, etc. still operate? and Sony still take a cut of the profits. I backed a Kickstarter game a few years ago called Goodboy Galaxy, which has been released on Switch and PC, and they have also made a Game Boy Advance physical game which I will receive soon, for a handheld console that came out in 2001.

If people can still make physical games for the Game Boy Advance and N64, can’t Sony let people make physical games for the PlayStation 5 still with them taking a cut of the profits? I wouldn’t mind paying more money for physical games if it meant they were still made and Sony having a big cut of the profits too, which I would be happy with.
Andrew J.
PS: I am buying Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 SteelBook for PlayStation 5 and Ender Magnolia for PlayStation 5 this week, physically.

GC: We’ve got an interview with Limited Run Games coming up, where we touch on many of these issues. It may take us as a week or two to write up though, given how busy this week is going to be.

Bad timing
It’s so darkly ironic that this year is the 25th anniversary of Xbox. They tried so hard too. Forza, Halo, and Gears Of War all out in the same year, and they would’ve had Fable too, if it hadn’t been delayed. The only problem is nobody cares and instead of celebrating the anniversary they’ve just underlined how irrelevant Xbox is.

I’m not a hater, I’ve just never owned one, and there absolutely has been no reason to do so in the last 15 years or so. I would feel sorry for those involved but seeing as anyone creative was probably laid off years ago all I can do is have sympathy for the execs that will only be able to buy one new Ferrari this year.
Tetroevil
PS: That anniversary console is super ugly.

Giving in to temptation
RE: Nintendo Switch 2. I finally picked one up. I’ve been tempted for a while and I just thought my credit card can take the hit (been waiting for an announcement on an enhanced version but that’s probably ages away).

Spent the weekend on it and I’m not disappointed at all. I’m surprised how much I’m enjoying Mario Kart World, after all the criticisms I’ve read. I do think the Grand Prix are a bit rubbish, having to drive to the next course (seems a waste of good tracks), but it works for Knockout Tour.

I’ve double-dipped on Resident Evil Requiem and it’s just blown me away how good it looks and plays. I’ll only play it on handheld mode when I’m not at my place, but another plus.

The Yoshi game is just odd. I don’t know how else to describe it, but I see exactly what you meant when you said it looks like it is aimed at five-year-olds… I feel like I’m in a primary school class playing it.

Still got to play Donkey Kong Bananza and Pokémon Pokopia but the crown jewel is the Star Fox remake. It’s always been one of my favourite games since it came out in ‘97 and I still play it on the 3DS. It feels like a new game with the enhanced graphics and soundtrack. I’d honestly be happy if they just did this for the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake, a graphics and music update. I think they are going to do exactly that and annoy everyone but I’ll be happy.
Simon

Inbox also-rans
Just heard that 2XKO has been cancelled. Oh well. I mean the obvious problem with that one is the terrible name that gives no clue that it has anything to do with League Of Legends. Did Microsoft help them with the naming for that one?
Antlan

Will you be reviewing Elden Ring on Switch 2? Be interested in hearing why it’s so late.
Lofty

GC: We’ll try, but between Gamescom and GTA 6 it’s going to be a very busy week, so we can’t promise.

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: Who are the GTA 6 leakers?

MORE: Games Inbox: Are online video game fans too negative?

MORE: Games Inbox: How much disruption will GTA 6 launch cause?

Two police officers who died when a car travelling the wrong way down a dual carriageway crashed into their vehicle have been hailed as heroes by their families.

PC Tom Clough, 38, and PC Matthew Blades, 37, died when a Volkswagen Passat, which officers had been pursuing until seconds before, collided with their marked armed response car on the A66 near Middlesbrough on Saturday.

The Passat’s occupants – Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jacob Matusiak, 23, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and Cole Robert Worthy, 17 – also died.

In tributes released by Cleveland Police, PC Clough’s family said he had been “willing to help anyone”, while PC Blades’ wife described him as “loved beyond words”.

“No words will ever feel like the right words to honour our Matt,” she said, adding that he had been a “beloved husband” and the “most devoted father” to their two young sons who would grow up knowing what an “incredible” dad he had been.

“He gave his life in the line of duty, protecting and serving others with courage, dedication and selflessness,” she said.

“The pain of losing him is beyond words, and our lives will never be the same.

“Neither will the love he gave us ever fade.

“He may have left this world committed to the duty he believed in, but his greatest legacy will always be the love he gave to his family.”

She ended the tribute to her husband: “Forever loved. Forever missed. Forever our superhero. Our Matt and Dad.”

Foundayo is available across the UK from Monday, August 24

A new daily pill that treats diabetes and helps with weight loss will be available in UK pharmacies from Monday. Pharmacists said the move is “particularly significant” for people who cannot use weight loss jabs, but also issued a warning over fake, unlicensed or counterfeit versions of GLP-1 tablets.

Orforglipron, known as Foundayo and made by American pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly, was authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) earlier this month. The UK is the first country in Europe to give the pill the green light.

Eli Lilly said it is also working with the NHS spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, on its assessment of Foundayo for a potential rollout in the health service in England. The drug is licensed for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above, or those with a BMI of between 27 and 30 and at least one weight-related condition.

It can also be used to improve blood sugars in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. The pill is taken once a day, at any time, with no food or water restrictions.

Dosage begins at 0.8mg, climbing to 2.5mg, 5.5mg, 9mg, 14.5mg and 17.2mg. Patients will spend a minimum of one month at each dosage level.

Khalil Asmar, vice-president of cardiometabolic health at Lilly Northern Europe, said: “The UK is the first country in Europe where Foundayo is now available.

“We’re pleased that this means there is another oral treatment option for eligible UK patients alongside licensed injectable treatments.”

Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “This is another significant day with a second weight loss pill available from today in certain pharmacies.

“This is particularly significant for patients who cannot or do not want to take an injectable medicine and could make weight loss treatment available to a wider range of patients.

“It is easier for criminals to provide fake, unlicensed or counterfeit versions of oral medications than injectables and patients must make sure they only access weight loss treatments through safe and regulated pharmacies.

“There must now be a redoubling of efforts within Government and the NHS to use pharmacies to make sure more eligible patients in clinical need can get weight loss treatments on the NHS, rather than the current postcode lottery that exists for weight management services via GPs.”

The MHRA approved the first GLP-1 pill for weight loss, a tablet form of Wegovy, in June.

Every day on Criminal Record we will be bringing you a round-up of the biggest crime stories of the day.

If you love to read about crime in Scotland – this is the place to be every day.

Here’s what has been making the news across the country on Sunday.

Car torched as gang war rages on

A car has been torched at a garage linked to the Daniel crime clan amid a new wave of chaos linked to Scotland’s reignited gang-war.

Emergency services were called to Kelvinside Motor Company on Milton Road in Kirkintilloch after the vehicle was firebombed shortly before 11pm on Saturday, August 22.

Daniels kingpin Francis ‘Fraggle’ Green is listed a a former director of the garage at Kirkintilloch Industrial Estate, which has been now been targeted twice in the space of a week. It’s understood a group of thugs wielding machetes turned up at the garage in a previous attack on Tuesday.

A burnt-out hatchback car was seen outside the garage on Sunday morning. No one was injured as a result of the fire, which is being treated as wilful by police.

Read more: Car torched at Daniels-linked garage amid new wave of chaos linked to gang war

Care worker caught ‘having sex’

A care worker has been sacked after allegedly being caught having sex during an overnight shift at a vulnerable client’s home, the Sunday Mail understands.

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A complaint has been lodged with care provider Keane Premier Support Services after the employee was allegedly spotted through a window at a client’s home in Cambuslang last month.

The staff worker is understood to have been on an overnight shift caring for a client.

The other person involved is understood not to have been an employee. Following the complaint, the carer was suspended and then sacked.

Read more: Care worker sacked after being caught ‘having sex’ during overnight shift

Cocaine kingpin snared by Encrochat bust

A gang member who gauded the name “Whiteradio” on Encrochat was jailed for his part in a massive cocaine trafficking operation.

Stuart George played a vital role in the crime which started during the first covid lockdown in 2020.

The then 40-year-old was held after a raid at a drugs factory in Duntocher, West Dunbartonshire.

He was jailed for more than five years after admitting being involved in serious and organised crime at the High Court in Glasgow in April 2023.

Read more: Cocaine kingpin “Whiteradio” snared by Encrochat as mob ran lockdown empire

Elaborate gift card rigging scam

Organised crime gangs are secretly rigging gift cards to “drain” thousands of pounds in hard-earned cash from Scots shoppers in a new high-tech scam.

Gift cards remain one of the most popular ways to give at Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries, with the UK gift card and voucher market worth around £8billion a year.

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With thousands of Scots expected to buy gift cards in the run-up to Christmas, they are being urged to check them carefully and report anything suspicious to store staff.

Police Scotland have now warned that prepaid gift cards are being tampered with in a sophisticated online scam known as “gift card draining”.

Read more: Organised criminals targeting Scots shoppers in elaborate gift card rigging scam

Rise of gang boss Jamie Daniel

He was the boy from Glasgow’s tough Possilpark that rose to the top of the criminal tree from humble beginnings. Jamie Daniel has been described in the past as the head of Scotland’s richest crime family.

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He has even been compared to Harold Shand, the fictional London crime boss in the British gangster epic The Long Good Friday played by the late Bob Hoskins. As a young man Daniel was said to be into shoplifting, loan-sharking, stealing car wheels and scrap metal.

One of his big earners in his early days was melting down aluminium beer barrels stolen from outside pubs. In 1983, at the age of 25, he was jailed for four years in England for heroin smuggling.

Undeterred Daniel was said to have gone on to built an international criminal empire stolen cars, firearms and major drug smuggling and forged links with gangs in London, Manchester and Liverpool.

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Read more: Car torched at Daniels-linked garage amid new wave of chaos linked to gang war

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A council has explained the “mandatory” 15mph speed limit for cyclists on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway shared path – and readers have been sharing their thoughts

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Readers of CambridgeshireLive have been sharing their views on a proposed 15mph speed limit on the guided busway’s shared path. A council has clarified why a “mandatory” 15mph speed restriction for cyclists has been introduced on a track in Cambridge.

The limit was implemented on the maintenance track running alongside the guided busway, which is used by both cyclists and pedestrians. Cambridgeshire County Council described it as an “important control measure to enable safe active travel for all users of the shared use pathway”, stating it is designed to minimise accidental conflicts between those using the shared track.

Motorcycles have also been prohibited from the maintenance track, and electric bikes capable of exceeding 15mph are not permitted. These measures were put in place in collaboration with the police.

One reader, Scepticalfish, comments: “15 mph seems reasonable… What’s the problem?”

While Whynot2 asks: “How are they going to enforce it? Send a NIPS to the registered bike owner. Does this mean that CCC are going to make it mandatory for cyclists to register their bikes?”

Calumen Nomen replies: “Enforcement, I suspect. Not sure how a cyclist is supposed to know they’re doing 15.1 mph as opposed to, say, 14.8.”

Dragon33 says: “Electric bikes that exceed 15.5mph (without pedalling) ARE motorcycles. They require all the compliance necessary for riding a normal motorcycle. Limit the cycle speed, and you may as well take a car to your destination. The problem is not the speed the cycle goes, it’s the difference in speeds between the users. Separate the cyclists from the pedestrians and avoid speed limits.”

Inner questions: “How many bikes are fitted with speedometers, and if they had them, they wouldn’t use them?”

Throatwobblermangrove writes: “So will a 15mph limit be imposed on other shared-use routes elsewhere? By the council’s logic, those are just as dangerous. Or is this just another excuse to blow more taxpayers’ money on the busway?”

Brexit498 feels: “It will never be enforced. The busway is not wide enough. A part of the problem is cyclists don’t use their bells.”

Rootintootinredux says: “Here it is folks. The very reason that mandatory bicycle license plates and registration need to be implemented. When they freely brag that they act with impunity and claim the law doesn’t apply to them, it’s time to regain control for the safety of our fair city’s pedestrians.”

Over on our Facebook page, Dean L comments: “15mph? That’s faster than the buses.”

Nicola K says: “If they wanted to ask people to please limit their speed to below 15mph as a voluntary, unenforceable request, they could have said that. Pretending that it’s got the same status as limiting the speed of cars on roads just makes them look disingenuous. Those of us who understand shared space already know to limit our speed when near other path users. The people who ride inconsiderately will pay absolutely no attention to this rule while giving vulnerable path users a false sense of security.”

Lynette W thinks: “The statement that electric bikes that exceed 15 mph are banned suggests there is some lack of understanding about the legal definitions. A e-bike can go faster than 15mph, however once it reaches 15mph the electric assistance stops, the higher speeds are 100% attributed to the riders effort. An electric bike that is electric assisted or powered above 15mph is not a bicycle, it is a motorised vehicle that must comply with the law, I.e. registration, driving license for operators, insurance etc.”

Do you think a 15mph speed limit for bikes on the busway shared path is a good idea? Comment below or HERE to have your say.

This summer has seen 175,000 tickets sold for the venue which has staged its biggest ever season of 28 shows.

The final concert was headlined by US soul and disco icons Nile Rodgers & Chic who started their 90-minute seat with party-starter Le Freak before moving into Everybody Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance and I Want Your Love.  

The Saturday night concert continued with I’m Coming Out, Upside Down, We Are Family, Like A Virgin, Lost in Music, Notorious, Get Lucky and Let’s Dance, before the show finale of Good Times.

Acid jazz outfit The Brand New Heavies took to the stage earlier in the evening belting out favourites including Dream on Dreamer, Midnight at the Oasis and Spend Some Time, while, rising soul singer James Emmanuel opened the show.

By ANDREW LEVY, REPORTER

Published: 23:30 BST, 23 August 2026 | Updated: 01:43 BST, 24 August 2026

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex should be allowed limited, temporary security as their relocation to the UK takes shape, former home secretary David Blunkett said on Sunday night.

He said it could be upgraded or downgraded over time depending on the perceived level of threat.

Such a ‘middle-ground’ arrangement would involve one or two protection officers travelling with Harry and were ‘perfectly reasonable’ to offer on a temporary basis.

His comments came as the row over whether taxpayers should fund the couple’s security arrangements – which could cost £5million a year – deepened on Sunday night.

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Labour‘s Dame Emily Thornberry said Harry, 41, Meghan, 45, and their children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, ‘deserved to be safe’, while a Labour peer said they should pay for it themselves.

There was further confusion after a source close to the couple said their move to the UK could last for as little as six months.

A review is already thought to have been concluded by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), which oversees security arrangements for key VIPs in Britain, with Prince Harry reportedly ‘privately pleading’ with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood for the result.

Lord Blunkett told The Times: ‘There are three areas of security… the fully blown, blacked-out back-up car with two or three close protection – one in the passenger car and the others in the back-up – on a 24-hour basis. 

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex should be allowed limited, temporary security as their relocation to the UK takes shape, a former home secretary says

Former New Labour home secretary David Blunkett has said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should get a ‘limited’ level of royal security 

‘There’s then the middle ground… where you have one or two officers who travel with the principal, as they call it. The third is they get a driver with security training.

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‘The middle of that is a perfectly reasonable thing to offer for the time being, and then it could be reassessed in a couple of years.’

Dame Emily, chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, said: ‘I would want to be reassured that his family are going to be safe. They deserve to be secure.

‘He is the son of the King, he has made a big contribution to our country through public service – that puts him and his family at risk.’ Fellow Labour MP Mike Tapp, a former Home Office minister, said a ‘clear-eyed assessment of the threat’ was needed for decisions about security.’

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: ‘He’s the son of the sovereign and that means he has a very high public profile, more than most politicians who get security.’

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But Labour peer Lord Foulkes, a minister under Tony Blair, said the Sussexes’ security was a ‘private matter and they should deal with it personally’. He added: ‘They are wealthy people and I wouldn’t have thought it is something that the taxpayer should be expected to pay for.’

Other non-working royals, such as Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie do not receive police protection.

Andy Burnham has said the couple’s security was a ‘private matter’.

A Home Office spokesman said last night that it did not discuss private security arrangements.

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It has just been branded the unfriendliest place in the UK – and people living for years in the ‘miserable’ east London town of Barking say they agree.

One grandmother told the Daily Mail she expected not to be helped but instead robbed, should she collapse – and advised others to best ‘keep yourself to yourself’. 

The London borough of Barking and Dagenham has the unenviable ranking in a new study drawing on government data from a community life survey.

The area might have given the world football stars such as Barking’s Sir Alf Ramsey, Bobby Moore and John Terry as well as EastEnders actor Ross Kemp, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg and Lord Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury.

Meanwhile, Dagenham’s celebrity count includes former Ford Dagenham car plant clerk and later Eurovision winner Sandie Shaw, comedy legend Dudley Moore and TV personality Stacey Solomon.

Yet locals suggest Barking and Dagenham is on the decline – and while some still have hope and pride for the area, others agree with the gloomy new findings. 

This latest report measures how often people chat to neighbours, how lonely they feel, local pride and levels of participation in civic life.

Next up, in order, on the ‘unfriendly’ list are Stoke-on-Trent, then Ashfield and Mansfield – both in Nottinghamshire – before Ipswich in fifth.

Others, however, have spoken about the positive elements Barking does have to offer – with stores such as this still trading on the streets

In contrast, the friendliest place in England was named as the Isles of Scilly, followed by South Hams in Devon, then West Devon, Derbyshire Dales and Richmond-upon Thames in south-west London.

The labelling of Barking came as little surprise to Martha Davis, a grandmother in her late 60s who has lived there for 28 years but spoke of its downturn – and her fears.

She said: ‘Absolutely it’s unfriendly. They spit in your face rather than talk to you.

‘Keep yourself to yourself – best thing to do in Barking.

‘I’m in and out, I wouldn’t spend the whole day here. There are pickpockets – the place is dying.

‘It’s terrible. I feel unsafe. People are so miserable. If I collapsed I think someone would rob me.’

While many the Daily Mail spoke to spoke up for their area, plenty criticised ‘miserable’ and uncommunicative residents for hardly helping its feel and reputation.

The unfriendliness findings come from an Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion study using data from the Government’s Community Life Survey. 

Barking has plenty of history – and famous names born and bred there – though there are concerns amid its main high streets and surrounding areas about more ‘miserable’ people

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The area scored eight out of 100 on the National Conversation’s ‘connection barometer’. 

Ten per cent of locals say they feel lonely ‘often or always’ and only 21 per cent said they could trust their neighbours.

It is a view shared on the street where residents fear being spat on or attacked.

Omar Mukhtar, 40, who has been in Barking for 23 years, said: ‘It depends on your aura.

‘You can interact with anyone. People are approachable – they could smash your face but also ask for directions.’

Local resident Faysal Khan, who has lived in Barking for six years, said: ‘Yes and no on whether it’s unfriendly.

‘It depends on the person basically. People are chatty, every kind of people you find in Barking. Some people are good as gold.

‘I go with the flow – I just try and listen to others instead of debating.’

Barking resident Omar Mukhtar, 40, told of the contrasts in how people you approach behave

Cafe worker Sally O’Brien, 44, said: ‘Our customers are lovely, but the average person out there isn’t.

‘There’s a fear of what might happen. People are rude and obnoxious.

‘The community has gone as well really. People don’t know each other. It’s a lost area.

‘People don’t even smile. They constantly spit out there or they’re on their phones.

‘Our cafe is very friendly but being out there is like another world.’

Martin Whitting, 44, who has run an ice cream van in Barking for several years, said in response to people in Barking being unfriendly: ‘It depends really. If they can speak English and communicate, then it’s a good community.

‘There’s lots of drugs and that’s the trouble. It’s a nice place but a bit unpredictable. You never know what you’ll get.’

Janice, a woman in her 40s, said: ‘It’s just weird – Some people are polite but everywhere I go it is bad mental health: Barking is bad for mental health. People don’t smile. They don’t speak.’

Ice cream van man Martin Whitting called Barking ‘nice’ yet also ‘a bit unpredictable’

Adnan Tariq, a shopkeeper in Barking for 14 years, said: ‘Maybe yes, maybe no. I’m not going to say everyone is horrible.

‘If you walk around, you’ll see yourself people are nice.

‘What you hear and what you see are different – I’m pretty sure there are worse areas than Barking.

‘Barking used to be a bit trickier but a few years passed by and it’s getting better now.

‘There used to be gangs, but they’ve removed bad council estates and they’ve cleaned up Barking.’

Dave Parsons, 45, a delivery driver, felt people were often rude, adding: ‘I think it’s the area that gets people down. They probably don’t think they’ve done well if they’re here.

‘I get a lot of people who simply don’t say thank you – it’s sad really but I am used to it now.’

The National Conversation is run by the Conservative ex-Home Secretary Sir Sajid Javid and former Labour policy coordinator Jon Cruddas – himself a former MP for Dagenham between 2001 and 2024.

Adnan Tariq, a shopkeeper in Barking for 14 years, spoke up for the town – insisting it had improved in recent years and he was ‘pretty sure there are worse areas’

Organisers say it aims to help better understand the country’s state of connection and cohesion to create a vision for how people can live well together. 

The foreword from its first report published last year claimed that ‘communal life in Britain is under threat’ due to declining infrastructure and institutions, a loss in trust in those institutions, growing inequality and chronic neglect from policymakers.   

It also identified threats causing social disconnection such as the mismanagement of immigration, cost of living pressures and social media-driven extremism.

The commission warned the results show that the UK was ‘sitting on a tinderbox of disconnection and division’.

Mr Cruddas said: ‘I nearly choked on my cornflakes when my old area came rock bottom. 

‘I think government stats miss a lot of what really makes an area tick, including my old town. 

‘But that’s why we have developed it, to spark a conversation – because what we really want is your view on your area.’